On the tube....

YAY for another day of Jenna's comment challenge.  This is such a fun way to meet new bloggers and after a lengthy hiatus it's great to get back into things!!  Today's prompt was "favorite TV shows" and I feel like I'm all over the map on this one but here are my top 3!!

1.  Grey's Anatomy - I'm a loyal follower of this show...pretty sure I've never missed an episode (thank you, DVR) and I still get excited with the start of every new season.  I love watching all of the medical stuff and with the drama layered on...its got about everything I could want in a show.  Plus, who doesn't love McDreamy....I mean, seriously.

2.  Dateline - I love watching news stories and current events stuff and this just happens to be my favorite of those types of shows.  Again, thank you DVR for holding all of these so I can watch them after the girls go to sleep!

3.  The Bachelor/Bachelorette - I know...I know...trust me, I've heard it all when I tell people what a fan I am of this show (apparently there must be quite a few of us...these shows have been on forever)...but I love a good story and some of the stuff that goes on in these shows is just too good to pass up.  Does anyone remember the "weather man"...I can't remember what season he was on but the hubs and I still joke about him to this day...haha!

Outside of these, I really don't watch too much TV...I love a good documentary...I'm a dork, I know. 

If you're here from Jenna's link-up, thank you so much for stopping by!!!

Five on Friday

I wanted to blog today....but had a little bit of bloggers block until I came across this fun link-up which seemed to be just what I needed...you just pick 5 things that are rolling around in your head and blog em.  Perfect for my little mind that is having difficulty putting anything together...so here goes it:

ONE:
Has anyone seen what I'll call the "moms section" at Hallmark.  Funny..lighthearted cards for moms...I know everyone thought I was crazy as I snapped away with my phone at some of these cute cards that would be so fun to send to another momma to lighten her day.  Here are some of my faves:

Or...when your toddler says something and you totally know what they are saying but everyone else looks at you and says "what did she say?"

HAHA...sometimes you just need some time out!

I can totally relate.

TWO:
I have an admission to make...I don't always change my clothes after getting puked on by my 6 week old...matter of fact, i rarely do.  Kate has reflux...meaning I spend a good bit of my time getting puked on...she likes a squirt toy...any change in position or attempt to lift her up and it just flows.  I'm in that weird stage where my normal clothes don't fit and maternity clothes don't either so my selection is limited and sometimes I just have to wipe it off and roll with it.  Now the baby...she gets changed everytime she soaks her clothes...in case that was your next question.

THREE:
I'm on the two week countdown to returning to work....eeeppp...it hurts just to write that.  I'm SO glad I chose to take an extra two weeks this time around but its still going to be hard...I'll be playing the lottery more often.

FOUR:
I got new running shoes last week...I've only used them once but gosh, I really needed those.  What a difference a new pair of shoes makes....maybe now I can actually stick to my little workout plan.

FIVE:
You know you have a slight obsession with Toms shoes when you get this text from your bestie after Toms make another cameo on Zulily....


If you want to join in the fun or just read what everyone else is sharing...head over to "The Good Life" and link-up!

for the love of Trader Joes...part II

In case you missed my first post about some of my favorite finds at Trader Joes...you can check it out here.  My love for Trader Joes and the products they carry runs deep.  We make a weekly trek out to our closest store, which is only about 20 minutes away, to pick up what we'll need to get through the week.  I must admit - when I first started shopping at Trader Joes...it was more of a specialty store where I picked up a few unique things that I had trouble finding other places but today we do 85% of our grocery shopping here with the other 10% coming from the Farmers Market and the other 5% coming from other grocery stores.  So...I wanted to share some more of my favorites...



1.  Sara Bee Wine - Let's talk about tasty....basically this tastes exactly like some scrumptious mix of fruit juices and its perfect for summer.  It's also a great wine to start with if you aren't a big wine drinker...and at $5.99 a bottle...you can't have a cheaper night:)

2.  Taco Seasoning Mix - This mix is awesome but beware its much hotter than your normal taco mix.  It's got an amazing flavor for a pre-packaged seasoning and we love it on just about anything "Mexican" we make in our home

3.  Family Style Meat Lasagna - You can find this little gem in the frozen aisle section and I always have one on hand for those nights when I just don't have time to make anything.  It's much better than other brands we have tried and everyone in my house gives it a thumbs up!!

4.  Green Tea Soap - Ok...so the hubs and I totally suffer from dry skin - especially in the winter when the air gets super dry.  I've tried all the name brands...olay, dove, bath & body works, etc. and have never been able to find something that doesn't stop my skin from drying out.  So you can imagine my surprise and delight when my hubs picked this up and started using it while I was traveling for business and raved about how much better his skin felt.  I made the switch as soon as I got home and have been in love ever since!!!

5.  Five Seed Almond Bars - They don't look particularly appetizing but they have wonderful flavor and are packed full of great seeds, nuts, and fiber.  Addie loves these for snacks and I like to take them in the mornings for breakfast as I dart out the door to work.

I'd love to hear what you guys crave from Trader Joes...and if you don't have one yet - I've got my fingers crossed they bring one close to you soon!!!

One man's trash...

It's true....one's man trash is another man's treasure...and there simply is no better way to prove that point than to participate in a yard sale (and I've been a buyer and a seller so no judgies here).  Recently our little neighborhood hosted a community yard sale and seeing as though I always have stuff I can get rid of - my mom and I decided we would hoist all of our goodies to the curb and maybe make a few bucks and unload stuff we were no longer needing.  Plus...you have to admit - it's free humor - it takes all kinds to make this world go round.  But I thought I'd share a few of my favorites (things and peeps)....

The ginormous glass blown clown - It's true - it's always those items that you just think no one would ever want that sell first. Two years ago it was the hat box that my mom dug out of her garage...but this year it was the creepy glass-blown clown that sold second that had me shaking my head.  First...i should admit that I think clowns are really creepy (my daughter doesn't - that pic above is of another music box - type clown that my mom also brought to sell but Addie hasn't let out of her sight.  Needless to say, it never made it to the yard sale and is now in our house...any ideas on how to get rid of this thing without a melt down?!?!)...so a 1 1/2 foot tall glass blown clown is not my idea of art but apparently at $5 it was steal.  So much so, that a gentleman arrived - examined it and then proclaimed that he must call his wife (who was a few houses down at another yard sale) so she could make the final decision.  She arrived and promptly declared it was.  SCORE....creepy clown sold.

The hoarder - There are always those that come to your yard sale looking for broken gold jewelry, coins, broken watches, etc. (I get it...you want my gold for pennies so you can melt it and make dollar bills) but when this man arrived he asked for the following: "padlocks, kitchen timers, rotary dial phones, or maybe even an old measuring tape out of my grandmother's sewing box."  I laughed...in his face...I honestly thought he was making a joke of the whole weirdness about yard sale shoppers.  But he wasn't...he was serious - told me he really liked old stuff.  I pointed him to the antique end tables at the end of the drive and he told me he was "furnitured-out"....but in need of old stuff to put in that furniture.  I sent him away without anything....but seriously, he's got to be on an upcoming episode of Hoarders.

The 60 year old thug - Now seriously...I thought guys grew out of sagging their pants by at least 35...but apparently not.  This guy couldn't have been a day under 60...sporting long gray hair with a trucker cap that he was wearing backwards and had been cut up the middle, zipper down (I think I threw up in my mouth a little) and walking with a "pimp-limp."  He inquired of nothing actually for sale but instead the 5 gallon buckets in my garage...which were at least 15 feet away from the yard sale items I was selling.  He offered me a $1 for each one...which I really didn't think was a bad deal...but unfortunately mine were still full of paint...but really, who does that?!

The liar - I felt bad (but, not really)....so I had this huge framed print of a lady holding a martini glass with some Italian wording around it.  I didn't know what any of it meant so when this old man came inquiring....I couldn't answer him.  He explained...on his second visit back to my little sale....that he had been in WWII and fought in Italy and this poster reminded him of his time there.  I had placed an $8 tag on it but he wanted to know what my bottom dollar was.  I told him $5 and he pulled out his wallet....as he rifled through 5 or 6 singles (not to mention the $5 bill in his wallet too) he proclaimed that he only had 4 singles and wanted to know if I would be willing to take that.  No, $5 is my bottom price I explained...and he folded his wallet shut and told me that it just had some sentimental value and walked off.  Of course...no one else saw the wallet....my hubs was in awe that I would not sell the poor man the print that meant so much to him over $1.  Sorry, I won't be hustled...and he had the money.

I really wish I had pictures of these characters to share but alas, all I have is the creepy clown that Addie has apparently taken a liking too...

Happy Monday....

Hi friends...

Hi friends....it feels so nice to be actually sitting down to post something on my little piece of the internet - I can honestly say that I've really missed reading everyone's blogs (although I've been trying to catch up little by little the last two weeks or so) and writing about everything going on in my little life too.  I thought it might be weird if I just started back with a random post about gardening or toddler tidbits so I figured I'd just give a brief overview of everything else I've been doing over the last few months (minus the blur of January and the first half of February).  It's probably easiest if I just break it down to a few general topics so here goes it....

My favorite topic - my girl.  I truly feel like Addie has really come into her own over the last few months...she's gone from my "baby girl" to my "big girl."  She's definitely her own person these days...I'm catching glimpses of the terrible twos and her attempts to repeat almost everything we say has me in tears some days.  Her favorite word and place is "ott-side"....which is perfect because outside season is upon us.  She also really likes to tell me "no" and she is constantly testing her boundaries.  She knows to get her own diaper when I ask her and when its bedtime she grabs her "be-bes"...says "nah-night" and scampers happily down the hall (its those moments that have me wondering what happened to my baby).  We've also entered a phase of what I really think might be night terrors and bad dreams - 2-3 times a week Addie will wake us in the middle of the night with piercing screams that go on for a bit.  It's just crazy to me how much she's changed just over the last few months...she's also been going full time to pre-school/day care and she just loves it.  She has a BFF...a boy she kisses (sshhhh...don't tell Daddy) and she just adores her teachers.  I've been soooo lacking on the pictures lately but here is one I managed to snap before leaving the house on Easter....

My distraction - our home.  We're basically a few weeks away from completing a whole home renovation.  We bought our home 5 years ago and have picked away at projects like renovating both bathrooms, reinventing our backyard, adding a deck....but this winter we basically gutted and re-did everything else.  We removed walls, moved plumbing and electrical to completely change the kitchen, had our floors re-finished and new carpet installed, added a pantry, converted to natural gas, and the list goes on....  It's been long overdue and one thing just pretty much led to the next.  It was much easier to just do it all at once so after 5 years of saving and dreaming our house has really become our home.  I have so many pictures and updates that I can't wait to share but we still have some ends that need to be tied up!!

Me - I'm loving everything spring/summer these days and am so excited for all of the dust to settle around here (literally).  We've been taking more family walks in the evenings and just enjoying our time together...it's been so nice to just be our little family of 3 without the distractions of the rest of the world.  Like I said before, I've totally missed blogging and and I'm anxious to get back into the swing of things...the new blogger was almost enough to scare me off;)

I think my blog should file for neglect...

**Be warned...delirious brain dump ahead...**

our first snow - 2.11.12

so...i guess you can say its been ages since I last posted anything and as much as I wish I had been off gallivanting in the Caribbean or doing something for the betterment of society...I've really just been at work.   Over the last month or so I've worked between 60 and 90 hour weeks, spent 10 days straight away from my family in the western part of Virginia, lost my cool a few times (cue the mad dash to the bathroom to let the tears fall in the privacy of a stall), started Addie in full time pre-school, been in a car accident (everyone was fine, but the car...not so much), and spent an insane amount of money at Starbucks (its my safe haven).  Crazy, right?!...I guess, but its my life during this time of year..and I'm not complaining because god knows I'm lucky to have everything I have.  It's funny to think back a year ago when I was talking to my favorite beach bum about starting a blog (which was born in none other than a Starbucks) and trying to figure out what I would call said blog.  And so...workaholic momma was born...which at times this summer when 40 hours was the norm seemed a bit silly but right now its right.  I feel like I've missed out on so much...of my own life, my friend's lives (blog and non-blog), and my time with my family.  And some days...I just feel like a hamster in cage running on the wheel as hard as I can but never going a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e.  So....I have no idea when I'll be back to a normal blogging schedule but I really really appreciate all of the sweet emails, tweets, and phone calls...y'all really don't know how much all of that means to me!!!!  I miss this blog world and all of the great and wonderful people I've met because of it...lots of love to you all and a very very happy valentines day!!

J

Friday funnies...

First, I want to thank everyone for all of their sweet comments and reassurance yesterday about Addie's Santa gifts...I know it may seem silly and trivial but it's nice to know that we're "in the ballpark" with everyone else.   

So, it's Friday and I like to keep things light on Fridays so I thought I'd post some of the funny things I've been coming across on Pinterest as of late...

Source: Uploaded by user via the workaholic momma on Pinterest

Source: ilovecharola.tumblr.com via the workaholic momma on Pinterest

Source: minted.com via the workaholic momma on Pinterest

oommppaa loompa...i die.

Source: people.com via the workaholic momma on Pinterest

HAPPY HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Thankful Thursday...

Ever have those moments when nothing...and I mean absolutely nothing seems to be going your way and then you sit back and reflect on life in general and realize that you've got it good?!  It seems to wash away the negativity and bring to light all of the positives.  I love those moments!!

On that note, I'm linking up for another week of Thankful Thursdays with Samantha over at "Adventures with Gwen."  You should head over and link-up to or at least stop by and leave some words of encouragement for Samantha...who spent a night in the ER earlier this week because Gwen was just diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and will have to undergo surgery to have it repaired or risk more issues with the hernia.  Reading stories like hers make me so thankful for the fortune we've been blessed with in regards to Addie's health.  I cannot imagine the thought of Addie undergoing surgery this early in her life yet, I know so many parents are faced with this and other serious conditions. 

I'm also thankful for a safe trip to and from Washington, D.C. earlier this week and my wonderful husband who played single parent while I was gone.

I'm thankful for my amazing parents who were more than willing to take Addie on for a few extra hours while I was away to fit S's work schedule so he didn't have to expend any of his precious vacation time.

I'm thankful for a special birthday celebration shared with my Poppa who turned 86 yesterday.

And to lighten the mood a bit....

I'm thankful for BOGO at Starbucks on their holiday drinks this weekend (well..actually starting today and ending Sunday).  Grab a friend and GO!!!

Again, if you have a minute, please head over and send some well wishes to my friend Samantha!!

J

Thankful Thursdays

I'm back for week 2 of the "Thankful Thursday" link-up, which is being hosted by my good bloggy friend Samanatha over at "Adventures with Gwen."  You should definitely take a few minutes and write down all that you have to be thankful for and head over and link up and share your list!

I'm thankful for an evening full of Addie-tude to remind me of what a persistent, determined, and strong-willed little girl we have on our hands.  I can only hope that as she gets older she will always stand strong for what she believes in. 

I'm thankful for Addie's complete dislike and total disrespect for my laptop.  Its a reminder to me that memories aren't made with my nose stuck in a computer but rather on the floor playing with her alphabet blocks.

I'm thankful for Addie's desire to share everything...even if its food she's already chewed.  It melts my heart to see her want to share with you everything she has.  I can only hope that she will always find more joy in giving than receiving.

I'm SO thankful for such a healthy, happy, and beautiful baby girl....she is the light of my life and I still can't believe how lucky I am to be her momma.

Happy Thursday!!

Uh oh...it's a vlog

Ok..I've done it...my first vlog.  Just for fun I started with the accent vlog and I'm not quite sure what to think or whether or not I'll do more of these but here it is.  And warning...its almost 4 minutes long!!



And in case you missed what I said...here are the words:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And the questions I answered:
What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

Happy Tuesday!!

Thankful Thursdays...

I'm linking up this Thursday with one of my very first bloggy friends, Samantha over at "Adventures with Gwen" to share a few of the things I am SO very thankful for...fitting and festive for the holiday season ahead...

This week I'm sharing my thanks for the small and obscure things that happen that brighten my day...

I'm so thankful for my wonderful neighbor that pulls our trash can and recycler from the street back up to our house on trash day...

I'm so thankful for Starbuck's hot chocolate...it's divine...and only $10.49 at Sams for the three box variety pack...

I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband that made me a grilled cheese and tomato soup on a chilly night...

I'm so thankful for "Up all Night's" humor about baby gym classes...

Care to share what you're thankful for this week...head over to Samantha's blog and link-up each Thursday in November...

Fall favorites...

This post may be a month late but the on and off cool/hot weather has really messed with my mental seasonality this year.  I've got a leaf wreath on my front door but Addie's closet is still flanked with tank tops and sun dresses....a slight contradiction.  Anyhow, after visiting the pumpkin patch this weekend and letting my favorite fall candle burn, I think I've finally settled on the fact that fall is here....

I thought I'd share some of my favorite fall things and would love for y'all to share your favorites...

Pumpkins - Orange isn't my favorite color any other time of year but when fall rolls around I can't seem to get enough of it.  I blame it on my extreme love for anything pumpkin....decorations, smells, food, on clothing...anywhere and everywhere...decorated or not...i can't get enough.

Fire pits - There is something romantic about an evening spent with good friends under the stars gathered around a fire pit.  A glass of wine and some s'mores make it even better...

Autumn Air - I love summer...I really do, but the humidity around here is insane and my wavy/curly mess of hair gets quite confused and I end up with perfectly straightened hair in the morning and a frizzy mess by afternoon.  So not only does the cooler air help motivate me to get out and do stuff it also really helps me in the hair department...which is kind of a big deal to me

Fall candles - I love the smell of fall candles and September - December is when I do the bulk of my candle burning.  Something about it just seems right...and I find Yankee Candle's Harvest and Autumn Leaves to be especially dreamy...

I pretty much love everything about fall...I must admit other than its proximity to winter (which I only enjoy if it is snowing) there is simply nothing about fall I don't enjoy....

our trip to the pumpkin patch

Our vacation recap...

Despite a one day departure delay due to Hurricane Irene...we were still able to enjoy 4 glorious days in one of my favorite states...South Carolina.  We actually stayed about 45 minutes outside of Charleston in a lovely log cabin on some stocked fishing lakes with my parents.  It's very peaceful there and with Charleston close by we had plenty to do!  I won't bore you with the details but I'm hoping to hit the highlights by sharing our day by day with some pictures and a few words thrown in!

Sunday

After arriving Sunday evening and unpacking everything it was bath time for Addie. After finishing her bath - I started getting her ready for bed and then let her crawl around as the hubs and I discussed what we wanted to do the next day. She was out of our sight for no more than 15 seconds when we heard a splash...apparently Addie wasn't done with her bath! I embraced the moment by grabbing the camera:)

Monday

My parents didn't arrive until Monday afternoon so we spent most of Monday hanging around the cabin and checking out all of the ponds, trails, and activities. After my parents arrived, the guys enjoyed some time fishing the ponds and catching catfish!!

Tuesday

Addie met her first horse on Tuesday as we took a covered wagon ride around the property and learned alot about the history of the property and the current conservation efforts the property has in place. The guys also did some more fishing and catching!!

Wednesday

Wednesday was the day we ventured into Charleston but not before spending the morning in Summerville, SC at the Middleton Place plantation. I'm a huge dork when it comes to history so I loved touring the plantation and learning all about the Middleton family (no relation to Kate Middleton...yep, I asked!) and the antebellum era in South Carolina. We spent the afternoon and evening in Charleston walking the battery and drooling over all of the beautiful million dollar homes.

Thursday

This has to be one of my favorite pictures...EVER! Nothing sweeter than watching the special bond my dad and Addie are developing!! This picture was taken steps from our cabin door!!  The guys golfed on Thursday and my mom and I strolled with Addie in tow around the property before departing in the afternoon.

This was certainly one of the best vacations we have ever been on and are really looking forward to making it annual thing.

J

A first for us and a change in perspective...

What a day...I spend so much time blogging about all of Addie's firsts but thought I should also mention that today we all experienced a first...think ground shaking and hysteria....yep, an earthquake on the east coast.  While chatting with a co-worker about the United Way campaign we paused to take in what we first thought was some work going on in the building...until we noticed the whole building was shaking.  As if in slow motion, we filed out into the hall to find everyone else doing the same...we all exchanged confused looks and systematically headed to the stairwells to file out of the building.  And not because an alarm had sounded...I suppose it was just our gut reaction to get out of the building....down 16 floors we all went.  Exiting the building was like joining the street party...people were every.where - it was surreal and at this point we still had no idea what was going on.  Honestly....earthquake didn't even cross my mind in those first 5 minutes but soon after joining the rest of my co-workers at our designated meeting spot we had it figured out.  Confusion set in as stories of shaking in New York and Roanoke spread from those that had been engaged in conversations with people in those locales when the quake hit.  Fortunately there was no damage...I forgot my phone and no one was able to get calls out anyhow...but soon after returning to my desk I got an email from my hubs and was able to get a call out to my parents to make sure everyone was doing well....everyone was safe...albeit a bit startled!  So...here I sit...reflecting on the fact that I experienced my first earthquake today...weird, right?!

And just because mother nature threw a curve ball at us today doesn't mean she isn't also up to some of her old tricks...according to my friend Jim Cantore at the The Weather Channel (insert sarcasm here - he's not exactly the person you want visiting your neck of the woods) Hurricane Irene currently has her sights set on our area..or at least somewhere close by.  It's amazing how much my perspective on these events have changed...prior to being a mother, homeowner, and responsible adult these scenarios were actually kind of exciting for me.  Losing power was an excuse to light all of those candles my mother stored away in the drawers and grill a freezer worth of meat...and it always seemed like the community really united during these times...and part of me really enjoyed that.  I didn't mind picking up branches and debris or taking cold showers...cold meals were ok in my book too.  But today as I sit here and type this...I must admit...I'm terrified.  I worry about the pine tree farm that my neighbor behind me has growing (these trees are literally like 100 ft tall) and what they will do to my house.  Losing power is my worst nightmare...we have SO much meat frozen and trying to give Addie a cold bath would be disastrous.  I love my neighbors...I really do...but spending what is supposed to be "vacation" for me next week in the streets exchanging stories of how we rode out the storm is not the least bit appealing.  So...please, send up prayers to send this thing off the coast.

J

"Back when I was a kid..."

yeah, we know...you walked up the hill both ways to school in 2 feet of snow with your books in one hand lunch bag in the other.  We've all heard those stories and now that I'm getting older...and have a little one....I often think about how much things have changed since I was a kid.  I can lose myself in memories of the way things used to look in Virginia Beach when I was growing up and all of the modern convienences that we so easily did without.  My mom lost her mother when I was only 2 years old and she always says "if my mom could see this place now, she'd never recognize it..."   This sleepy little beach town that once was is now a growing and developing city with a "downtown" and a booming oceanfront.  And some times I long to just raise my little girl in the sleepy little beach town I grew up in but I also delight in knowing that all of this development and growth only means more opportunities locally for her...which is pretty awesome too.  And while I could go on and on about how much Virginia Beach has changed...for those of you that don't live here it would be rather meaningless and poor Addie will have enough things pointed out to her (like - see where that middle school is behind grandma and papa's - when I was growing up that was a horse farm) over the next 18 years that she'll never care to read about everything that has changed.  So...instead I'll write about all some (I could probably dedicate an entire blog to "all") of the BIG ways this world has changed over my lifetime but for Addie will always be "how it is."  To mention a few:

* Social media - if you think back 15 years ago, AOL was just coming to be a part of American households...which of course brought about AIM and chat rooms(with creepy stories of 40 year old men chatting with 13 year old girls..gross)...which in my opinion was the most primative form of social media.  Growing up the only person I ever communicated with that I didn't know was my pen pal named Barry (funny, I still remember his name) in England.  I once responded to a letter he had written in which he asked what type of home I lived in (apartment, flat, or ranch) with "ranch" as I grew up in a one-level home in the 'burbs."  Apparently, he assumed I lived on an actual ranch and had farm animals as he inquired as to weather or not I had pigs, or cows, or chickens...after consulting with my father I realized that "flat" would have been the appropriate answer - ha!)  Anyhow, I digress....but you get it...twitter, blogging, facebook, etc. - you are constantly conversing with people you've never met.  Which leaves me wondering when it is appropriate to allow Addie to engage in said activities...surely, when she's 9 we won't be allowing her to have a facebook page...I've got some serious stranger danger issues...but will that be...or is it already - the norm?

* 9.11.01 - I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I sometimes get a little leary when boarding a plane or attending large events.  9.11 changed me and my world in ways I probably don't, nor ever will, realize - I, like everyone else, will never forget where I was or what I was doing or even the first 24 hours after the 9.11 tragedy.  I am always aware of my surroundings and on the look out for anything suspicious...not to the point of paranoia but probably enough to annoy my friends and family.  Addie will never know what its like to meet someone at the gate when they de-board a plane or to not share the contents of her bag with the guard at the gate and I hope that because she doesn't know any different it's also not something that concerns her.  Sure, I want her to be cautious and careful and all those things that overprotective mommas worry about...but I also want her to love the world and embrace it with an open mind and treasure it for the opportunities it holds and not obsess over the threats that hide within it.

* Diversity in the office of the presidency - Barack Obama...need I say more.  And so I'm clear - I'm not talking politics here (my parents always told me politics and religion should never be discussed)...I think its wonderful...I've long said there is simply nothing more beautiful than watching children play together who could care less what their friend looks like or believes in.  We shouldn't be judged on our physical characteristics but rather our character...

* Reality TV - Game shows and the dating show were the closest I ever got to reality TV growing up but now I dare say reality TV occupies at least 50% of what's on TV.  Nothing seems to be personal or private anymore...

* Cellular devices - Aaahh...remember when pagers first came out??  You were so cool to rock one on your hip and you loved getting pages so you could run to the nearest phone and call that friend back if you were out and about.  Now...people just call you on your cell phone and you're pretty much expected to be reachable at all times...which sometimes I really dislike.

Thanks to my wonderful parents, I turned out great (or at the very least I've stayed out of jail, contributed to my community, and provide for my family) but I know that given this changing world there will be challenges I face while raising Addie that my parents did not face.  Do these types of things keep any other mommas awake at night...or maybe even just cross your mind during the day?

As for the deep post...from time to time I sit down and put together a post about something deep and thought provoking...or maybe more like "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy" ish...but generally never hit publish.  I'm not sure what got into me but I hit publish this time...so here it is.  Hope everyone is having a great week!

J