2010 Convertible Life in Review

Given that my last post for 2010 falls on a Friday, I'm giving myself creative license to expand this Friday's 5 to a Friday's 12. Inspired by Adventuroo's year-end list, I bring you my favorite posts from each month in 2010.

These aren't necessarily the posts that garnered the most comments or earned the most page views -- but they're the ones that (for me, at least) capture the year that was.

January: When Your Toddler Poops in the Bath

This first edition of Saturday Strategery contains advice I hope you'll never need. But if you've got a toddler and you ever give said toddler a bath, it's entirely possible that this disaster will happen to you, too.

February: And Baby Turns Two

It's sappy, but what do you expect from a mama whose baby girl turned two? With the second child, it's such a different ride -- and she's such a different personality. Plus you get a peek at how enormously pregnant I was with her.

March: Lessons Learned, But No Easy Answers

This post sums up my views on the political mess our school board made this year. But it also connects today's issues in Wake County to a powerful lesson I learned from my students a decade ago in Charlotte.

April: Singing, Dancing and Learning

Sometimes it's hard to see past my kids' craziness to realize what's really going on in their busy, busy brains. Thankfully, we stuck with Music Together classes long enough for me to get a glimpse. (Check out my attempts to be a Runner, for another favorite.)

May: Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Junius graduated from preschool. And somehow I didn't cry. (For more sappy Junius posts, see the J-Fest 2010 series in July.)

June: Like Mother, Like Daughter

Pippi got her first haircut. It was sassy and she loved it -- and it's not a Dorothy Hamill. (And in case you missed it, my close second-fave post for the month involves a drag queen.)

July: Dating Women Sucks

I wrote a lot in July, partly because of J's birthday -- lots of posts I liked. But I think this one -- where I described how hard it can be to make friends when you're the new mom in town -- was the one I most needed to write.

August: Remodeling: A Cautionary Tale

This post -- modeled after the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" books -- still makes me laugh. Of course, it's easier to smile now that most of the heavy construction is done. But more about that in 2011. In the meantime, read this post if you're considering any home renovation projects.

September: Pole Dancing for Dummies

Yes, I actually went to a pole dancing class. No, there are no pictures to prove it. (If you want something more romantic, check out my wedding photo instead.)

October: Honesty Is Hardly Ever Heard

This is probably the toughest post I wrote this year. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.

November: Back Away from the Candy

One of the reasons I like writing this blog is because it helps me remember the funny things my kids do that are so easy to forget. This quick story about Pippi makes me laugh every time.

December: 'Twas Friday Night in Lakemont

I don't often rhyme in blog posts, but I do like to wax poetic about my awesome neighbors. I mean, who else would think to turn leftover pumpkins into a Christmas tree?

Thanks to all of you for reading (and sometimes even commenting) -- I love that you're out there. If I've missed a favorite post of yours, let me know. And I'll be working to make the blog worth your time again in 2011.

Happy New Year!

Wordless Wednesday: White Christmas

Never thought I'd see snow on my outdoor Christmas decorations in North Carolina!

The 12 Days of Mommy's Christmas Wish-List

On the first day of Christmas,
my children gave to me
a chance to pee in privacy.

On the second day of Christmas,
my children gave to me
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the third day of Christmas,
my children gave to me
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my children gave to me
seven toys a cleaned up,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
eight easy bedtimes,
seven toys a cleaned up,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
nine "please" and "thank yous,"
eight easy bedtimes,
seven toys a cleaning,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
ten laughs a tickling,
nine "please" and "thank yous,"
eight easy bedtimes,
seven toys a cleaning,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my children gave to me
eleven "Love you, Mommy,"
ten laughs a tickling,
nine "please" and "thank yous,"
eight easy bedtimes,
seven toys a cleaning,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
twelve solo trips shopping,
eleven "Love you, Mommy,"
ten laughs a tickling,
nine "please" and "thank yous,"
eight easy bedtimes,
seven toys a cleaning,
six days a playing,
five FULL nights' sleep...
four great big hugs,
three whine-free meals,
two smiling faces,
and a chance to pee in privacy.

Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Hair

In case it's hard to see, she has at least seven ponytails in there.

Friday's Five: Customer Service

I'm a firm believer in the power of good customer service. Whether it's going the extra mile to make customers feel special or taking customer complaints seriously, the companies that pay attention are the ones that get -- and keep -- my business. It's why I love PSNC Energy, but hate dealing with Time Warner Cable.

During this crazy shopping season, here are five happy customer service experiences I've experienced recently. And as someone who worked retail (anyone shop at Limited Express in the late 80s?), I ask you to please be kind and patient to the store clerks you see during the coming days.

1. Great Goods: I found Doris' Etsy site through a Google search for aprons a year ago, but finally ordered one for my birthday this year (thanks, Mom and Dad!). Not only is the apron beautiful, but it arrived quickly and was packaged beautifully with a handwritten note and a family recipe tucked inside. There's not much left on her site now (clearly I'm not the only one who likes her aprons), but she has some really great fabrics.
2. H*Lea*Designs: Okay, so Heather is a friend of mine. But still, I trust she gives this kind of service to all her customers. The adorable hand-knit hat I ordered for Pippi arrived on time and was custom-fit to her head. She has styles for boys, too, and will customize colors on request.
3. Mabel's Labels: Not only did I get a conference coupon for free labels (which are fantastic, by the way), but I also got picked as the "Customer of the Day." Even before my labels arrived, I received a package with a great double-end pen, a reusable shopping bag and other treats from Mabel's -- I felt so important.
4. Marriott: This story didn't actually start out so happy, as you may remember from our ill-fated pack-n-play incident over Thanksgiving. But I give Marriott full credit for responding quickly, listening to my concerns, tracking down a solution to the problem and giving us some bonus rewards points as a make-up gift. Companies make mistakes sometimes -- great customer service is what makes us forgive them.
5. Quail Ridge Books and Music: I realize that not all of my readers live close enough to Raleigh to be able to enjoy our local book store. But I hope that you'll support your independent bookseller wherever you are -- or just order online from Quail Ridge. Their staff is knowledgeable and helpful, the store is lovely, the gift wrap is free (year-round) and the children's section is top-rate. Check here for some of my suggestions of what to buy.

So, what's your best customer service experience lately?

'Twas Friday Night in Lakemont

Alternate Title: Why You Wish You Lived in My Neighborhood
With apologies to Clement Clark Moore or Henry Livingston, or whoever wrote the original

'Twas Friday night in Lakemont --
A night in, you see --
My husband and I
Turned on the TV.

The renovation mess
Would eventually be great,
But it meant no holiday
Decorating to date.

The children were nestled
All snug in their beds,
While visions of presents
Filled up their big heads.

And my husband in sweatpants
And I, in my jammies,
Had just settled down
For some TiVoed programmies.

When out on the porch there arose such a clatter,
Hubby sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.

He peeked out the window, then walked 'cross the floor,
Turned on the porch light and opened the front door.

When, what to our wondering eyes -- not a fright --
But a green pumpkin tree clad in garland and light.

From a fabulous neighbor, so clever and arty,
I knew in a moment it must be Ms. Marty.

More rapid than eagles, she'd smuggled away
The pumpkins on my porch since an October day.

And now it's tradition, we'll hope every year
That our favorite craft elf will bring us this cheer.

As if just her friendship weren't enough,
She does fun things like this and shares tasty stuff.

So we send her, as thanks for all these delights,
A most Merry Christmas and many peaceful nights!
.

Baby Wants to Drive This Car

Several weeks ago, Pippi and I ventured downtown to City Plaza to preview the all new 2011 Ford Explorer coming out this winter. As you can see from the photo, she loved it.

Loved. It.

As in, did not want to get out of the driver's seat. As in, mommy had to peel her little fingers off the steering wheel and drag her wiggly body out of the car to give other people a chance to test it out.

To be honest, Pippi wasn't the only one who was impressed. The Explorer is clearly no convertible, but seems like a great alternative if we decide to go for a vehicle with more seats. It's loaded with safety features, including second row seat belts that inflate to soften the impact in a collision. The third row seats move at the touch of a button, hiding one or both seats to allow for more storage space. And it's a sleeker design than past Explorers, which makes it seem less hulkingly big.

When I did manage a brief turn in the driver's seat, I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong -- it's still a big ass vehicle, particularly compared to the convertibles I love best. But it didn't feel as big as I expected. As in, it felt like something I might actually be able to drive and maneuver into a parking space without crashing into everything around me.

They're claiming it will get better gas mileage than any other SUV -- which may be true, but is still a far cry from my Honda Accord. One of the Ford promotion guys hanging around told me there's a second version of the SUV scheduled for release in summer with an EcoBoost engine that will get even better mileage (you won't be able to tow anything, which is not a problem for me). That option has me intrigued.

When I asked the first few guys my most important question -- can you fit three car seats across the middle row -- no one knew the answer. But when I got to the VP who was at the event, he assured me that you can. Sadly, they didn't have three car seats on hand to test his answer, but I'm hoping he's right.

For now, we're going to keep driving the (paid-for) cars we have. But I'll be watching the release of this new Explorer and am curious to have a chance to actually drive one.

Maybe Ford would like to let me (ahem) borrow one for a few weeks? You know, take all those cup-holders for a spin and see how comfortable I could get? Lure me in so that I can never go back to not having seven seats again? Give my kids a taste of riding in big-rig super-safe luxury? Anyone?

Note: Ford did not pay me to write this post. They did give me a free Jimmy John's sandwich at the event, but they were giving those to everyone who walked by to look at the car, so I hardly think it counts as a bribe. However, I would happily take a loaner Explorer for a bit to see how it fits.
.

Birthday Five: Keeping Me Young

I realize it's not Friday, but it's my birthday and I'll post what I want to.

I'm 38 today. So there.

Not that long ago, 38 sounded really old. Almost 40 (gulp). Almost over the proverbial hill.

Yet now that I'm here, I don't feel nearly as old as I thought 38 would be. With my husband already in his 40s and my parents now in their 60s, I've shifted my definition of "old" to somewhere around 93.

Here are five people (or groups of people) keeping me young this week:

1. My children. They're exhausting and probably adding gray hairs and wrinkles to my look every day. But they also make me silly and happy -- and they remind me of how much fun the world can be.
2. My husband. For the second birthday in a row, he's given me running related gifts. Last year it was the iPod to get me started. This year (now that I'm actually a Runner), it's a high-tech running shirt and hat to keep me warm through the winter months. Also, he tells people I'm his "child bride" because I'm several years younger than he is -- don't you just love him?
3. My friends. Most of my friends are my age (give or take 10 years). I figure if they seem young to me (and they do), then I must be young, too. And they do sweet things like take me out to lunch and sing "Happy Birthday" on my voicemail -- that makes me happy, which makes me smile, which (I hope) makes me look younger.
4. My dermatologist. This one falls in the "for better or for worse" category. I started getting these bumpy, flaky spots on my chin two weeks ago. Turns out it's stress-induced acne. And acne is for teenagers, right? So I must be younger than I thought. Thankfully the antibiotics and cream are bringing my face back to normal -- and even perioral dermatitis is better than this visit.
5. My hair colorist. Thanks to some nudging from my husband and a deal from Redeemio, I became (more or less) a redhead on Tuesday. Lane at ds Parada salon took me from blah brown to a sparkly red that shows up more in sunlight than it does indoors. It's kind of different and fun -- and it covers the grays referenced in #1, above.

So what's keeping you young these days? And, more importantly, what do you think of my new hair?

Friday's Five: Not Enough Time

There's just not enough time in the day. And there are lots and lots of reasons for that -- but here are five photos to explain why I haven't written all the posts that are stored in my head recently.

1. We started our downstairs renovation project. It's going to be spectacular, but right now it's a big, chaotic mess. Yes, that's my stove in the middle of the kitchen.

2. Keeping my children out of said renovation project is nearly a full-time job. Particularly when our contractor brings Junius his own hammer and tool belt. Notice the proper use of safety glasses.

3. Keeping Pippi out of my makeup bag takes more focus than I've apparently been able to devote. Note the mascara unibrow. Guess I should just be glad she didn't paint the carpet with it.

4. Despite the mess, I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit. My husband helped put up little trees with lights in the kids rooms, plus I'm working on holiday cards.

5. And the sweetest reason that I've been distracted during my usual blogging time -- earlier in the week, I got to snuggle with my sweet baby from up the street during Pippi's nap time. He's just discovered his toes, which is every bit as adorable as you might imagine it to be.

So what's keeping you crazy busy these days? Or have you figured out a magical way to slow down time?

Wordless Wednesday: Finish Line

 

Turns out I really am a Runner.