Fear and Parenting in Las Vegas

I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. I haven’t felt like writing since I came back from my trip last week.  I’d been on such a writing streak, too. Taking a break for a few days really stalled my engines. It’s not as though I haven’t have anything to say. There’s a ton of stuff to catch you all up on. Too much for one post, so here’s the first batch.

The mommyblogging session I moderated was a huge success and I beat out a colleague who was doing a crisis communications session on the LA train crash. (Yes, Denis, you still owe me a glass of wine.) We had people lining the walls and sitting on the floor! The experience was a great validation of the fact that corporate America (and its PR people) recognize the power of women on the Internet to influence each other on a variety of ways. I hope that my colleagues walked away with some helpful information that will make their outreach more effective. Thanks again to Elisa, Rebecca, and Sarah for sharing your knowledge. It was great to meet you all in person.

The fight for weekend daytime sleep is being won. This time, by me. I’ve found that by completely wearing the boy out in the morning and then offering baby jail (e.g., the pllaypen) as an alternative for his spring-loaded, toddler-bed-jumping backside, I can usually get him to pass out for an hour or two. (Thanks to Grandma and Day Mommy Amber for staying on the same page of the Nancyville playbook!)

Okay, I gave in…sort of. I bought it. I still order it when I’m out. I still refuse to pay more than $5 for a 12-pack of the caffeinated goodness that fuels my soul. Damn you Coca-Cola. I’m sure Joe Camel’s behind this somehow.

Boo’s cast is now covered with Sharpie-drawn greetings lovingly inscribed by family and friends. She’s adapted well to life with the constant left hook configuration and has only clocked me once or twice with it (she swears it’s an accident, but I’m not buying it.) She has her cast check tomorrow and, if all is well, we may allow her to sit in on her ballet/tap class this weekend so she doesn’t get too far behind before the big show next month.

A week after Boo’s trip to the ER, Doodle took a header into the side of the tub and gave himself a nasty gash over his eye. Thanks to some well-applied medical surgical glue, it’ll probably heal quickly with minimal scarring. It still looks pretty nasty, but it does have a certain tough kid appeal that may scare off some of the toddler thugs. After all, who’s gonna mess with a kid who’s had a cast and derma-bond in three months? Heck, he has no fear. Bring it on. (Before you get all “you’re-raising-your-kid-to be-a-reckless-bully” on me, anyone who’s met Doodle knows he has an internal tornado that is nearly impossible to contain. He’s never malicious about it. He’s just super-physical.)