Goodbye abd Good Luck
It's a sad day on Show Me St. Louis! We're saying goodbye to Courtney Cooper. Not long ago we said goodbye to Lewis Turner. For the record, both Courtney and Lewis insist they did not submit their resignations because of me! They are young people who reached one of those "forks" in the road of life. Lewis missed his home town and got a chance to pursue a career in meteorology at his previous television station. (He's doing very well there by the way).
Courtney's husband was offered a great job opportunity and they decided he needed to take it.
We all make those tough decisions every once in a while. My husband and I were newly married and living in Austin, Texas fourteen years ago. We loved everything about the town. But once we had our first child, we realized how much we missed our families and how much we didn't want them to miss seeing our children on a regular basis. Suddenly, that was the most important thing in our lives. Not how much fun we had in Austin, how affordable the cost of living was or how much we did not miss snow. That's when we decided to move here, to my husband's home town of St. Louis. I spent many sleepless night wondering if we were making the right decision. Turns out it's the best decision we've ever made! My kids see their grandparents and cousins all the time. I have a job I like even better than the one I left behind!
So as I wish another Show Me St. Louis colleague the best of luck in her new adventure, I can also tell her that I truly believe everything happens for a reason! Those tough decisions have a funny way of working out just fine. Now I just have to hope that my newest coworker, Dana Hendrickson, doesn't have any of those "forks" in the near future!
Pajama Party Success
I just had a birthday party for my daughter who turned seven. It was the most last minute, barely planned party I've ever thrown and it was also the most fun!
The credit for the theme goes to a friend who suggested I call it a "pajama party". I invited seven of my daughter's friends to come over dressed in their favorite PJ's from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. It was a sleepover, without anyone sleeping over!
My daughter doesn't like pizza, so I decided to serve true breakfast. They seemed to love eating pancakes and sausage for dinner. (I admit to using the mini frozen pancakes since I had to feed so many kids). Instead of a birthday cake, I picked up cupcakes from Schnuck's which the store arranged beautifully in the shape of a "7".
For fun, I turned up the music to the new "Camp Rock" Disney CD and everyone danced. I had also purchased pillow cases and fabric paint ahead of time. The girls got to decorate their own pillow cases. Of course this was messy. I also didn't think about how many layers of paint they'd put on that would dry hard and not make for a very comfortable night's sleep. But I can say they had a good time doing it! The girls also liked the pinata, the final round of entertainment.
Besides sending them home to their parents full of sugar, with wet painted pillow cases, I consider the party a success. All these years I planned way ahead of time or searched for the perfect venue and a last minute pajama party was the answer.
More High School Musical
Just when I think we've seen it all related to the Disney hit High School Musical, something else comes along! We just saw High School Musical at the Muny last night and it was very entertaining.
I happened to have three daughters in the target age range when the first movie came out. They couldn't watch it enough, like most every other 'tween and teen in the country.
Since then we've seen High School Musical the concert, High School Musical on stage at the Fox, High School Music on Ice and now High School Musical at the Muny! Yes, that's a lot of High School Musical. I've enjoyed each one for different reasons. I love that there are always kids in the audience singing along to the songs. I love the theme about being true to yourself and not just "going along with the crowd". But I have no idea what type of production could possibly come next. A High School Musical themed circus?
I have to say, I'm ready for something new. The next frenzy may have something to do with the Jonas Brothers and their new Disney movie "Camp Rock". Will it too appear on ice, concert stage and Muny stage? Only time will tell.
Lunch, Shopping and Mammograms!
I am overdue for a mammogram and really don't have a good reason for putting it off. Yes, I've been busy with work and kids finishing up school for the year. I also don't feel an urgency since my first mammogram was fine and I have no family history of breast cancer. I guess the "walk in" option at my local hospital almost makes it too easy for me to procrastinate. When something seemingly more important comes up, I tell myself "I'll go next week". Well, the weeks are turning into months very quickly!
Recently I heard a great idea from another woman, when it comes to making sure these very important screenings don't get skipped. She, her mother and sister set aside a certain date once a year for lunch and shopping. The only catch is, the first thing they do on that day is get mammograms. It makes the day something to look forward to and productive at the same time. Of course you can use your imagination to come up with funny names for this interesting combination of activities!
As we approach the big "Susan G. Komen For The Cure" race on June 21st, breast cancer is a topic we've been talking about a great deal here at the station. It's a terrible disease and so many women and their families suffer. The rest of us can do our part to remind each other to do breast self exams on a regular basis. I for one, will also be inviting a few friends to "do lunch", along with some shopping and a mammogram!
Hooray For The Lazy Days
I am so glad school's out for the summer! It's the one time of year when the pace slows down at our house. I still have to get up and go to work most days. However, getting myself ready is so much easier than getting myself plus three girls dressed and packed for the day ahead. No more racing to get my oldest child to the bus stop by 6:40am. No more checking the lunch menu and deciding who needs a lunch to take to school. No more field trip forms to sign, poster boards to buy last minute or homework to nag about. Even my laundry load seems to lighten in the summer since bathing suits become the main attire.
Sure, I'll have different work to do. Keeping track of who is going to which camp. I'll have to make sure each girl gets an equal chance to see friends. I'll have to buy more food, since everyone will be home during the day. I'll have to keep in constant communication with the sitter as to who is allowed to go where and when. I'll have to pack for our weekly summer vacation at the lake. Soon enough, I'll be hearing someone say "I'm bored" and then it will be time to shop for school supplies once again. But for now, I'm glad the lazy days of summer are here!
Mother's Day
What do I want for Mother's Day? I'll start with what I don't need right now. I don't need perfume, jewelry or spa treatments. I don't want a new cell phone with more bells and whistles, considering I haven't figured out the features on the one I've had for two years! I don't need an I-Pod, since I have little or no time to listen to music and actually prefer silence when I have a moment to myself. I don't need any more gadgets that take up the spaces that I no longer have time to keep organized.
Here's what I do want. I want to spend time with my family, without any fighting among my children. I want to have a complete conversation with my husband, without being interrupted by the kids or the phone. I want to sit down and read a magazine without guilt, as if I have nothing else to do. I want to watch a movie on the "Lifetime" network and one of those home makeover shows on "HGTV". I want time to go through old photos, to see how just how much my girls have grown. I want to eat food I didn't have to shop for or prepare. I want one day where I don't have to find something that's missing, or drive anyone to a practice or lesson. I don't want to have to worry about my makeup, hair or what I'm wearing for one day. I want peace, quiet and sleep! All these things you can't put in a box and tie with a bow, but they are the "luxuries" this busy mom can't seem to afford these days. Happy Mother's Day!
Cell Phone Bill Shock
I have officially joined the ranks of parents with cell phone bill horror stories. My teenage daughter went for more than a year without going over the minutes allowed monthly on her first cell phone. Not only were my husband and I thrilled about that, she also didn't lose the phone itself. Then she discovered text messaging!
Needless to say, the number of messages my child sent and received in one billing period amounted to more than most monthly car payments. The majority of it happened during our spring break trip to visit relatives in California. The separation from her friends was obviously too much to handle, so she kept in constant touch through her fingertips. We had warned her about not talking on the phone too much, but did not specifically mention texting. I guess the rest of us were enjoying ourselves so much, we didn't notice her very busy hands.
The lesson has been learned. She is on a payment plan to reimburse us for the big bill. She will be doing a great deal of babysitting in the future. As for her phone, we could have opted to change our plan to "unlimited" text messaging, but we chose to eliminate texting completely for now. We survived without it until this point. I like her having the phone for safety reasons and for the convenience of being able to get in touch with her instantly. For now, we'll just have to do good "old-fashioned" talking on the phone, instead of texting.
