This Full House

I'm going because BlogHer is working for ME, now!

I love this picture - it was taken during an evening excursion on the Navy Pier and sampling of some mighty fine fried dough during the BlogHer Conference in Chicago, last summer - and this is, like, the third time I've taken the liberty of showing the Internets....Dana grabbing my ass!

RELAX!

We were being careful - because, you know that this sort of act can get you arrested in some states - and were vigilant about keeping our clothes on for pretty much the entire time.

Even, when we slept together!

PBN Blog Blast: All I want for Mother's Day

The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with Johnson and Johnson to promote their new charitable giving site, Johnson’s Baby Cause, powered by Global Giving.

As part of their responsibility to the global community, Johnson’s has hand-selected dozens of charities around the world that mirror their deep commitment to caring for the health and well-being of mothers and children - not just on Mother’s Day, but every day of the year.

This is the 100th Anniversary of Mother's Day and my 15th year of raising kids -- not to mention, killer dust bunnies -- in this mother-loving world of comfortable running shoes and matching hoodies.

So, as a mother of a teen, a tween, a precocious 1st grader and The Boy who refuses to admit he is NOT getting a brother for Christmas, what could I possibly want for Mother's Day?

You know you're from Jersey, if....

Having been born, grown up and now raising a family of my own (and blogging about it) in New Jersey (what, you too...SHUT up!) I've pretty much heard it all.  Still.  You may be surprised to learn, however, just how difficult it can be, listening to jokes about why we're called "The Garden State" because, it's too hard to fit "Oil and Petro-Chemical Refinery State" on a license plate, etc...

[rolls eyes]

So, New Jersey has a lot of chemical companies; I get that.  Hell, I used to work with a couple of them - way before children - forgive me, but the assumption that moving here would be less than desirable, by anyone who refuses to take a look-see beyond the Turnpike tolls, you know, upsets me.

Or, in more Jersey-type terms...it friggin' frosts my ass, people!

So, You From Joisey?

[This is an original New Jersey Moms Blog post - newest sister site to Silicon Valley Moms Blog - cross-posted here to This Full House and yes, I am VERY HAPPY to be their first contributing blogger!]

Contrary to what other people may have told you - especially, if you've ever watched the opening credits of The Sopranos - there are some very pretty places to visit here in New Jersey, if you're willing to travel beyond the toll booths outside of New York City and away from the factories lining both sides of the New Jersey Turnpike.

It's not called the Garden State for nothin,' you know.

This Full House Kids: The birth of a family blogging project.

It's a girl...a girl...a boy...and a girl!

I am pleased to announce the birth of This Full House Kids - yep, we have added yet ANOTHER blog to our menu and I know what you're thinking...yes, I DO...because, it's probably the same thing that my husband, Garth (not his real name) is wondering and I ask myself, all the time, too.

Holy Hannah Montana...WOMAN...what WERE you thinking?

Ultimate Blog Party - Get Your Blog On!

[FYI:  This Full House is #72 on the prize list - we're giving away a webcam valued at $100 - see here for more details!]

The Ultimate Blog Party is a fantastic way to make new blog friends AND reconnect with your posse!  So, don't be shy.  Please, come on in.  Just step over the sick children, clean off a chair and make yourself comfortable.

But, please excuse the mess and do NOT feed the dust bunnies!

Let me start by offering you a warm, chocolate covered biscotti and a tall can of Lysol.

Thursday Thirteen #7 - Go Slow, Tired Moms Ahead.

 

There's an interesting article in USA Today about how babies can cause "momnesia", the mental fuzziness and memory lapses that set in shortly after childbirth.

The article goes on to give expert opinions on the subject and why some women would be reluctant to talk about their memory problems.  One that hit home, for me, was for fear of being judged poorly at work.

Uh-huh.

NOT just at work and It doesn't go away, either.  Still.  If you're wondering (or, worried) about the long-term effects of "momnesia," don't sweat it.  Take it from me - nearly 15 years of working in the trenches - here are 13 reasons why I do NOT think you're crazy.

The Thirteen Signs That You ARE A Mom:

Don't hate me because I'm dellusional!

I know - keep dreamin' - but, it's my blog and...sometimes...totally haggard-looking, regular-type moms (like me) just want to have fun, too.

Still, I can't help but feel at least slightly embarrassed when I meet someone new and they innocently ask:

"So, what DO you do, again?"

Then, all of a sudden, being a mommy blogger doesn't seem all that beautiful, anymore.

Beware, it's Monday and there's a killer metagator in the house!

 

Seriously, see that sign up there - I actually got it for my girls (all 3 share a room) and hung it on their bedroom door - I can't believe it's Monday, already!  The kids have been home for 4 days, already and we're about to get some new visitors, as This Full House is now a "Moms" All top site.

Say, WHAT?

Being at the wrong place at the right time and Mini-sleepovers!

The Boy (he's 9) had a friend sleepover on Friday and, after his mom dropped him off, I asked for his backpack, pointed out where he and The Boy would sleep (I mean, the couch IS right next to the front door) and then I knelt down real low (I could hear the poor kid's neck muscles straining) and went over our house rules.

"Basically, there aren't any."

What?

He's NOT my kid and it IS a sleepover - he WILL eventually go home and, you know, tell his mother - and it's NOT like I expected them to actually sleep, or anything.

But, he still seemed a little weary - I recognized the confused sort of...WUH-HUH?...way he shook his head, right away - so, I continued.