This is my life

Diapers and wipes, spit ups and gripes,

Bottles and juice cups, and little tyke bikes.

Spit up and snots, and hair tied in knots.

Boo-boos and band aids and rugs with ink spots

Barney and Elmo and all the kiddy songs

Super Why, and questions "why",

"Oh Toodles" all day long!

Toys on the floor, safety locks on the door,

Screams of "mommy, mommy, mommy!" Til I cant take it anymore!

A mother and a wife, baby kisses, some strife

Sleep deprived and still survive

This is my life!

Somehow, some way, almost every time I get together with my friends with kids, we end up getting into a discussion about our "past lives.". You know, like pre marriage, pre house, pre kids, pre-real responsibility!  We get all glossy eyed laughing about the good ole days when we partied too hard, drank too much, made terrible decisions and just loved every minute of it. 

I know my husband feels it too.  As some of you know, he and I met back in college like 14 years ago!  I don't think either of us could have imagined that we would transform into the couple we are now - parents (and pretty good ones too)!  We spend Friday nights watching The Lion King, know the theme songs to Mickey Mouse clubhouse and Dinosaur Train, and actually enjoy conversations about the latest things the kids do or say.

I think the general consensus is that we all love being moms, but it can also be a tough pill to swallow that our carefree, "all about me" days are officially over!  And it seemed to happen overnight! One day I was sitting in my HGTV inspired living room and the next thing I knew, it was redesigned in primary colors; with a pack and play and toy bin, padded couches and edge guarded tables.  Is that the new "modern contemporary?"

It has all just really been sinking in lately. Not sure if it's the lack of sleep or the excess of bodily excretions I come in contact with nowadays, but I just find myself taken aback by everything that lies before me.  Some days, it's like, "Wow," and others, more like "Whoa." My carefree days are over, but now I have more love surrounding me than ever before. You win some you lose some. This is life. This is my life.  

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Where are all the boys???

Earlier today, my coworker mentioned to me that her friend just had a baby boy. My first thought to that was, "Do they still make those?" 

I remember when I was pregnant with baby #1, we sat in the childbirth class as one of 13 couples, 11 of which were having GIRLS!!  On top of that, my entire circle of pregnant girlfriends had girls and just about every other pregnant girl I'd met at the time was having a girl.  I thought, "What happened to the 50/50 ratio of girls to boys?

In the past 3 years, I'd seen a few baby boys here and there, but even in this last pregnancy, I heard of nothing but girls.  2 of my best friends were pregnant at the same time as me and guess what, we all have girls!  3 other mothers from my daughter's day care were pregnant with me and again, all girls!  Another good friend just got the news that she was also having a girl. In fact, it's her 3rd! Where are all the boys?

Don't get me wrong. I love having girls!  I just know I'm gonna have to mary them off one day and I'm hoping they have a good size pool to choose from.  ;-) A little private battle my husband and I have when we talk about why we only have girls is me telling him that it's because he only shoots girl sperm.  He tells me that it's my body conspiring against him and rejecting all of the boy sperm.  I laugh, but I secretly wonder, "Hmmm...could that be true?"  Then when I look at the Chinese gender calendar, there seems to be a lot more pink squares for women in a majority of age groups. So maybe it's only the young moms and the older moms who get all the boys.  Some countries in the far east have higher populations of boys, but they don't factor in all of the societal issues like all of the girl babies who get aborted.  I've read that the foods we eat can also contribute to the sex of babies, so who knows?  Maybe this is one other thing we can blame on the fast food industry.

I haven't done a whole lot of research on this, nor do I have the time to right now, but all I'm saying is that I smell a rat!

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Motherhood the Musical returns to Atlanta - Enter to win 2 tickets!

If you live in Atlanta, you've probably already heard that the hilarious show, Motherhood the Musical, is back in town!  A little about the show:

Motherhood the Musical ® is the joyous journey and loving look at the blessings and perils of being a mom. It’s climbing the emotional mountain only to find that there’s laundry at the top. It’s discovering how powerful your love can be and how quickly your children grow up. It’s helping them find their way and not losing yours. It’s about laughing and crying, craziness and calm, smiles and tears...and all before breakfast.  It will remind you that it’s not just about Motherhood ... it’s about you.

I had the opportunity to chat with the show's writer and creator, Sue Fabisch, last week and got a chance to learn more about the mind behind the masterpiece. 

This mother of 3 (4 if you count her husband) started her career as a singer/songwriter and is credited with several hit songs, including the wildly popular "The Mom of Constant Sorrow," and Billboard chart-topper “Wal-Mart Woman.” Motherhood the Musical was just a natural progression in this comedic lineup.

So, what's in store next for this multi-talented mom? Planning dinner for the family.  (I'm sure we can all relate to that!)  Learn more about Sue at www.mommymusic.com.

You can check out Motherhood the Musical now through  May 20th at the 14th Street Playhouse and you can find tickets at www.motherhoodthemusical.com or on Goldstar for discounted tickets.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, and at the very least, you'll have a break from laundry and dishes.

I am thrilled that I will be going to see this on Thursday, March 22nd and would like to offer one of my readers a chance to win 2 tickets to this show also!  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post sharing one of your most hilarious "mommy moments." I'll be picking a winner at 1pm EST on Tuesday, March 20th.

Note: Tickets are for the show on Thursday, March 22nd at 7:30pm. 

Good luck!

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Giveaway - $25 Publix Gift Card

A busy weeknight doesn’t have to mean fast food for dinner! Publix knows that the best meals happen at home, so they are excited to help you enjoy family mealtime without having to stress about what to prepare or spending hours in the kitchen. Stop by Publix during their “Best Meals Happen at Home” event to find great savings on some of your favorite products. Be sure to visit BestMealsatHome.com to find fantastic recipes, which can be cooked in 30 minutes or less, and your family is sure to love.

Take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite participating brands during the “Best Meals Happen at Home” event at Publix from March 8th through March 14th. As of March 8th, look for in-store for coupons that will be valid through March 28th, 2012. Also, visit BestMealsatHome.com to sign up and receive emails with weekly recipes and coupon offers that will help you save up to $200 this year.

To kick-off the great savings and enjoy valuable time around the dinner table with your family, Publix invites you to try one of the delicious recipes that you can find at BestMealsatHome.com, which uses Progresso ® Lemon Pepper Crispy Bread Crumbs and Old El Paso® Flour Tortillas to make Lemon Pepper Fish Tacos:

Prep time: 20 Min
Start to Finish: 20 Min
Makes: 5 servings (2 tacos each)

Ingredients:

Fish
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 cup Progresso® Lemon Pepper Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs
1 lb white fish fillets (such as tilapia or catfish)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tacos
10 Old El Paso® Flour Tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch; from 8.2-oz package)
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded, diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped if desired
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 small lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
In shallow dish, place flour. In another shallow dish, beat egg and water. In another shallow dish, place bread crumbs. Coat fish with flour. Dip into egg mixture; coat well with bread crumbs.
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add fish; cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until fish flakes easily with fork. Cut into 30 bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, heat tortillas as directed on package. In medium bowl, mix avocado, tomato and lemon juice. Stir in cilantro and jalapeño chile.
Fill tortillas with fish, avocado mixture and lettuce. Serve with lemon wedges.

Oven Method Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Follow step 1 above. Place fish in baking dish; drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Continue as directed in recipe.

Now, to the giveaway...

One lucky Love, Peace, and Tiny Feet reader will win a $25 Gift Card to Publix! Just follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below for entries and I'll announce a winner after 3/30/12. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: The Publix gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

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