I am so thankful that my husband knows me well enough that he did not plant forty flamingos or some other thing in our front yard this morning.  Instead, I got served coffee in bed and a box of chocolates which the kids helped me eat.  It was a great way to start the day!  I also had phone calls from near and far away that touched my heart.

I never make New Year’s resolutions but I do make birthday ones.  It’s a nice way to celebrate yourself and refocus your energy on something you’d like to accomplish in your new year.  I recently rented the movie, “Things we lost in the fire,” with Halle Barry and Benicio del Toro.  Halle’s husband in the movie keeps reminding her to, “accept the good.”   Well, this year I am going to try to do a better job of accepting the good.  I think as moms we are so used to taking care of everything and everyone that when it comes to us, it’s easier to just do it ourselves.  At least for me, I am not very good at accepting help mainly because by the time I would explain what it is I need done, I could have done it already. 

I have had wonderful sweet dear friends and family offer to plan parties for my birthday and I turned them all down.  I just want to hold my little family close and celebrate quietly.  Also, I am not comfortable with all that attention or maybe I don’t feel I deserve it, but this year I am going to work on accepting all the good and see what comes my way.

I hate to say it but I think it’s time to get one of those chains that attach to your glasses so when you take them off they are swinging around your neck.  I am driving myself and my dear husband crazy because I am always on a search for my glasses.  Last week I found them under the covers of babe-o’s bed.  I am turning into my mother.  She once lost her watch and after she bought a new one the old one turned up in the vegetable drawer.  I sometimes hang my glasses on my shirt and forget and then ask who took them.  So that is why I have been known to drive around town wearing my (prescription) sunglasses on a rainy day, because I can’t find my glasses!!

We made it  to the beach.  The first thing the girls did when they hit the sand was lay on their backs in the sand moving their arms and legs up and down.   I contemplated what they were doing getting that sand all over and in their hair.  Then I realized they were doing what they know- making snow angels, only in the sand!  They had escaped the cold and felt free.  It’s amazing what a little sunshine and fresh air can do.  Next time I won’t bring all of those suitcases full of clothes since everyone lived in their suits. 

We are going to attempt something that we haven’t done in a very long time,  the family vacation.  Now, we have taken little trips here and there but always with extended family.  Either to my in-laws’ farmhouse in up-state New York or to see my folks when they vacation in Maine.  Those trips are great and certainly have a place, but now its time to something grown-up and start our own traditions.  We will be heading to the beach for six nights. 

The last time the five of us flew as a family was two years ago and they actually rolled up the carpet at the Red Carpet Club.  We arrived for an early morning flight that was delayed until 10pm.  We even got sick of us.  Finally my husband and I couldn’t take it anymore so we hailed a cab home just so our miserable children could take a nap.  Then back to O’hare with such high hopes.  After waiting in the long line at security the tsa agent was checking our boarding passes and matching them to the children.  When she smiled at my daughter and said her name, Ham tells her “No, I’m Wendy.”  What she meant was Wendy, as in Wendy from “Peter Pan.”  Of course this was totally lost on the agent and we got pulled aside while I explained that she was only Wendy in her imagination.

We arrived at our destination just in time to take the last shuttle to a motel since it was too late for anyone to fetch us. The funny thing is that the kids still talk about that adventure and how great it was to watch Sponge Bob at midnight.

My boys survived their camp out experience in Wisconsin in spite of the rain and flurries.  They had a few activities and then all of the tribes met in the mess hall for dinner.  The kids had a square meal and the dads held out and cooked some food over the camp fire later.  Here’s what was on their menu: steak. What could be more manly than that?  And I love that there wasn’t a lot of deliberation before hand over what to eat. No emails back and forth over who would bring what. No fancy appetizers. No salads or side dishes.  Just meat cooked over the fire.  And I have a sneaky feeling there was beer.

Yesterday was not a gold star day at Chez H.  My second grader is trying out some new vocabulary he says he learned at school.  It all started when I told him he could not watch a PG 13 movie at lunch.  He went bananas.  When I sent him to a time out so he could come up with a new plan, he said, “shut up and get your stupid a** out of here!”  And then he slammed the door.  Now, I prefer natural consequences.  For example, if you leave your baseball glove in the yard and it gets rained on and ruined.  But in the heat of the moment I couldn’t come up with a logical consequence so I told him that he would not be able to attend a neighborhood party with us Friday night.  That meant that my husband and I would have to take turns going.  Great, now we were all in the penalty box.  When I asked my husband if he thought that was a good punishment, he said he would have taken away the Indian Guide camp out on Saturday night.  Hmmm, I think someone isn’t looking forward to camping out in Wisconsin in the rain and snow.  

I have two sick girls at home and it has been fine staying in because yesterday brought BUCKETS of rain.  I despise the weather people here.  I just want to smack them because they always seem to chuckle when delivering the bad. They said it was going to snow tomorrow, “ha, ha, ha.” I was once the weather girl way back in college on the Active-7 News and I wonder if people felt that way about me?  Probaby not because no one except my sorority sisters was watching. I fear I am turning into one of those old people who always talk about the weather.

Since I have been spending more time and paying closer attention to my little chicks, I have observed the funniest things.  When I told babe-o’s that she couldn’t just take a toy away from Ham she cried, “but I want to give it to ME!”  As if her generosity would help her get her way.  And then Ham shared a  snow journal she’s been working on in preschool.  When they asked her, “What does snow smell like,”  she wrote, “Good, like sugar!” That’s my girl. 

The last two days have been a whirlwind. Into the city tues. night to attend a screening of the new movie, “Baby Mama,” with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  Then blew back into the windy city at 5:45 wed. morning for a taping of the Oprah show.  After many, many phone calls my new friend Mindy scored 4 tickets and invited me to go.  It certainly is an impressive production and great fun to be around so many enthusiastic women from all around the country.  There were even a few men in attendance.

When I left the house in the dark, everyone was snug in their beds and Ham in her sleeping bag.  My husband was all set to get everyone dressed for their various schools and fed until Ham came downstairs and said she didn’t feel well and then proceeded to throw-up.  Since there was no bucket at the ready, my resourceful husband cupped his hands together to make a bowl. I certainly never would have thought of that!

One bonus of the day was meeting up with an old friend from CNN.  She is now a producer for Oprah and came down after the taping to say hello.  Standing there catching up on our lives I couldn’t help but feel a little envious hearing about her job.  Since she had to sign a confidentiality agreement, she can’t say what it’s really like to work for the most powerful woman in television.  But with only 50 or so employees, it’s a pressure cooker for sure. Totally different paths we’re on. She in the city in a condo..no husband or kids and I in the suburbs with a husband and three.  And while I feel so blessed with my little family and I’m not ready to work full-time, it might be fun to trade for a day.

We did something crazy this weekend and acted like it was spring!  It was beautiful and the kids played out most of the time.  The top came off the sandbox and babe-o’s had sand in her mouth and hair.  Ham had it in her hair too and I have a feeling they were playing beautyshop out there.

I ran off to get my toes painted since sandals aren’t far off.  While I was relaxing, I read and article in Allure magazine that talked about how your friends influence what you eat.  That if the first person orders healthy then the others will follow suit and even try to one-up eachother…dressing on the side etc.  Have you experienced this?  It doesn’t sound like fun.  I don’t get to go out to dinner with the girls that often anymore but I’m going on Wednesday and I’ll report back.  Back in my single days, a group of us met on Monday nights for dinner and to rehash our weekend dates.  We all ordered the grilled chicken salad, dressing on the side.  Then we’d go back to Jenny and Caroline’s condo and watch Melrose place while eating an entire Entenmanns fat-free cake.  

I do know that at the health club today I was next to an acquaintance who just had a baby two months ago and looks fabulous.  I wanted to just lay on the mat during abs but when I saw her doing them…well I had to keep up.  A little competition can be good don’t ya think?

I was pleased with myself that I made it into the no-cavity club at my last check-up.  That was until Dr. Delightful came in and told me I had the start of gum disease.  To make it worse, when I told him I floss every single day he offered, “that these things sometimes come with a change in  a woman’s hormones as she ages.”  As if he thinks I’m old enough to be nearing menopause or something!  I’m not so sure I’m going to like turning 40 later this month.  My cousin, Amy, thinks it’s fabulous and has a blog called, www.fitandfabulousatforty.blogspot.com.