More than a Mom

Back to Work

Caryn — 2010-03-06T20:39:00Z

Last weekend, my hubby and I were on our way to a cocktail party. We had escaped from our house, were all dressed up, and without a care in the world. It felt so good to not think or talk, to just let go of the stresses of the day and enjoy some much needed peace and quiet. About half way there, my hubby turned to me and said, “So have you thought about going back to work?”

...

Philly Girl

Caryn — 2010-03-03T03:11:00Z

My sister-in-law sent me this today, and I just had to share. It's a special shout-out out to all my Philly girls!

THE DIFFERENCE IF YOU MARRY A PHILLY GIRL

The first man married a woman from North Carolina . He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning... It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from South Carolina . He gave his wife orders that she ...

Erma

Caryn — 2010-03-01T02:44:00Z

Hi all! I didn’t have time this week to do much blogging ~ I decided instead to spend the time on technical website stuff, which has proven to be quite a challenge. But I made some progress (YAY!), and any day now will be ready to transition to my new site. More info to follow…

Today I want to share a poem from one of my favorite authors, Erma Bombeck. I first learned of her in college, but it wasn’t until my mom recently gave ...

Scrapfest 2010

Caryn — 2010-02-23T03:51:00Z

I just got back from a great weekend away with some girlfriends for our annual scrapbooking trip. I know…sounds like a wild time!!! Granted, it’s not a crazy, action-packed adventure, but we have lots of fun, while relaxing and doing something productive. And while I scrap very infrequently (in fact, the last time was last year’s trip), I really do enjoy the crafty aspect of it…it’s so nice to be alone with your thoughts and do something creative. And ...

$5

Caryn — 2010-02-17T04:19:00Z

My valentine and I went to a great dinner at Le Bar Lyonnais in Philadelphia this weekend. If you have the chance to go - DO IT! It is located in the downstairs of Le Bec-Fin (which I’ve never been) and is a really cozy place for a drink or incredibly yummy meal. It‘s the same kitchen/chef as upstairs, but more reasonably priced. Although we usually love going to the local tavern for beers and sandwiches, there is just ...

Oldies But Goodies

Caryn — 2010-02-13T03:39:00Z

Child #1 came home from school a few weeks ago excited about her upcoming Valentine’s Day concert at school. I asked her what she was going to sing, and she said, “one of the songs is ABC by the Jackson Five…do you know that song, Mom?” Uh, yeah honey, I think I’ve heard of it. Too funny! Well, her concert was a few days ago, and hearing 80 first graders sing The Jackson Five was really adorable.

...

Glad I'm Not Male

Caryn — 2010-02-07T03:27:00Z

As I write this my darling hubby is outside in the pitch dark shoveling more than two feet of snow off our long driveway and front walk. He has been out there for almost two hours. At what point should I be worried that he is stuck in a snowdrift? He was also out there this afternoon for an hour. I either naively underestimate the magnitude of the shoveling job, or he is out there drinking beers in the ...

WasteNot~WantNot

Caryn — 2010-02-01T02:48:00Z

Hi Moms! Hope you all had a great weekend. We basically stayed put but enjoyed lots of crafts, playing in the snow, and going out for pizza with some good friends. I even had a fun cooking session with my husband! He made guacamole, which I have to admit was one of the best I've had. Yum!

Anyway - wanted to share this idea that's been brewing in my head for the past few years...I think I've decided it's time to set it ...

Falling Apart

Caryn — 2010-01-28T05:07:00Z

I’m going to stop apologizing when there’s a delay between blogs - you probably know by now it’s only because I’m sick, one of the kids is sick, I am crazy busy, or on a tropical island with my husband. HAH! Anyway, this particular delay can be blamed on a stomach bug that has been making its way through our house. Seriously, why do kids always start vomiting in the middle of the night when you are dead asleep ...

The Things We've Handed Down

Caryn — 2010-01-17T03:35:00Z

Blog Notes: Although I much prefer the authenticity of using our real names, I’ve decided to refer to my kids as #1 (oldest - girl), #2 (middle - boy) and #3 (youngest - girl). Can’t be too careful online these days…thanks for understanding!

Also - a note to subscribers, I noticed that when my blog is emailed, it contains weird symbols that make it choppy and difficult to read. Not sure why - but if you just click on the ...

Stick Together

Caryn — 2010-01-12T02:26:00Z

Let’s face it, we women like to stick together.….and we always have. When we were little, we joined clubs like the Brownies and Girl Scouts (or just the Brownies because we didn’t like the ugly green Girl Scout uniform…so sad but true). And when we ran out of clubs to join, we made friendship bracelets or gave gold necklaces with one half of a heart, and we made up our own clubs (BFF Club, Fans of Ralph Macchio -- ...

New Year Resolutions

Caryn — 2010-01-05T03:23:00Z

2009 is over. It’s time to ring in 2010 and all the possibilities it holds. You know, “Out with the old, In with the New!” A fresh start…Sounds great, right?

But what if I sort of want to hold onto 2009 a bit longer…the happiness it held, the joys and special moments. My kids are little and cute and funny and I want to freeze them at this age forever. A new year means they’re getting older, and although I love thinking about what the future holds, it makes me sad ...

I KNOW

Caryn — 2010-01-02T02:47:00Z

Hi Moms - Happy New Year! I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve blogged. I didn’t plan on taking a break - it just sort of happened that the flurry of activity before Christmas put blogging on the very back burner. As you know, being Santa is hard work!

Along those lines, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you that I KNOW and APPRECIATE all that you did to make Christmas so special for your family. I know that you baked ...

I Take It Back

Caryn — 2009-12-10T02:45:00Z

I went out to dinner with my friend, Erin, who I’ve known since Kindergarten. We went to K-12 together, and even college! She is pregnant with her third baby (her 1^st two are 9 and 7!) and it’s her birthday tomorrow. We had a great time! When I got home, I got a huge surprise. My husband was cleaning the…..(drumroll please)

….hardwood floors! I was so happy that I didn’t even think about the fact that the bathrooms still hadn’t been done. It was so ...

Bathrooms

Caryn — 2009-12-08T14:35:00Z

I woke up yesterday morning, fed the kids, went back upstairs to get dressed, and put my new Crest White Strips on (it’s the poor man’s face lift!). And even though the package says that you can exercise, work, or chat on the phone while the strips are on - that is just a lie. All you can do is walk around trying not to drool on the rug, and trying not to move your mouth at all so ...

Can’t a Mom Have a Cranky Day? (or Week???)

Caryn — 2009-12-02T13:17:00Z

Most of the time being the glue that holds the family together is empowering and rewarding. As the mom, it feels good to know that without you, there is a good chance that the house would be condemned, the EPA called in, and the children taken to the Dept. of Children’s Services. Steering the family ship and caring for all the passengers is an honor and a blessing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But some days, ...

She Has a Name

Caryn — 2009-12-01T01:54:00Z

A few weeks ago at my Mom’s Time Out meeting, our leader told us about an outreach program in Camden, NJ called She Has a Name. Started by an “ex-professional” several years ago, the program reaches out to prostitutes in the hopes of breaking the cycle of addiction, abuse, and shame. She Has a Name is based on the simple notion that every girl on every corner "has a name" and is someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's wife and, ...

Giving Thanks

Caryn — 2009-11-24T21:24:00Z

It goes without saying how thankful I am for my children, my husband, and my family and friends. I am also very thankful for good health, financial security, and peace in our lives. But this Thanksgiving, I decided to make a list of things that I am thankful for that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with being a mom. It was actually hard to think about just myself, but it was so fun, too! Here goes:

Gobble Gobble

Caryn — 2009-11-20T01:51:00Z

It’s almost Thanksgiving…a time to rejoice in our many blessings and spend time with family and friends. It is also a time of year that I have to deal with my turkey issues.
I have prepared countless dinners meals for my family over the last decade, and have even hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the past several years…and I have YET to cook a turkey. The whole thing
freaks me out - and let me tell you finding some hairs ...

A Mom I Met in Chicago

Caryn — 2009-11-15T03:14:00Z

I have no words to describe my trip to Chicago. I could discuss every detail but I can’t capture the whole experience in words or on paper. I have so much to say about it -
not only about how much fun it was, but what the trip did for me (more on this later…). First, our trip in a nutshell: my sister-in-law and I met up with my two friends at the hotel, and we
could barely sleep! ...

Chi-town Here I Come!

Caryn — 2009-11-12T14:26:00Z

I only have a minute to write, because in a few hours I’m leaving for Chicago to see Oprah! Has nothing to do with my blog - just total coincidence with the timing. My dear friend got us some tickets (not going to ask how she did it - hoping for impunity!). It's been a dream of mine for a long time, and I can't believe it's coming true!

So I’m running around like crazy trying to get ready as the kids are hanging on me, asking me a ton of questions, and being all-around high-maintenance. Perhaps they sense ...

Misery Loves Company - PART TWO

Caryn — 2009-11-09T02:54:00Z

So, I was talking to my friend the other day about the way we sometimes (or more than sometimes) cannot accept a compliment about our mothering or how well-behaved our kids are. She was telling me that her first reaction when someone says how good her boys are behaving is to say “you don’t see them at home!” or “they’re being good now because I’ve bribed them.”

I shared with her a story about a night I took all the kids to the mall to return a few things, and the clerk said to ...

A Mom's Vacation

Caryn — 2009-11-07T03:36:00Z

Wow - it’s been a while since my last entry, hasn’t it?!?! I have a good excuse, though, - I’ve been DYING A SLOW DEATH. Ok, a bit dramatic I realize, but I have had the Flu and it seriously felt like I was dying. The last time I felt like this was when I was pregnant - and don’t think I wasn’t reminded of THAT this week. As much as I may look longingly at little babies and sometimes question our decision to stop at 3 kids, I in no way could handle months on ...

to mammogram or not to mammogram?

Caryn — 2009-10-29T02:30:00Z

This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and 2009 is the organization’s 25^th anniversary. According to research, the five-year survival rate is above 90 percent and research spending is at $900 million -- 30 times the amount spent in 1982. That’s great progress!!! But 1 in 8 women will still be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and 40,000 women a year still die from the disease.

I am 35 years old. For as long as I can remember, 35 was the magic age for a first mammogram - so I marched into my recent OBGYN ...

Love Languages

Caryn — 2009-10-24T01:41:00Z

At my Moms Time Out meeting last week, the topic was Patience in Your Marriage. And who couldn’t use a little of that? Our young, male speaker told a funny story that went something like this: He woke up one morning and looked over at his sleeping wife and he was struck by how beautiful she looked. Her hair was lying perfectly on the pillow and her breath was soft and steady. It was a lovely morning - a light breeze was blowing through the window, birds were quietly chirping, their four kids were still asleep. So he ...

misery loves company

Caryn — 2009-10-22T02:30:55Z

I got my mommy ass kicked today. Had a horrible sinus headache all day and was dealing with a 4-year-old who needs a HUGE attitude adjustment. It’s a good thing he’s really cute, because it may have spared his life today. But all the kids are sleeping now, and I’ve got the Phillies on, and I’m going to try and put my day behind me. Actually you’ll see as you read on that complaining is the perfect way to start this entry

I’ve been thinking lately about how moms communicate with ...

Oprah

Caryn — 2009-10-18T01:16:00Z

I'll admit it -- I'm a big fan of the Oprah Show, and have watched many an episode. I dream of being in her audience or meeting her in person one day. When I do, that will be the blog entry to beat all blog entries, because on way too many occassions I have made a complete fool of myself in the company of important people. (One of many stories: was at a formal dinner at Governor's residence with Governor and top advisors and discussion was about baseball. My comment to the table? "You know how pitchers like their balls!" I could argue ...

10:17 am

Caryn — 2009-10-15T00:37:00Z

What a looooooong day! Hubby away on business, Grace up most of night with an itchy throat (mostly due to the fact that her allergy med refill has been sitting at CVS waiting to be picked up since Monday), baby teething and cranky, and I’m fighting a cold. I would say “Calgon - take me away!” - but my tub is in NO condition to soak away in right now.

So somehow I manage to sleep through all three kids waking up this morning and at 8:04 am, Grace comes in and declares that she “has to ...

I know a woman.

Caryn — 2009-10-08T16:26:00Z

I know a woman who welcomed her ailing mother into her home without a second thought.

I know a woman who has the loudest, happiest belly laugh I’ve every heard.

I know a woman who is successfully battling brain cancer.

I know a woman who has a prominent position in the corporate world.

I know a woman who at 40 graduated with her teaching degree.

I know a woman who took the lead on forming a team to participate in a charity race.

I know a woman who took an interior design class one night a week in ...

Pause

Caryn — 2009-10-06T18:55:00Z

“There are not enough hours in the day.” “I need a wife/personal assistant/secretary.” “I want to clone myself.” These are all things I have either said or heard my friends say and they all mean the same thing: you’re worn out, over-worked, under-appreciated, and feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water. I certainly have felt that way at times and it’s not a good feeling and I don’t have the answer.

I have often thought to myself…if the world would just PAUSE for an hour/day/week and I could get caught up on emails, cleaning, thank ...

Go Mommy!

Caryn — 2009-10-05T01:21:00Z

Yesterday my friends and I competed in the annual Philadelphia Int’l Dragonboat Festival. I was on a team with 21 other moms from my old neighborhood and we were up against 154 other teams (most co-ed). None of us had ever “paddled” before -- we were complete novices. On our team were stay-at-home moms, professionals, and entrepreneurs…and a dear friend who is battling brain cancer. We did really well (2nd place in our division!) and enjoyed ourselves so much - it made for such perfect blog material!

Throughout the day, the following became very clear to us:

Each day, ...

Anniversary

Caryn — 2009-09-30T01:21:00Z

Got my hair cut on Saturday - it was disastrous. As I pointed out to my Facebook friends I looked like Carol Brady (hair shaped like an octopus - c'mon you can picture it). Well, I went back today and got it fixed and now it's WAY short, but looks kind of like Katie Holmes...well at least the closest to Katie Holmes I will EVER look...I'm digging it!

Anyway - while I was in the chair on Saturday I mentioned that it was my husband's and my anniversary Sept 30 (9 years of wedded bliss! GAG.) So she asked if he ...

Headlines

Caryn — 2009-09-28T02:00:00Z

Hi Moms! Following are three headlines I saw this week alone...

CNN Anchor Campbell Brown Says Moms Just Can't Do it All

Why Does Happiness Elude Modern Women?

Women are Becoming More Unhappy - Study Finds Well-Being of Females Declining. Los Angeles Times writer Meghan Daum thinks women being grumpier can be tied into celebrity-worshipping culture. In her article “Why aren’t Women Happy? Who Knows?” she wrote, “when ...

Dilemma

Caryn — 2009-09-25T20:07:00Z

I have a dilemma - while I have loved writing entries and am wildly excited about the possibilities of my new blog, I am scared to death to take the next step: telling people other than close friends and family about the blog and opening it up to a much larger audience. Here's the funny part - I'm not scared for the reasons you might think. I have no qualms about people knowing my thoughts. I am not afraid of saying something offensive, pathetic, judgemental, embarassing, or stupid. All of you pretty much know I'm an open book -- it just works for me (although ...

celebrate yourself

Caryn — 2009-09-21T21:15:00Z

This morning it was 64 degrees in my house and I was buried under my comforter deep in dreamland when in came a coughing daughter and a very awake son - ready to start their day. Daughter needed medicine, son needed FOOD. And I needed…oh hell, does it really matter??? I was starting my day whether I liked it or not. The same way I’ve started my day consistently for the past 7 years. And every morning it’s hard to wake up before you’re ready and in a way that’s not always pleasant. Come to mention it, it’s ...

Patience

Caryn — 2009-09-17T18:57:00Z

Hi all! I'm back after a break to be "just a mom" - now before you get all in a huff about this being offensive, I mean it lovingly...the start of school brought with it a host of new activities and I've come to understand my role as family cook and taxi driver. I did manage to do one thing for myself this morning and want to share it with you.

Two different people (who don't know each other) asked me recently to join the same Mom's Time Out group (coincidence?) They meet six consecutive Thursday mornings and enjoy a full breakfast, listen to ...

The Mom Song

Caryn — 2009-09-08T17:59:00Z

If you haven't seen this - you MUST!!! If you've already watched it, just as great the second time around...enjoy!

...

Fill Your Cup

Caryn — 2009-09-08T02:02:00Z

Wow. My baby is in first grade - getting on the bus at 8:04am and off the bus at 3:45pm. She's only done is twice now, but both days seemed to go on forever. I'm not used to her being gone that long, and even though I still have her little brother and sister still home, her being gone all day has really got me thinking...

Ever since she's been born I've been in full-time mom mode, never once questioning what I was doing. It was obvious - I was being a mom every second of the day. But she's moving on ...

Murphy's Law

Caryn — 2009-09-02T00:45:00Z

We have a standing babysitter twice a month to go out to dinner. Tonight we went to one of our favorite local places and sat outside - it was SO beautiful out! Anyway - saw this guy who looked really familiar from my past. After I stalked him for a while, I was able to pinpoint that I knew him from high school. Well, if you know me, you know I went up to him as we were leaving and it turns out he was good friends with TWO (not one) but TWO of my ex-boyfriends from high school/college. In my RIGHT ...

Go Fish

Caryn — 2009-08-30T00:48:00Z

Seems like those times that I feel like having a few beers/glasses of wine and "letting go" are never the times I can. Either I have to get up really early in the morning, or have to drive home, or we're at church.J Or the reverse happens: I am out to dinner with my hubby, or the kids (in a rare moment) all seem to be captivated by the same movie, and I either am exhausted, my sinuses are killing me, or I'm just not in the mood.

Every once in a blue moon everything comes together and I am able to partake when I ...

Hanky Panky

Caryn — 2009-08-27T19:27:00Z

Get your minds out of the gutter, ladies! I’m not talking about the act that’s on the bottom of most of our to-do lists, I’m talking about my new panties! (Note that I am determined to stop calling them underpants…)

Anyway - while I was recently in Chicago…my friends and I spent 4 hours in the lingerie dept. at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue. While I mostly just browsed the beautiful fashion (and crazy prices), I did treat myself to a few new pairs of panties. One of them called Hanky Panky claimed to “the world’s most comfortable thong.” ...

awesome weekend

Caryn — 2009-08-24T00:16:00Z

Hi guys!

I got away this weekend for my friend's bachelorette party in the Poconos...what a blast! It was SO relaxing and refreshing...all we did was pour through celebrity magazines, eat crap, drink, and laugh our butts off. Oh we made a trip to the most amazing spa I've ever seen!!!

I'm sharing this because it was a very therapeutic weekend for me - here I was with a group of VERY cool women from NYC in their late 20s-mid 30s - and I was the only Mom there. Now I was wondering ahead of time if I would fit in ok...(I don't have to tell ...

insomnia

Caryn — 2009-08-20T01:31:00Z

Sitting here watching the Phils and working on my website some more...I'm so inspired by all the great and honest feedback I got today from my close friends and family. You ladies ROCK and I am so lucky to be surrounded by beautiful, intelligent women who have so much to offer. Thanks guys! One of my favorite suggestions from a friend was to create a section highlighting the accomplishments of other moms on www.morethanamom.com so that we can all learn what other moms are doing and be inspired! Great idea and I will definitely do that!

OK, so really the only other ...

impossible standard

Caryn — 2009-08-19T01:17:00Z

Was thinking today about how exhausted, overwhelmed, and depleted most of us all feel on a regular basis. See if this sounds familiar:

We plan, prep, and make most, if not all, of the meals, clean our house (even if you have a cleaning person - this, I know from past experience), make sure the kids are happy, dressed cute, groomed, well-adjusted, academically challenged (but not over-stimulated!), popular, "enriched" (whatever the hell that means), fed natural and organic foods, etc, etc, etc...all while being a fabulous and supportive wife/woman who exercises 5 times a week, has their hair professionally colored, ...

First Blog Entry!

Caryn — 2009-07-22T17:08:00Z

Hi and welcome! On Mother's Day, I gave my 6-year-old daughter a Mommy Quiz - asked her a few questions about me. One answer she gave really got me thinking...and prompted me to get going on my www.morethanamom.com site (a work in progress, but check it out!). The question was "Name something your mom is really good at." After thinking for a second, she said "cleaning." This is just wrong for so many reasons, I don't know where to start. First, I am so NOT good at cleaning. We have more dust bunnies in our house ...