When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City....

Please forgive me an easy listening classics reference now and then. Christopher Cross was a favorite part of my nightly elementary school years, forced muzak bedtime routine (see “Alligator, Go Away!” for an explanation). And, that background has been invaluable to my “there’s a song for everything” philosophy.

Now, to the meaning behind my musical reference to romance and the Big Apple: as most of you probably know, last Friday night, New York became the 6^th state to pass a marriage equality measure for gay couples. Predictably, I had passed out with Anna while putting her to bed and I missed the actual vote. But I’m glad I woke up in time to hear the news and enjoy some of the jubilant coverage before dozing off again. Two years ago, we had such a celebration in my home state, thanks to a courageous legislature and governor….until a voter initiative narrowly stripped us of our newly found freedom to marry before we could even make it to City Hall for a license.

From Hair to Everywhere

"I just wanna be myself/ And I want you to love me for who I am,

I just wanna be myself/ And I want you to know, I am my Hair." -- Lady Gaga

In case you were wondering, Lady Gaga themed posts won’t necessarily be a regular feature on this blog.  However, her latest release, Born This Way, continues to inspire me.  The music is great and the lyrics thought-provoking.

Technical Update: New Commenting System

Just want to post a quick note to everyone that starting now and over the next day or so I will be implementing a set of new features to the blog.

Moms in the Trenches

Nothing can quite prepare you for the first time your child throws up on you. I’m not talking about spitting up after a bottle. I mean real, yucky, adult-like throwing up.  And when you’re a mom, all she wants is to be held while she does it – in your lap. 

There’s no class on how to handle that!

Picky, Picky!

Grilled cheese. Spaghetti. Chicken tenders. Pizza. Fries.   This was my meal rotation for the bulk of my childhood.  Of course my parents fed me healthy stuff too, but if there was something on the menu that I didn’t like, I turned to the aforementioned staples to get me through.

I was very grateful that mine weren’t the sort of parents that make you sit there for hours with a meal you hate, having to eat every last bite to win your freedom.  That just seems cruel to me.  They were also very accommodating in terms of alternate meals. If I didn’t like the main course, I could have a can of spaghetti (I used to love that – strange), or a grilled cheese, or something like that instead.

One Conversation at a Time

There will be a regular post today, but first, I just had to share another article with you.  Many of my Facebook friends have shared it, and it's a really important read if you have a little girl.

I admit it's hard not to compliment Anna on her looks because I think she's gorgeous. And of course it's fine to do that now and then.  But, as this writer points out, it's much more important to let our daughters know we are proud of them for their intelligence and to encourage them to value that over appearance.  It's hard, given all of the media messages they face, but Lisa Bloom's point is a good one - maybe we can change the way our little girls feel about themselves, one conversation at a time.

Huffington Post - Lisa Bloom

Opinion: Parenting Styles

A good number of people probably feel that their parents weren’t nurturing enough. But, as changing attitudes about “better” parenting styles have become more widely accepted, is the opposite result happening? Can parents be too nurturing? By trying to protect our kids too much, can we end up hampering their ability to handle the trials of life as adults? (To protect or not to protect was the dilemma I had when trying to discuss death with Anna – see my earlier post, “I Want My Fish Back!”)

Evil Restaurant Man

Following up on yesterday’s post, which involved a Miserable Old Lady chastising a child in a public play place for – oh no! – playing, today, I will introduce you to someone that I bet many of you have encountered in various incarnations:   Evil Restaurant Man.

Yes, this is the guy sitting next to you and your child in a restaurant who occasionally turns to give you not-so-subtle disapproving stares when your child breaks her silence, as if you’re the worst parent ever.

A Little Dirt Doesn't Hurt

Yes, this is a cliché, but it’s also quite true ….. and you’d be surprised how many parents think this philosophy is insane.

Case in point:  we were at a McDonald’s play place a few weeks ago.  For those not fortunate enough to have been to one (haha), kids must remove their shoes before climbing around inside the little tunnels and must wear socks.  Of course, as with any rule, not everyone adheres.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Yes, it’s a Rolling Stones song.  But, more importantly, it’s also one of THE hardest lessons to teach a toddler!  In our instant gratification world, how do we make our kids understand that their desires won’t always be immediately fulfilled?

I suppose I must first divulge that I am a (recovering) shopaholic.  At one point it was severe enough that I probably could’ve used a program or support group of some kind….I’m only slightly kidding. I’m MUCH better now, especially because of this wonderful little person whose needs must always come first, no matter what.

The Gender Divide

“I’m a boy,” she announces one day as we’re hanging out in the living room. “You’re a girl,” I reply. Then she says, “No, I’m a boy who climbs trees.” I had to chuckle.

New Video Collection Page!

Greetings Friends!  "Uncle Keith" here.  For today's post, I am introducing a new area of mylifewithpie.com and that is the Anna's Videos Tab.

We will be adding new videos from time to time that we have been able to capture of Anna's cuteness.  We also have created a channel on YouTube where we will be adding videos as well.  If you are a frequent YouTube user, please subscribe to our channel, MyLifeWithPie.

Happy Father's Day!

Just wanted to wish a Happy Father's Day to all of you wonderful dads out there!  I learned a lot about being a parent from my own dad, who has always provided a little extra humor for our family, has kept up an optimistic spirit despite all the obstacles life may have thrown at him, and has always believed that his kids could be whatever we wanted to be as long as we put our minds to it.

The Wrong Signals

“Don’t be insecure if your heart is pure,

You’re still good to me if you’re a bad kid, baby.”  - Lady Gaga

Ok, I realize not all of you are Gaga fans, but hear me out.  The above quote is from “Bad Kids,” one of the songs on her new release, Born This Way.  It’s a song worth listening to, but even if it’s not your style, the song does contain a message from which all parents can learn.

Where Does This Stuff Come From?!

The light was about to go off. Finally, bedtime had arrived.  And then she said, “Hide, quick! I see one, two, free praying mantises!!!”  Huh?

I complied, and we huddled under the thick comforter, despite the fact that it was a 90 degree day and we don’t have air conditioning.  Anna was wide-eyed – clearly it would be a long time before we actually got to sleep.

Parents, Take a Deep Breath

Last Friday night was a night I had looked forward to for some time, but when it arrived, it just felt surreal. I sat in the arena watching high school seniors march in, take their seats, and prepare to put their hands on that piece of paper they had worked so hard to get. Wow. My stepdaughter was finally graduating from high school.

The Family You Choose

Tales of the City changed my life.

That sounds like a hyperbolic pronouncement, but it’s basically true. For those who haven’t heard of it, it’s a series of novels by Armistead Maupin that grew out of a newspaper serial he wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle. Before I even knew about these fabulous books, I saw the 6-part miniseries that tracks the first novel.  It’s rare that you remember the first time you saw a show, but I will never forget this.

Random Cuteness

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million." ~Walt Streightiff

For posterity’s sake, I thought it would be appropriate to devote an occasional post to documenting some of the random cute things that Anna comes up with, from inventing new words to expressing adorable thoughts.  Please feel free to share things your kids have come up with in the comments!

The Working Mother's Dilemma

Yesterday I discussed my evolving career goals and the disillusionment I have felt with work after becoming a parent.  To be honest, I started feeling that way even before Anna came along, but her entrance definitely intensified those feelings and radically changed my self-concept.

Why was I having enthusiasm issues when I should have been bright eyed and ready to conquer the world? That’s easy – the career wasn’t what I thought it would be. As a paralegal, I saw that the lawyers I worked for really helped people. I wanted to do that too. My first job certainly gave me the opportunity to do that – I had clients going through divorce and custody issues, clients who had been injured in accidents, and clients facing criminal charges.

My Place In This World

My best friend once said there’s a song for everything, and it’s so true. This particular one takes me back to 8th grade or so, listening to Michael W. Smith with my church youth group.

Of course, this seems like a lifetime ago. But I have thought about it more than once over these almost three years of parenting Annapie, as I’ve been “looking for a reason, roaming through the night to find my place in this world, my place in this world….”

One-Eyed Monsters & Such

Once upon a time, I actually felt creative. I played trumpet.  I wrote stories.  When I was younger, I even (poorly) illustrated them.  But somewhere along the way…it happened. I turned into an adult. And that meant one thing – automatic boredom.  Right after college graduation, I exchanged the fun, leisure pursuits of my younger years for legal assistanthood.  Goodbye fun, hello responsibility.

I Want My Fish Back!

We stared at the mess on Anna’s floor, mouths agape. Anna had slept in our bed the night before (something we’re STILL working on, but I’ll save that for another day) and we just woke up. Sleepy-headed, we left our room, directly across from Anna’s, but quickly stopped in our tracks, facing her doorway.

Gravel. Water. Fish Bowl. The mess was all over Anna’s bedroom floor.  My tired eyes tried to process the carnage before me.

Because I Said So!

“Because I said so!” I said sternly to Anna, then stood quietly in shock. There they were, those words I so hated as a child, coming out of my mouth. I leaned against the doorframe as a frightening question loomed large in my mind: had I turned into – gasp! – my mother??

I instantly forgot about whatever it was that I was trying to explain.

Alligator, Go Away!

One of the most interesting things about parenting, as I’m sure it is for just about everyone, is seeing bits of yourself in your child.  Reliving childhood experiences, yet handling them through the prism of parenthood, is eerie, yet fascinating.

Almost every night as Anna and I have our bedtime “huggle” (one of my favorite of her original words), I repeat the now familiar mantra: “Alligator, go away! Leave my Annapie alone!”  Anna smiles and closes her eyes contentedly …. until they pop open again approximately 10 seconds later.

Anna's non-imaginary alligator, "Aaron"

“Can you say ‘alligator go away’ again, mom?”

The Moon Loves Me

Raise your hands – how many of you have sat at your desk, chin on hand, staring mindlessly into space instead of concentrating on that all-important report you’re supposed to write?  Come on, don’t lie – I can’t even see your hands.  Seriously, I’m sure we’re ALL guilty of daydreaming or otherwise mentally vacationing from our workplace or school or home responsibilities. This is probably healthy – if we didn’t take a mental break now and then, we’d be even crazier and more stressed than we already are. And by “we” I mean “me.”

The Adventure Begins

Becoming a parent is rather like skydiving: once you take the plunge, there’s no turning back. Not that I would know about the skydiving because there’s no way in hell I’d ever do that!  But, I can appreciate the similarity, the embarking on an adventure that is simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. And once you do that, nothing is ever the same – in a remarkable, amazing way.

Now, if you’d told me several years ago that I’d have a toddler today, I’d have thought you were totally insane. I had big dreams for myself – I was studying to become a lawyer. I had just met my partner and envisioned that our life after law school would be filled with satisfying work, amazing vacations, and the freedom to do whatever we wanted to do. I didn’t know then that a grander plan was in store for me.

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