Mommage

Nerd Girls Have it All!

Some women may prefer to keep the sex of their unborn child unknown until that final push in the delivery room.  But when the moment of truth arrives, if the doctor announces "It's a Girl!", what's the first thing that goes through a mother's mind?.. Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?  While there's nothing wrong with wanting girls to be girlish, maybe we should follow the lead of Nerd Girls, a hot and sexy group of women trying to shatter stereotypes by attracting girls to careers in technology.  The Nerd Girls are living proof that a woman can be both beautiful and brainy.

If you ask a child to draw a picture of what they think an engineer looks like, what do you suppose they will draw?  According to Karen Panetta, a belly-dancing professor of engineering at Tufts University and founder of Nerd Girls, almost invariably the pictures are of males wearing glasses.  Furthermore, Panetta describes how people in her profession are viewed, and it goes something like this:

As Usual, Let's Pile on the Parent

Katie recently wrote a letter to the home improvement retail giant IKEA via Planetfeedback. Unfortunately, her shopping trip ended in what could have been a horrible tragedy because she did what I, and other parents, have a tendency to do with our infants in their car seats: putting them on the front seat of the shopping cart.

The Best of Both Worlds

If you're a Mommage reader, chances are you have at least one child.  Everyone always says they don't care if it's a boy or a girl as long as it's healthy, but when I was pregnant the first time, I secretly wished for a girl.  When I was growing up, I helped raise my nephews and always wanted a little boy of my own.  But when my time came, I realized I wanted a daughter.  I think the reason was because I thought I'd relate better to someone of the same sex. 

My wish came true.  My daughter was everything a mother could ever want, and more.  When I became pregnant again, I just assumed it would be another girl, and the thought of having a boy never entered my mind. Imagine my surprise when I found out my second child was a BOY!  After I got over the shock, I realized how lucky I was.  It would be wonderful for every mother to have a girl, but raising a boy opened up a whole new world to me.

It's A Cat-astrophe!

If you're a Mom, I am sure you've heard of Mommy guilt.  You blame one kid for eating the last of the ice cream and it turns out that the OTHER one ate it.   How did that baseball get through the window?  Whooops... it's not that kid you thought it was.  Or maybe you forgot to take her to soccer practice or ballet because you thought it was Tuesday instead of Monday.

It happens to all of us.  You do something and then look back with perfect 20/20 hindsight, shaking your head. It happened to Mommage Mom Dawn just yesterday.  So it does indeed happen to the best of us.

But what happens when it's your little furry baby to whom you owe the apology?

He's Rolling...

A few weeks ago, my son rediscovered how to roll from his tummy to his back and right back over again. Diaper changes have once again become wrestling matches. I continually have to move toys, furniture, and cats in order to make room for my son. And I can't leave him on his changing table for even 10 seconds because it takes much less time for him to get on his tummy...and back again.

But the other day I did something really stupid.

Baby's First Sleepover

This past Sunday, my seven-month-old son had his first sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They were insistent that it was time, and we agreed we could use the break. All week I looked forward to having the night to myself. I thought of the myriad of options I had to spend the night: reading, sleeping in, playing on Planetfeedback. Instead, my husband and I opted to see a movie and get some takeout. It was an okay night, except for one thing:

I'm Outta Here!

Laundry's done.  Bought soda and snacks.  Gotta stop tonight and pick up cat food, fill up the gas tank, and get the car washed and then I am on my way tomorrow morning, just as early as I can. 

Are you traveling this weekend for Memorial Day?  I decided the family (mostly meaning me, of course) needed a get-away so I booked us into a four-star lodge on the edge of a national forest for some much needed R & R.  I can feel the tension of everyday life starting to take hold in my upper back, below my shoulders, so I know it's time to do something about it.

You better watch out, brown trout, because I am coming for YOU!

License to Be Old

Last week I finally bit the bullet and renewed my driver's license. It had to be done. It was soon to be expired and if I didn't get it done soon before the expiration date I'd have to pay some unholy late charge.

You Better Watch Out!

A letter was recently sent to Subway via Planetfeedback, and as I was reading it, I was reminded of something many first time parents fail to realize.  They are so preoccupied and absorbed in everyday living, they sometimes overlook one very important aspect of raising a child.  In fact, it took me quite awhile to realize it myself, but when I did, everything changed.

In the letter, the writer explained how she left her teenage son in charge of ordering a sandwich while she ran an errand.  She returned to discover that he had ordered the wrong thing, and she asked the employee to make it right.  When the employee refused, she proceeded to make a fuss in front of her son.

What's wrong with that picture? 

Grey Goose Got Ya Girl Feelin' Loose

Looky here.... 36 years old and on Friday I went to my first strip club ~ The Hangar Club.  Just one more item to cross off my "things to do before I die" list. 

It was a girls night out ~ some of my co-workers, my office manager, and I went out.  I didn't really know what to expect.  I figured it was going to be like those stories I've heard from my male amigos... a whole lotta looking but not physical contact.

How wrong I was.