And now the anticipation is killing me!

Will there or will there not be school tomorrow! That is the question! Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer...oops, there I go, off on a English Lit 101 tangent!

But seriously, how is it possible that such a seemingly mundane conundrum can so easily capture and hold my attention for the majority of the day! I have watched the weather, checked out the latest radar images,

and there is still no way for me to know what Mother Nature's plan is, or what our school system's Superintendent will decide when he wakes tomorrow morning.

And worst of all, I've got that classic Heinz commercial, the one with the also classic Carly Simon tune, running through my head on some kind of endless loop.

Yep, that's right folks, I'm hoping that if I get this commercial stuck in enough heads, I'll be released from this purgatory.

Oh, and I was asked in a comment on my last post about my secrets for Snow Day survival...hmm, I'll let you know my secrets when I actually survive a Snow Day without losing my Mom cool multiple times. Maybe tomorrow will be the day? Nah, let's keep hoping I'm not sentence to researching this topic, at least not tomorrow!

Oh, the frustration!

I have spent the last week, heck, almost two weeks, longingly glancing at my laptop as I dash about Momming! So many ideas, so little quite time for the Fortuitous Housewife!

There is a secret these New Englanders don't tell us unsuspecting transplants when we move to New England, that one of the challenges of raising children in these parts is the SNOW DAY! These New Englanders all shrink away in fear when they hear mention of an earthquake, but earthquakes come without a forecast to build anticipation, are over in a matter of seconds, and, hopefully, only leave behind a few broken plates or maybe a window or wall to repair in its wake.

You can't prepare for a Snow Day -- you know the snow is coming, but only Mother Nature knows when she's gonna dump a serious load of white stuff on your town, and then you have to wonder, worry & wait for the call from the school telling if you if you're free that day or "on duty".

And don't forget about those nasty winter colds! They'll happily line up in between a couple of snow days to really mess up your "to do" list!

Oh, the frustration & stress for a wanna-be productive Mom!

Don't get me wrong, this CA girl has never gotten over her child-like excitement when she looks out the window and sees the flakes falling, but these winter interruptions are starting to get the better of the Fortuitous Housewife.

Hoping to sharing some skiing tales with y'all (no, I'm not from the south, but I love the expression, it just works) on Thursday, but they're forecasting another nor'easter moving in Wednesday night, so who knows!

A few more snow snaps...

before we return to our regularly scheduled blogging.

After a day of grayscale on Wednesday, Thursday's skies were a surrealist's blue.

Nor'easter Photo Fun

I love when a snowstorm isn't accompanied by fierce winds, and the flakes get a chance to settle on branches, fence posts and swing sets, creating wonderful black and white abstracts of things once familiar.

Gearing Up (the kids) for Winter Fun!

With winter firmly settled over New England, many of my "down-country" pals (those not living in the mountains, within a few minutes drive of a substantial ski hill), that know of my time ski bummin' in Killington, have inquired about what they need to do and where they can go to get their young ones up on stick.

Number One question I get...When are they old enough to try skiing? Well, I must admit, I am probably not the right person to answer this question. First, I am not a trained ski instructor. Ski school and individual instructor opinions vary -- 2, 3, 4, 5 years old. Second, we spent a good long time living in the Adirondacks, and in the small town we called home, EVERY kid started around age two, so that's just what we did.

Don't get me wrong, when dealing with a two-year-old and skiing, one must set their expectations LOW. The primary goal should be to get them out, enjoying the winter wonderland and sliding around a bit (even if it's in your backyard). At the first whimper, take them inside for a hot cocoa (with plenty of mini-marshmallows) and a big cookie. Primary goal for these first ski days - FUN! You want them to want more!

The best advice I can offer is to follow your instincts. Ask yourself... Do they love winter? Are they relatively unfazed by the cold? Do they love sledding & snowball fights? Are they athletically inclined? You know your kid best.

So, after several lengthy (and enjoyable, I always like talking about skiing) phone conversations with said Mom friends about what their kids needed in the way of gear, I thought I'd posted the links to my good friend, the Outdoor Mom's, informative blog posts on gearing up the kids for some skiing fun.

Outdoor Mom: Getting Geared Up: Clothing: "The Challenge: keep the kids warm and dry so they can focus on fun in the snow. Throw in a seemingly irresistible urge to tear off the mitte..."

Outdoor Mom: Getting Geared Up: Skis and Ski Boots: "Knowing that ski season was soon upon us, I took the kids one rainy afternoon to see Erin Shedd at the Bretton Woods rental shop. Erin has ..."

Outdoor Mom's 3-year old gets fitted for ski boots, while little bro' gets cute for the camera.

Pretty in pink and ready to make some tracks!

FYI - Both our boys (5.5 & 3.5 years old) are now in weekly ski lessons at Blue Hills in Canton. It's conveniently located in the Boston metro area, the instructors are very capable, and the prices are reasonable. My boys will also get ski school whenever we get up to Killington, VT or Bretton Woods, NH (this coming weekend!).

Our goal for the '10-'11 season? To get their skiing to the point that they can ski blue trails with Mom & Dad for a few hours next season.

Think snow!

A Very Wii Winter

Two charming and determined little men pitted against the big man in the red suit -- poor Santa didn't have a chance.

And thank goodness he came through! I hate to think what consequences he might have faced if that white Nintendo Wii box hadn't found its way under our tree for Christmas morning.

There were smiles all around, and much anticipation as Dad worked on hooking up the new toy. If only 3 & 5 year old minds could understand their abundant excitement and chatter were a distraction of epic proportion that only added to the installation time. (May I humbly suggest installation Christmas Eve night, while visions of sugar plums are dancing about in your kiddo's head! You can always leave the empty box under the tree.)

 

But soon enough all were happily engrossed in mastering Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

With an extra remote and nunchuck procured, we were all set for our first Wii party on New Year's Day. I carefully chose our guests for the afternoon - one of my son's seasoned Wii playin' pals, to show him some Mario tricks, and another friend that is still lobbying for his own Wii.

Needless to say, bowl games went unwatched and the new air hockey table was cruelly ignored, but those boys had some serious have fun!

And I discovered an unanticipated benefit of a Wii party - a group of grownups got to have an uninterrupted conversation! Wahoo for Wii!

Tomorrow...let's clean up!

Resolutions? OK, if I must.

I am a committed list keeper, it’s the only way I get anything accomplished, but I am not generally one for making an annual introspective list of goals. I have never seen much point. But, being that I am starting this New Year with a new blog, something I never aspired to do, I am thinking a quick review of my personal aspirations, goals and “to dos” for the coming year might be in order.

So here I go, committing myself to accomplishing, or least giving an honest effort to, the following: 

Feed the New Baby

I will post to Fortuitous Housewife at least three days a week.

I never explored this world of blogging before because I didn’t want the commitment. Websites, blogs, even Facebook pages all need regular tending, otherwise they stagnate, wither and die, but structure and deadlines are good for this procrastinating writer with ADD.

Get Back to My Journal 

I have kept a journal for YEARS, but a couple of years ago I streamlined my nightly jottings to three simple queries: 1) what am I thankful for; 2) what was the happiest/best moment of my day; and, 3) what do I REALLY want. Some days the answers are short and superficial, other days they are lengthy and meaningful, but everyday they help me to focus on what is important and to let go of the superfluous.

Streamline, Slow Down, and Play 

I will make time in each day to give my children my undivided attention and put myself at the whims of their imaginations.

As Ferris Bueller wisely said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I am amazed on a daily basis how quickly these two creatures are growing, soon they won’t be my little men, curled up in my lap, and I am determined to savor these days, including the mind-numbingly boring trips to the all-too-familiar playground around the corner or the local Y pool, or the hours of reading the same book, over and over again.

As any Mother can attest to, it’s all to easy to let the multitude of daily tasks overwhelm and stress us out, leaving little time to focus on these adorable creatures we brought into our lives. So I am going to make a conscious effort to let a few things slide now and again and give myself the gift of time to enjoy these amazing boys wrecking havoc on my once ordered life.

Quiet My “Mom Voice” 

I HATE yelling. It hurts my head, my throat, and my heart, and I know the professionals say my childrens’ hearts too, but sometimes the frustrations of raising two active boys, that are suffer from selective hearing and perpetually distractedness, gets the better of me. I know there are times when yelling is the only, and maybe even, best options, like when they’re running full speed after a soccer ball rolling toward the street, but most of the time it is simply a symptom of my own frustration. So I’m resolving to take a deep breath when I feel my kettle whistle about to blow and find my sweet Mom voice.

De-Crumb 

Ok, bear with me on this one, but I simply must take the time to empty and clean out the accumulated crumbs in my kitchen utensil drawers. I know this sounds silly, but it’s driving me nuts every time I open the drawer to grab a fork or peeler, but I never seem to find time to dump out the contents, de-crumb, and then put it all back together.

I am happy to report that I have already managed to accomplish one resolution I made to myself before I even started this blog!

Last year the Christmas decorations and ornaments migrated down to the basement in an assortment of baskets, but I never managed to actually put them away in the two carefully organized trunks they normally reside in. 

My first excuse was that the basement was too cold, I would get to it when spring warmth returned, but by then there was always something more pressing to be done, like going outside to play with the boys. 

With each passing month, I watched them collect dust, and then it was fall and, well, why bother. But every time the boys followed me downstairs, I’d fret over them getting near the baskets full of lovely, colorful and delicate ornaments. 

So, I am happy to report, all the Christmas pretties are safely tucked in their off-season beds, while visions of next year’s sugarplums dance in their heads. 

Join me Thursday for some Wii fun!

A new year, a new endeavor!

20 years ago, if you had stopped me as I strolled down the Third Street Promenade on the way from my post-workday volleyball game on Santa Monica beach, and told me the story of my life to come, I would have laughed at your silly, contrived tale, and continued on my way to my favorite frozen yogurt joint.

I was never going to leave Los Angeles! Maligned by many though it maybe, for this fourth generation Californian, it is (and always will be) HOME.

A devoted Angeleno, I was certainly never going to move to New York City! NYC is a place we Californians visit, but certainly not a place to stay for very long.

I was not one of those little girls that planned her fairytale wedding to a handsome prince or wrote fantasy future married name all over my notebook during civic class. 

And, though I enjoyed the company of children, and little ones generally gravitated to my playful ways, I did not dream of a gaggle of kids or have all their names picked out by the age of 12.

Several years ago I finally decided to focus my professional energies on my writing and photography, but I NEVER thought I would blog!

I consider myself respectably savvy about the world around me, and its rapidly developing trends. I am no hipster or techie authority, but I am generally a bit ahead on the bell curve. I don’t fit the definition of an “early adopter”, but I am normally a few steps ahead of the masses…this blogging thing however was a mystery to me.

I had occasionally waded into the blogosphere, but it seemed too vast, deep & polluted populated, and I would quickly surf back to the safe shores of print and broadcast media. There was just SO much! Too much for a gal with ADD to sift through.

Recently friends suggested I “blog”, but I didn’t see the point. With two little boys rampaging through my life, my writing time is precious and “blogging” seemed a waste.

But the tide has been rising, "blog this" and "blog that" seem to confront me at every click or page turn, so I finally acquiesced, did a little research and read a few books on writing & blogging - Writer Mama, Huffington Post Complete Guide to BloggingThe Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging and Problogger. I discovered how writers of all types are using blogs to excerise their writing minds, crafting new ideas and gauging readers' interests.

Then a new friend mentioned she was a “blogger”. I started reading her well written, informative and entertaining blog – Everyday Treats. I admitted to her my blogging ignorance and growing curiosity, and she graciously shared her experience, expertise and insights on several walks from school door to car door.

And so it begins...

Resolve to come back Tuesday for the obligatory list of resolutions.