All About MEme Monday--Sountrack of my Life

This week's "All About MEme Monday" (sponsored by Supah Mommy and Mommy Brain) asks us to think about the Soundtrack of Our Life, the Music that Moves MEme. If my life was a movie, what would the songs be???

I have been thinking long and hard about this post. My soundtrack has not only changed drastically since I became a mama but it also changes on a daily basis! I feel the following 14 songs (it was really hard to narrow it down and 5 would have been impossible) best sum up who I am and the life that I lead :) I hope you enjoy!

1. Sunshine Day-by the Brady Bunch-I really try to be as upbeat as possible and those who know me, know that I have a HUGE cheesy side :) I love the Brady Bunch and all things fun and cheesy and so that is why this is the best song to start off my soundtrack :)
2. Better Together-by Jack Johnson-I LOVE this song and I often say it is our family's theme song :) As individuals we are special but we are truly fabulous when we come together as a family unit! There is strength in numbers and we compliment each other really well :)
   
3. You've got a Friend In Me--Toy Story-My friends are soooo important to me and I would do anything for them. I have the most wonderful friends and I am so lucky to have them in my life. I can't wait for "Girls Night In" on Thursday!!
   
4. Waiting for Tonight-J LO-S works long hours and has a 90 minute commute each way....this song goes through my head during the "witching hours" when I can't WAIT for him to get HOME!!
   
5. All of Me--Frank Sinatra-This is what I feel I give everyday. There are days I have nothing left to give and want to just lock myself in my room and take a nap :) But then Z will come over and say, "What's the matter momma?" and give me a hug. Then somehow I find the energy to keep on going.
   
6. Everything-Michael Buble-I love this song too!!! My family means EVERYTHING to me! I would be lost without them.
   
7. Vacation-The Go Go's-We love to go on VACATION!!! Whether it is the lake, a far away island or over seas....it is so much fun to leave the everyday and go and have some fun adventures.
   
8. Oops, I did it Again-Brittany Spears-This song is for Z and his Potty Training!!! "Oops I peed (or pooped) my pants again momma" I can't wait for this song to be struck from the play list!!
   
9. Crying-Roy Orbison-I am a big crier (my family had bets about how many times I would cry while planning my wedding....the people in the hundreds won). Crying is therapeutic for me and since I have become a mother, the tears flow even easier.
   
10. Red Red Wine--UB40-This is what I like to sit down with after a good cry or a LONG day :) It has been months since I have been able to enjoy a glass of red wine but I am soooooo looking forward to it ;)
    
11. The Chipmunk Song-Chipmunk Christmas Album-I love holidays!!! I celebrate any occasion I can get my hands on but Christmas is the biggest. I start shopping in the summer and love to decorate my house on Thanksgiving Day.
12. No Strings Attached-N'Sync-This is Z's latest song of Independence. He is trying to shake off mommy's puppet strings and do everything on his own! I am so trying to encourage this with love and patience but there are times when it is so much easier, safer and or neater to help him!
    
13. Wannabe--Spice Girls-(I just love this song)....There are so many things I "Wannabe" in life....a good wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, teacher. I "wannabe" in good shape (can't wait to start running again), healthy and happy.
    
14. We are Family-Sister Sledge-This is the perfect song to end my soundtrack. We are family....we have our highs and lows and our share of faults but through it all we love each other!
    

3 Weeks and Counting!!!

Okay, true panic has finally sunk in :) Z and I were looking at the October calendar the other day and he asked when the baby was coming. I drew a picture of the baby on the 24th and told him that the baby will be here in about 3 weeks. THREE WEEKS (give or take a few days)!!! I started to sweat, I started to smile, I started to feel the baby stretch it's little limbs inside of me and knew how much I would miss being pregnant......THREE WEEKS :) Now I know I am ready to be a mother of two and I am sooooo ready to hold my little baby, rock it to sleep and introduce he or she to the world (a world of people wearing masks during this scary flu season). I am not sleeping now so I am ready in that arena too.....so what am I not ready for??? LABOR.

I am not going to lie to you, it was not so pretty last time. It was one of the best and worst days of my life so far. I didn't get my epidural until I was 9 cm (I only got it because my sister worked there and she rushed back to the hospital at 4AM to make sure that I got it) and he didn't give me a big dose because I was so far along. Why was I 9 cm you ask??? You see I was forgotten in my room to labor alone (S was in and out of sleep) all night because the hospital was understaffed and they thought I was peacefully sleeping with the two doses of morphine they gave me (in reality the morphine had the opposite effect and I was super AWAKE)! I kept sending S out for help and different nurses would come in and make promises to me (hot tubs, hot compresses etc.) but they would leave my room and all would be forgotten. Even when Z was finally in my arms, I was in so much pain (epidural was long gone and Z had torn me up so badly that I had to endure 150 internal stitches down in the OR), that I didn't get to really enjoy snuggling with my new baby until hours later. It was not fun.

Let's face it, I am a big wimp (and modest to boot). I know the pain won't last long and that it will be so worth it but I am still not ready for it (is anyone ever ready for it??)! I can't wait to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl, introduce the baby to Z and start our journey as a family of 4......I just wish the stork would drop the baby at the door all clean and snuggly :) Or maybe we could go back to the days of my grandmother and I could be knocked out for the procedure and wake up to a clean and happy baby??? Oh well.....I guess I just need to suck it up and be as strong as I can be :) It will all be worth it.

God Bless Preschool Teachers!

Yesterday was my day to co-op (volunteer) in Z's preschool classroom. My actual assigned day was the week of my due date but another mom took pity on me and switched days :) At Z's school there is a parent (or grandparent) volunteer in the classroom everyday. As it turns out we have to co-op once every two months (not bad at all). As the co-op parent, your child is the child of the day, you provide snack for the entire class, help out in the classroom and lead a special project.

I was very excited about the chance to see Z's classroom in action but timing was not right. I am still so exhausted from the birthday festivities over the weekend and I didn't think it was in Z's best interest to have me at school with him today. You see he had to miss school all last week because of his runny nose (they can't go to school with a runny nose without a doctor's note, all because of the H1N1 flu). It worried me that having mom with him on his third day of school might make going alone on Friday that much harder, we shall see.

After spending 3 whole hours with 11 three year olds (2 were out), I have a new respect for preschool teachers and daycare providers! They are saints!!!! Yes, I am a teacher but I taught 2nd and 3rd grade. In 2nd and 3rd grade, you tell them to do something and they do it. Three year olds (especially those who are new to the school experience) need to be told again and again and again and then you have to model it again and again and again....it is exhausting (funny but exhausting)! By the time we went out for recess (the last activity of the day), I was covered in paint (my special project), and just wanted to put my feet up (in a normal sized chair) and enjoy a nice glass of wine. Knowing the wine would not be coming my way, I dreamed of a nice cup of hot apple cider and a slice of my homemade apple cake!

I did have a wonderful time in Z's class and really enjoyed seeing him interact in the classroom. The children are lovely and for the most part are very well behaved. Z might have been glued to my side but I have to admit that it felt so nice to be loved. He is not going to want me around forever so I will take it as much as I can now :) S is volunteering for us in December and I can't wait to hear about his experiences!

My First Blog Award :)

When it rains it pours (with love that is) over here at Raising Z :) Not only did I receive this Lovely Blog Award (my first ever award) from Jessica over at We3Liebs yesterday....Mesina over at And Then There Was Me, blessed me with it again today! I want to thank them both for giving me my first ever blog awards. Jessica has a fun blog with lots of great tips, coupons and an adorable son so please go and check her out :) Mesina is a fabulous writer and very artistic with a wonderful blog so please go and check her out too! Thank you both.

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award" are:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


So here are some of my favorite blogs and some that I have just discovered (sorry I am not very good at following the rules) :) If you already received this award from someone else, I apologize. I just think you are great!

The Young and the Relentless - I have been a BIG fan of this blog for almost a year. Connie is a riot and she and I both share a strong love for Christmas and taking our children on fun adventures.
Mommy Brain - I discovered this blog about a month ago and I am hooked! I instantly bonded with Mommy Brain in that we are both expecting our second children. She is a wonderful and fun mommy with lots of great stories to share.
My Life Badly Written - Amanda is a wonderful mommy down under who has an adorable son and a wonderful sense of humor. Her blog always makes me smile.
Babe in Babeland - BIBL is an actress living in NYC with an adorable baby girl. I appreciate her honesty and fun loving spirit. She is crazy busy planning her wedding right now but promises to be back to blogging regularly soon.
Toddler Awesome - Emma is the wonderful mother of adorable little Ollie. She also designed my new blog :) She is great!
Coconut Belly - I have been reading Coconut Belly for quite awhile. She has two beautiful girls with another little peanut on the way. I so enjoy her writing style and her beautiful photographs.
A Buns Life - A Buns Life has been MIA lately but she is one of my favorite blogs and I have been a fan for a very long time. She has two adorable children and so many funny things to share. Hopefully she will be back soon, I miss her!
Our Organized Chaotic Life - This is a real life friend of mine who has her hands full with work, her beautiful family, her love for scrap booking and her unfortunate medical issues. She has a heart of gold and her work is amazing! She made Z the most beautiful scrapbook I have ever seen.
Poolside with the Girls - This is a new blog for me and I really enjoy it. Poolside has two beautiful girls and two adorable pups. I love the whole theme of her blog and all that she has to share.
Good True and Beautiful - I instantly fell in love with this new blog and her tag line, "learning to live abundantly on a budget". She has great tips and stories about her adorable little guy.
For What It's Worth or Not - BJ Mama is the mother of an adorable little girl and also very creative. She has another site called LadyBeez which is a blog all about her beautiful handbags. If you stop over there by midnight tonight, you can enter to win a custom handbag!!
Sorensen Family - This new blog has two adorable little girls as the focus. Shaunell shares fun stories about her girls and always includes a lot of pictures, which I LOVE.
The Little Things- Alexa is a wonderful mother of 5 and another new find for me. She has an incredible life story and seems like an amazing person.
Laugh Until You Cry - This is another new blog for me but I feel like I have a lot in common with her. I am excited to dive in deeper and check out more of what she has written. We definitely have the New England connection (and we are both teachers).
Eleni - This is another real life friend of mine who has been MIA on her blog for awhile. She is the mother of two beautiful boys and one of the most creative people I know. She has a great sense of humor and is a great friend.

Blog for a Cure--A Huge Blog Party!!

I know the economy is not great and that money in a lot of houses (especially the houses of the SAHM's) is tight. But here is a fun way to make friends, win prizes and help a good cause. The great thing is, it only costs a dollar (or more if you choose to donate more).

This blog party (and the marathon) is being run by Lani, a mother of 22 month old triplets. She lives in Florida and is training for a marathon to help raise money for a close family member of hers. This family member is a young healthy mother with a beautiful daughter.

Check out Lani's review site for more information and help her team reach their goal.

Argh....The Boy Turned 3!

It was a party weekend around here at Raising Z. Starting on Friday morning, Z woke up to his house transformed into a Pirate's Paradise (my friend C lent me some really cool things, Z and I made some signs and fish and I found a bunch on sale). He was in awe as he took it all in...his reaction was so worth the back breaking work of getting it all ready :)

His kid party began at 4pm on Friday. We ended up with 10 of the 12 kids who RSVP'd yes (two were sick) and they all had a blast! Z's Kindermusik teacher came to run the party and she decked out my playroom in ocean and pirate things. The kids started off with a craft (making treasure bags) and then went on a musical treasure hunt with her. They sang, danced, played with scarves, popped bubbles, drove hula hoop boats, played instruments and so much more. The big hit was digging for treasure! They each had their own lasagna pan of sand and got to dig for shiny stones, shells, gold and more. These treasures went into their bags and were cherished by the toddler pirates. The musical adventure ended with the search for the big treasure.....it was filled with candy, necklaces and toys. What a treat!

Once the musical part was over, we had pizza and cake. It was so much fun and Z had a blast. I was so excited to see he (and his friend A) comfortable at a big, crazy birthday party. I do believe it had everything to do with their Kindermusik teacher leading the events....it was just like another class for them and I think they found comfort in that (my little sensitive ones :)). It was such a nice memory for S and I and I do believe that Z will remember it too.

Saturday started with Mickey Mouse pancakes at the local diner and a trip to the driving range for Z. Then it was back to get the house ready for party number 2!!! The family (and a few close friends, S and R) were to invade at 4pm. S and I scrambled to ice more cupcakes, get the food ready and make sure the house was clean from the day before. S's parents arrived at 3 and much to our suprise, we were ready :) Z really enjoyed Pirate Party number 2 and this one included a crazy outdoor treasure hunt for the 4 kids (and their adult partners). It was nice to have all of our family (S and R and their kids are our family too) here to celebrate.

By the end of the night, I was exhausted! My feet were swollen, my back ached and all of the work that I had put in over the last week....had finally caught up with me. I could barely walk but it was so worth it. Z had so much fun and it was the perfect way to celebrate his 3rd birthday!

Z making his Message in a Bottle invites


Z made the fish for the fishnet.....He loved the Cannon Crawl


Pirate cupcakes and the big "happy pirate" (that is what Z called him)


The Table and Playing with Scarves

All About MEme Monday: On a Desert Island....

I Cannot (Will Not) Survive Without ...

on a daily basis,
on a deserted island,
with my kids in the car
(you choose!)

Hmmmm....this is my first "All About MEme Monday" and I am so excited to participate but so brain dead this morning (could be that I am 36 weeks pregnant, haven't slept in MONTHS and hosted two big birthday parties for my son this weekend). For those of you who don't know about "All About MEme Mondays" it is a super fun writing prompt put on my MommyBrain and SupahMommy :)

I am thinking that if I had to be stuck in either my car with my child or on an island.....I would definitely pick a safe tropical island over the very dirty Subaru forester (it is on my list of things to do this week, clean the car)!


So here I am on my safe and happy tropical island (which never suffers from hurricanes or other natural disasters).....what should I take??? Oh and BTW....I am not pregnant on this island...I have lost all of the baby weight and am in the best shape of my life (it is my fantasy right?).

1. My husband--I know this might sound sappy but I love him a super lot right now. He has been a saint and has been so sweet to me throughout my entire pregnancy. I couldn't imagine being stuck with anybody else :) I love you honey!

2. My I-Pod with speakers and a never ending supply of batteries--Silence kills me....I would need some music. I would also need it for my daily runs to keep my body looking super stellar (I really miss running right now).

3. My laptop with internet access--I don't think I could go forever without it and how would I be able to video conference with my children and see how they are doing with their grandparents????

4. A cozy bungalow with a stocked gourmet kitchen for the hubs to cook in and a wine cellar --S is a great cook and I haven't had a real drink in a LONG time!

5. A private jet with a pilot so that the hubs and I could go home and see the kids when we wanted (I am super hormonal and mushy right now, even in this little fantasy) and have them fly in for super long visits (really daddy and I would only need every other weekend alone :)). The jet could also provide transportation for friends and family.....they would only be allowed to fly in when we wanted them though.

There it is....my list of 5 things :) I am excited to check out what other people have written as well. Tomorrow I plan to update you all on the two parties for Z, they were GREAT!

I Can't Believe You are Three!?!?!

I remember when I was pregnant with you Z and I would look at children who were three and think that they were so old. I couldn't imagine being the mother of a three year old. Then when you were a small baby, we'd walk through a store searching for sizes and I would see 3 and 4 T's and think, "Wow, those are soooo big!" The sleepers were especially big and I just couldn't imagine you ever wearing something so large. Now you are three and wearing 4T clothing and I can't believe that time has gone by so fast.

Your daddy and I are so blessed to have you as our son. You are a wonderful and sweet little boy with such a kind heart. You have such a curiosity about you and your enthusiastic nature is contagious. There are so many wonderful things you can do now that you are three :) You go to preschool, use the potty (most of the time), sleep in a big boy bed, are learning your letter sounds, can count up to 20, help me vacuum the house, clean up your things, play with such imagination, sing entire songs and you have a mean golf swing. We are so proud of you and know you are going to make such a wonderful big brother. The transition won't be easy but take it from two people who know, siblings are a gift. They might drive you crazy at times but it is nice to know that there is someone there to play with, talk to, celebrate with and count on when you need them.

So happy birthday sweet boy! We love you with all of our hearts and cherish every minute that we have on this earth with you. You are an amazing little guy :)

________________________________________________________________

And the winner of my first ever giveaway (in honor of my blog make over ) is......

One of my favorite Bloggers who I have been following for almost a year (check her out if you haven't already, she is great)....

Connie at the Young and the Restless :)

Congratulations Connie, I will be in touch (after Z's party mayhem is behind me) and email you your gift certificate! Thank you all for posting comments and advice about the Raising Z name situation. I really appreciate it and got a lot of good advice. Thanks so much!

"T says Ta"

I had heard great things about Leap Frog's Letter Factory DVD from a few different people but I wasn't sure that I wanted Z to learn his letter sounds from TV, I am a teacher after all :) I have been working with Z on learning both his letter sounds and lower case letters for most of the summer but we weren't getting very far. We use teachable moments to do this (letters on signs, in books or in his letter puzzle), so please don't think I sit there with flashcards and drill the poor child. He was really struggling with the concept of letter sounds and so I even caved and got him the refrigerator leap frog letters in hopes that they would reinforce what I had been teaching him. He could care less about that toy and only pressed the ABC song button to hear the whole alphabet. Last week I finally decided to give the DVD a try.

It was going to be a birthday gift but I was so tired one day, I took it out to watch it with him (with my feet up). We were both taken in right away by the cute animation and wonderful story. The premise is that Leap and his sister Lily and baby brother Tad are going to help their dad and mom with a big presentation at their dad's letter factory. They are trying to convince a famous author to do a talking alphabet book and Leap's dad says his letters are the best in the world. While the dad shows the author around the factory, Leap and Lily practice for the big presentation. Little Tad is not included (because he does not know his letters) and goes off sadly. It is then that he runs into the professor of the factory who gives him a tour of the letter training facility. Each room is dedicated to a different letter and it is here that they train to make the correct sound.

The movie is only 33 minutes long and so well organized. Four or five letters are introduced at one time (each with a very memorable scene...A is scared by a monster so it says "aaahhhh") and then they are repeated. The professor continues to sing the same song from the refrigerator magnets as well for each letter..."the A says aahhh, the A says aahhh, every letter makes a sound, the A says aahh". After two viewings of this movie (Z would watch it every day if I let him), Z already had half of the letter sounds down. After his third viewing yesterday, he was at his chalkboard "writing" the letters and singing the song for each letter. He points out letters everywhere we go and tells me the sounds. He probably knows 18 out of 26 at this point and loves to talk about this film. He is also playing with the magnets and singing along. It is AMAZING!

Now I am just a mom, sharing this information with you. I have no stock in Leap Frog, nobody asked me to review this DVD, I just LOVE it. If you are hoping to introduce letters or letter sounds to someone you love, I highly recommend it :)

It is still not too late to enter my first ever give away :) Read this post to find out more :)

A New Look for Raising Z

I know what you are thinking...am I in the right place? Is this Raising Z??? Where are those attractive polka dots???

With the coming of fall, I always feel the need to "nest" and make some simple changes to myself and my surroundings. I love to add a few cozy features to our home, buy a few new pieces for my wardrobe (if you can all it that) and get ready for the long cold winter ahead. Since my new budget (and baby on the way) is preventing me from going out and buying things for our home and my growing belly is preventing me from going out and buying a new fall wardrobe, I decided to give some TLC to my blog instead :)

I want to thank Emma from Indiechick Designs for the wonderful design she created for me. After almost two long years of the same boring Blogger background, it is so refreshing to see this new and improved look! If you too are looking for a change in your blog design, I highly recommend you work with her. She has great ideas, is easy to work with and very quick with getting back to you when you have questions. Thank you so much Emma!

Now I have a question for all of you.....this blog makeover has got me thinking about my blog title, "RaisingZ". Is it unfair to the new baby to keep the name of my blog "Raising Z"??? We could give the baby a Z name but there are not that many choices and I am not sure if it is fair to name a child just so that I can remain true to a blog name. I feel totally attached to Raising Z as my blog persona and can't imagine changing it. That being said, what if my new little one is C or M or J or even X....will they resent this blog because their name is not in the title?? What would you do if you were me?

So in honor of my new look and need for advice....I am doing my first ever give away! I am giving away a $15 gift card to AMAZON (I'm starting small here but who doesn't love Amazon???). So if you would like to enter (your chances of winning are good, there are not many of you out there, mom you can enter too!), please leave me a comment with either a compliment about my new look (I am so shallow) or some advice about my blog name dilemma :) The contest closes on Friday, September 25th at 11:59 PM EST. and the winner will be announced on Z's 3rd Birthday (this Saturday) :) Good luck and thanks for commenting (feel free to start following this blog too if you aren't already, I am in a contest with the hubs and would like to get above 30 if possible :)).