Why I Decided to Run the Boston Marathon Again

April 23, 2013, running for Boston

I decided to run the 2014 Boston Marathon about two weeks after the events of April 15th last year. Boston 2013 was supposed to be my last marathon until my next milestone. My goal was to qualify for Boston and run it in my 40th year, checking a big item off my bucket list. But when what seemed to be a perfect day turned into such a tragedy, I couldn't leave marathoning with that memory. I didn't even look at the date of the event, I just felt in my heart and soul that I needed to go back, show support for the city and the running community that has supported me, and honor the victims of that day.

Part of me wanted to wait to see if I actually made the cut before finalizing everything, but when my friends kept asking me if I was going back, I felt that I would go no matter what so I looked up the date.

The Boston Marathon is always run on a Monday. This shocks people not from the northeast when they first hear it, but it’s Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April, and Boston celebrates it in a BIG Way. The date of the 2014 Boston Marathon is Monday, April 21st, and as soon as I saw the date my heart sank. April 21st is my daughter’s birthday.

All I could think was “Oh NO! How can I pull this off? I can't do this, can I?”...

Read the rest on Babble's Semi-Chlorinated Life.

Semi-Chlorinated Life: Are my kids too busy?

I love the endless opportunity our kids have, but do you ever wonder if our kids are too busy? Don't get me wrong, I am a Title IX baby and relish every opportunity available to my daughter and my son. When I was little I wanted to play soccer, but there wasn't a girls’ team, so I watched my brother. And then I found swimming, thank goodness I loved it because I am not really sure what else was out there for me to do (other than cheerleading which I learned in 9th grade was not for me).

My kids, on the other hand, can't seem to fit all their activities into a 24/7 week. I have already written a lot about about “fighting for my kids' free time” in a another blog about keeping it all together as a parent, but I feel like I am losing the fight. And frankly, maybe “fight” is too strong of a word. Maybe I am just their lobbyist or advocate. I feel like I need to picket outside their bedrooms just to remind them how cool an afternoon of make-believe and play can be . . .

Read the rest on my Semi-Chlorinated Life babble blog

Semi-Chlorinated Life: Sport Teaches Amazing Lessons

Sport can teach so many amazing lessons. And this story will demonstrate just why that’s what it’s really all about.

A seven-year-old smiled her nervous self through all four apparatus in her first gymnastics meet of the season. Her mom could tell she was nervous because before each event, she would look at her coach with these bright excited eyes and take a deep breath with a little chuckle, it’s the way she handles that stuff. She soaked up every single cheer from her teammates, and she put every ounce of her little body into everything she did. And SHE WAS PROUD. Her parents were up in the stands cheering, clapping, and catching her eye to give her a thumbs-up. She would look at her scores and her eyes would light up because she was so much better than last year. She repeatedly counted out her score on her fingers just so her parents could really see what she had just accomplished. She congratulated her teammates, and her teammates did the same to her. The camaraderie was amazing to watch.

All the while, her mom kept thiking about what her daughter said to her the night before this meet. While readying for bed, the little girl had said, “I am so excited to win a ribbon or a medal tomorrow.” Her mom wanted to prepare for all possible outcomes so she gently replied, “You know, not everyone will get a ribbon so if you want one, you have to think about all the little things and try to do them your absolute best. But no matter what, daddy and I are SO incredibly proud of you because you have been working so hard. You have truly dedicated yourself.” She smiled. She was already proud of herself, and she didn't seem worried. . .

Read the rest of this blog and learn Skye's lesson at Semi-Chlorinated Life

Back to Reality: Back to school

SEMI-CHLORINATED LIFE

For many, school is starting back up. It’s amazing how time flies when you are having fun, right?! And yet for parents, back to school is often a welcome reintroduction to schedules and structure…a.k.a reality.

Here is how getting ready for back to school goes down in our house . . .

About a month from the first day of school, I go through the kids entire closet and force them (yes FORCE because they never want to do it) to try on every ounce of clothing.  We make three piles:

1. The “giveaway” – clothes that no longer fit or liked.
2. “I am not sure” – clothes that fit but are not worn or the kids aren’t sure they’ll wear.
3. “I’ll definitely wear” – clothes that fit and the kids wear.

. . . Read the rest of this post here on Babble!

Babble -- Semi-Chlorinated Life: Lessons in Parenting, Sports and Life

I have been a Babble fan for a long time.  Many of my friends have contributed, and so this a proud day for me. I finally have a Babble Voice. In life, I have a few major skills I can fall back on.  Swimming is the obvious, but my true skills are a) the ability to detect the presence of any pool within 1000 yards — I am like a beagle on a chicken bone when it comes to the scent of chlorine.  For most of my life, it was my perfume whether I liked it or not – And b) my experiences and the many people I’ve met along this journey we call life that have shared their knowledge with me. My wealth of knowledge isn’t all that astounding, but I have learned a lot about sports, parenting, healthy living, and  life and continue to learn more everyday! And that is why I am so proud to be contributing to Babble.

Now, let’s lay this thing out.  I plan on writing about things I know, things I think I know, things I know I need help with (with a little help from my expert friends), and things that I find so hilarious, they just have to be shared.  Here is how it will break down…find the beat…

• Healthy Living-Everything In Moderation
• Organization- Simplifying Chaos
• Parenting- Authentic and Imperfect
• Sporting Life- Mama loves her football and running, and watching the kiddos play.

Read the rest of this post on babble in my babble voices blog -- Summer Sanders: Semi-Chlorinated Life.

Chlorine is in the air

It’s that time of year again, when kids are itching to hit the pool and parents are hunting down swimsuits, digging for goggles, and quite possibly wondering, “how in the world do I get my kid swim ready?” Well I am here to help. And believe me, after five months of schlepping the equipment of ski season, swim season is a cinch! 

The first and most important things to know is that you have to make learning to swim a priority.! No matter how great you are as a parent or how closely you watch your child at the pool, bad things can happen right under your nose.  For example, I was chatting with my friend in the baby pool when Spider was 1, sitting down right next to him. I glanced at my friend while she was talking for what felt like 3 seconds, but when I looked down at my son, he was face down in the pool…he hadn’t yet figured out how to pull his feet/legs back under him to stand up.  He and I were both freaked. So remember, it doesn’t matter how well YOU swim, it’s how well your child swims without you that’s important.  Get them in lessons first and foremost!

Here are seven things to help you have a fun and enjoyable swim season:

1. Find a lesson and instructor that you trust and that works for your family. Check out usaswimming.org. As I have said about a million times to anyone that will listen….Take your child to swim lessons with a calm and happy demeanor. Even if they scream and cry, smile and tell them you love them. Hand them over to your trusted instructor, and then get out of sight. I cried every second of my first set of lessons! As a parent you cannot give in!
2. Make a curriculum. If your child is beyond pool safety and you want them to learn to swim, set expectations with the instructor. Yes, it should be fun, but learning strokes can and should be a part of their curriculum.
3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. Repetition is key! The more days you swim in a row, the better you will become. Often if a kid hasn’t been in the water all winter, they will jump in the pool for the first time at the beginning of summer and “forget” what to do.  Get them back into the swing of swimming with a one or two week long EVERY DAY series of lessons. These lessons don’t have to be long, maybe 20 minutes, but the repetition will be worth it.
4. Keep a swim bag! You must create a swim bag with suit, cap (mostly for girls), goggles, towel, sunscreen, conditioner and lotion.  To maintain the suit, rinse it out after every swim. Learn how to put your cap and goggles on properly. You find great instructions on use and correct fit on Speedo's Facebook page. Using conditioner helps keep hair from getting super brittle and tangled due to the water and chorine. And put on lotion, chlorine water dries your skin out like nothing else! If you don’t put lotion on, you will itch like crazy!
5. Go for it. If you’re wondering whether or not your child is ready for a swim team, I say just GO FOR IT! I firmly believe that kids get better and learn faster in a group/team environment.  Yes they are forced to swim more and practice is longer, but you will see such incredible improvements that lead to some serious confidence and smiles!
6. Learn about the sport. Once your kid is on the swim team, you need to learn about the strokes and their times.  The greatest part of swimming is that it is all time based.  Therefore the kids can focus on their own PR’s as opposed to what color ribbon they won!
7. Celebrate a competitive attitude! If you child is bummed they didn’t win, I think that is fantastic.  You can help them learn that winning isn’t all that’s important, about effort and determination and commitment. Use the disappointment as a way to teach them about ways they can improve for themselves and be faster. If they are a sore loser, use the moment to teach that is not acceptable behavior and redirect them. The joy of an individual sport is that the outcome is in their hands. 

     Such incredible life lessons can be taught through the ups and downs in the swim pool.  Enjoy them

     and Happy Swimming!

A Full Night's Sleep

Oh what my husband and I wouldn’t give for a full, uninterrupted night of sleep. I look at this predicament through two lenses, knowing that in a very short amount of time I will be writing a blog complaining about the fact that my kids don’t want to snuggle anymore and don’t need me as much.  But right now, mommy and daddy have not had a full night sleeps more than 20 times in the last six years. Even typing this makes me yawn.

There is simply nothing to prepare you for new mom tiredness.  If you have gone through it, then I don’t need to explain it to you. So I'll tell you this story.  My biggest fear as a new mom was that I would be so out of it tired that I would leave my baby somewhere…I had nightmares about this.  It never happened, but I did mistake the gas for the break once.  Thank goodness I was still in park.  I  had just gotten into my car and was sitting in the parking spot.  I kept hearing this super loud engine revving sound.  I looked around the parking lot and thought, “What loser is trying to be cool by revving their engine?”  And then I glanced down at my feet.  That loser was me.  Needless to say, tired was an understatement. 

Fast forward six years later. I beg my daughter every night to try and stay in her bed.  I explain to her  that mommy and daddy are much happier and more fun when they get a solid night's sleep, just like she is. She understands completely, and bless her little heart, always says to me with such concern, “I will try my hardest mommy.  I just get so scared.”  And for that I really can’t blame her because I WAS that kid, the one who would sneak into my parents bed every night as well.  I would always start out by going to my mom’s side only to be told to “go back to bed”, and then would proceed to “the sucker’s” side, my dad, who would help me in without really waking up.  My mom would find out I had made my way into their King when she would roll over onto me.

We have tried several things to inspire and motivate my imaginative 6-year-old to stay in her bed, but nothing has worked.  Incentives have included everything from a star chart and special treats to even pierced ears.  I once, out of pure desperation, told her I would give her $20 if she would stay in her bed….but she couldn’t.

And the problem really isn't her crawling into our bed, it's her incredible, tornado like force throughout

her stay.  She is stuck to us like Velcro yet she never stays still. She kicks us like a world cup soccer player, pokes us like a spear fisher, and pulls our hair like a back-alley fighter.  The strength and stamina of a 6-year-old from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. while completely unconscious is truly phenomenal.

But then, there are those moments...those precious moments when I feel her roll over and cuddle, or she calls out to me scared and I am there to comfort her. Or when I wake just before her to catch the adorably peaceful look on her face just like when she was a baby.  Those are the moments that I know make this Lack of sleep so VERY worth it.  So my husband and I carry on, weary eyed, knowingly lucky, and hopeful for day number 21 of a FULL night's sleep.

What our kids hear about the world & how they feel

Recently, as I was cruising through twitter, I stumbled upon the video of a 4-year-old little girl who was crying about the Presidential Election. Reactions to it are varied, but I found it to be precious, authentic and real because I live with a 4-year-old who listens intently to everything, is super curious, and feels deeply.  How many parents are wondering, just like me, whether they should tell their kids about major events or asking themselves, "Can they handle it?" 

I can't imagine what is was like for parents in 2001, trying to explain the terrorist attacks to their children. Our kids are smarter than we give them credit for, but their emotions are often a little more extreme or off balance. They feel more compassion, happiness, excitement, and sorrow. For example, I find that with my kids, they either feel too much or they don't feel enough compared to my own adult reactions. 

Thus, as Sandy was hitting the east coast, I had to determine how to approach it with my 6-and 4-year-olds. I decided to turn the TV on at dinner so that we, as a family, could watch what was happening to our friends on the east coast and to a city we've spend so much time in.  I lived in NYC for 8 years and our family has spent months at a time in the city. The coverage captivated Spider for quite awhile and he listen intently to our conversation, then he said "Can we turn this off, it's scaring me!" So I asked him why he was scared, and basically he was convinced Sandy was coming to Park City.  Once I assured him that Sandy was not coming to, as he calls it "our town in America", he became more curios. He was listening to the reports as we started cleaning up, and later announced to the family that "Sandy was heading to Canada."  He talked about Sandy at school and corrected his friends, who were convinced Sandy was a person, by telling them it was a hurricane that turned into a cyclone. 

His absorption of the situation was amazing. I am consistently in awe of the way kids handle information with such a pure level of intrigue and interest. It warms my heart that they have the desire to learn, and breaks my heart when they feel so much emotion when trying to digest the information.

So as events occur within our world, from presidential elections to natural disasters, think about how you share it with your children. They are more acutely aware of what's happening in their surroundings than we give them credit for.

Fall…Time for sports

Over scheduled.  Have you heard this term?  It is tough to slow yourself down, but I really hope all of us parents can do just that.  There are so many opportunities for kids nowadays. Introducing them to activities is one thing, but over scheduling is a whole different beast.  We didn't have that many options back when I was young, and to me, that was a positive.  Your kids don't have to be involved in everything, nor should they be.

I see it all the time: Moms rushing to get their kids out of their ballet outfits, into their soccer uniforms and to the game on time.  It is crazy to think of how much you can pack into a 6-year-old's day. It makes me tired just thinking about it. Ballet to soccer, I can actually understand that one.  But when it comes to activities and sports, it is important to choose.

This year, I am asking my kids to choose between a few different things. My son is 3 and my daughter is 5.  They want to do a bit of everything from this list: soccer, t-ball, dance, karate, skiing, ice skating, swimming and gymnastics.  All of these activities cost money, some being much more costly than others.  As parents, we chose skiing as one of their winter activities. (It helps that we all love it and we live in Utah.) And we narrowed the others down to either karate or gymnastics for our son, and dance or gymnastics for our daughter.  It surprised me that when we asked them, they didn't complain or hesitate. 

The luxury of this age is that programs don't last longer than a few months, so it's easy to fit in a lot of sports and give your kids options. Outside of a few exceptions, most sports don't require specialization until their teens, so feel free to let your kids explore what they like.  Just be sure to watch your child, and make sure they're not exhausting themselves trying to keep it all up.

And…if during the year, you kid comes up to you and begs to try something different or change their decision, listen and allow it. Trust me…if a kid asks you over and over to do a sport, it’s important to them and they have a passion for it. Both my husband and I were that way with our Olympic disciplines. You never know….

Teamwork parenting makes for a happy family!

Soon after my son was born, I had this overwhelming desire to get back to work. I think part of it stemmed from the love of my job and part of it stemmed from wanting and needing to contribute financially to my family. Regardless, the desire was there and I dove in head first.

My husband, Erik, and I discussed my decision at length and he could tell right away that there was no stopping me. He was in his last few years of ski racing and had his sights set on standing atop the podium, winning his first World Cup. He had given up all of his contracts to ski on the best skis possible which I felt was beyond admirable. I took it as a time for me to step up and pay some bills.

My first job back was with the NFL Players Association. Spider was about 4 months old and Skye was a few days shy of 2. Life was hectic at that stage but I remember loving every second of my time with them. They came with me to Washington DC and my dad came along to help. (It really does take a village) That trip was just the beginning, Spider and Skye logged so many miles with me that Spring and Summer, they earned a few free tickets on Delta. We shot a commercial for the 2008 Olympics, we went to Omaha for the US Olympic Swimming Trials. On each trip I somehow convinced a family member to join me and we soaked up our time together.

In Dec, Erik decided to retire from ski racing. He was 36 and it had been his career since the age of 16. Twenty years on the US Ski Team, 3 Olympic Games and countless World Championships. Going from a full time professional athlete to a full time daddy was a bit of an adjustment. We worked through a ton over the next 2 years to where we are at today. Lots of conversation about teamwork in parenting and I am proud to say it has paid off big time.

Both my husband and I are working parents. One person's career is not more important than the other and we stopped keeping score long ago….that NEVER gets you anywhere. We broke it down to it's simplest form….We want to raise happy, healthy, loving and respectful kids. The key word being, WE! Therefore we both step up big time when the other person is gone or in major work mode.

I am still traveling quite a bit (averaging about 3 days every 2 weeks) and get to take the kids every now and then. But when I don't, I know that I have my other half at home who is thrilled to be their rock. There was a time when I would give my husband my schedule and he was less than enthusiastic but now, he gets it and rises to the challenge. Although I miss my family big time, I don't apologize anymore for being gone, it is a part of our system. One thing we try to do consistently is thank each other for all they do…because we both know, first hand, how much effort it takes. Teamwork parenting has made our marriage so much stronger, words cannot describe it properly.

Right now I am in Bentonville, AR while my kids are at home with their daddy. I told them last night that I was going to be gone for a couple of days and they said, "Who will be watching us?" I said, "Daddy!" Their faces lit up!

World Water Day

I should know a thing or two about water….I feel I have spent more time in water than I have in school. Somewhat scary! But, I also know a thing or two about the non-chlorinated kind.

I grew up in Northern California when ever summer was considered a drought. We never had enough water to keep our lakes full and I was always worried that we were going to run out of the good ole H2O. I grew up thinking and believing that water was a precious commodity. And I try to do the same with my kids.

Here are a few easy ways to conserve water that your kids will actually GET!

Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth. Just a splash to wet your toothbrush and a few rinses to get the toothpaste off at the end. This was drilled into our heads growing up. In my world, there is no other way to brush your teeth.

This one may be a little gross but, in your most active bathrooms, use this motto, “If it’s yellow let it mellow, If it’s brown, flush it down.” I remember seeing this sign in a Berkeley bathroom when I was younger…it made me giggle but the rhyme stuck.

Only wash your clothes if they are dirty. Even little kids have a semi-clean day and don’t need to wash their jeans. Cut down on the amount of laundry you do by washing only when things are filthy.(really need it)

Make your shower shorter. Honestly, you don’t need to wash your hair every day. I wash mine every 3rd or so…gotta give the locks a break. So, do a quick wash-a-roo and be done. Save the longer shower for another day.

Just a few friendly tips in celebration of World Water Day, March 22, 2011! Drink some H2O and be grateful!

Smile, we survived another mom day!

I say this with a huge smile on my face but today was one of those days where my husband and I looked at each other, put our hands up for a high five and said, "We survived!"

When our kids were newborns, we never got a full night sleep. At one point, we actually calculated it and I think we went about 3 years on month without getting a full night sleep while at home. (we did sneak away for a few adults-only trips) It is similar to the way I look back on my swimming schedule in high school...I don't know how in the hell I physically did it.

Sleep, I find, is only missed if you are reminded that you are missing it. In other words, once you do get a full night sleep, your body then gets a little ticked off realizing it has missed a few zzz's. Well, with our life, we have had several full nights of sleep lately. We are down right spoiled, to be honest with you. I am not gonna lie, I love my sleep. I cherish my sleep now more than ever and when I don't get a full night sleep...I am a walking zombie. Ok...let me clarify...when I am woken up at 3 am and not allowed to go back to sleep, I am a walking zombie.

That was my night last night. My son yells at me...yes I meant to write yells "at" me because he does with all his vocal strength. I run in there and he has wet his bed. So, time for a little snuggle session. Only problem, the lil one doesn't want it to be bedtime still. He didn't fuss, just played around enough so that I couldn't go back to sleep. And, since I am a few months into my full nights of sleep, it hit me hard this morning.

My eyes were heavy, I couldn't form sentences correctly. I was tweeting words out of place :). How did I do it when my kids were babies? How did I not get lost trying to drive myself home? How did I not pick up the wrong kid from the grocery cart?

My husband and I got the kids asleep and I am now going to curl up into my tempurpedic and hopefully hit REM in about 30 secs. Life is good when this is all we have to survive! :)

I wanted Princess Polly Pockets!

My husband and I were so very excited! Santa had come all the way to California to deliver exactly what my daughter had asked for...a big girl bike and Polly Pockets. All the adults were ready with their cameras as my daughter and I walked through the door to find her magical gifts. She walked straight up to them, around them and then burst into tears. I asked her what was wrong and she said, "I wanted the Princess Polly Pockets." Hmmm...we were all a bit mortified. Gradually cameras went away and the moment was lost. I said to her, "You need to be a bit more specific with Santa because you told him 'big girl bike and polly pockets' and that is what he brought you." She didn't let up for about 30 minutes.
My husband and I were really angry. And all we kept thinking is, "We are such bad parents...our kids are spoiled!!!" We almost packed up all her gifts and gave them away. Instead we sat her down and explained to her why her behavior was poor and what Christmas is all about. Giving and not receiving.
I had taken her with me to get little things for everyone in the family...just from her...so she could try to comprehend the act of giving. Didn't work out great as she kept picking things out for herself. But, we drilled it into her head on Christmas day...whether she liked it or not. We needed her to understand, as best she could, that crying when opening up a gift is not cool.
She eventually turned it around and was ready to open up two gifts. The rest had to wait or may be given away. It all depended on her behavior. She was so sweet. She opened her gifts (both from Papa an Lola) and immediately handed out hugs and thank you's. I think she got the message. As a parent, that was one of the most difficult moments so far. I hope we made the right decision and I can't wait to show her the tape when she is 10 and beyond.

Oh my...what a performance!

I am often calling my son the Oscar Winner. Sometimes I feel like I should have named him Oscar instead of Charles Robert. My son is just now starting to understand his FULL power. And by "full power" I mean his ability to really throw a tantrum. You know the full body kind. He falls to his knees with such drama, then throws is head and hands down and forward then falls flat and rolls around...all this while holding a steady cry. It is truly amazing how he can keep it all together. Rolling and crying...rolling and crying.

There are many times when I have to turn my head so he doesn't see me cracking up. He puts on quite the show, if I let him. But what I choose to do in these situations is tell him that I am not going to watch until he is done. I then proceed to ignore him until he has decided that the "show" is over. Lately, this only takes a couple of minutes. Of course, this all depends on hunger level and tired level. If those levels are elevated than the tantrum could last longer and might need a little interference.

As of late, most of his tantrums are the cause of not getting what he wants...like my cell phone. The cell phone is not 100% off limits because he somehow connected to 911 when I had locked my phone. All I heard was this loud "HELLO", "Hello". I immediately grabbed the phone and said, "HI." She said, "This is 911." I quickly told her my son had made the call and that I was sorry. Her reply was quick and rightfully harsh, "Ma am, take the phone away from your son." I felt like I had just gotten busted by my 5th grade teacher.

Anyway, the phone causes these tantrums. When it happened today my husband asked if he thought we should put him in time-out and I told him that I think he is gunning for attention...any kind of attention. Therefore, if we give him time-out attention, then he has succeeded and will do it more, but if we completely ignore it maybe he will eventually find it boring and move onto other things.

We seem to like the plan so far. For now we will continue to monitor the skills of our budding actor and try our best not to laugh...ok, maybe just a little...out of love, course.

My take on TV and my kids.

Let's be honest here. I love TV. I have all of my fav TV shows DVRed and ready to watch as soon as the kids go to sleep. So, how could I ever be one of those parents who denies their kids the joy of TV. I want to, however, make it perfectly clear that I am not writing this to be judgmental. I believe that every parents decision is a good one when it comes to TV. I am writing what I feel about me and my parenting decisions.

So, if I watch TV, I can't keep my kids from it. Similar to the fact that I love sweets so I can't keep them from sweets. I can teach moderation and only give them choices that I think are appropriate and from there, they can make the decision.

When it comes to TV my husband and I have several programs that we think are appropriate. Several are from PBS. "Sesame Street", "Sid the Science Kid" and "Curious George" to name a few. We try to set our DVR so that we always have fresh ones to turn on in a time of need. We also dig "Handy Manny", "Blue's Clues" and "Little Einsteins".

The cool thing about these programs is there aren't any commercials and they teach kids something. They are all so different with their subject matter and their teaching and entertaining models. I actually feel like my kids take away so much from these programs.

In the end, I do think it is okay to use the TV as a babysitter. I like to put on a program if they are rowdy before dinner or when they first wake up. We will snuggle up to a movie if the weather is awful and everyone is tired in the afternoon. It really comes down to those 2 major things I said earlier. How often and what programs? We make sure to keep TV watching to an hour or an hour-and-a-half a day. And we try to make sure the programs are educational. A lot more than I can say for myself...unless you would consider "Weeds" and "Grey's Anatomy" educational. Might be a strech!

H1N1...to vaccinate or not...that is the question.

This is the beginning of a long and arduous debate. I know what I am going to do with regards to my kids but I am still torn as to how the information is presented to parents these days. It is REALLY difficult for a parent to make a fully educated decision on the subject since every practitioner out there has a legal obligation to tell their patient to vaccinate. Or am I making it too simple?

But you get what I am saying, right? A doctor can't tell you not to get the vaccine for fear that your child will come down with swine flu and become extremely sick. So, to cover their butts, they advice everyone to get it...why not?! Well, I don't know about all of these vaccines. What about the mercury levels in this particular vaccine. Shouldn't parents be worried about that?

I want my kids to be safe and I know that I chose to put them in their car seats for that reason, but comparing the H1N1 vaccine to a seat belt seems kinda absurd. That is what a doctor did, he said that giving my kid the vaccine is like putting their seat belt on. The choice of safety. Hmm...I don't think there are any side effects to seat belts. And, I think seat belts are pretty darn proven. There is a lot of research to prove it. As far as these vaccine's go, I think a bit more research is warranted.

I vaccinate my kids. I do believe in many vaccines. But I also don't want to go overboard. I mean, when you think about it, were the chicken pox that bad? I got to stay home from school when my brother had them just so I would get them myself. When are we protecting too much? I let my son and daughter ride their trike and fall so that they know how to recover the next time. When is that the case with their health? I don't know the answers but I think a discussion on this topic is a healthy one.

We all reach our breaking point

As mommies, we are often pushed to our limits. We have great mommy days, good mommy days and, every now and then, not so good mommy days. I really despise the feeling of the "not so good" mommy days. In fact, there have been a few, okay several, that I have not been proud of. I am writing about this today because my best friend and I just had a conversation about this very subject. We described it as if we are a glass of water and with every whine, cry and meltdown the glass is filled more and more until the damn thing starts to flood the whole house. That is the moment to which all moms can relate. That feeling of needing to let go of so much frustration and anger and whatever that you just yell. Actually it is is more like, you just YELL!

Honestly, with me, I am really good right up to that point. Keeping my cool as my child is hitting and screaming. Telling her to "just relax" and that "this is not acceptable behavior". It's not until, after manhandling her into her car seat(for the second time) while she is out of her head screaming at me and pulling my hair that I slam the door and scream so damn f-ing loud that I think the entire west hears me. Then I proceed to get in the car and explain with another scream, "I just wanted you to get in your damn car seat!" Yes, this really happened. Not my proudest moment.

For real, I screamed so loud that my voice was horse for the rest of the day. This didn't do any good as both my kids were now screaming. And after the scream I felt like an awful parent. But during the scream, I felt so damn good. For a second, I sat there in the car and had this blank look on my face. Once I came to, I immediately tried to calm down my son and reassure my daughter. Then I felt this need to talk to somebody about it to make sure I wasn't going insane. Friends are good at making you feel normal.

My best friend and I told our stories and made each other feel better. We reminded each other that we are good, and often times GREAT parents. We cried and laughed and in the end knew that we all were going to survive.

We parents tolerate a lot during a day. It is a wonderful job and I just want everyone to know that we are not perfect but I know we are trying our best to raise really good kids. Keep at it and if you need to scream, make it a good one.