Check out my review of a really great Tween Rock Band - Groovy Ruby

I am giving away a copy of Groovy Ruby's new CD - check out my review and giveaway here!

A Blog Award!!

Yeah for Mommy Meryl and thanks so much to Modern Mommy for passing along the "I HEART Your Blog" Award! I love blogging and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it when I learn that someone other than my family and friends reads my blog! And when that they tell me something I said made them think, laugh, cry, feel, etc. . .it is like icing on the cake.



Now, part of what the rules require me to do now that this award is bestowed upon me, is to share with you and nominate at least 7 other blogs who deserve this award. There are soooo many blogs that I love and in truth, I seem to nominate the same ones over and over again and while they are certainly deserving of this award, I want to share some new ones with you. So, I will post these in the next few days, but I did want to give a big shout out to Modern Mommy for "hearting" my blog!

Out Of The Mouth of Babes. ..

My hubby has one of those picture cubes that I ordered for him Father's Day 2002 (you know, its a 3-dimensional square with 6 spots on it for pictures or sayings). . .technically Allie wasn't born yet, but I was 8 months pregnant and we had 3 dogs at the time - so how could I not get him a Father's Day present, right?

So, there were 5 spots for pictures and I put one of each dog, an ultra-sound of our baby-to-be and a picture of all 3 dogs together. On the top of the cube it said something like "Daddy's Stars" and there were 4 stars that each had a name by it - it looked something like this:

DADDY'S STARS

*Audi (a dog - who passed away in Spring of 2005)

* Budi (a dog - who passed away in Spring of 2006)

* Lexi (a 13 year old Sheltie who is still with us)

* Dot

Dot was what we called our baby when I was pregnant - the story behind it being when I got my first ultrasound at like 8 weeks or so, all we saw was a teeny tiny dot. . .I think the gestational sac, maybe? Anyways, we knew we didn't want to find out if he/she was a boy/girl and so the name "Dot" just stuck because the baby looked like, well, a Dot - not a baby at that point. Not only did Rich & I call the baby Dot - but everyone around us did. The name kinda stuck - and in all seriousness, as the pregnancy went on and we always referred to the baby as Dot, I couldn't even imagine calling the baby anything else.

But as soon as I delivered [ok, so my question for you is when you have an emergency c-section and are barely coherent as they urgently slice you open and remove the baby, is that still me delivering the baby? I'm thinking not. . .I don't think I was doing much of anything other than laying there and hoping everything was over soon and I would hear the healthy cry of a baby shortly. . .but I guess that is a whole other question] our daughter, Dot fell aways just as quickly as I was focused on deciding whether she was going to be Allison Nicole or Jessica Nicole. . clearly Allison won.

So, back to the story at hand. On Friday, Allie happens to look at the picture cube (which she has looked at gillions of times - but now that she can read, it adds a whole new dimension to it) and begins reading the top of the cube. She gets to Dot and looks at Rich and I and with a quizzical look wonders that is.

So, Rich explains who Dot is and that the ultrasound picture is Allie while in my belly. So, she said why would you call me Dot if you knew me? So, Rich tries as best as he can to tell her that when a mommy has a baby in her belly, she doesn't know if it is a boy or girl until the baby comes out.

So, in all of her infinite wisdom, Allie says that Dot is a silly name and if we just asked her, she could have told us that she was a girl because if she was naked in my belly she could have seen her "bagina" and known she was a girl and then we could have put "Allie" on Daddy's pictures, not "Dot".

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Did you know these 7 things about me? Tag you're it!

I’ve been tagged by Kristina at Mama Divas (which by the way, you will love her blog!)!
Here’s the game: If you’re tagged, you must tell your readers 7 things about yourself that your readers don’t already know.

1. I am officially addicted to Facebook!

2. My favorite show on TV right now is Raising the Bar - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

3. Chips & Salsa, Chocolate & Sushi are my favorite things to eat.

4. I am having a sleepover at my girlfriend's house for my 40th birthday and I'm soooooo excited - can't wait to eat junk food and stay up all night! And not to have to get up in the morning!

5. I met my hubby on Jewish Singles bulletin board on-line over 15 years ago

6. I went to college in Atlana, GA (Emory University) and law school in St. Louis (Washington University)

7. I used to work at the Limited while in high school AND fit into their clothes! :-)

Here’s my list of tag-ees

Tag, you’re it!

1. Jenni @ Jiggety Jigg

2. Amy @ Sassy Pink

3. Rita @ Winning Start Ups

4. Kristle @ Stir Crazy

5. Jen @ Cheaper Than Therapy

6. Amy @ Soccor Balls & Conference Calls

7. Beth Anne @ Family Blog

And I have a diagnosis. . .

Thank you to my faithful Mommy Meryl readers who are keeping up with my bits and pieces. . .so just to keep you updated, I woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning with the most scary and bizarre pain all over. I mean it hurt to readjust my pillow. It hurt to roll over. My hands were so swollen and tight I could barely grasp onto anything. I decided to ignore it - sure I was sleeping funy and that it would go away. Well, sleep wouldn't come and the pain wouldn't go away, so I decided to do what every rational person does at 3 am when they can't sleep - google my symptoms. Hopefully you are smarter than that, because all that did was cause me to panic. Each diagnosis I read that I could have was none-too-pretty.

But did I make a doctor appoint on Wednesday? No - I was sure if I popped enough advil it would go away. It didn't. Finally, when Allie was at Brownies and my hubby & I were having dinner and he was looking at my funny because I was having problems opening a bottle of soda and holding my plate, I tell him that I am freaked out because since 3 am my body has been in extreme pain and its hard for me to do anything. After he realizes he is going to get nowhere by repeating a million times why didn't I go to the doctor earlier, he sees I'm truly scared and convinces me to make an appt first thing in the morning.

So, my next night of sleep is really no better than the first - my legs, feet, knees, shoulders, wrists, forearms, hands, fingers are sooooooo sore. Its was like that muscle pain you feel after a really intense workout - but I had no workout.

So, I head into the doctor's office first thing in the morning. . .my blood pressure was sky high as I was envisioning all the potentially awful diagnosisis I might have. . .well, to make a long story short, thankfully I don't have an awful diagnosis. I just have a virus that I should have gotten a long time ago (like 15 - 20 years ago) if I was going to get it - yes, I have the kissing disease, mono! Can you believe it??? At almost 40 years old I have the virus that is a right of passage as a teenager - except it skipped me then and decided to visit me now!

At least I have an explaination of why I have been so tired for the past 10 days or so!!

Anyways, my fever at least seems to be gone and the exhuastion I can deal with - its the body pain that is truly not pleasant. And advil is helping only so much.

In any event, I am hoping to lick this shortly and be back to blogging on a more regular basis sooner rather than later. . .but in the meantime, if I do have enough energy to stay awake, I'm at work or busy with Allie. . .

And by the way, no need to treat me like I have the plague. . .I'm only contagious thru getting my saliva - so I promise not to kiss you or share your food and drink till I'm better. . .

Which leads me to my apologies to a wonderful author, Lee Doyle. I had agreed to review her debut novel called, The Love We All Wait For. I am loving it so far, but I'm finding I have been so exhausted it has been hard to stay up reading (there is nothing more I love than curling up before going to sleep under the sheets with a wonderful book) and I have not finished it as quickly as I had anticipated.

But, if you happen to live in the Phoenix area, she is going to be in town for a reading and signing of her book at Changing Hands Bookstore Tempe, AZ Saturday October 18, 2008 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - if you can go, I encourage you to do so!

I am alive. . .

Hi everyone. . .I hope you are doing well! Just last week when I thought I was back, the Jewish holidays hit me at the same time as a fever did - I have been fighting a fever since last Wednesday. Last night was the first night in days that I didn't go to bed and wake up with a fever. Then in the middle of all of this, my husband's car broke down and we unexpectedly had to deal with that (who wants to look for a new car in this market??) and then my daughter had her 6 year check up. All was fine and good, until the part where they look at the spine and our doctor (who I love) takes out some handy-dandy measuring gadget and measures her back. ..can you feel my concern??? So, he tells me that she has a 4% curvature in her spine - WHAT? Where did that come from? When did that happen? Is there something we can do about it?

Apparently, there is no reason to panic/freakout/do unreasonable amounts of googling YET. ..they will check it again at her 7th birthday and so long as it stays relatively the same, we are okay. If it increases significantly. . .then that is another story.

Then my daughter was asked by her PE Coach to give her cross country club/team a try. I thought that was kinda cool, but in all honesty, I didn't really think she would have the interest in it. While she love to sprint and race you, she isn't much into running around the track endlessly. And she isn't much into pacing herself - she either wants to run quickly and beat you or not at all. So, she does give the team a try and ultimately she isn't really into it. She says if she does cross country she doesn't get to play before school or at lunch -she just has to run. So, fair enough, I tell her no biggie, she doesn't have to do it. She tried it and didn't like it and that is totally okay. Well, I guess easier said than done. My poor little 6 year old has been in emotional drama since yesterday.

One of her bestest buds at school is doing cross country and that is who she plays with at lunch recess everyday. Well, easy enough, I say, you have lots of other friends, go play with one of them. Allie looks at me and moans that I don't understand because she and her friend M play jump rope and hula hoop everyday and none of the other first grade girls want to do that. So, I tell her that not everyone might want to jump rope and hula hoop and that is okay and perhaps she can find something else to do. She says she doesn't understand why they don't want to do jump rope and hula hooping as its sooo much fun. I tell her that they might feel that way about the things they are playing - I ask her about one of her other close buddies, A. She tells me she plays cats & dogs or chases boys at lunch - I suggest that might be fun - she tells me no.

So, then I name a few other friends and for various reasons nothing I say is a good idea. And by the way, these are all friends she gets together with quite a bit after school and on the weekends.

Then I realize it, there is nothing any conversation is going to do to make her feel better. Her little world is being rocked a little bit. . .her buddy that she is used to hanging out at lunch with is choosing to participate in another activity for the next 2 months and as much as Allie wants to be with her friend M, she doesn't like cross country enough to do it just so she can be with her. But yet, the thought of not being with M at lunch is a little overwhelming and scary to Allie - when she is in her comfort zone, she is great. When she isn't , she is a little reserved and shy and unsure of herself.

So, as her mom, I see how worried she is about what she will do at lunch (my husband says he thinks I'm more traumatized than she is ). . .at least so far, in all honesty, I see her being a bit of a stronger, independent person than her mother. I would choose to be with friends even if it meant doing something I didn't want to do. . .but at least as of now, that idea isn't interesting to her. She would rather play by herself and do what she wants to do or keep looking for those people who do what she wants to do.

And to be honest with you, why can't I say good for her for being independent? I guess because the thought of her being alone and not with friends at lunch makes me sad. . .

Well, I think it was my grandmother who said, that which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger and even at 6, Allie will learn from this little life experience. And my hubby tells me - she will figure it out. . .but it still doesn't make it easier for me to watch from the side lines. ..

I Know It Has Been awhile. . .

I know it has been a while since you have heard from me. . .no reason anything more exciting than life has gotten in the way. . .

I have also found with my 40th birthday approaching, I am getting old and forgetful! Just as soon as I say, "OMIGOSH, I have to blog about this", by the time I sit down at the computer to blog, I can't remember what in the world was so funny, sad, clever, touching, etc.

I also had discovered that my best blogging seemed to come after everyone was asleep in the house - and when you are approaching 40, staying up till all hours catches up with you - and it did me!

I am also in the process of creating a few more websites - just in time for the holiday season. I won't go into any specifics, but they will be places to find wonderful Hannah Montana, High School Musical (everyday Allie wants to know how many more "wake-ups" till the new one comes out - just in case you aren't living and breathing HSM, October 24th is the big day!) and princess "stuff" for great prices!! Just in time for the holidays!

In the mean time, I have been featured on my blogging friend Angela's fabulously creative Month of Stuff Blog - check out her email interview with me and the rest of her blog - its really neat!

Finally, if you are female and in the baby boomer age bracket and looking to make some new female friends - check out this new group. . .even though I am going to be 40 soon, I'm not a baby boomer, but Allie's godmother is the woman behind this group! She started it locally in April and has begun to take it National. . .she just launched her website and already has over 100 members on her website! While it might not fit the needs of most of my readers, it might be interesting to some and perhaps you know of someone you can pass it on to who might be interested!

I will leave you with one last thought. . .on Sundays, Allie goes to our synagogue for religious school. While she goes to a public elementary school, she has always been around synagogues - she went to preschool at our temple and I have taught at our temple ever since Allie has been alive - so she knows for the most part what its about. This is what occurred last Sunday after Sunday School:

Mommy Meryl: Allie, how was Sunday School?

Allie: I didn't like it today AT ALL.

Mommy Meryl: You never say that - what happened? You love being with your friends.

Allie: We didn't get a recess today because the teacher said we were too busy and had too much to do and so I didn't get to play with my friends. And we weren't busy doing anything. It was boring. Recess is the best part of Sunday School.

Mommy Meryl: You must have done something if the teacher said you were too busy to go out and play. What did you learn about?

Allie: Nothing. All we did was chit chat about God all day. We did nothing. Maybe the teacher wants to have a website called chitchatforgoddotcom because that is what she likes to chat about and you have a website chitchatformommiesdotcom because you always like to talk about me. . .

Spoken from the mouth of babes. . .

I love your comments - please include your email!

PSA - No Reply Blogger
Go here...do what Carissa says...leave her a comment letting her know she ROCKS...and then come and leave me one because I am pretty ok, too.

Ok, I totally swiped this post from my good buddy Jenni. . .

Trying to Let It Go Tuesday

<a href="http://www.mommymeryl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Trying to let it go on Tuesday!" src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm93/sassypinkboutique/Meryl2.png" /></a><br/><br/>

This Tuesday, Mommy Meryl is Trying to Let Go of. . .

1. That men are wonderful, but they are not your girlfriends. . .why is it that they always want to problem solve?

2. The the grocery stores never have enough red horseradish. . .when you need it.

This Meme will be every Tuesday and the idea behind it is to share with other Mommies what you need/want to "Try and Let Go" and perhaps you might be looking for some advice/comments from other Mommies who have gone or are going through the same thing! And please know other Mommies would love for you to share your words of wisdom with them as who "gets it" better than other Mommies?

If you want to play, every Tuesday, you post one or two or three (or however many "things" are eating at you) "things" that you are "trying to let go" of. How often as Moms do we get frustrated over things that we can't change or for one reason or another, aren't going to change. Quite often - and maybe more than we would like to admit! And how often do you say to your self, or one of your Mommy friends to just "let it go?". I know I do it alot.

So, here it is fellow Mommies - Tuesday is our Trying to Let it Go Day!! We make no promises here - only heartfelt attempts and most of all, validation that you get it!

If you too want to join in our Trying to Let It Go Tuesday, you can fill in the Mr. Linky below. . in line one give us your name and in the 2nd space, please give us the URL of your post, not just your home page URL, but the URL of your "Trying to Let It Go on Tuesday" post!

Go ahead and Add the Graphic to your blog post. Simply copy the html code above and add to your blog post

Tomorrow is Trying to Let It Go on Tuesday!

Remember, tomorrow is Trying to Let It Go on Tuesday - would love it if you joined me!

Family Movie Night

About once a month, Friday Night is Family Movie Night. It is pretty simple. . .Allie picks a movie, Allie picks the necessary junk food that we will all share during the movie and Allie insists that all the lights are turned out - so she can feel like she is in a real movie theatre (even though we can pause it for a bathroom trip!). . .and she loves these times - sometimes I think even more than going to the movies!

I asked Allie the next day why she loves it so much - why she likes it more than going to the movies. She gave me the most simple - yet powerful answer - because we are all snuggling together on the same couch, Daddy isn't reading a newspaper, Mommy isn't on the phone or on the computer or doing laundry. We are all doing the same thing she said, at the time time, as a FAMILY.

It made me stop and think. . .I consider myself a pretty involved and attentive mommy. And while Daddy tends to work his tush off, when he is home he is always happy to read with Allie or play a game with her - in between those passions that men have (reading the newspaper and napping). But what I realized is that when he is doing something with Allie, I am usually off blogging or cleaning or chatting on the phone or sometimes a mommies' night out and when he is vegging with the newspaper, I am usually playing with Allie, or she is playing by herself or often she has a playdate over.

And while we do quite a bit together as a family outside of the home, I think when we are at home we clearly aren't doing family togetherness as much as I think we are. . .I was even thinking about when we are in the swimming pool. Either we have friends over and everyone is in and out at different times or I am in with Allie or Daddy is in the pool with Allie - it has been a long time since the 3 of us were just in the pool together. I guess sometimes I take advantage of when Rich is home to divide and conquer - he is playing with Allie and so I am tending to other "stuff".

And what I realized by the simplicity of Allie's comment about Family Movie Night is that perhaps with this New Year approaching, Daddy & I need to make a more concentrated effort to just have some simple Family time at home together. . .I know I get caught up in always making plans and its gives me the jitters to think I might have a weekend coming up with no plans and OMIGOSH, won't we all be bored? But there is a difference between doing nothing and spending some quality time as a Family together. . .and while Allie is the first person to want a playdate with someone, I also hear her saying that she loves her Mommy & Daddy time and so perhaps this Mommy needs to bring it in a little and not always rush to make plans and run and go and do. Maybe I need to listen to what Allie is saying and try to devote more than one night a month to some simple, family togetherness time at home. . .

Or maybe she just loved the unlimited junk food that night??? :-)

I Didn't Even Know There Was Actually a Demi Lovato Costume. . .

What or who does your son/daughter want to be for Halloween this year? Allie has been pretty adamant since the summer that she wants to be Demi Lovato - or Michie - from Camp Rock. . .and she could care less that no one will have any clue who she is unless they have are a Camp Rock fan or have a child who is a Camp Rock fan. I mean, I don't think Demi Lovato has received the amount of press Hannah Montana receives in one week. . .

Anyways, I was wondering how in the world I was going to be able to create a Demi Lovato costume for Allie - I figured I would try and mimic her clothes in the movie, but every time I tried to put together an outfit for Allie that I thought looked like her, Allie would just tell me that those were just "normal clothes" and no one would know she was Demi Lovato (didn't we just cover the fact that no one will know who she is anyways??) - she wants a Demi Lovato costume.

I told Allie that I don't think there will be a Demi Lovato costume as Demi doesn't have the same kind of outfits that Hannah Montana or anyone from High School Musical has. . .she just dresses like a normal teenager.

Well, we were in Target the other day and lo and behold my daughter and another little girl simultaneously run up to the ONE REMAINING Demi Lovato costume and both are holding opposite arms of the costume, shouting for their respective mothers "Mom, look, TOLD YA (how many times a week do you hear that one??), they have a Demi Lovato costume". . .

So, my new best friend (when 2 girls are playing tug-of-war with the last costume, it makes you fast friends - don't you think?) and I ask the girls to let go (they did reluctantly for fear the costume would disappear or "the other mom" would grab it first) and we both look at the tag and let out a simultaneous gasp - $39! My new best friend and I were on the same page and both agreed that how in the world could we spend that on a red shirt, leggings, coverings to go over boots (and now the costume has cost me an additional $20 because Allie doesn't have boots that fit her anymore. . .) and a necklace.

This is not a costume - not any costume I'm accustomed to seeing - no sparkle, no glitter, nothing fancy, or scary. No masks, no wigs, no wands, no wings, no microphones, no hats. Just leggings, a shirt, a simple necklace and boot cover-ups which translate into buying boots if you don't have boots. This is not a costume - this is an outfit put in a bag together being sold as a costume!

So, my new best friend and I look at each other and both mumble there is no way we can buy this. We also decided that we didn't want to upset the girls by one taking the last costume - so my new best friend was very smart and held up the costume and said she saw a tear in it and that neither girls would want it. Thankfully neither girl questioned the other mother's observation (or lack thereof!) and they were easily redirected. . .and my new best friend and I were both relieved that we weren't buying this $40 (plus $20 for boots) costume and we expressed again our shock and horror at the price for these random pieces of clothes put together to be called a costume and how there was no way we would buy it.

And then we both add, our husbands would have us committed to the loony farm if we bought this "bag" of clothes put together and packaged as Demi Lovato for $40 - oh yeah, don't forget to add the $20 for boots. . .

So, its back to the drawing board. . .

Almost Wordless Wednesday. . .On Thursday

This is one of Allie's most favorite pictures - it is from her 5th birthday. . .she wants to know if I emailed Hannah Montana a copy of the picture as well. . .

Win a Male Fertility Kit

Normally I don't post contests on this blog (I save that for my contest blog that I share with Amy from Sassy Pink Boutique), but my good pal Kelly (whose book was just amazing - you can see it on my right side bar - Tiny Toes) is having a contest on her blog and I would love to share this with you - especially if you or someone you know is having challenges getting pregnant and you are looking at different solutions. Please click here if you are interested!