Austin's Pollyanna Theatre Presents: Pattern Nation: Waves

With this weekend being Mother's Day, why not enjoy a family-friendly theater performance that you can enjoy right alongside your kiddos? Austin's own Pollyanna Theatre will be performing the play Pattern Nation: Waves, bringing back popular characters from Emily Cicchini. The play is designed for children, specifically preschool-aged children up through second grade, with a focus on supporting pre-literacy skills in that age group. This wonderful story follows the fun adventure of four friends as they explore the many types of waves found around them in nature. The show opens with Cyan Circle waiting for his cousin, Amber Oval to arrive for their regular play date. However, fun soon erupts when Amber brings along her friends Jade Triangle and Pinky Rombus. Soon the four find themselves on amazing imaginative adventures at the beach, beside a very still lake hosted by a mermaid, and in the world of secret spies who are investigating invisible sound and light waves.

The show will take place at the Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts (located at 701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704), and will feature the delightful and talented cast of Central Texas's most popular children's production company, Pollyanna Theatre. Shows will run Thursday, May 10th, through Tuesday, May 15th, and tickets are available via their website or by emailing judy@pollytheatre.org. Tickets to public performances are $7.25 for children under 12, $8.25 for students ages 12-18, seniors, & Austin Creative Alliance members, and $9.25 for adults. Showtimes: May 10 at 11:00 a.m. May 11 at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. May 12 at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. May 13 at 2:00 p.m. (followed by a “PAY WHAT YOU LIKE” party *) (May 14 no performances) May 15 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. *post performance party ‘pay what you like’ open to public; mix and mingle with cast in costumes and enjoy refreshments in the AT&T Education Room (located next to the Rollins Theatre) The cast includes professional actors from Pollyanna Theatre Company including longtime audience favorites Michelle Keffer and Andrew Alexander of the recent Ducks vs. Squirrels production, among others. The production is directed by Pollyanna Artistic Director and Founder, Judy Matetzschk-Campbell.

For more information on Pollyanna Theatre Company or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit Pollyanna Theatre Company.

Wordless Wednesday: My Cheesy Gymnast

Yes, it's blurry, but just too adorable to not post anyways :)

Shopping at EdenFantasys: My Experience

I mentioned a few weeks back that, in the midst of planning for my life as a newlywed, I may or may not have visited the online adult shop, Eden Fantasys. While they have all sorts of goodies for you to choose from (sex toys, and other adult toys and products), my focus was on lingerie.

I won't go into detail about what I ordered (this isn't that type of blog ;) ), but I will tell you that I had a really fantastic experience with the company - the type that will keep me coming back again and again! The ordering process was very simple (well, if you don't count the fact that their selection was so huge that it took me a while to narrow down what it was that I wanted!), and checkout was even easier. Not only that, but Eden Fantasys has a points system as well for customers - one that translates into gift cards! That's right - FREE stuff just for buying things (as well as reviewing them on the website afterwards)! How can you go wrong?

Not only that, but they have some of the highest quality products that I've ever received! I mentioned in my previous post about why I decided to shop at Eden Fantasys had a lot to do with the fact that I find a lot of the chain stores to carry low-quality and tackier merchandise. Definitely not what I had in mind for my honeymoon! That's why I was so happy to unwrap my packages and see such quality garments!

I am definitely one happy customer, and would recommend their products to anyone in the market :)

US Family Guide Savings on Harlem Globetrotters Summer Skills Clinics!

For the first time, the Harlem Globetrotters are conducting summer skills clinics to bring boys and girls ages 6-14 behind the curtain to see the Globetrotters’ electrifying skills and tricks, while also having fun staying active.

Each participant receives:

• A free ticket voucher (valued up to $40) to see the Globetrotters during their 2013 World Tour
• Autographs and photos with the stars!
• 3-day trial pass to 24 Hour Fitness

Clinic Locations (These are just the clinics - the games for your tickets are in 200 cities):

Phoenix       Houston     San Francisco       New Jersey

Denver        Dallas        Los Angeles         Seattle

St Louis       Miami        Las Vegas

And, just for visiting my site, you'll save $10 on registration! Enter the Coupon Code USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration or mention when calling 1-800-641-HOOP (4667) Click  here to get your savings - and sign your child up for an amazing experience - now!

A Bittersweet Ending.

I've been taking my time in writing this post. In fact, it's about five weeks behind schedule, mainly because by typing these words, I have to admit the fact that it is actually over. And, though two and a half years ago I never would have thought it would be the case, I am sad about it.

Ava is no longer breastfeeding.

OK you extended breastfeeding haters: feel free to check out now. I respect all opinions, but I'm so emotional over this, the last thing I want is some closed-minded a-hole anonymous commenter criticizing how long we breastfed in the first place. Sure, we nursed longer than your average duo, but the time that I spent with Ava at my breast, both as a baby and as a nursing toddler, was some of the most beautiful and loving time I can think of.

I was lucky. Ava took to breastfeeding really easily, and despite some early issues with my production and a wicked case of mastitis mixed in, it was smooth going for us. In fact, when the time came for her first birthday - the goal I had set for our nursing relationship - I wasn't bothered in the slightest that she showed no signs of stopping. Add in my own sentiments on breastfeeding with the fact that she had a terrible milk protein sensitivity that barred her from any dairy, and we were a match made in lactation heaven.

I've not been without my critics. Sure, there are some I know who would ask, rather pointedly, "Are you EVER going to stop nursing that child?" But, in staying true to my gentler parenting philosophies, I knew early on that I would let her choose when we weaned, and she never showed any interest in quitting.

She nursed less and less between her first and second birthdays, with her going from nap and night time nursing to strictly night time. When we chose to night wean her, and to allow her milk only before bed and when she woke up, she quickly adapted, and I knew that the end was near. But rather than getting any other hints that our time nursing would soon be over, it happened suddenly. A week before our wedding (you know, with just enough time to ensure my boobs would be smaller in my dress on my wedding day - damn it!), I went to put Ava to sleep, and when I offered her "mommy milk" like every night, she simply said, "No." I responded cheerfully and laid with her while she fell asleep, but once those eyes were good and shut, the waterworks came.

I know it's silly. She's not a baby anymore, and we were ready. 27 months of breastfeeding is no small feat, and I'm so very proud of the time and effort that I put into that relationship with her. But I'm still sad about the ending of what was undoubtedly one of the most special bonding periods in our life.

Thank you, Ava, for the 27 months of nursing we shared, and for allowing me a two-and-a-half year extension on time with you that was only mine. Thank you for teaching me about parenting, and for teaching me about love, and for teaching me to be open-minded and to embrace change in myself. I simply adore you.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Hire a Nanny Who Has a Child

Sometimes, there are just things you need to say. Luckily for me, this is my place. And so, since apparently Facebook isn't the place for it (if we're not FB friends, you missed out on the lovely little drama that ensued last night when I said something about being dismayed by the amount of people who are opposed to hiring a nanny who brings her child to work with her - this one "friend" practically attacked me over it), then this little corner of the universe will be where I vent my frustrations instead.

I get the initial hesitance. You want the absolute best for your child(ren), and you don't want to have any regrets or guilt over the care they receive when they're not with you. But, at the same time, I feel that being completely opposed to a nanny who would bring her own child to work with her is short-sighted and closed-minded, and that if only people would really think through the ways in which the arrangement could be beneficial, I would not be struggling so hard to find a job where I could both provide for my family and be with my child as she grows.

So, without further adieu, here are ten reasons why I think families could stand to benefit from a nanny who brings her own child (aka: why you should hire me):

- I promise to always be as responsible with your child as I am with mine. When I'm driving down the street to bus one kid to little league and the other to swim team, I'm not texting and driving. I'm not listening to a CD where the f-bomb is dropped on a regular basis. In fact, chances are I can best your own personal child-appropriate CD collection. What I am doing is recognizing how fragile and pivotal your child's life is to you and to me, and I promise to always drive exactly how I would want someone to drive with my child on board.

- I promise not to judge. OK, I admit it. Pre-child me would leave work and think, "I cannot believe the lengths that some people go to to get their child to sleep. Just let them cry it out already!" Thanks to that very statement, God graced me with a super fabulous child that has less than super or fabulous sleeping habits. I have gone to ridiculous lengths to get her peacefully to sleep. Sometimes, you're just trying to survive. I respect that.

- The things you don't want your child to be allowed to do, like lounge around unsupervised on the couch eating junk food while watching TV all day while the nanny daydreams about her boyfriend? Yeah, I don't want my child to do that either. I promise that we'll always be active, that TV will be limited, that healthy eating means as much to me as it does to you, and that if you wouldn't want it to happen on your watch, I wouldn't want it to happen on mine either.

- I can save your child's life. Once, when Ava was a little over a year old, she was eating a banana in the grocery store (see! a banana, not a donut!) and she started to choke on a bite that went down the wrong way. She choked so badly, in fact, that she started to turn blue, and a crowd of people gathered around, doing nothing. I was able to call on my CPR and First Aid knowledge and was able to hook the banana from where it was lodged in her throat in time to keep things from getting far more worrisome. Had I not known how to do this, we would've been seconds from the heimlich. I can do that, too, for the record.

- Not only am I calm in an emergency, but I can handle whatever comes my way. I've been vomited on more times than I can count by any number of children over the past few years. Ava had a severe daily intolerance as a baby, and often required any number of clothing changes due to, ahem, leakage. In short, not grossed out easily. I won't be calling you at work telling you your kid threw up and the come immediately home. I've got this.

- There is just something, and I can't pinpoint the exact transition, about being a parent that changes someone. You feel accountable. You feel as though you have something to prove to your little person, that you should make a different, that you should do good and drive the speed limit and wave to your neighbors, and that the world we live in? Well, it should be left a different, and better, place for our children. I feel that. I am kind. I am considerate. I am conscientious.

- In the same vein, I'm a good role model. Not only do I try to do good for those around me, but I try to model the types of behavior I want to see from my child. I say "please" and "thank you". I wave people in in traffic. I forgive. I don't shout. If I tell Ava it's not ok, then I lead by example, knowing my words are less telling than my deeds. I promise to pass that along to your child as well.

- When I have down time, I try to make a concerted effort to do things that will improve the way your household runs. I have a new understanding of just how far me washing and folding a load (or five) of laundry will go. I get that you're not asking me to sweep the kitchen because you simply don't want to, but because your crawler likes to stick absolutely everything in their mouth.

- Because I am kind, my child is too. She's the type of friend you want your child to have, and, luckily for you, if I bring her to work with me, they can be the best of friends. Both families I have worked for are the absolute closest people we have in Austin. In fact, at our family-only wedding, they were there. How wonderful for both parties that children are able to have such a close bond and share the socialization experience? How nice is it that when we go on one of the many outings I try to plan, we're exploring together? I can guarantee both families I work for will give me a glowing reference and tell you flat out that they would not have it any other way.

- And, for those who want me to be "100% focused on our family", believe me when I say that I can do that only knowing that my child is cared for as well. I cannot leave my child at daycare and then come devote myself to yours. When she is with me, however, and I am freed from wondering what type of care she is receiving and if it is as good as it would be with me, then I absolutely can focus on your child without distraction.

I was going to stop at ten, but here's a bonus couple for those hard sells:

- I promise not to stumble in hungover. Maybe college nanny me would have thought it was acceptable and wouldn't hurt my ability to care for a child, but grown-up mommy me thinks otherwise. A wild night for me is allowing my husband to put Ava to bed so that I can watch Revenge in my pajamas on the couch.

- I am committed to making things work. You know how you want a long-term nanny for stability and continuity for your child? Yeah, so do I. I have a vested interest in being an adult and talking through any conflicts that could arise, rather than leaving you high and dry over a kink in the lines of communication.

If you need more reasons, I'm happy to give them to you. I could go on all day. But, in the end, I hope that just one person stumbles upon this post and decides to take a leap of faith and hire a nanny with a child. That just one person thinks outside of the box, and decides to give a mother and her daughter or son a chance to make a difference in both of their lives.

(Not) Wordless Wednesday: Weekend Surprise!

This weekend, while putting Ava down for a nap, David came running in from mowing the lawn shouting something about baby bunnies. Sometimes I fall asleep while putting Ava to sleep, so I thought I might be delirious, but as it turned out, look what we found in our backyard:

There were originally six, but one of them died of a heat stroke before we got them inside. Bunnies, as you may not know, are extremely sensitive to heat - we had them when I was a kid and we lost one to a heat stroke before we knew. So, we have five baby bunnies currently! Four are perfectly healthy, rambunctious little effers cutie pies, and one is unfortunately hurt pretty badly, as we rescued him from the grips of our next door neighbor's Great Dane. I'm hoping he makes a full recovery, but it's not looking that good. He isn't able to walk currently for one reason or another (likely broken bones, since there are no obvious puncture wounds), and so I'm currently hand-feeding him Kitten Milk Replacement (that was the pet stores recommendations since they're only weeks old!) from a medicine dropper in the hopes he'll live. Yes, we're suckers at my house! 

Update: Sebastian, our hurt bunny, passed away last night :((((((((

Also, if you haven't, please enter my Christopher story buddy and storybook giveaway. There are super low entries, so you have a high chance!