A number best when going down

I used to have two weights. The real number and a number I was comfortable saying out-loud if I HAD to tell someone and I knew there was no way for them to check. For example, when you go to the DMV or when an agent comes to your house to do the medical exam for life insurance and you see he has no scale in his bag. I'm not saying I threw out my dream number of 110 (ha! I don't think I was even born this weight), I'm just saying I shaved off 10, 20, maybe 30 pounds so I didn't sound like such a porker.

When my sister got engaged, I absolutely refused to be photographed looking chunky and went all out, giving it 100% to lose weight. I had 56 pounds to get to my goal weight (and this only puts me at the high end of what is supposed to be a healthy range for my height) and joined Weight Watchers to help me lose it. By the time Lori's wedding came along, I got within 14 pounds of my goal and felt pretty good about my progress. I would even be happy if I can just maintain my loss and not lose another a pound. But I am determined to keep going and figure out how to work being a vegetarian, going gluten-free and being on Weight Watchers.

I have now gotten to the point where the number I was willing to say out-loud is now higher than the actual number. I remember back in January when they were wheeling me on the stretcher for the appendectomy surgery and the nurse asked how much I weighed. Knowing there was no way they were going to break out a scale, I gave my "ok, here it is" number. 10 days later when I had to go for my follow-up appointment, I didn't realize I would actually have to get on a scale. Yikes!! It was the middle of Winter; there were only so many layers I could take off (I was wearing JEANS!!); I had just eaten lunch and was expected to get on the scale. Furthermore, the nurse had my chart and was about to compare the pre-surgery number with the post-surgery number. OMG! I was in trouble!!

Lo and behold, no one was more surprised than me when the number was one pound less than what was documented in my chart. Whew! It was then that I realized I needed to re-evaluate my verbal weight number. I was so used to saying this number, that it didn't dawn on me that in reality I was weighing less. I could now easily take another 10 to 15 pounds off what I told people I weighed. And yes, I have since been told that they were asking me my weight probably to figure out how much anesthesia to give me. Fortunately everything turned out and they sufficiently put me under.

I've always had issues with my weight and generally have no desire for anyone to know what I really weigh. A few years ago, my sister was in town and accompanied me to the dr to have something on my skin looked at. I told Lori she could come back with me to the exam room. On the way back to the room, the nurse stopped in front of the scale and asked me to get on. I replied back with a very nice, polite, "No thank you." Lori started laughing and said she had no idea that was optional.

I thank my lucky stars that my sister gave me enough time to lose weight for her wedding. It felt good to show up and feel like I had given it my all and this was the best it was going to get. I actually lost 25 pounds more for my sister's wedding than I did my own. Who knows what magical things I'll be able to accomplish by the time my other sister Meghan gets married.

The Good Life

So this is how the rich and famous live. I can get used to a life like this. We just returned from my sister's wedding in Orlando and the babysitter situation could not have worked out any better. Having a wonderful nanny available at your beck and call is a really cool thing. Jackie came highly recommended from my friend Amanda, who uses her as a nanny for her little girl during the week. Jackie was warm, friendly and brilliant at her job. Not only did the kids instantly take to her, but Jeff and I did too.

Jackie was with us on Saturday for 13 hours and 10 hours on Sunday. For a good part of the time she was an extra pair of hands and jumped in when needed. She had these amazing instincts on when to help out and when to take a step back. Plus, with very minimal instruction, she was fantastic with Sam and remembered everything the first time.

Jackie made the logistics part of how we would take care of the kids for the wedding and all related activities easy. Because of her there was no stress and definitely no worry on if the kids were in good hands. She rocked!

I told Amanda we were keeping her. Since I am not rich or famous this of course will never come to be. But for 48 hours, it was nice to live like a rockstar and have a traveling nanny for the weekend. Fortunately we didn't have any run-ins with the paparazzi.

Fly no more

That's it. I am done. All done. I consider myself to be fearless and willing to go where most individuals would dare not attempt, but I've officially found a brick wall that is too challenging to climb. No more flying with me and the kids for a very long time. A very, very long time. I don't want to fly again until I can have a two-way conversation with Samantha and be able to have her understand the bribes I am more than willing to throw her way.

During the Summer season to the beginning of the new year, I generally make 3 trips to Orlando to visit family. We'll go for a few weeks during the summer, come back for the Thanksgiving holiday and go back a third time to spend Ian's Winter break from preschool (the weeks of Christmas and New Years).

I've always had my work cut out for me when flying with Ian. But he has since become the golden boy and does incredibly well flying. I even temporarily misplaced the iPod Touch and he went the whole 2 hour flight without any electronic entertainment. And I know he was so looking forward to watching the CARS movie for the 100th time. Wow is all I can say for how far he has come.

What has really done in me in is Sam. She is a screaming, crying mess. It doesn't make sense. It can't be her ears because the screaming starts well before we even start pulling away from the gate. By the time we land at our destination, she has screamed for a good 1.5 hours out of a possible 2. It's bad. Really bad. Jeff and I even spaced ourselves and each took a kid to a different row. At least on this flight everyone was understanding and even came up to us afterwards and apologized for what we went through.

Until she outgrows this and I can get her to tell me what is going on in her pretty little head, I have no desire to go to Florida. I will be happy being grounded for the next year or so. Jeff thinks that by Thanksgiving 2010 we will be able to make a return trip. Right now that feels like way too soon.

Finding "The One"

In 3 days my sister is getting married. Just like I never thought I would meet "The One", my sister Lori felt the same way about herself. In fact, the year she met Ben, she was invited to 4 weddings, all occurring in the same calendar year. These weddings took her all over the country from L.A. to Aspen and Miami. In most cases, each involved good friends who Lori knew since grade school, if not longer. I can remember her telling us how it was a 'couple's world' and she was never going to meet anyone. She was not looking forward to going to these weddings solo.

And, BAM!, just when you don't expect it to happen, when you think it never will, the perfect guy for you comes into your life. It all becomes clear and you know it was meant to be. This guy is your bashert (yiddish word, meaning 'destiny'). Lori was meant to meet Ben. It happened at Jodi's wedding in California; a family friend whose parents (hers and mine) were friends before Lori was even born. Jodi was marrying a guy named Dave, who went to college with Ben. Looking back and realizing all the crazy things that occurred to get Ben and Lori on the same shuttle from the hotel to the ceremony makes you realize that bigger forces were at play. And to boot, my mom was on the shuttle and witnessed the very first meeting too. Ben even asked my mom to dance that night. Anyone who knows my mom, knows this is HUGE!

From the way the story goes, Lori and Ben hit it off instantly. At the end of the evening, Ben inquired about seeing Lori again. Lori laughed and said, "I'm going on a cruise with my Aunt Hilda tomorrow morning. It is a 5 day cruise." In a move we come to later find out that is incredibly out-of-character for Ben, he got himself on the sold-out cruise and called Lori on her cell phone to tell her he was aboard the ship. Really. Lori and Aunt Hilda (who by the way grilled Ben endlessly for 5 days trying to get any kind of dirt on him. She couldn't find a single thing wrong with him.) enjoyed getting to know Ben better and had a fun week cruising. At the end of the trip, Aunt Hilda invited Ben to spend the weekend with them before Lori needed to head to the airport and Ben needed to drive back to where he lived, in San Francisco. Lori lived in Philadelphia at the time and upon telling her boss her great story of meeting someone at the wedding, arranged for Lori to go back to L.A. later that week for a work meeting. Lori called Ben, told him she could be in his area that weekend coming up and had a follow-up date in his city of S.F.

Fast forward 2 years later and Ben proposed to Lori. To say my family loves Ben is an understatement. He is easy going, very talented, musically gifted, incredibly nice and an all around great guy. He complements Lori and together they make a great pair. Ben started showing up at our family events and it is like he has always been there.

Lori ended up not having to go to the rest of the weddings that year or any of the other myriad of weddings she has been invited to since by herself. More than just finding a date to go to weddings with, she found someone to go through the rest of her life with.

It will be my pleasure to stand next to her and witness her nuptials. I can't wait to dance and celebrate the journey that brought her to this day. And I couldn't ask for a better man to become my brother-in-law.

Sweet dreams

No matter what time Ian wakes up in the morning (and usually it is early, very early), he'll hang out in his dark room and wait to hear or see some movement from our bedroom across the hallway. The minute he does, he grabs his lovey, Gymbo, and heads straight inside our room. We keep our door 3/4 of the way shut, but he can still get a bird's eye view to see if we are awake.

The other day, he woke up at 5:45am and proceeded to talk non-stop about how much he disliked his bed. Due to the hour it was in the morning, I laid very still in my bed and listened to him speak. And, yes, he was the only one in his room, talking to himself. He discussed how his bed is too small and very low to the ground. He said his pillow itched. He started listing all his friends who had bigger beds than him. He compared his bed to the one Papa Bear uses on the show "Bernenstain Bears". He spoke for more than an hour and didn't run out of things to say about his toddler bed.

Yes, we agree it is time for him to get a bigger big boy bed. Fortunately Jeff and I have a plan of action for upgrading Ian's toddler bed. The toddler bed has served him well and it would be nice to do something to reward all the magnificent behavioral changes we've been experiencing. We told Ian we would get him his new bed for Hanukkah. However, the mattress set is already in our shed (it used to be in the guest room before Sam took over this bedroom) and I ordered online the CARS bedding he has been requesting.

Ian thinks the bed transformation will not take place until December (when Hanukkah occurs this year), but Jeff and I have planned a surprise. As soon as the bedding arrives, we will keep him occupied and do a quick switch - out with the old, in with the new. We won't say anything to him about it and just wait for him to discover it on his own....mostly likely when it is time for him to go upstairs and get his bath. Or, the worst case scenario being (and I could see this being just the way it goes down), he is sent for a time-out in his room and discovers this wonderful treasure during a punishment. Ha! What kind of time-out is that going to be?!!?!?

I am looking forward to this surprise and will have our video camera ready to record his excitement. Who knows, maybe this will be just the trick to get him to sleep in a little later in the morning?

a.k.a. Bailey's Mom

Bailey, my German Shepherd, was born on April 29, 2001. I brought him home 7 weeks later, weighing in at just 6 pounds. Over the next several months he grew into the big boy he is today and now proudly tips the scales at 95 pounds. To anyone who doesn't know him, Bailey is a bit intimidating looking and not something you would want to encounter in a dark alley. However, to the guests at the party last night, he is a big cream puff. Bailey I've come to realize has a very big fan base and it seemed that all the major players were in the same room as me.

One of "the girls" recently got engaged and the other girls & I co-hosted an engagement party for family and friends. It was a fabulous evening and everything turned out beautifully. There was a small group of guests who I hadn't met yet but they were all too familiar with Bailey. It was really weird being introduced, "This is Bailey's mom." Or, "I heard you are Bailey's Mom."

Over the past 8 years, Bailey has made his way into some of my friend's homes and even a friend's boyfriend's (now fiance) brother's home. In the case of the latter, Mike lives in a fabulous house (complete with huge pool in the backyard) and graciously opens his doors for Bailey to come and stay for a few days while we are away on trips. For the first time last night, I got to officially meet Mike's parents, who also live in this house where Bailey goes to stay. Bailey has quite a life away from us. Mike makes YouTube videos, set to music, and features Bailey swimming and playing catch. It is very sweet.

Also in attendance last night was the friend whose house was recently broken in to and she no longer felt safe living by herself. She borrowed Bailey for a week to help her sleep at night again and to be seen in the neighborhood with a scary-looking new companion. Sabrina had Bailey come visit once before when he was just a little puppy when I went out of town overnight. Now that Bailey was full grown, it was time for him to go to work. Bailey rose to the occasion and proved to be an invaluable help to Sabrina. She said if it weren't for her two bunnies she has as pets, she probably wouldn't be giving him back. They went for super long walks every day and he would lay at her feet if she was working from home. Sabrina brought a friend to the party last night who had met Bailey while he was at her house. He too, thought Bailey was amazing.

Before you know it, we had quite a conversation going about the 'fabulousness' of my dog. I do believe that Bailey really prefers living with a single person who has no entanglements (like kids or a spouse) to get in the way. For his first few formative years of his life, it was just the two of us. Bailey would sleep in my bed with me and even though he had his own pillow, most nights would find us sharing one together. I am sure we were quite a sight.

Now Bailey's life consists of two toddlers who test his patience, play with his food and cook up new ways to bug him. He no longer sleeps in my bed and is banished from being on the furniture altogether. I am sure he pines for the days of his youth when it was just the two of us.

For a brief period last night I got to remember just how cool my dog is and what he means to everyone. How much joy, fun and comfort he brings into the lives of those around him. I was "Bailey's Mom" and that was a pretty good person to be.

I think I will take him for a long walk this morning. Of course, his sister Samantha will be in the stroller next to him.

Where there is a will, there is a way

Once I have my mind set on something, there is very little getting in the way of seeing it happen.

A few days before I left for my Girl's Weekend, I heard that Judy Blume was going to be at the National Book Festival. Instantly I had visions of getting the book "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret" signed for my sweet little girl, Samantha. My mom gave me a box set of Judy Blume's books when I turned 9 or 10 and they forever changed my life. Judy Blume started my love affair with books. I absolutely love to read and owe this all to the wonderful books Blume wrote about being an adolescent.

One of the girls I was enjoying the weekend with is the wife of a good friend, John. Dana told me that her husband was taking their girls (ages 5 and 3) to the Book Festival and would be more than happy to get me a signed copy of the book. How wonderful!!

John made a valiant effort, but the line was more than 300 deep and not something that would be realistic to stand in and wait. I very much appreciated the effort and planned to come up with another way to accomplish my goal. Now that I had this in my head I wanted to do it, there was nothing going to stop me. Although, my back-up plan was to wait for her to come back to town and camp out if needed to get to the front of the line. I had 8 years to see this through.

John (determined to get me a signed copy too) and I must've come up with the same thought, because we both found an email address for Judy Blume and wrote her.

And to my delight, here is her reply:

Hi Robyn,

Thanks for your email. Judy feels terrible that so many readers waited so long and then were turned away. It was really a problem of the organizers, most of whom were volunteers and so had no experience dealing with long lines at a book signing. They should have cut the line off but they didn't until it was way too late. Of course Judy will sign a book for your daughter. If you send it to the address below with these emails and your daughter's name we'll get it back to you ASAP.

Very best regards,
Pippa Mills
Assistant to Judy Blume

How incredibly cool is this!?!?!? I've always greatly admired Judy Blume as an author, but have now taken my love for her to a whole new level. It is so refreshing when you put someone you admire up on a pedestal and they don't disappoint.

I am most excited that when Samantha turns 9, I'll be able to give her a personalized, signed copy of "Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret". This means more to me than Samantha will probably ever know. However, if she is anything like me (and so far, indications strongly point us to being 'cut from the same cloth'), I know one day she'll appreciate the gesture and look forward to handing down the copy to her daughter.