A Weighty Question

It's Day Nine without kids, and I'm fine. I've taken several long showers, watched mindless television, had a couple glasses of wine with my husband without fear of having to jump up and drive someone to the hospital and eaten chocolate out in the open without having to share. 

The result? I've packed on about five pounds. So stay tuned for some post-Fourth "This is How I'm Going to Get the Weight Off" blogging. Any ideas out there? Health Editor Christina Elston suggests keeping a food diary, keeping your portions down to the size of your fist and maybe taking a walk every once in a while. But I'm open to suggestions ...

Whoop-ee!

Here's a fresh twist on mommy guilt: My two children are at my mom's house in New Mexico for a couple of weeks, and I'm not weeping into my pillow every night. We don't live close to family, so Kate and Jack cram the "grandmother time" into a two- to three-week span in the summer, with a followup extended stay over the holidays. 

"Oh, do you miss them like crazy?" a friend asked me recently. Of course I do. And at the same time, I'm just fine. Husband Steve stood in the kitchen this morning, fully 20 minutes before he had to leave for work, completely dressed and ready to walk out the door.

"I don't know what to do with myself," he muttered as he packed me a sack lunch and ate some Toasty Joe's cereal. 

Yesterday, I stayed at the office till 5:30 and finished up something. Later, Steve and I had a conversation. We went out for a glass of wine and some tapas when we got hungry. We stopped for ice cream at 9 o'clock. I passed out on the couch at about 9:30.

Of course, I'm trying not to feel guilty about enjoying my grownup time. The kids are getting shuttled to the park on a regular basis, getting their fill of cartoons and crafts, and getting spoiled rotten by their two doting aunts. And Jack told me he's both "exhausted out" and "having a blast."

Steve and I are worried that we're too tired to pack in all the things we want to do before we are back on "kid time." But then again, the couch is looking pretty good tonight.

Go, Go, Gadget

Confession time: I love gadgets. Thumb drives, cameras the size of credit cards, slick-silver laptops, gaming consoles, my precious iPhone – l'm crazy about them. So imagine my glee when I received a snazzy new Vado Pocket Video Cam that's supposed to be easy to use for blogging and YouTubing. The Vado is lightweight and outfitted with a handy USB connection so you don't have to lug around a bunch of cables in order to quickly upload a funny video of your kids on YouTube. I took my stylish pink Vado on its maiden voyage to document my love of video games with Jack's valiant boxing efforts on our Wii. 

Best of all, the camera is light and sturdy, holds up about 120 minutes of video and sells for a comfortable $99. 

The Balancing Act

A few weeks ago I moderated a round-table discussion on "Finding Balance as a Mother" for the Step Up Mothers Connect, a networking group for women in the L.A. area. The Step Up Women's Network is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing networking opportunities as well as resources for girls and young women from all walks of life.

It was a fascinating discussion, with lots of hot topics bubbling to the surface, from how to deal with the concept of "competitive mothering" to how to walk in the door at the end of the day without having a meltdown. I wanted to share some of the great ideas and advice that came out of that discussion:

• Ask for help! (Seems obvious, but how many of us really do it?)


• Don't worry about what the other moms think; stay focused on the needs of your family.


• Having trouble transitioning when you first walk in the door at the end of a busy day? Settle in for some Wii time or another task that doesn't require much brain power but still provides good bonding time with the kids.


• Another mom suggested sitting in the car with a book or other activity that just involves you, right before you go in and pick up your child.


• Trade out with your partner. Take an evening after work or at the end of a busy day to go do something for you.


• Go to the gym. A healthy you sets a good example for your kids, and has all sorts of other benefits.


• Friendships are important! Don't neglect them.


• Take advantage of your employer's health plan if the company offers "mental benefits." Find a therapist you like and enjoy indulging in some time to talk about yourself and the challenges in your life. You'll feel better for it!


• And lastly: Blog. Take it from me, it's great therapy.

A Very Useful Attraction

Jack eagerly dressed himself in all things Thomas the Tank Engine for the media preview of the new Thomas Town attraction at Six Flags Magic Mountain on June 5. Sir Topham Hatt was on hand to greet little Thomasophiles who stared up in awe at the costumed character as well as the other fanfare. 

Kids can catch a ride on Percy, who comes to life in a small kid-only roller coaster. The brief Thomas train ride circles the Island of Sodor and then dumps you right into the gift shop. But for that quick trek, kids are transported to a really useful place with characters who work out their conflicts in a pace that sends most reasonable adults to the napping couch.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the small area and minimal attractions but was more impressed by how the park has worked to clean up its reputation and aim for younger families and kids. Bugs Bunny World (whom Jack referred to as "Little Bunny Foo-Foo") is tailor-made for the toddler and preschool set, and the rides are "mild" on the park's "thrill-rating" scale.

Although Thomas was the main attraction that day, Jack's favorite moment was bumping into the real-live Batman near the entrance to the park. He made me promise to come back for a photo op with the Caped Crusader – and some time with Little Bunny Foo-Foo.