Writing on Maternity Leave and Six Other Things from My Week

It’s Friday. That means I link my blog post with a bunch of other nuts at This Ain’t the Lyceum where Kelly is Queen. Hustle over and read what others are writing.

1. Prayers for a good friend’s daughter.

Please pray for a good friend’s daughter who is only five years old and having major kidney trouble, like surgery & dialysis kind of trouble. We’re asking for the intercession of Venerable Bishop Baraga and Our Lady Undoer of Knots for healing for Mary Frances. Chime in, please.

2. What to Expect again.

I’m a regular contributor at What to Expect and this month wrote on 7 ways to maximize your maternity leave. Nell, you aren’t working. You don’t have a maternity leave. I’m thinking, hey, once I wasn’t this online hanger-on-mama-lady. I did have maternity leave with SuperBoy. Ages ago! Hey, wisdom only ages well, right? Maybe.

So go read it and tell me what resonates with you.

3. I launched the Lady Leggings.

With quaking knees, I did the pre-launch for the subscribers to my newsletter. Now why would I want another email from you, Nell? You’re annoying enough as is. Well, gentle reader, the newsletter is just about etsy. So if you want to skip the temper tantrums and compostable diapers, subscribe and you’ll get insider scoops on new products and insider pricing. Not insider trading. Oh, you’re so not funny.

And Grace was so sweet as to highlight my kiddo and lady leggings on her fabulous blog. And stay at her blog when you get there because she’s the funniest in all the land.

I’ve been floored by the response to these! Many fabrics are sold out already, but if there’s one that suits your fancy, hop on over to etsy and grab before you lose the chance! Free international and domestic shipping through midnight Sunday.

4. Leave Mommy Alone Orelse

Did your see this HuffPo article? I was dying. I mean DYING because yes, once you have three, suddenly I do not hop skip and jump to their every need. Empathize? Suretainly. Hopping? Nope.

A juicy clip to whet your appetite:

“Your kids fight like wild elephants competing over a female in heat when you ask them to play alone. Typically, you would intervene, thus denying yourself the ability to sit the F down and read US weekly for five minutes so you don’t have a nervous breakdown.  Using LMAO parenting, you say, “Figure out how to play together. Mommy is reading a magazine for ten minutes.”  You then do not intervene unless either child is bleeding.  Out of the eyeballs.”

Go read it!!!

5. Jenna had her baby!!!

We’ve all been waiting with bated breath. And he looks so adorbs.

And Kate is going into the deep wild of three kiddos herself soon! Congrats to my sweet friend!!

6. Scythian is COMING.

If you’re local, did you get your tickets for Scythian’s show at the Dakota Club in Minneapolis Wednesday night? Because I’m gonna be there, sans baby, with SuperBoy and other family & friends rocking out. Because AA is going to do the very noble task of trying to put the baby down no, not like a horse with a broken leg, despite what my Black Beauty reading son thinks without me. And he’ll have little miss screamer. He’s a saint.

Why Scythian? Why would I abandon my nine month old for a night on the town? They just happen to be the best band in the history of the world, Beatles included. And close family friends. And Daniel is SweetPea’s Godfather. And they played at our wedding. In our front yard. Under the stars. And so many special memories in my 20’s involve the Fedoryka family. Special people.

So buy their new album. And see them when they’re in your city.

7. It was cold out this week.

I’m Minnesotan. I’m tough on winter. But when I realized at 9:01am the day of our 9:30am parish moms’ group that it was -9 and -33 windchill (all my life until college I thought it was “windshield” as in “your windshield would freeze over if you were driving.” I am not shkidding you.), I frantically called my co-chair of the group who calmly told me to calm the heck down and cancel if I thought I should or not but to stop over thinking it. So I sent a frantic email to everyone and a massive group text.

No one responded to the text so I’m pretty sure no one got it. And I got an email from my super sweet girl Mary that people did show up. And I was at home. Trying to stay warm. With a really prickly conscience that I had canceled last minute and people did trek out with their kids and I was staying warm.

Lesson learned? Never cancel, you jerk.

 

Playing with these blocks given to the kids by the boys’ generous godparents, my bro & sis-in-law!