The Scent of Love

My mom celebrated her 60th birthday last month and I made her a scrapbook. On one of the pages, I asked my sister and brothers to write down a special memory of her. When it was my turn to come up with something, all I could think of was the way my mom smelled.

A lot of my memories are tied to scent. When I was in the hospital after giving birth, I caught a whiff of something that reminded me of the time I visited a friend in the hospital after he had been stabbed.

Whenever I smell a certain cologne, it reminds me of a friend from high school who committed suicide. Every time I smell certain flowers, I'm brought back to his funeral.

So when I started thinking of my mom, I thought of things like the way the kitchen floor used to smell like Pine Sol every weekend. The smell of Vicks ~ she would rub it on my chest when I was sick. The smell of nail polish.

Just recently I thought about how my girls will think of me. What will stick out in their mind? Will it be the times we make chocolate chip cookies from scratch and end up eating more of the dough than the actual cookies?

Will it be the stories we make up or the silly games we play in the car on the long trip to grandma's house?

Will it be the things I taught them like how to pump their legs on the swings or how to color in the lines?

Do I have a certain smell? Will Julianna be reminded of her mommy when she catches a whiff of cocoa butter? What things will take her back to her childhood while she's busy growing up?

Support Your Fellow Supermoms

What a wonderful idea! Instead of judging and criticizing other moms for the things they do or don't do, a group of mommy bloggers are coming to the rescue.

Here's what I'm talking about. I just got an e-mail, as I'm sure a lot of you did, from Catherine at Her Bad Mother about The League of Maternal Justice, a new movement to protect the rights of moms everywhere. Check out what she says ...

"Kristen ( Motherhood Uncensored) and I (Her Bad Mother) and a few of our friends have been getting waaay sick and tired of the continued hassles that mothers - and in particular, breastfeeding mothers - have been facing lately. From Facebook to Bill Maher to random stupid Canadian YMCA staffers - it all sucks. And we're pretty sure that you're sick and tired of it all, too.

So we're asking for your support and/or your attention and/or whatever you can offer to assist us in fighting like the superheroes we are. We've just launched the League of Maternal Justice - www.leagueofmaternaljustice.com - and we're hoping to use it to rally as much mom-superpower as we can to fight for justice for moms and everyone who loves them.

That said, we're not just about breastfeeding. We'll fight any crime that is perpetrated against mothers - pregnant women not getting seats on subways? Evil online impresarios stealing mommy-blog posts and pics of our children? You name it, we fight it. (Got a tip on a crime? Flash the signal and we'll be there. Or, send us an e-mail - leagueofmaternaljustice.com.)"

I love this idea and I'm not a breastfeeding mom. I tried for a while with my first and it just wasn't right for me or my daughter. With that said, I still support moms who do breastfeed. And anything else that has to do with my fellow mamas.

So if you feel as pumped as I do about a group like this, then head over the website and find out what you can do.

Good luck ladies!!

Britney Spears Rest in Peace

You just killed your career ....

I Got Stung By a Venomous Catepillar!!

I can't friggin believe this but I got stung by a Saddleback catepillar and it's poisonous!!!



That's what the little sucker looked like. Can you believe it? I got stung on my underarm and it hurts like a mofo. I have a rash and my arm is swollen at the spot.

Only me!!

What I Learned About Pregnancy ...

the second time around.

-Simple everyday tasks like laundry, dishes, and cleaning become impossible with a belly the size of a basketball. Accept help whenever you can.

-A pregnany belly the first time around is cute. The second time is inconvenient.

-You will feel guilty about ignoring the baby before she is even born.

-You still need the same amount of rest, if not more. The difference is you've got another child to take care of. It's not as easy to just lay down. Create opportunities to relax. Send your toddler on an errand with your husband or a sleepover at Grandma's house.

-This pregnancy will feel, taste, and smell completely different than the first.

-Listen to advice from other moms, but take it with a grain of salt.

-Doctor's appointments are less stressful, most of the time.

-Maternity clothes are just plain ugly, unless you're a celebrity who can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on designer duds.

-No one is going to take care of you this time around. You've got to be more vocal about what you need.