Book Blitz: Recommended Reading For Moms and Kids

Need some Spring reading material? Here's a snapshot of some of the best books to come through my post office lately:

FOR KIDS:

Won't You Be My Kissaroo (written by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Melissa Sweet)




The version I received is a "Send a Story", which means there's a spot for an address on the back, and all you have to do is add 3 stamps to mail it. I had received another "Send a Story" previously, but found the writing and pictures sort of "old" (some might say "classic", but it didn't suit my taste)...and then I realized it was first published in the 60's!

This book is much more appealing as far as I'm concerned, with a little rhyming couplet on each page, complemented by gentle animal parent/baby illustrations. Surely you can think of a little person you love who would be thrilled to find this in the mail!

Just a Dream  (written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg)



This is a super title for Earth Day! The pictures are fantastic, and my students loved the story. It really got them thinking about what the future could look like if we don't do our part to save the Earth now.

I Am the Book (poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Yayo)



A poetry anthology for children, this book is full of great illustrations, and a variety of poems about reading. I love these lines from "Book", by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (because I can totally relate):

"Closing the cover
I sigh -

Good-bye, friend."

There's even a little "About the Poets" section at the back of the book. Described by the publisher as an "exuberant celebration of reading", I'll be holding on to this one for my poetry unit in April.

FOR MOMS:

Chatelaine's Earn, Spend Save (by Kira Vermond)




Three things I learned:

1. When you buy grated cheese, you are in essence paying someone $80 an hour to do the work for you. Enlightening. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop...

2. When our vehicle finally bites the dust, we really should purchase used...yet again...despite that voice inside my head saying "But we deserve a new car! We've never had one!"

3. Our monthly budgets, obsessive and time-consuming as they may be, are worthwhile. If you don't have a budget, what are you waiting for?

I had to laugh at the tip about variable-rate mortgages, which began with: "Do you like to live on the edge and possibly save money?" The words "live on the edge" and "Kate Winn" are not often heard together, but when we renewed our mortgage two years ago to a variable-rate version, it was one of the best financial decisions we've ever made. The first five years we paid a fixed rate of 4.25%, which we thought was fabulous, but since we renewed the rate has never even hit 3% (we were at 1.75% for a while!) The great thing is that our monthly payments are based on a 6% interest rate, which means that until rates go that high, our payment won't increase, and while they stay low that extra money goes towards paying down our principal, which will actually cut years off our mortgage.

The Cleaner Plate Club (by Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin)



Okay, so I wasn't even going to read this one. (If you know me, you know why.) But when a second copy was sent to me in error, I thought perhaps it was a sign, so I cracked it open. And I'm glad I did, because I have read it cover-to-cover. Well, I only skimmed the actual recipes, and as soon as I saw an ingredient I didn't like I moved on, but I enjoyed the rest!

The problem is that Frannie is a picky eater, but she comes by it extremely honestly. I'm not going to make myself sound like too much of a weirdo here, but let's just say my food repertoire is quite limited. I'll leave it to my family and friends to comment on exactly how limited it is, should they desire to "out" me.

I loved the informational portions of the book, and as a picky eater myself, I appreciate the authors' philosophy that you shouldn't force kids to eat anything. We've caught ourselves bartering bites of the main course for a chance at dessert, and I'm going to stop doing that. I'm also going to make sure that I don't morph into a short-order cook. Our job as parents is to offer lots of healthy choices (and make sure the fridge and cupboards are stocked with the sorts of things we want the kids to grab) and then our work is done. The children themselves have to decide what and how much to eat. This idea feels so freeing to me!

I also learned that I need to keep offering new foods many, many times, as research shows that it's often necessary to do so before a child with embrace an unfamiliar taste or texture. (Sigh. I guess this applies to me too...)

This book made me realize how fortunate I am to live in the country, and have fresh foods readily available. If I go to the nearest grocery store, I can purchase eggs straight from my brother-in-law's farm...laid by chickens that Frannie and Maggie held when they were only little chicks!

There are over 100 healthy recipes in here, (some of which Frannie and I would definitely eat), and great sections on navigating the supermarket, food safety, lunch-box favourites, and more. I'd recommend it, and if you like to cook and/or eat like a normal person, you'll enjoy it even more than I did.

Disclosure: These books were provided to me for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

Kids' Books: Anastasia's Picks

I receive tons of great (and some not-so-great) children's books to review, and I usually focus on titles that best suit my daughters' ages and interests.

Recently I decided that some of the books for older kids deserve a mention, so I have enlisted my beautiful, avid-reading nine year old niece "Anastasia" (she got to choose her pseudonym!) to take a look and make some recommendations to my readers.

Here are her first picks, in her own words.

"Saltwater Taffy" by Eric DelaBarre



Saltwater Taffy is about five friends who try to find the lost treasure of Jean Lafitte (the great pirate). However they discover that the treasure is being happy and spending time with your family and friends. Happiness is not money. True happiness is spending time with those whom you love. {Yes, she really wrote "whom".} The part I liked best was when the friends realized what the treasure really was. The part I didn't like was when the children were almost caught trying to get revenge on somebody. (I hate it when children or anybody gets caught doing something bad!) I think 7 to 11 year olds would find this book particularly interesting.

{Visit the site at http://www.saltwatertaffybook.com}
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"Just Grace and The Terrible Tutu" by Charise Mericle Harper



"Just Grace and The Terrible Tutu" is about a girl (Grace) who tries to make a toddler like her friend (Mimi), because she thinks the toddler hangs around her too much. The drawings in this book are cartoonish and look like they are hand-drawn by a younger girl. The headings seem to me like the girl is almost writing in a diary, as if it's a nonfiction story even though it isn't. I liked the part in the book when the girl named Grace has an idea...because she is NOT very good at hiding her secret idea! I didn't like the part where Grace's friend Mimi was acting very strange. I think 6 to 9 year old girls would enjoy this book.

{This is part of the "Just Grace" series...it's always nice to get kids hooked on a good series.}

****************

My thanks to Anastasia for her thoughtful contribitions to this post!

Disclosure: I received these books for review purposes. Opinions here belong to my niece, "Anastasia".

Winner: Brag About It

Congratulations to the winner of the personalized necklace with tiny brags and birthstones from Brag About It:

# 6 of 180

Kara S. of Northern Arm, Newfoundland

Enjoy your prize, Kara!

Behind the Scenes at Cityline!

{Psst...Cityline is taped a week in advance, so this episode will be airing Monday, March 21st on CityTV!}

Watch this episode online at cityline.ca! Click here.

To celebrate my mom's retirement from teaching last year, I had been trying for months to take her to see a taping of Cityline. Since I teach during the week, and the show didn't tape over the Christmas holidays, March Break was our first opportunity, and we took full advantage of it. Accompanied by my aunt Sue and cousin Kerry, we headed in to the big city on Monday, March 14th.

Upon our arrival at the studio, we were given tickets for the prize draws, which would take place after the show, and taken upstairs to remove our coats and hang out in the waiting area. To help kill time, we watched Cityline host Tracy Moore on a big screen, giving tips for audience members (e.g. put your purse on the floor - no one will steal it!, and don't chew gum - looks awful on screen).

Since Tracy and I go way back (if you missed my earlier Momterview with Tracy, click here), I had arranged to come back to the makeup room before the show to chat and take some behind-the-scenes shots.

Hairstylist Janice Whelan from Fiorio and makeup artist Tracy Peart work their magic

I asked a few questions, but really I enjoyed eavesdropping on the natural conversation taking place. Some overheard Tracy tidbits: she was never a "food fight" kind of girl, as she hated to get stuff on her (makeup artist Tracy P. pointed out that that would make her the perfect target for food fighters), and she has an irrepressible urge to have everything for the day, including water bottle and change for transit, laid out the night before. (Seems perfectly normal to me, but apparently everyone doesn't do that.)

Tracy also told me that she loved my nails (Sally Hansen Haute Chocolate), which I think is a considerable step up from when Kelly Ripa told me my hair was the colour of lice.

Almost show time

Would you believe that Tracy gets this look in half an hour? These days she arrives at the studio around 9 for hair and makeup, and stays long enough to take pics with audience members and maybe have a quick meeting with a producer before heading home to baby Eva and toddler son Sidney. When her daughter is a bit older, Tracy plans to resume her regular 8-2 work day.

I excused myself before show time to go meet my family and get seated in the studio. We were directed to one of two sets of comfy bleachers...and later realized that our side of the room seemed to be shot far less by the cameras. Mom and I wondered if we had somehow (mistakenly, of course) been placed in the "unattractive" section, but since we were surrounded by gorgeous women (and the one man in the audience), we figured there was a more technical reason that the cameraman favoured the other side!

Tracy chats with the audience before the show

Monday is "Around the House" day on Cityline, and we got to see some great segments. There was flower talk with regular Frank Ferragine, Sandra Martin from Today's Parent magazine giving tips on fridge organization, and Shawn Gibson demonstrating an Easter-themed papier-mache activity.

Since the show is no longer live, it wasn't a problem that camera cords were hanging down during the intro, which had to be reshot, or that during a break one of Frank's lovely flower arrangements was knocked over, spilling soil which had to be cleaned up. Considering that these were the biggest bloopers, I think it's fair to say that the Cityline team has the whole thing down to a science. And truly, every staffer I came in contact with was kind and welcoming, especially to the several moms with babies who were in the audience that day (kids are allowed for certain shows), many of whom were tense about their children's coos and screeches, but were told not to worry.

I'd like to give a special shout out to some Ontario gals who also appeared on the show that day: "3 Greek Sisters" Betty, Eleni, and Samantha.

Three Sisters Around the Greek Table

These ladies were making their second appearance on Cityline to share some recipes from their book: "Three Sisters Around the Greek Table". Now, I have to admit that the particular recipes from this episode will not likely make their way into my rotation, considering they had a vegetarian focus, and, well, I don't eat vegetables. However, they piqued my curiosity enough that I came home and checked out their 3 Greek Sisters website for more info on the book...and I am quite certain that some of their delicious-sounding recipes for breads, potatoes, main dishes and desserts would be welcome additions to my repertoire.

(Speaking of potatoes, I wonder if my brother would like to collaborate on "Two Siblings Around an Irish Table?" Somehow I don't think it would do as well.)

In just over an hour, taping was complete, and Tracy was kind enough to take photos with interested audience members before heading home to her little ones. Staff members drew numbers for prizes (crock pots!) and handed out free samples (that day it was biscotti, a box of cookies, and the latest issue of Today's Parent magazine). 

Tracy and me

As such a huge TV fan, I always find it fascinating to see the taping of a show (especially when I can get behind the scenes!) and my morning at Cityline is definitely one of my March Break highlights.

And remember, you can catch this episode of Cityline on Monday, March 21st on CityTV!

Catch the show online by clicking here.

The One Where I Tell You What My Thing Is

Everyone has a "thing". Yours might be weight, teeth, or hair. You obsess over it, check out everyone else's, and are unfailingly judgmental of your own.

My thing is my skin.

When I was about twelve, I started to break out. Then it got worse. And worse. I tried tons of over-the-counter products, and doctor-prescribed antibiotics and creams. No improvement.

Finally by grade 10 (several long years later) my doctor referred me to a dermatologist, and I went on the miracle drug Accutane (which ranks right behind the morning-sickness drug Diclectin as my favourite pharmaceutical product of all time). There are many side-effects and Accutane is NOT for everyone, especially pregnant or nursing women. (Consider that my medical disclaimer.) Just to give you an idea of the seriousness of this: I had to take mandatory pregnancy tests at regular intervals throughout my time on the drug. Did I mention I was 15? Trust me, there was zero possibility, but the doctor wasn't taking any chances.

Despite ridiculous dryness (to the point where I was coating my face with Vaseline!) my acne miraculously cleared up, and has been pretty much absent since then. When and if my daughters start to break out, I will be knocking down a dermatologist's door for a prescription pronto, as I am painfully aware of what acne can do to a person's self-esteem.

So, fast forward a certain number of years (okay, 18) and to this day I still hate my skin. There is rarely a bump, but the scarring (both discolourations and pitted spots) is oh-so-visible to me, and on top of that, my fair skin is starting to show my age (despite daily sunscreen since my early 20's.)

After much research, I asked my doctor if I would be a candidate for Retin-A, as I believed that it would help with my two biggest issues: the lingering scars, and the appearance of fine lines.

It's been a few months and I think the product is working (I'm so hard on myself that it would be difficult for me to admit I see improvement) but it created a new problem: excessive dryness, to the point where it was impossible for me to put any makeup on (even when I cut back to using the medication every third or fourth night). So the step I was taking to improve my self-confidence was actually having the opposite effect. I tried different moisturizers, but some weren't powerful enough, and some left me greasy and shiny, which was not what I was going for. Changing the type of makeup wasn't helping either, as no matter what I did, I ended up with flaky, peeling skin showing right through.

Recently I met (by which I mean the 2011 definition of "met":  made acquaintance through the internet) Tracy Peart, the Toronto-based makeup artist to the stars. And when she says stars, she's not kidding. She has worked with tons of television personalities, actors, and musicians, including Lisa Rinna, Bradley Cooper, Kelly Clarkson and...wait for it....even Justin Bieber!

I asked Tracy to help me out with my problem, as I would be willing to bet that a fair few celebs are Retin-A regulars, or have dry skin for whatever reason, so she must be used to getting them makeup-ready. She shared two important tips: 

1. I didn't just need any old moisturizer, I needed a cream, and the thicker the better. Tracy recommended I check out Olay products, so I went to the drug store and picked up Olay Complete all day moisture creme with SPF 15 for sensitive skin.

2. With such excessive dryness, my makeup had to be a liquid or even a cream for better coverage, set with a little bit of loose powder if necessary. (No pressed powder or cream-to-powder foundations for me, as the powder will dry the skin.) Based on this tip, I purchased Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse.

The verdict? Absolutely amazing. I put on the moisturizer right out of the shower, give it about ten minutes to sink in, and then apply the makeup over top. (Sometimes I put some extra cream on for good measure right before makeup application.) I haven't had a problem with dryness since, and I feel so much more confident about my appearance.

So, my Retin-A regimen will proceed, as I continue to pursue the unattainable goal of "perfect skin". In the meantime, I'll fake it with my two new products.

Thanks, Tracy - especially for giving me tips that could be achieved at the drug store (total bill: $28.23). Be sure to follow Tracy for lots of other makeup tips and tricks, and feel free to leave me a comment about your "thing"...whatever it may be!

Millennial Moms: Is This You?

(Spoiler alert: a link to my radio debut is at the end of this post!)

If you were born any time from the late 70's onward, you can join me in calling yourself a Millennial Mom. What's so special about us? Well, according to a new study from BBDO and Curiosity Inc., a whole lot. And since I was fortunate enough to be one of the study's participants, I can give you some inside scoop!

Last summer, I was selected to take part in some research on modern motherhood. (At that point, I didn't even realize I was a Millennial Mom!) BBDO commissioned the study, which was conducted by the oh-so- creative Curiosity Inc. Thank goodness I was on holidays (you may have heard that we teachers get a lot of time off) because the process was actually pretty intense.

It began with an online study, and every day there were questions to answer. These weren't just multiple choice and fill-in-the-blanks survey staples, but some deep and thought-provoking topics. I don't want to give away Curiosity's procedural secrets, but some prompts involved photos, ads, links...I believe I even wrote a sonnet at one point. (Kidding.)

The second piece was a video diary. Each evening, my husband recorded me on a neat little loaner FlipCam (I've gotta get me one of those) discussing my day's high and lows, and answering an additional question. A little side benefit to this exercise is that hubby felt he really got to know me better throughout the process, as sometimes the high or low surprised him, or he learned something from one of my responses that he never knew about me before.

Finally, there was a focus group at the Curiosity office where I got to speak with other participants face-to-face. It's always great to meet other like- (and even unlike-) minded moms.

Once our work was done, the experts did their job with all of the data, and the findings were released just weeks ago.

Curious to know how we Millennial Moms are characterized? Here we go:

• We see motherhood as a team sport. Darn right. Daddy is an equal partner (more on that later), and I'll take all of the collaboration that my child's grandparents, daycare provider, and teacher are willing to offer. Case in point: in lieu of costly skating lessons which could steal away a Saturday or Sunday each week, my parents come up every Thursday morning and take the girls to a public skating program. It's terrific bonding time, and it is also a very-appreciated "parenting" contribution.

• We're a "Choose Your Own Adventure" generation, not hung up on tradition, taking in information from various sources before making a decision. I am proudly following in my mom's teacher/mommy footsteps, listening to the doctors who tell me to put my babies to sleep on their backs, and agreeing with my girlfriends who make couple time a priority. There are lots of "experts" in my life.

• We're "go with the flow" moms, not hung up on parental perfectionism. Now, I have to admit that I can be very hard on myself, so I might not fit in perfectly with my demographic counterparts on this one, but I'm definitely not a helicopter parent, and I'd like to think I don't push my daughters towards perfectionism.

• We're mompreneurs, blending our entrepreneurial spirit with motherhood. For me, that means freelance writing and blogging, based on my parenting experiences. For our generation, self-expression is incredibly important. Interestingly, CBC Metro Morning host Karen Horsman told me I made a "bold statement" when sharing that I needed to be a mom to feel complete, but that motherhood alone isn't enough to complete me.

• We want Dad to be a partner, and my hubby definitely is. We still work within some old gender roles (he does the yardwork, I do the laundry) but we're okay with that. I think it must be said though that sometimes it's hard to relinquish parenting control. Maybe it's because I'm a borderline Millennial that I don't embrace it totally, but I still want to choose the girls' clothes and hairstyles, and be in on all correspondence with their daycare provider and teacher. While we're on the topic of this partnership, it's important to note that Millennial Dads do not "babysit".

• Despite common perception, we use technology less for community and more for information, and to stay connected with our "real life" family and friends (e.g. through texting and tweeting). Many in the blog world may disagree, as some moms do go online for community, especially when life circumstances (mat leave, relocation) limit face-to-face contact. Moms may also seek out friends on the net when a child suffers from a specific condition that their own circle of friends can't relate to or help with. As a blogger myself, I do have to agree with the findings, as I go to the web to get info, or sometimes entertainment, and then I'm gone again. My own blog was started as a creative pursuit, and not driven by any sort of need to form bonds. Based on the stat I found that less than 5% of blog visitors actually interact and leave a comment (which I can confirm based on my own traffic) it seems like a valid finding.

• Millennial Moms also value old-fashioned play for kids over technology. I shared that finding with my husband, who was very surprised as he assumed we were the exception to the rule, the only parents in the country who don't put their four year old on the computer. As teachers, we know that kids are going to get more than enough exposure, and quickly (Frannie already loves computer games at daycare and school). We encourage them to play dress-up, do crafts and play with their dolls...real old school stuff! I think also that the Millennial generation as a whole can remember how quickly we surpassed our own parents' technological prowess (or lack thereof) and know that our children will follow suit without our assistance, so why push it?

The most exciting part of this for me was that I was invited to join CBC Metro Morning host Karen Horsman and BBDO Vice President/Account Planner Adrianne Gaffney to discuss the findings on-air, appropriately on Family Day. Click here for my CBC Metro Morning interview (approximately 7 minutes long).

I'd love to know what you think...are you a Millennial who takes issue with any of these findings? Are you a (slightly) older Gen Y or Gen Xer who doesn't see any distinction between yourself and us mommy-come-latelys?

If you're a blogger, please let me know if you'd like a copy of the press release to discuss on your site, or I'd be more than happy to hook you up with BBDO for more information.

Now the big question is, can this Millennial Mom refer to herself as "star of radio" after a seven minute clip? I think maybe it's time to go change my profile...

Brag About It Jewelry - Review and Giveaway

Giveaway open to Canada and U.S.

Brag About It Jewelry is handmade by a Canadian mother of two named Melissa, and is hand-stamped using individual stamping tools. She has a large array of gorgeous items: rings, necklaces, bracelets, which can be stamped with your children's names and birthdates, or can be accented by their birthstones.

These pieces are unique and personalized...and I was thrilled to receive two items for review! Melissa let me choose what I wanted to see, and when I offered two different suggestions, she generously sent both.

First, the "Wrapped Around My Heart" Hand-Stamped Sterling Silver Heart Washer (comes on chain):

Next, the "Tiny Brags with Birthstones" necklace, which (I think) is my favourite, just because the birthstones make it that much more unique. (Of course, these aren't my kids names, but since I use pseudonyms for my girls on this blog, I couldn't exactly show you the real pieces! You can trust me that they are exactly as shown in these Etsy shop photos.)

The chain is very simple, but the detailed pieces absolutely make up for it.

I think it's also important to note that Melissa is super friendly. We have only exchanged Twitter DMs and Etsy convos, but she fills them with lots of "hugs" and "love"...and doesn't even make it seem weird!

And of course, she's offering a giveaway for one lucky This Mom Loves reader! Here's the prize:

Up for grabs is a necklace with up to 3 tiny brags and birthstones (you could upgrade and pay the difference if you have a larger family!) This prize is worth up to $44, and if my experience is any indicator, I can guarantee tons of compliments and "where did you get that?"s.

To enter, visit Melissa's Brag About It Etsy shop, and come back and leave a comment about an item that catches your eye. (Believe me, it will be hard to choose!)

For additional entries, once the mandatory entry has been completed, leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend Connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (activated subscription)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter
• you follow @Brag_About_It on Twitter
• you like Brag About It on Facebook

The contest will close on March 17th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck...and get ready to Brag About It!

Disclosure: I was provided with the above-named pieces for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

Spill It!: Bad Mommy Moments

I'm a Good Mommy. I mean, relatively speaking. I have confidence that I (usually) do the right thing. I am also evolved enough to know that sometimes doing the right thing for my daughters means putting myself or my marriage first, so when I say I'm a Good Mommy, I'm certainly no martyr.

That said, I sure have my Bad Mommy moments.

Right from the beginning, some may judge me for taking Diclectin, pre-ordering my epidural, or breastfeeding each girl for a mere 3 months. I worked up to a week before my due dates, and headed back just before my government-funded leaves ended. My husband and I get babysitters on a regular basis, whether it be for date nights, to get chores done, or to because we have schoolwork that can't wait. These decisions, though, I stand by. One might label them "bad", but I would disagree.

Other choices, however, even I can agree are clearly questionable. There are the minor slips, like when I scream ironic commands like "STOP YELLING!", or when I pretend to be asleep when Maggie wants to be tucked in (yet again!) at 3 a.m. The empty threats that if Frannie doesn't clean up her toys I will send them to a little girl somewhere who will respect them enought to put them away. When I secretly cheer that my husband's working late, because that means the girls and I can just have cheese and crackers for dinner.

There are the slightly embarrassing moments, like when my every-other-Friday kindergartener almost missed her first Friday because I forgot she was supposed to go. Have I mentioned that I teach at her school? (She did show up, thanks to a quick change of clothes and bagged lunch thrown together by her daycare provider!)

There are also the soul-searching Bad Mommy moments, like when I ponder the worthiness of spending time blogging about my parenting struggle, rather than actually spending more time with my children. Things that make you go hmmm....

"That's nothing!" you're thinking. "Get to the good stuff!" Well, here's a story for you.

In general, I have always been very relaxed about my kids' illnesses and injuries. My mind does not automatically jump to the worst-case-scenario, and I am fairly impervious to crocodile tears. Band-aids are rarely handed out at our house, and "You're fine!" is a common response to a fall or bump. That's why I didn't even flinch when 19 month old Frannie took a tumble one morning.

She was coming down the garage steps, ready to head to daycare, and was clutching a toy in each hand. Our over-exuberant yellow lab, Belle (stressing that she was over-exuberant is probably redundant for any of you who know anything about yellow labs) was so excited to see us that she ran up the stairs, did a few spins on the landing, and ran back down, brushing by Frannie in the process. Just enough to knock her off-balance, and send her face-first down the stairs. FYI - a toddler clutching toys will not drop them, even when faced with certain injury. Allowing her face to smash into the steps is oddly preferable.

She cried, I consoled. The lip bled, I dried it up. A few minutes later, we were on our way. Because Mommy's work is important, you know. What else was I supposed to do?

That evening, after dinner, we were playing in the living room and she grinned at me...and something seemed a little off about her usually full smile. (My kids started teething at three and a half months. I'm not kidding.) So I pried her lips open only to find one suspiciously empty space, and half a tooth beside it! And believe it or not, it was actually worse than it looked. The half tooth was only partially chipped, and instead looked smaller because it was shoved up into the poor baby's mouth. As for the "missing tooth"...part of it was indeed gone (never to be found) but the rest was in fragments, still behind the gum line.

After many appointments, Frannie ended up being put under anesthesia, and underwent surgery at the hospital in order for the dentist to remove all of the remaining fragments and chunks of teeth.

I still feel terrible about not opening my baby's bloody mouth to check more thoroughly for damage. And spending a good part of the evening oblivious to the fact that my daughter had LOST HER FRONT TEETH. And though the accident was not directly my fault, it still evokes working-mom guilt when I flash back to how I was busily packing up the car, wishing my independent little child would just hurry down the steps.

So, there's a Bad Mommy moment from this self-proclaimed Good Mom.

I'm willing to go out on a limb and proclaim that you are a Good Mommy, too. I don't think the bad ones spend much time visiting parenting blogs, particularly a quality blog like this. Ahem.

However, I will also think you are a boldfaced liar if you try to tell me that you don't have your Bad Mommy moments too. So spill it! It makes us all feel so much better to know that other moms make mistakes (or even make deliberate choices that others may judge!) Let's compile all of our errors and omissions, and maybe have a good laugh (or cry) as we realize that we are not alone.

Or am I...?