What’s Going On

Since I last logged on to share a little bit about our skating adventures with Annabelle, so much has happened!  Let’s see, in order of how it all is tumbling out of my mind and onto my keyboard, here’s what I’ve (and much of the world) has been swept up in:

1. Israel and Hamas declared separate cease fires in time for . . .

2. Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President of the United States.  (I guess they wanted to be considerate of the new American president’s first day in office?)

3. Michelle Obama is turning heads with her sense of style and fashion and granting overnight success to fashion designers like Jason Wu (and retailers like J. Crew).  As much as my own sense of style is lacking, I feel like a stereotypical, fashion obsessed woman in that whenever I catch a clip of our first lady, I can’t help but watch to see what she’s wearing.

4. Small toy retailers are soon going to be hurt by the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) passed by Congress last year to protect children from lead and phthalates.  Guess what this means for all of us who enjoy buying second hand items for our children?  Many thrift and consignment shops will likely have to stop carrying products for children under age 12 or may have to close their doors entirely.  Not only does this law have the potential to overburden our landfills (unless folks who donated and consigned their kiddos’ cool and used stuff find another way to pass the goods along), but it puts lots of independent toy makers (many of whom are work from home parents) out of business since they will likely be unable to afford 3rd party testing for certification.  Yikes!  To read more, go here.

5. Annabelle has happily endured spending 40 minutes with other children and adults at the Y’s childcare (this a huge success for her and such a relief for me!  I am daydreaming about stealing away into the women’s locker room with a book and my laptop; maybe now and again I’ll exercise).

6.  I’m pregnant!  It has been a long first trimester with lots of exhaustion, nausea, emotionality (is that a word?), and sending my husband to therapy (just kidding!  but the poor guy probably needs it after having to cope with my emotionality).

Anyway, what have you all been up to?  I am really hoping to be around more often again, now that I can keep my breakfast and lunch down.   Oh, and I am still working on that No Cry Nap Solution review, but I’m definitely planning on getting it up here very soon.

Big hugs,

Jessica