Or is it?

I could not put the book down. I’ve read a few of Patterson’s books in the past but it’s been a long, long while since I’ve actively read his writing. And I was reminded why I liked those few books. The writing is great. I was instantaneously swept into the book. I read it in two days. All 309 pages. I devoured each page, even the few pages with some, as FireDad and I put it, smut. (Approximately three pages, for my family friendly readers.)

The storyline? We start out with a little girl named Jane and her imaginary friend. He’s about 30-or-so and his name is Michael. Her mother is awful and Michael is, of course, her refuge. But not-too-far into the book, we learn something about imaginary friends: when they “leave” their children, the children remember nothing of them.

Or, it’s supposed to work that way.

Imagine twenty-five-plus years later when Jane runs into Michael while he is on what he assumes is a vacation between child-charges. As the two get to know each other again, you can imagine that some romance takes hold. But then Michael begins to realize why he’s really there and everything gets sort of hectic for a chapter or five. (During these chapters, don’t bother thinking about cleaning your house or removing the two year old that has crawled onto your back and is driving trucks into your hair, getting the wheels stuck. Just read.)

I didn’t dog-ear many pages in this book. Just one. And I havehavehave to share the quote with you that made me mark that page. It speaks volumes about love, far-fetched-imaginary-friend romances and what we’re all doing here.

And then I’m thinking — is it so impossible to imagine or believe? — that a man and a woman can find happiness together for a little while, which, after all, is all that we have. All anyone has.

(Emphasis mine.) And it’s the truth. Which made me love the book a little more. As far-fetched as the plot is (though beautiful, I must drive home to my readers), that idea is planted deeply in the reality that we all live in from day to day.

The book did wrap up kind of quickly, though not abruptly, and did so in a satisfactory manner. Meaning? I didn’t throw the book and the floor and tell my Husband that I was never reading another book by that author ever again. You know, like other novels I’ve read. I felt that there was enough closure to the book without the last few pages feeling contrived or forced. Thumbs up to the authors for that one.

FireDad and I had some conversations after I finished the book. He said he didn’t have an imaginary friend. I pointed out that the book (a novel, of course, but conversations with your husband are good no matter how random) said that we forget our imaginary friends when they leave us. I know that I had an imaginary friend but only because of the stories I am told. I remember nothing of this friend other than she did bad things that I didn’t want to get in trouble for and I used to push her on my swing. This book made me believe for a moment that my friend really did exist.

Anyway, if you’re looking for an easy, happy-ending read, go ahead and pick it up. (Though, I must say, this review is something I agree with regarding the front cover. It bothered me from the time that I learned Jane was a blonde!) (AND! PS! The co-author wrote many of the Babysitter’s Club Little Sister books. I’m totally amused.)

I also just reviewed another happy-ending-type book over at the Birth Parent blog. Be sure to check it out!

When I think of a magazine, I think of something that rips easily. You know, flimsy paper pages. In fact, LittleBrother recently chewed on one of my magazines and it disintegrated in his mouth. (Not one of my finer parenting moments, true.) That’s not what Babybug is at all! The pages are hard, like those plastic/wax books from back in the day, and basically impossible to rip. (I tried!) LittleBrother was able to chew on them without ingesting extra, uhm, fiber. Also of note: if you spill something on them, like say, oh, your coffee? Well, it just wipes right off. Nothing ruined. Thank goodness.

The magazine is also small and square, not big and rectangular. LittleBrother and BigBrother both were able to handle these magazine with ease.

Now, of course, the content is where its at, let me tell you. Each volume is filled with six or more little stories and poems. Often we are treated to a story of Kim and her rabbit Carrots. This running theme is something that BigBrother really enjoyed. Seeing the same people from magazine to magazine helped him associate the volumes together. Plus, since other things are also included, it never gets boring.

But can I go back to the poetry? It’s not deep, mind you. We’re not introducing these kids to William Carlos Williams. Little rhymes and short poems about rocking horses are featured in the magazine. And that’s fine by me. I have this dream that my boys will be poetry nerds like me. (Or maybe I should dream that they aren’t poetry nerds like me. Hmm.) At any rate, introducing them to poetry at this age is just a great idea.

Furthermore, can I tell you how much I love the diversity depicted on these little pages? That’s important to our family as we fall into a unique category. It’s hard to find books and magazines which depict a wide array of children and families instead of all one color or formation of a family. This was the first thing I noticed, as did FireDad.

By far, the best thing about Babybug is that it comes “wrapped” in a thicker paper cover with information about that particular issue. It gives tips for helping your child(ren) explore each issue as well as some great ideas for things to do with your kiddos. An example? In April it told parents to plant a tree with their children on Arbor Day. It’s just nice that a kids magazine is acknowledging that the parents need to read with their children and continue to educate themselves in the process. Very awesome.

I cannot fully explain how much we love this magazine. In fact, I plan on continuing our subscription until both boys are ready for Ladybug, which is the “next step up” for kids ages 3-6. One more great thing is that they offer a flexible 5 year subscription plan. You lock in at the low price of $25.00/year and, as your child grows into the next age group, you simply switch their subscription to the next magazine at no extra cost. Now that’s customer service. I know our family won’t be disappointed. We already love Babybug and can’t wait to continue reading and learning together.

You see, BigBrother isn’t quite tall enough yet to comfortably rest his feet on a footstool as he sits on the normal potty, so he is more comfortable doing his business on the little one. As such, I, the mommy, have to do some cleaning. For all of you without children who are potty-training yet, let me tell you: just dumping the contents of the potty bowl into the large toilet is NOT enough. Doing that is the sure way to Smelly Street. Plus? Bowel movements make messes. No two ways around that one.

We already had a contained of lemon scented wipes in the bathroom for use. Prior to first using the new wipes, I had cleaned out his potty with one of the “old” ones. For my first test with these new wipes, BigBrother also decided to give the potty bowl a good once over… if you know what I mean. So the wipes had their job cut out for them from the get-go.

Truth be told, they are thicker. They’re not huge. But they did a better job at absorbing whatever urine was left at the bottom of the bowl after dumping it out and cleaned up any solid matter without smearing or getting my fingers icky. Speaking of icky, did you know that Clorox wipes kill 99% of the bacteria? That’s a must for a potty, don’t you think?

And? Oh? The smell? Is lovely. I do find some of the other smells to be a bit strong but this lavender is oh-so-soft and oh-so-lovely. I am thrilled. We use lavender oil in LittleBrother’s cloth diaper pail and I am thrilled that our bathroom can now smell similar!

So, if you’re wondering whether or not the FireFamily is embracing the new, thicker wipe AND switching to this scent, the answer is yes. Yes! YES! (Who gets this excited about cleaning products? Well, that would be me. Thanks for asking!)

That’s why this particular website is so cool. First of all, I love this new recipe for the Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries to make similar but yummier treats. Now, logic says, “Uh, duh, you could still make treats with the new cereal,” but I’m not all that awesome in the kitchen on my own. I just don’t know if I would have thought to make treats with the new cereal!

By far, I think the most useful thing on the entire site happens to be the “Cooking with Kids” tips. The best part of THAT page? It breaks it down into age ranges for what kids can handle with a recipe. For example, since BigBrother is in the 2-3 age range, he should be able to wash and scrub fruits and vegetables, count and name foods and break bread into pieces. I say should because even though BigBrother likes to help in the kitchen, his version of helping involves talking in CAPSLOCK while jumping and saying, “I HELP MOMMY!” You take what you can get!

And, of course, I just embrace the entire idea of the site. Our kids grow up fast. Too fast. Uber-quickly. Right before our eyes. Childhood is Calling is calling parents to recognize that fact and thus embrace the moments that we have with them here and now… and create a few extra memories that we otherwise might have let slip by.

What are YOU doing with YOUR kids TODAY to create those memories? Whether you’re cooking, painting, going on a hike or just rolling around in a fit of laughter on your kitchen floor, make the most of these young moments together. They fly by so quickly.

Visit Childhood is Calling for some great ideas.

But truth be told? Some of my family members aren’t awesome at the internetz. No, really. Trust me on this one. Sometimes they forget to login and, as such, they can’t view the pictures. Then they call me to complain. It’s been an on-going drama for years now. Enter Kinzin.

It’s an easy, private photo sharing site that even my most technologically-dumb family members can navigate. I was easily able to share our account with them and they were easily able to register and view the pictures that we uploaded. Of course, it’s up to them to remember their login information. I don’t know why they expect me to remember passwords that they have forgotten. (Does anyone else have family like me? I mean, honestly?)

But, by far, the best part of the Kinzin site is their print and ship option. While the photo sharing service (meaning, the site in general) is free, the print and ship option does require a payment, but oh, it’s cheap! And cheap is good! For my US readers, you can have 10 prints (of your choosing or automatically selected) printed and shipped to one address for $2.99 a month. If you pick two addresses, you can actually get a third free! (For a limited time so jump on this one.) I cannot tell you how awesome this is for our family. Because despite being technologically impaired, my family tends to complain about the lack of pictures they receive (or, ya know, don’t receive) because, oh, well, I work from home full-time, have two children underfoot, one of whom is potty training and the other of whom is breastfed on demand, and you know, a never ending pile of laundry. I mean, shouldn’t I have all the time in the world to get professional portraits taken and shipped to said family members? Pfft. This has alleviated that problem. I take nice enough pictures that these can double as professional. Okay? Good.

Anyway, while I love it, I did find one problem with the printing service. I had accidentally, not understanding what it meant, selected “Include Title On Prints” option. In fact, at the time of my review, this option was rather hidden. I do NOT like the title on the prints. I mean, who wants words on their chin (see left). When I complained about said words on chin, I found out that they’re now working to make this option more visible along with a link to show you what the option actually entails and, of course, you are able to deselect it. Fabulous. My experience is now perfect.

The prints themselves are of a high quality, not unlike you get from any of your normal printing services.

I am pleased with my experience with Kinzin. I am also pleased that for an entire year, my mother and mother-in-law can get off my back about not receiving pictures even though they have full access to the full-sized pictures on flickr and could thus print them out themselves but, oh, technology. Thanks for saving my sanity, Kinzin! In fact, thanks for saving my Husband’s sanity as well as he always gets an earful when either party kvetches about the lack of pictures.

So, go create your free account and if you have family like mine, take advantage of the print and ship option!

The book features different chapters for the basic things of parenting that new dads may not know or may be fearful to try on their own. It covers everything from diapering to sleep to taking the baby out on his own and just about everything in between. The best part of each chapter is that the laughs abound. The humor is, no doubt, meant to keep dads engaged in the book but moms will get a good laugh as well.

Some of my favorite parts? First of all, the author suggests dads consider babywearing. Any man that suggests any form of babywearing to another man is okay in my book. Kudos, kudos! Furthermore, breastfeeding is not discussed as an annoying possibility but is talked about as the norm for feeding infants. His tips to help the new mom during breastfeeding (bring water and snacks without being asked) made me smile. Furthermore, the author didn’t go against the current recommendations of holding off on solids and even went so far as to point out that it is normal for some kids to drink nothing but milk for a full year. I wanted to jump for joy. The lactivist in me wants to send this guy a thank you card.

Other favorites include the reminder to read to your child and to make sure to snap photographs not only of special times but everyday life. (Though I did have to laugh when he suggested that dads aren’t in the pictures because they are the ones manning the camera. Not so in this FireHouse. There are lots of pictures of FireDad with the boys but very few of me with the kids because I’m the photographer in the family.)

The book ends, before the epilogue, with an idea for dads to write to their babies.  I got all weepy with the idea and the letter that he included. Of course, I get weepy at the drop of a hat so I’m not sure that should be a true judgment of weep-inducement but, alas, it made me weepy.

Another added bonus to this book is the glorious photography. BigBrother routinely stole the book from me (when he wasn’t trying to draw on LittleBrother with markers) to look at the pictures of dads and babies. If BigBrother approves, they must be good shots. He’s my little Photo Bug.

All in all, I would absolutely recommend this as a gift for a brand new dad or a dad-to-be. My Husband, a dad twice over now, found that some of the stuff was old hat to him but also enjoyed the humor and some of the tips that he hadn’t thought of on his own (like the mention of writing letters). The book’s deomographic is really summarized in the preface with the author’s own words.

 Most men are like I was before my first child, having never even held a baby in our lives and with little or no experience taking care of kids.

If you know a Dad that falls into that category, consider purchasing him the book now or, you know, for Father’s Day which is just over a month away!

More at the book’s blog.

At only 50 calories in a 12 oz bottle, I didn’t feel like I was adding any unnecessary calories to my daily intake just because I had some juice or an energy drink. This pleased me. Also, as a nursing mother, I did like the fact that it’s a natural way to get a pick me up without the worry of making LittleBrother spazz out on too much caffeine.

The taste was good. I’m not one for artificial sweeteners but the Splenda doesn’t have a totally intolerable taste like some of the other options. It still had my normal tart taste and so, I was happy! (Of note: don’t drink it right after you brush your teeth. Oh, I’m smart.)

Did I notice a whole lot of extra energy afterwards? I can’t say for sure. What I DID notice was that I didn’t have a sugar-induced crash like I have had happen after other energy drinks. THAT is reason enough to consider this as your midday pick-me-up. Healthier, yummier and smarter. You can’t go wrong!

And now, technology even looks good!

We were sent a black SanDisk Cruzer Gator to review. It is 4GB in size which is a fabulous size. (Note: They also offer 8GB (!) and 2GB.) That size can hold quite a few large pictures, music to transfer from one computer to another or just a whole ton of files. And, as you can see in the picture to the left, it’s a small little thing, smaller than Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks, but snazzy looking at the same time. We opened it here at home and slipped it into the laptop’s USB port to give it the initial whirl.

The software that comes installed on the Cruzer Gator makes it easy to understand, even if you’ve never used a flashdrive before or, maybe if you’re just new to technology in general. There were prompts that asked you if you wanted help or if you wanted to go your own way if you knew what to do.

Here are two ideas we have for your Cruzer Gator.

1. The flashdrive offers downloadable software (internet connection required) like our browser of choice, Mozilla Firefox. Install that on your flashdrive, pop it in your computer at work and you have your own browser instead of the lame MIE that is usually offered. Furthermore, your personal data goes home with you at the end of the day. Bonus. Browsers available on the U3 Program Wizard are Firefox and Opera. It also offers Thunderbird for your e-mail needs. Very awesome.

2. Carry your photos with you wherever you go. 4GB of space is quite a lot for your photo needs! If you’re working outside of the home, you can take your photos with you to your work computer, pop in your flashdrive and view your kids whenever you so desire. This is also a great way to take pictures to Grandma’s house without using your own ink and printing at her house. (What? You’ve never done that? You should try it!) While I do suggest backing up all photos on disk, this is another quick way to backup as a temporary option.

FireDad really enjoyed the ease of use. He installed Firefox from the Wizard and had no problem heading to the “Download Central” to find a free game to add to the Cruzer. He did note that it loads a bit differently on Windows Vista than it does on Windows XP but not so much that it made a difference in ease of use.

Quite honestly, I couldn’t like the little piece of technology any more if I tried. It’s even attractive, cased in a faux “alligator” shell. We’re sporting the black one but there are two other colors, pink and red, available to the public. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either. If you have multiple computers, at home or at work, this is the way to go.

And! I’m hosting a Mother’s Day contest over at Stop, Drop and Blog! You could win the red (4GB) or the pink (2GB). Be sure to visit the post and enter the contest! Go! (Contest ends May 6 at 12:00pm EDT.)

Anyway, we’re totally fans of  Thomas and Friends: Engines and Escapades.

Let me say though: this one doesn’t “feature” Thomas in all of the episodes. This one “stars” the Narrow Gauge Engines. Now, if your kiddo is new to the Thomas and Friends scene, you’re going to be scratching your head and saying, “Who?” Your kid is going to say, “Where is Thomas?” But for those fans among us, this DVD was a real treat. It’s not often we get to hear or see stories specifically about engines like Sir Handel and Skarloey, two of BigBrother’s favorite diecast trains. While Thomas does make some appearances, this DVD is more like to feature the two mentioned trains along with characters like Madge, Duncan, Rusty and Rheneas.

BigBrother? Loved it. Any time I turned it on for him, he would run and get the aforementioned trains and sit in front of the television while chanting, “CHOO-CHOO,” and “PEEP PEEP!” Again, as Sir Handel is one of his favorites, he was really excited to tell me over, and over… and over and over again that “HANDEL ON TV!!” Yes, Buddy, he is. Good catch.

Like the other Thomas and Friends DVDs, it ends with the Thomas song. If you don’t know the Thomas song, you’re sure to be humming it at random times after your child has fallen in love with the show. While some find the show boring, I really find that Thomas helps bring out my son’s imagination as he plays with trains day and night. This has transpired into a love of real trains as well which makes for an easy and cheap (FREE!) field trip down to the train tracks to explore.

If you’ve got a child, boy or girl, with an imagination and a love of things that go, this DVD is for you!

To see what others are saying, hit up the Parent Bloggers Network launch post!

And that’s what this book is about.

It’s not a parenting “how-to” book. There are enough of those collecting dust on our shelves already. (What? Don’t lie.)  Instead, this book was written to make you laugh and to simultaneously let you know that you’re not the only mother on the planet wondering if your child is eating enough leafy green stuff or being bored to tears during playdate “chatter” with other moms you are forced to be friends with because of the month and year your children were born.

I did appreciate the chapter about preschool as well. I’ve been sitting in silent panic about the fact that BigBrother isn’t on any list yet. As, really, I didn’t expect that he’d be potty-trained before his twelfth birthday, I didn’t figure it was an option for us. The author hit on every last one of the thoughts I’ve had and she assured me that they’re all bunk. Well, most of them. The kid will learn to read. He’ll go to a fine preschool. And someday he’ll get into college whether or not he goes to the best, most expensive preschool on the planet. Well, he might. There are no guarantees, of course.

Some of my favorite parts included a run down of children’s television shows (though we do watch Thomas up in here because, hey, British accents can be sexy and did you know that Pierce Brosnan is doing the voice in the upcoming feature length film? YEAH!), the New Mommy Math to help you decipher how much television your Mommy Friend’s kids are really watching, and stories about how hard it is to make and keep Mommy friends. We deal with television issues in this household. You know. Turn off the television and all heck breaks loose? But it’s not like I can send the kid outside into a blizzard and, really, I can only do SO MANY CRAFTS, OKAY? This Mom-Author let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I’m not alone. I also enjoyed the digs the author made on Moms that seem to have it all together. Because, dang, I don’t have anything together and it made me feel human to know that I’m not the only one. (If you have it all together and you’re reading this, I am sticking my tongue out at you.)

And while I thoroughly enjoyed this book to the point that I choked on my own spit while laughing, I do feel I need to offer up a warning to the readers of my blog. The language is not all exactly clean. Yes, the book is meant for adults and not your child. But some of the language choices made me, a grown adult who has been known to throw down a cuss word or twelve, squirm in my seat. I can deal with variations of darn and poop but the author took it too far for my personal liking a few times. I wouldn’t feel right suggesting that my Mother or Grandmother read this book nor would I offer it to any of my friends from church. Then again, from her dig at born-again Christians, I don’t suppose the author included all of us in the demographic for this book but, here I am, reading it. As I’ve been firm about my blog being family-friendly, I wouldn’t feel right not letting my readers know about the language. Perhaps that makes me an uncool Mama. But hey, I’ve never been cool. Trust me. Do you want to see my freshman high school yearbook picture? Ouch.

Aside from the language issues, I needed to laugh like this. I needed to be reminded that I’m not alone in these toddler wars. We’re currently in the middle of potty training woes and the chapter offered some hope on the horizon as well as some perspective. Perspective is a good thing as is laughter. If you want a laugh, consider picking up the book. If you need to know you’re not alone, this is for you. It’s a quick read at 208 funny pages.

Let me know if you read it!