The Karate Kids

Wax on, wax off. Paint the fence. O.k. so these are not the techniques my kids are learning at their new karate school. But I had to throw it in--didn't you just LOVE The Karate Kid (soon to be remade--starring Will Smith's son Jaden Smith)?

My kids started Karate lessons this summer. Not because of any bully or to win a girl's heart, they were more into it because of the outfits. For some reason they just love the Gi's. Go figure! Anyway, after two trial lessons (to make sure they were interested for other reasons), I signed all 4 kids up for a 3 month commitment to the art of Karate. Actually, it was just the boys who were initially interested, but because our studio offered a buy three get the fourth free, my daughter is also practicing.

Like most sports, Karate fees add up. On top of lesson fees, there is the Gi, insurance, sparring weapons and testing fees. Sparring weapons is where I draw the line--at least for now. I mean, we don't even allow squirt guns at our house. Needless to say, I'm making sure my kids are getting their bang for my buck and am shlepping them to lessons 3 times a week. Fortunately, they really seem to enjoy it.

I think the main reason they like going so much is that they REALLY want to move beyond their white belts. They've noticed that many of their 5 & 6 year old peers are donning much more colorful belts. So with their eye on the prize, they have been attending lessons regularly and practicing at home--honing in on their round house, hook kick, front kick, reverse punch and jabs. They have even had extra sessions with our black belt neighbors (our own version of Mr. Miyagi) to prepare for the day when their skills and mental prowess would be tested.

Well, the big day finally came and this week my martial arts munchkins were promoted to (drum roll please) yellow belts. They were so thrilled to jump a belt! I got to their lesson just as their belts were being presented. When their names were called, each ran up with a huge smile on their face and bowed to Hanshi, happily accepting the fruits of their labor.

And like Danny La Russo's (played by Ralph Macchio) mom, I stood their beaming, so proud of my Karate Kids!

Let Them Drink WAT-AAH!!

As a parent, many of us have come to realize that part of our job entails being a short order cook and nutritionist among the many other job descriptions on our resume under "parent". I'll never forget an experience I had years ago when my eldest daughter was in first grade and in my harried state as a working mom I failed to make a wise choice when packing her school lunch. I went for the convenience foods because I just didn't think I had the time to put together a nice, well-balanced and home-made lunch for her. I packed a fruit roll-up, some sort of packaged lunch-able, and a box of juice. Her teacher came up to me after school to tell me I ought to take the time to pack a more nutritious lunch.

After the shock of having someone telling me what to do as a parent, I realized she did me a great favor and I thanked her the next day. Ever since then I've been more careful about what goes in my children's mouths (as well as what comes out of them). Now, after years of making nutritious lunches for my three children and finding it really isn't hard to do, I observe their own choices when they are attending a party or if we're at a restaurant and they can order what they want from a menu. Ocassionally they have a Shirley Temple, but never Coke or Pepsi. And they often order just water when we're at a restaurant knowing it is healthier as well as saves money!

I realize that by not routinely having sodas in the house my children prefer milk or 100% fruit juice when given the choice. I carefully purchase juice that does not contain fructose or corn syrup, and it is 100% juice with no added sugars. I've taught them how to read labels, and one of our favorite coffee table books is "Eat This, Not That" by David Zinczenko.

Just recently, my family was introduced to a new drink called "WAT-AAH" that is carried by Whole Foods, and predominantly sold in the east coast. But it will soon be carried in over 30 states, and if you can't find it at your local grocery store, you can purchase it on Amazon.com. What's great about WAT-AAH is it is pure and simple. It is 100% pure. Check out the WAT-AAH website to learn more and see their branding, which my kids just love. WAT-AAH was created by moms who were concerned about their children's health and the growing (literally) number of obese children brought up on poor food choices and sugary drinks.

By creating a premium brand of water made with kids in mind, these creative moms developed a brand that make kids scream for more "WAT-AAH". There are four types of WAT-AAH, including WAT-AAH Energy (+ oxygen); WAT-AAH Bones (+ magnesium); WAT-AAH Brain (+ electrolytes); and WAT-AAH Body (pure spring water). After getting two cases of WAT-AAH, it was gone in two days. My kids just seemed to thirst for it, and even created a video in praise of their new beverage of choice. It's nice to know that we have more healthy choices for our children's lunch, soccer practice and on-the-go activities.

So the next time your kids ask "Mom, what's to drink", let them drink WAT-AAH.

Lulu the Water Dog

Teaching your dog to swim is much like teaching a child--only faster. You start with gentle coaxing and prodding and before you know it your little pooch is jumping in the water whether you want her to or not.

Before Lulu had her "lessons" she was afraid of the water (and she is a supposed water dog--known for duck hunting). Initially we thought it would be a good idea to have her "learn" to swim--or at least teach her how to get out of the pool in case she fell in. Aside from the doggy safety factor, we also thought it would be just plain fun to have her join us for a dip. The kids REALLY wanted her to swim with them. They would try and call her to the crystal waters, but all Lulu would do was run around the side barking and wagging her tail. You could tell she really wanted to join in on the fun but that she just wasn't ready to take the plunge.

Fast forward a few weeks and our cuddly canine has moved from gingerly dipping a paw into the water to jumping in with doggy glee. The kids are thrilled and love having her join them for an afternoon swim. I, on the other hand, am not so sure this was such a great idea.

First of all, Lulu is turning into a rasta dog. She looks like she is ready for a trip to Jamaica. Who knew that these daily swims would take such a toll on her once fine, silky, fur? Each day I am finding a patch of matted down fur. At first I thought she had some kind of cyst growing behind her ear but then my husband reassured me that it was just the beginning of a major dreadlock. Thankfully, my husband doesn't seem to mind using my daughter's detangling spray and working through Lulu's major rat's nests. No More Tears seems to do the trick on kids and man's best friend.

In addition to her new do, we are now finding shimmering hairs floating on top of the water. Ew....gross!! I think she loses more hair swimming than she does lounging around our house. Our pool sweep is just full of hair. Maybe we need to give her a good brushing before she does her daily dive?

And although it is awfully cute to see her dog paddling around with the kids, I do find it a bit nerve racking. She gets so excited and wants to follow the children wherever they go in the pool. Her stroke is better and stronger than the kids and she literally swims on top of them. They don't seem to mind the fact that she is scratching them up while licking their faces as they are treading water--but I do. I've been blowing the whistle frequently and having Lulu take a time out.

I guess I do have to look on the bright side of having our canine companion join us in the pool. Lulu is getting great exercise and the kids are swimming more and watching tv less. It really isn't so bad to have to deal with knotted fur, floating hairs, and scratched up torsos. At the end of the day, everyone seems to be happy and dog tired!

I'm a Rocker Chick!

I'm a rocker chick. O.k. not your big haired, tight tank top wearing, beer swilling, tramp stamp sporting, kind. More of your suburban, red wine sipping, gourmet chocolate eating, Pashmina wearing type. The only ink I have is from a Sharpie--those things really are permanent.

I'm proclaiming myself a rocker chick only because I have been to TWO concerts this week and it is only Wednesday. My wedding anniversary is today and my husband and I gave each other the gift of music. On Monday we saw Coldplay at the Shoreline Amphitheater and last night we saw Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Blues Traveler at the Mountain Winery. Both shows were great and as you can imagine were totally different.

Coldplay, of course, was a sold out huge production. Amazing light shows, old world backdrops, yellow balloons floating from out of nowhere, and a finale that included thousands of paper butterflies filling the sky with a multitude of colors. For this show, we were able to score lawn seats last minute and joined friends for a wonderful evening in the very fun and social outer regions of the venue.

I did get a glimpse of Chris Martin (in the flesh) when he somehow magically appeared on a make shift stage out in the cheap seats. He sang two or three songs for us and then as quickly as he appeared, disappeared back to the $200+ per ticket seats, where concert goers were able to read whatever he had scrawled on his arm band.

Thankfully, there were huge screens (out there where the grass grows), that enabled me (and the rest of my let's have a picnic friends) feel like we were actually at a live concert. A live concert, where you watch an amazing video with thousands of others--one that includes cool graphics, split screens, and very loud speakers. I'm really not complaining, it was great--we were all able to sing and dance to our hearts content and did not have to worry about anyone telling us to sit down.

Our Tuesday night musical adventure was at the Mountain Winery. This is a much more intimate venue that caters to the older set (my age and up). Their line up includes mostly 80's and 90's bands that bring back college memories as well as many "remember when we were dating and saw blah, blah, blah..." conversations. I love this venue. Every seat in this beautiful outdoor theater is great. Their general admission bleacher seats are close enough that you can see the performer's facial expressions. Video screens are not needed here.

For this concert we had awesome seats! We were in the front row on the left-side (if you face the stage) and it was terrific. We were right by the band's beer cooler (that unfortunately was guarded from any crazy, beer thirsty concert goers). And I gotta say, I LOVED being in the front row. We were so close that when the bass guitarist sang to the crowd, I could have sworn he was singing to me. That when John Popper, played his harmonica, I could see the spit flying in the air. The only downside here was that when the show was over, it was over. There were no encores this night. Blues Traveler played too long and due to a city noise ordinance, they quite literally had to pull the plug.

Going to these back to back shows made me realize that I must be getting old because I much prefer the smaller venue that features semi-washed up musicians over the mega-venues that host the latest and greatest bands. Who needs to be one among the tens of thousands of fans sitting way out in the nose bleed section when I can be up close in personal with a band that brings back many fond memories and is equally talented?

Jet Lag

It is 5 a.m. and I have been up for the past 2 hours. I've got a serious case of jet lag. The first hour I spent staring at the ceiling hoping that I could will myself back to sleep. At 4 a.m. I decided to get up and maybe doing something productive--but I found myself here. I have mountains of laundry, piles of miscellaneous paper souvenirs that need to be either saved or pitched and a messy kitchen to boot. All of these things I could be working on right now but they can wait.

I've never had my body clock so out of whack before. Sure I've been tired after a East coast to West coast trip but never have I found myself up before the birds. I hope I'll be able to take a nap later. We have dinner plans with friends this evening and I don't want to find myself snoring at the table at 6 p.m.

Uh-oh! My son is up now. He was with me on our trip. He too is on the jet-lag wagon. I think we are going to curl up in our guest bedroom and try and fall asleep watching tv. Keep your fingers crossed that it works!

Traveling by the Seat of Your Pants

My two oldest children and I just returned from a 12 day vacation throughout Germany. We met my parents in Frankfurt, rented a car and with a rough idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see, zoomed out on the Autobahn to our first and only reserved in advance hotel in Rothenburg, Germany.

My parents where the ones that suggested this “fly by the seat of your pants” mode of travel. I was a little concerned that a party of 5 would have trouble finding accommodations but my mom and dad assured me that they had done this before without any issues. I figured if my 60-something year old parents could be such free spirits in how they approached traveling, so could I (even if it went against my typical manner of vacation preparation).

I’m not really anal—but when it comes to going somewhere new I tend to do a lot of research. I can be relentless in my search to find the best place, the best value, the right location. I hate feeling like I missed out on something. But I decided that I would embrace this “loosey- goosey” style for at the very least it would save me countless hours on Trip Advisor or Rick Steve’s travel boards.

And you know what? This approach totally worked. We were able to hit all of the usual tourist hotspots and ones off the beaten and find hotels with Zimmer Frei (room free) signs—no problem. I think in part we were traveling early enough in the season that we were not competing with all of the German travelers (most German kids are still in school until the end of July) and the dollar is not that strong so there seemed to be less American travelers.

Overall, we had our pick of hotels. From inns located right on the Konigsee, to a Gasthaus out in the country (with barn attached) to modern hotels in Frankfurt, we were always able to find a bed for our weary heads. It was great being able to see hotels in person and decide if a hotel met our desire for charm standards or if the one across the street would be better (and sometimes it was).

And the best part was the flexibility our off the cuff travel style afforded us. We were able to adjust our itinerary as we went along because aside from our first night nothing was set in stone. When we found a lovely old Gasthaus near my dad’s home town of Ebenhofen, we were able to make it home base for a couple of days while we visited the nearby castles, Neuschwanstein and Linderhoff. When we visited friends who invited us to stay for two nights instead of our originally planned one, we were able to take them up on their wonderful hospitality. When we decided that we really wanted to see the Bodensee instead of heading directly to the Black Forest, we were able to change direction without worrying about cancellation fees.

All and all, it was a surprisingly stress free and dare I say relaxing way to travel. Who needs to be bound to itineraries? Who needs to know exactly what is around the next corner? Who needs to spend soooo much time on the Internet researching locals and accommodations? Not me—anymore!

To Gardisil or not to Gardisil - That is the Question

As the mother of three daughters, I have been made aware of the Gardisil vaccine by the media as well as by our family physician. Gardasil is a series of three vaccines taken over the course of 6 months. The purpose of Gardisil is to help prevent cervical cancer, genital warts, and other conditions caused by certain types of human papillomavirus. It does not protect against all types of HPV; however, it does protect against four of the most common types. Gardasil has been approved for use in girls and women age 9 to 26.

A day ago, my three daughters went in for their routine annual check-up. My husband and I firmly believe in preventive medicine and always get routine physicals ourselves. My husband's side of the family has had heart, prostate and other health issues that we need to stay on top of. So we instill the need with our daughters to maintain good health and eating habits. We routinely get flu shots and everyone enjoys good health. But, after this most recent doctor visit, I am wondering if we need to be more thorough about what shots we get and whether the side affects outweigh the benefit of the vaccine.

On the Gardisil website, these are some of the disclaimers of the vaccine: "Common side effects include nausea, dizziness, and reactions at the injection site. Cervical cancer is a disease that occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the cervix, a part of a woman's reproductive system. While no one knows the exact cause of this cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major risk factor for developing the disease. Symptoms may not appear in the early stages of this type of cancer; when symptoms are present, they can include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain, among other things. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy."

That's enough to scare you into getting this vaccine, but is that enough cause? Are all women at risk? The reason I had my eldest daughter get her first of three Gardisil shots is she will be heading off to college soon and the close quarters of a dorm seems to attract more illnesses including meningitis. She's not sexually active, and my husband has strictly told her she can't be until she's at least 40! But seriously, my paternal grandmother died of either ovarian or cervical cancer, and a close friend had cervical cancer five years ago and encouraged me to have my daughters vaccinated with Gardisil, as she did with her own two daughters. She feels strongly that if she had been vaccinated herself, she would not have had to go through the torture of chemotherapy and the emotional experience of being diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Yesterday my daughter was subjected to three vaccines during her exam including meningococcal and tetanus, which may have contributed to her surprising reaction to the Gardisil vaccine. My point to all this is, as a parent we tend to go with the flow and without question or thorough research and have our children vaccinated based on guidelines outlined by preventive medicine practices. For sure, mumps, measles, rubella, polio and chicken pox are vaccines that have helped wipe out these childhood diseases in most industrialized nations. But as we venture into vaccines that address a more remote disease, what are the risks of NOT injecting yourself to these vaccines (pun intended)?

My daughter's side affects to Gardisil was surprising to me, as none of my children have ever experienced side affects to any vaccine or medication before. Her reaction was what I would classify as mildly severe. Within seconds of the shot, she felt a tingling sensation throughout her arm, which then radiated to her extremities. Her whole body became weakened and she quickly became faint and nauseous. She had to lie down for about 10 minutes to regain her composure. When we walked to the waiting room to rejoin my other two daughters who had finished their physical exams, they quickly saw their sister and exclaimed, "You're white as a vampire!" Not having noticed as I was tending to her nausea and dizziness, I quickly saw that indeed she was so pale even her lips were white. There was no color to her face at all, it was deadpan white. We sat back down in the waiting room for her to recover from this vaccine. Now granted, the combined affect of three vaccines could have lead to such a noticeable reaction. But as she continued to pale, and eventually throw-up her breakfast, I really felt I did not do enough research about Gardisil and made it my mission to do more reading and share this experience with other moms of daughters out there. As a side note, my eleven-year old also had three vaccines, but did not include Gardisil in that mix. She had no reaction whatsoever to her vaccines.

I plan to ask our physician whether my daughter can skip the other two Gardisil vaccines in the series of three shots. What are the ramifications of not taking those other two shots? As I learn more, I will report back here to raise awareness of this vaccine with others. Meanwhile, do your own research if you have a daughter and are considering the Gardisil vaccine.

A Storybook Town

Today we went to my dad's childhood town, Ebenhofen, located in Southern Germany. It is a very small village that has not changed much since he left in the 50s. The homes are made of white stone with red roofs and every window has a window box filled with pink or red geraniums. The Alps recede into the background barely seen through the haze of the clouds. It feels like we have stepped into the pages of a storybook.

I Love Technology

It is early morning and I am sitting in a little town in Southern Germany called Schoeffelding. The house we are staying in (family friends) has a wireless internet connection which is allowing me to write this post. I'm not sure when I'll have the luxury of technology again, so I thought I'd better connect while I had a connection!

We have been having a wonderful time so far on our travels. The kids and I are enjoying new sights, tastes and sounds. And through the wonders of the internet we've been able to share our journey in nearly real time. Facebook, Skype and email have allowed us to stay connected to our other half (and friends) which has made being so far away much easier.

Over the past few days we have been able to share our stories about the Glockenspiel, the giant pretzels we've been eating, the stuffed animals we purchased, our search for crests for our walking sticks, and the nightmarish Crime and Punishment museum (a huge hit with the kids) with my husband and little boys. And not only were we able to tell these stories we were able to express them visually through the magic of Skype. My kids could show the purchases they made for their brothers (stuffed animals of a pig and monkey) and we were able to watch one of the boys make faces while we told our stories. I think he enjoyed watching himself on video!

I realize that many people take a vacation wanting a break from their cell phone, email, etc. but it sure comes in handy when you need a little family fix--when you want to hear about what is going on back at home and when you just want to say "I love you and miss you and will see you soon!"