Strange how even the sunniest days can seem so dark

The sun is shinning today. The second day in a row that the sun was up before us. The past week the sun hadn't bothered to break through the thick cloud cover until late afternoon. Strange how even the sunniest days can seem so dark. I'm sitting here waiting for my phone to ring. It will be the hubs.  He will be letting me know that our little girl had been relieved of her impending misery. And that I'll never see her wagging tail or caramel brown eyes again.

I haven't stopped crying since the words the tall blonde and very direct woman examining my frail little animal said to me had finally sunk in. Our little girl was sick. Very sick. We had 2 choices. Prolong her death or accept the inevitable and give her some relief.

The more practical thinking, less emotional part of my team made the decision.  We took her home. For one last night.

It's funny when I think back to all the times I swore I'd kill these little monsters myself. All the times they dug up my planters, peed on the rug and tore up anything and everything that was thrown over the wall. This included FedEx packages that just happened to contain job acceptance letters and their accompanying forms... to which I had to sheepishly pick up the phone and explain to the HR manager that they would have to send me out another packet due to "delivery complications".

We'd come home to pieces of colored rubber and cardboard strewn all over the yard and look at each other in confusion until we finally found the tiny scrap of paper that explained the reason for the new addition to the landscaping. A surprise birthday present shipped via UPS and sent sailing over the wall to meet the dog's great delight.  Only one slightly mangled rubber duckie managed to make it out alive. It's the thought that counts.

Looking back, no matter how many times I wanted to send them to the "corn field", facing the reality of really losing one of them is devastating. And now, watching the other one stare at the gate,  pacing back and forth – anxiously waiting for the little girls return – is just heartbreaking.  They have been together since they were 6 months old. Now, 7 years later, he's alone without his partner in crime.

The phone finally rang.

I could hear the crack in my hubs voice when he said hello that squelched the hope that he was going to tell me that she was miraculously cured overnight and that he was bringing her back home. The doggie doc had relieved him of some of his guilt, I'm sure, of having to play the part of the Grim Reaper, by telling him we made the right decision. That prolonging it any longer would only be prolonging the inevitable. Words I had already heard yesterday, but refused to believe after seeing her this morning. The shot they had given her to ease some of the pressure in her stomach had obviously made a difference. She seemed better. Happier. Somehow back to the sprite little thing she used to be. It made me question whether we were doing the right thing or just taking the easy way out. But I kissed her head and looked into her caramel eyes one last time before the hubs took her out the door to meet her fate. I agonized over this until the hubs let me know that the doggie doc had confirmed our decision, no doubt relieving some of my guilt as well.

Knowing that the hubs was there with her, comforting her as she drifted to sleep one final time made me feel only a tiny bit better. It was something I wanted to do myself, but couldn't imagine how I would make it through the process. I had never experienced the death of a pet any lager than one you could flush. And though I had flushed many a stiff fish, It really couldn't possibly prepare you for this.  This, to my surprise, is overwhelming.

So now she's gone.

I have to keep reminding myself that she is no longer suffering. That the sickness that was ravaging her body and made her almost unrecognizable was over. That this was the right decision. But It hasn't sunk in yet that she's not coming back. That we only have one dog. Just Strummer.

I can't possibly cry anymore. There cannot possibly be anymore tears left. Even with all the tears, my eyes feel so incredible dry. Like there are a dozen pieces of sand clinging to the insides of my eyelids. Scratching with every blink. And my eyelids are so swollen I can barely see clearly. If this had to happen, I'm only happy that my kiddo is too young to understand what is happening. To really grasp why his mom is trying to smile through eyes the size of baseballs and not drip snot all over him.

People say there is always something good that arises from something bad. I'll be on the look out for that something good. I hope it comes real soon.

We'll miss you Coda Girl

Reinventing the online shopping experience. Introducing my OpenSky store!

You might have already guessed it by now. But I'm here to confirm the rumors. Yes, that mysterious little blue button that said: "Something Exciting is Coming " was a prelude to the fantastic partnership that I have entered into with OpenSky.

And now I'm more than thrilled to be able to share the exciting news!

Back in May I attended a conference in which I had the fortunate opportunity to meet with Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer of OpenSky and learn all about this amazing new platform they had brewing. As I sat there and listened to Ted introduce the OpenSky philosophy, I couldn't help but get really excited. You see, OpenSky is a platform that enables an online community of trusted individuals to recommend products to consumers, based on their personal experiences and unique perspectives.

There was something truly special and intriguing behind the idea of reinventing the online shopping experience. To bring the element of true social interaction to online shopping.  Just the idea of being part of a network that enabled bloggers, writers, community leaders and anyone else who had a passion to connect with some truly amazing manufacturers and help them build their brands, to be an extension of their marketing efforts and help them succeed and thrive, was exhilarating.

In just the last year I had come across many jewelry designers, clothing designers and toy producers that had amazing products, selling them through small channels and craft fairs. Products I knew people would love. If you are anything like me, when I come across something I love, I want to shout about it from the rooftops. I want everyone I know to experience the same exuberance I feel! 

As I sat there listening to Ted Rubin wax poetically (at least to my ears) about this new way to shop and distribute online, my mind was racing with all the sellers I wanted to connect with.  

So I jumped at the chance to be part of the OpenSky network.

OpenSky makes it possible for bloggers, like me, to share some of the most interesting and unique products out there with my readers. Through my OpenSky store (which will be live August 10th!) I not only get to sell and promote only the products I truly love and believe in, but I am connected with a community of sellers that are passionate about the products they produce and design. And many are bloggers just like you and me!

In turn, you get to discover new and clever items and buy from someone you know and trust. Someone you know you have something in common with. Turning the online shopping experience social. More like shopping with your girlfriends, rather than the cold hard screen between you and your shopping cart. 

I hope you are as excited as I am and will come back on August 10th for my store's grand opening! I'm over the moon to share with you some of my favorite products that make my crazy life a little easier, a little more stylish, a little sweeter (you know me and my LOVE for cupcakes) and a hell of a lot more fun. I can’t wait to share more with you in just a couple of weeks!

And, if you are a blogger or you sell a great product, it's not too late for you to join this extraordinary community.  Please visit OpenSky to learn more about becoming a supplier and discover really awesome people like myself to promote and sell your products. Or become a seller and share your honest opinion and unique perspective on the products you use and love. Be sure and tell them shari@talesfromthesippycup sent you!!

See you here August 10th!  Whoo hoo!

I'm back. As long as it's okay with the boss.

One Monday back in June, I wrote a post explaining that I had lost my bloggy mojo.  I was hoping it would be a very temporary sidetrack. That maybe things would go back to normal (whatever normal is) after a short hiatus in this new world of "Pay attention to me" and "No mommy!" being screamed at me whenever I sat the Mac on my lap. My son now suddenly needs something in the next room STAT as soon as I proceeded to pound out the much needed therapy post I'm always hoping to finish in a few minutes – not days.

But, looking at the calendar, I can see that the short summer break I was hoping for has stretched out a bit longer than anticipated. And I miss you all.

I miss our "conversations".  I miss our comraderie over cold coffee and poop. I miss the ability to let it all out and not worry what anyone will think about my insanity. And most of all I miss reading your comments and stories that always make me feel better knowing that I'm truly not insane. And no where near alone on this incredibly confusing and sometimes topsy-turvy journey called mommyhood.

I'm seriously thankful to everyone who has stuck in there with me during my bloggy abandonment. Especially those that check in from time to time to ask me where the heck I have run off too.

Well. I'm back.

And I have some really exciting things to share with everyone!

At least that's what I'm telling the boss.

Let's see if he approves.




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Something Exciting Is Coming...

I wish I  could tell you what, but I've been sworn to secrecy. Seriously. I've been in hiding over the last week just to contain my excitement. Because I might let it slip. But stay tuned. Something exciting is coming.


Be sure to get "in" on the action when the big reveal happens on Aug 10th. Go to: www.somethingexcitingiscoming.com and sign up to be eligible to win a prize! 

He shoots, he scores!

I think I have written about my son's obsession with balls once or twice before.  It's somewhat comical. Unless he doesn't get the object of his desire and then its more tragic. He literally wants every ball he sees. Seriously, I think his first word was ball.

While out on my daily shopping spree at Target, I have to make sure I avoid the aisles with the athletic equipment or I won't hear the end of it. If you want to make my son happy – just hand him a ball. Which actually explains why we now own 32 balls. I have handed him a ball more than twice just to gain some sanity while making the decision between veggie or cheese pizza. I mean really, who can make that kind of decision with a screaming kid in the cart? It takes concentration.

I'd call it an obsession. There is never less than 10 balls at any given time strewn about the living room. Golf balls, footballs, basketballs, soccer balls. No sport is left unrepresented. And now making baskets in about everything he can fit a ball into is the sport "du jour".  Which for the most part is fine. Yeah, its great when I'm using the bathroom and he wants to make baskets in the sink. Or when we are at grandma's and he wants to make baskets in the firewood bucket.

But it becomes a bit embarrassing when the balls are actually plums and the baskets are trash cans. Which prompted this letter:


Dear Mother's Markets,
I know I don't have to tell you this, but your aisles are so very, very small. And I know you know this, because you have those cute little "mini" carts all lined up outside, ready and waiting for us to navigate your ultra slender aisles.

So with this incredible knowledge of your aisle sizing, why do you insist on restocking your produce, canned goods, etc., in the middle of the day blocking access to much needed lunch staples for the kiddo?

If you restocked your aisles after hours or in the morning, I wouldn't be forced to leave the kiddo parked in said "cute"cart unattended, next to the giant pile of plums that he will ultimately mistake for "balls" and proceed to throw into the trash can strategically placed below him and yell "Goal!". It's extremely embarrassing to have to yell across the store at him to stop throwing plums into the trash multiple times while I try to navigate the push carts and boxes strewn about in front of the produce case. All while people shoot me looks as if I shouldn't have attempted to procure those apples in the first place.

Please Mother's Market, I enjoy partaking your fantastic organic products, could you help a mother of a ball obsessed toddler and restock your items after hours? All the other stores are doing it.

Thanks a bunch,

Mom of ball obsessed toddler.

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Pamper's Designer Diapers...Seriously?

I know everyone has seen the commercial for the Huggies "Jean" diapers right? Or at least have seen these new fashionable butt covers on the shelves sitting next to their less fashionable "Pooh" cousins.  And while that Huggies commercial cracks me up every time I see it, it surely doesn’t make me want to run out and grab a box of these “limited edition” crap catchers.

Then today, I was able to catch a rare 5 minutes of news in the morning and what did I discover? Not the latest update on the Gulf oil disaster, or that despite higher gas prices, Fourth of July travel is expected to increase by 17 percent this year. No what I discovered today was that, not to be outdone by the fashion-forward  Huggies diapers, Pampers is now partnering with fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to produce 11 styles of Pampers diapers including madras and plaid prints.

Seriously?

Yes! In a press release, Procter & Gamble Co. said it's aiming to make disposable diapers fashionable.  And Jodi Allen, a P&G baby care vice president, says in a statement that diaper performance comes first, but parents consider the look important, too.

Really? Who are these parents? Because I know that was about the last thing I was thinking during the latest poop removal session. Yeah, I just can't see myself  thinking" "I really wish these diapers were more stylish" as the little man wiggles and fights the whole process. I can probably venture to guess I was thinking: "Oh god, I hope I don't get this all over my hands again". And then the statement continues to say the "prettier" diapers will be pricier. A pack of about two dozen of the toddler-size diapers will have a suggested retail price of $15.99, about $6 above plainer versions.

In a time when we are all trying to save money and cut costs where we can, who is going to shell out an additional 6 bucks a box just to have some designer madras print on their kids butt? I'm not sure I would pay a premium for an item which will inevitably end up full of shit and in the trash.

Okay, as much as I thought the "Jeans" diapers where funny, I thought these were a "limited edition" thing and would eventually go away.  But is this the latest craze in baby couture? A whole line of “fashion” diapers? And who let’s their kid run around in just a diaper anyway? My kiddo tends to wear actual clothes over his diapers that I have already had to pay a premium for. But at least they will last a few months. And if you do let your kiddo run around in just a diaper it’s probably just around the house, at which point who cares what’s on your kids butt?

I recently switched to Seventh Generation brand since I couldn’t stand the new improved Pampers Dry Max and was so happy to finally have a plain diaper. Granted, it’s the color of a brown paper bag, but it’s character and fashion designer free.

There’s always the other side of the argument that will revolve around underwear and the sole purpose Victoria’s Secret is in business. But until my son is old enough (21) to be showing anyone else his underwear or  society changes its rules and we are allowed to crap our pants, I don’t think that argument holds much merit.

What do you think about these new "fashion" diapers? Has the industry gone to far or am I just not seeing the awesomeness in these?




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