My & Jen O.’s mom’s group, Durham Mom’s Night Out, is hosting Jesse Martell from Pulse CPR this coming Wednesday for an informative evening on subjects we hope we’ll never have to draw from: CPR/childhood emergency prevention.

Our evening is normally invite-only, but because this is so important for parents, we want to open it to all moms who read this site.

The cost is just $12/person, which is VERY reasonable for a course such as this.

Any money remaining after the room rental and speaker fees we are donating to Bethesda House: a women’s shelter, and advocacy/support organization for women and children suffering domestic violence www.bethesdahouse.ca

If you’re interested, please email durhammoms@gmail.com and we’ll send you the details. Please note you MUST pay at the door.

For more information on the class and Jesse, see his listing here: http://www.durhamregionkids.com/health-and-safety/

A Bowmanville-based self defense business has contacted Durham Mom’s Night Out offering to teach us ladies how to kick some attacker ass.

The cost is $15/person for a two hour seminar, hosted at a group member’s house in Whitby. We’re booked for Wed. Sept. 23.

Any of you ladies interested? We thought it was a unique opportunity for the discounted price (regularly $20), intimate setting and targeted approach to moms — so I thought I’d put it to all of you, too. We all know how important safety is, especially with our kids and when we’re heading home late by ourselves Wednesday nights.

Let us know by leaving a comment below or emailing Jen and I at durhammoms@gmail.com ASAP.

p.s. — I’m also working with an infant/child CPR/safety professional — also a firefighter — to come speak to us in October, and will post details about that when it’s finalized.

One of the things I love most about this site and every Wednesday of the week at Durham Mom’s Night Out is the wisdom found in the company of other mothers.

Here’s just a small example, a tiny tidbit of advice that has made my day incredibly less stressful.

One of the biggest battles with have with Lucy is not only getting her to put on her shoes, but to put them on the right feet. I tried to show her that each shoe is the same shape as each foot — curved along the outer edge and straight along the inside — but it just wasn’t sinking in.

It was exasperating for everyone. One of the presumed benefits of having a first child that’s almost three years older than the second is that She Who Came First should be able to do certain tasks without parental support, therefore leaving said (stressed) parent free to get She Who Came Second ready with as little screeching as possible (mine).

While bemoaning this at East Side Mario’s last Wednesday night, my friend Laura gave me this advice, via her aunt, a kindergarten teacher:

Draw a shape/symbol/letter on the edge of each shoe that faces inside. Tell child that the shapes/symbols/letters have to kiss. If the shapes/symbols/letters are facing outside — and not each other, kissing — the shoes are on the wrong feet.

Let me tell you: Lucy has got her damn shoes on the right feet every single day since last Thursday morning. We have flowers on her flip flops, polka dots on her sandals, triangles on her running shoes.

And my gray hairs are coming in at a slightly less feverent pace.

Laura, you rock! Thanks for the tip.

Eric has Alice’s cold, and Lucy is getting Alice’s cold.

My family, they are The Miserable.

I am covered in snot from the fountain that is Alice’s nose. It’s crusted in my arm hair, on my breasts from feeding, in my ponytail. Tell me why I decided to wear black today? A colour that shows sinus mucus in streaks of yellow white on my shoulder and chest?

The attitude from Miss Lucy can’t be seen on the outside, but let me assure you: I am covered in it.

I so need this evening’s Durham Mom’s Night Out. I crave it each week, but this Wednesday in particular it’s an actual survival mechanism.

If you’re in and around Ajax tonight and want to meet us at Montana’s on Hwy. 2 @ Salem Rd. (7:30 p.m.), please do! I will be the one licking the sweet, sweet cornbread. And drawing photos of The Miserable with the crayons on the table…

(With shoutouts to regulars Cristen, Ang, Cathy, Emma and Sarah N. — I wish y’all lived closer!)

After much hand wringing, some general freaking out and a few tears, we seem to have a solution to the State of the House (post and comments here). Or, at least we think we do.

Anyone who knows my husband will not be surprised at how he took to this dilema: He created a spreadsheet.

(Apparently this is what he gets paid to do all day. Who knew!)

I’ve had to give up the notion of a clean house all at once (as Ang does), and we’re now focusing on a specific few tasks each night. Aside from laundry, each night should only require each of us to spend around 20 minutes cleaning. Of course, this does not include the monumental task each night of cleaning the kitchen up from dinner, but that’s just part of life.

We’re on day two, and I’m loving it so far. I feel like we’re both in this together more, and like that I have a specific thing to do each day. It appeals to the planner/controller in me. But I also told Eric The Schedule and he need to be flexible to accommodate my work, too.

We’ll see how it goes. Maybe something you can try?

In other news, on Sunday night I ate a piece of cheese on my chicken burger. REAL cheese from a cow. And Alice was completely fine.

Perhaps we’re seeing the end of the daily allergy?

At Durham Mom’s Night Out tonight, we’re trying out Mexican Cuban. And I am SO having some more cheese…maybe even *gasp* sour cream.