Ebbs and Flows

A solid four years in to this working mom venture, I've learned that there is a cycle where work demands more of your time, and times when "home" demands more. Right now, work is winning out hands down!

I will refrain from complaining. Its a very good thing that my Firm is so busy right now. A lot of law firms (most of the big ones) have been laying off green-behind-the-ears associates like myself. Many of my friends from law school have fallen victim to the economy. So, yes, its a good thing.

Unfortunately, when work picks up the pace, most of my "extras" such as reading, cleaning my house (ha!), and yes, even blogging, get pushed to the wayside. But that is ok. Because I know its cyclical. Soon enough, the equilibrium will readjust to center again. That is, if the trial we have scheduled for August either settles or get postponed (please pray! trials are hell!!).

How is business for everyone else? Seems like things are picking up a little bit all around!

Under Wraps

Here are some great wrap recipes for you to try!

Turkey Melt

Preheat oven to 350*.
Lay out however many tortillas you need on plates.
Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese (mild cheddar, colby jack, or mexican blend work best - you can get these all cheap in large bags at Costco!).
Layer a few slices of turkey (or ham).
Pop in oven until cheese is melted.
Toss on a handful of salad mix (again, super cheap at Costco).
Roll up, cut in half!
Serve with a side of honey mustard or ranch dressing for dipping.

French Dip

Using either a tortilla or a pita wrap, spread a very thin layer of horseradish spread (omit for kids) or mayo.
Layer a few slices of roast beef.
On top of that, place two slices of provolone.
A few onion slices on top of that is optional.
Bake until cheese is melted.
Roll up, cut in half.
Serve with french onion soup for dipping.

Southwest Wrap

Place a few pieces of pre-cooked, sliced chicken (either homemade or you can buy packaged).
Sprinkle on mexican blend cheese generously.
Heat in oven until cheese melts.
Add salsa, sour cream and lettuce.
Roll up and cut in half!

Club Wrap

Spread a little mayo on tortilla.
Layer some turkey.
Sprinkle shredded cheese or swiss slices if you prefer.
On top of that, layer some ham.
Sprinkle some bacon bits (to make homemade, next time you make bacon, chop up leftovers and store in freezer in sandwich bags!)
Heat until cheese is melted.
Sprinkle on some diced tomatoes and salad mix.
Roll up, cut in half and wah lah!!


Wraps are quick and easy lunches for busy weekends! I keep a pack of tortillas handy at all times. We save a lot of money not eating out on the weekends this way.

No Tears to Shed

I, like most of the world, was shocked yesterday to hear of the untimely death of the legendary Michael Jackson. What was even more shocking to me, however, is the reaction to his death.

Yes, he was a musical genius.

Yes, he broke down race barriers.

Yes, he defined pop music for my generation.

But, he also had inappropriate relationships with young boys. (Yeah, I know he settled, but come on...). He has exhibited beyond eccentric behavior in the past 10 years that seriously calls into question his mental stability. He was flat broke.
Sure, he was about to come out with a come back album. But let's be honest - when is such an endeavor ever a success? Nine times out of ten, its a big flop. Michael Jackson, the musical icon, has been dead for a long time people. He was never "coming back." That era was long over.

I agree, its rather shocking to hear of anyone dropping dead so suddenly at the young age of 50. I agree, its sad for his family (as poisonous and dysfunctional as they were) and his children. But do we really need to cry? Do we really have to feel as if it was a personal loss?

One of my "friends" on Facebook posted yesterday that this was the most significant death of our (70s and 80s kids) generation. Seriously?

I guess what I'm trying to say is - have we all forgotten what a nutcase he was all of a sudden? Has all that been wiped clean? What is with this idol worship? Can't we just simply say "how sad" listen to Thriller and Billy Jean a few times in tribute, and move on?

But, I've never been a big celebrity-worshipper anyway, so perhaps I just can't understand.

No Pit Please!!

I just read a fascinating article regarding the use of Pitocin in labor and the correlation with emergency cesarean sections! Pitocin is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, which is administered to either induce labor or to augment labor if the physician feels that the contracts aren't strong or organized enough.

A hospital in Chicago did a 3-year study where in they implemented a policy to infuse the Pitocin at a much slower rate (1 by 1 every 30 minutes v. 2 by 2 every 20 minutes, as done previously), and also decreased the use of Pitocin from 93.3% of laboring patients to 78.9% of patients. As a result, they saw the incidence of emergency cesarean delivery drop from 10.9% to 5.7%!!! There was also a significant decline in the number of vacuum and forcep deliveries, and a sharp reduction in neonatal ICU team mobilization for signs of fetal distres, as well! Oddly, the overall cesarean birth rate remained the same.

Hard to argue with the results! If you need Pitocin, ask your doctor about infusing at a slower rate!

A Shortcut

I'm a dirty girl. I never remember to wash my face before bed! I can't even tell you why, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to do it. I do, however, brush my teeth, so go figure.

I learned once during a Mary Kay facial that for every night you do not remove your makeup before sleeping, your skin ages the equivalent of 6 days. Eeeek!! Seeing that I've already acquired a nice collection of wrinkles at the ripe old age of 28, that's not great news for me!!! (Although, I doubt the veracity of this tenant, as I haven't washed my face before bed consistently in years, so my skin should have aged about 18 years in the last 3...I'm not that wrinkly!)

Well, these Daily Facial cleansing cloths have turned out to be the perfect solution for a lazy bum like myself! I simply grab one after I finish brushing my teeth, and wipe away the day as I sit in bed and read. They have a moisturizer and make up remover in them, so its a one-step deal. Toss in the trash (don't even have to get out of bed!) and my skin is much happier :) I must say that I have noticed a difference in my skin since I've started doing this a few weeks ago. And its a habit I've been able to sustain! These particular facial wipes can be found at Costco for approximately $11 for 150 wipes, which should last about 5 months. Not a bad price to pay for healthier skin!

Buying Time

The only thing all human beings are given in equal measure is time.
- Anthony Robbins

We all have the same 24 hours in the day. What matters is what you do with it. It doesn't matter if you are rich, poor, smart, or not, you can't get anymore than 24 hours. (Man, we could make it big if we could figure out how to!).

It doesn't matter whether you work out of the home, in the home, or stay at home with your kids. Life is BUSY. We find ways to fill every free second. There never seems to be enough time to get it all done. As a working mom, I think the challenge is even greater, as we have to account to someone else for at least 1/3 of our day. Work and life can consume you to the point where you cannot seem to find time for anything else.

I don't know about you - but that just isn't "enough" for me. I love practicing law, but its only a part of my life. So, I try desperately to find ways to squeeze in time for other things I enjoy (and need!). For example, I get up at 5:30 a.m. to work out. I listen to books on cd in the car while I commute, and make my personal phone calls (and sometimes professional calls too) while commuting. Most nights, I have to work for several hours after my boys are in bed for the night (the evil of billable hours). So, even though I rarely hit the sheets prior to 11 p.m., I always make some time to read for pleasure, even if it is only 10 minutes (a necessity to clear my mind, or I dream about work and wake up panicked!). When you work 10-12 hours a day, you have to get creative!! Especially with two precious boys, who I refuse to sacrifice a single minute with unecessarily!

The weekends aren't too much better either, since I often have "catch up" to do for work, housework, laundry, and errands. Of course, we try to do lots of fun things with our boys and our friends and families too.

So long as I can manage to keep the routines in place, we seem to manage pretty well. Of course, sometimes more focus has to be on work and at other times, more attention on home/fun. But I try my hardest to keep homeostasis, so to speak. Its a constant work in progress, and to be honest, its exhausting. But that is the price you pay for living an otherwise "fulfilling" life, huh?

What are your tips for squeezing extra time out of the day????

What a weekend!

Operative Word: BUSY!!!

We had a rich and full weekend. Too bad the only "productive" thing I accomplished all weekend was the laundry! We may not eat this week, but we'll have clean clothes!!!

Saturday morning, we took a scenic drive up to Poolesville, Maryland to the Homestead Farm with the best of intentions to go cherry picking with several of my husband's siblings and our niece and nephew. It was a tad overcast on our way up, but we weren't too worried. Until we started strolling down to the orchard that is, and were pelted by rain droplets! So, we headed back up to the store to see what would transpire. With impeccable timing, the heavens parted and buckets of rain began to downpour within a minute of our reaching shelter! Carter decided to take a rain shower, but the rest of us stayed warm and dry until the skies cleared again. We decided to just buy cherries (and some peaches) and go home, but the kids really wanted to pick something. So, we had the great idea to pick strawberries. Fabulous idea, except the fact that the strawberry fields were nearly completely under water at this point, and the trails to get to them were (in the words of the infamous Dora the Explorer) "muddy mudpits."

Bennett's first farm visit!

Carter's umpteenth farm visit!

Saturday evening, we went to the first birthday party of a little girl we met while Bennett was in the NICU. Her mum is a lawyer like me, so we hit it off from the start. Her water broke at about 29 weeks and she delivered a little before 33 weeks. Her little girl stayed in the NICU for 7 weeks due to her habit of having bradycardias secondary to reflux. Not fun!!! It was a beautiful party and we saw several of our other NICU friends there too! Needless to say, after this fun-filled day, the kids were conked out early!

Today, we drove to Charles Town, WV, to attend the baby dedication of my best friend Melissa's son Elijah. It was a beautiful ceremony! They had a fun party afterward to celebrate.

From L to R: Bennett, Ace, Carter, Elijah, Melissa, Chantelle

Mommy and squirmy Bennett

Then we headed to my in-laws' house to celebrate Father's Day!

YAWN! I'm sleeeeeepy! Fortunately, (and unfortunately) this week is going to be a busssssy one as well!! I guess I ought to sign off and try for a few hours of shut eye! Goodnight!