Everything lame is super cool again at 123 Sesame Street

With the wonderful ice storm kicking us out of our home for a week, the main highlight of my holiday break happened downtown at the Sony Centre. We took Hannah to see her first-ever show - Sesame Street Live.

The last time I saw Sesame Street Live was in the early 1990s. I was 8 or 9 years old. And I gave my Mom a really, REALLY hard time for taking me and my brother (who at 5 or 6 was still prime Sesame age). I complained the whole way down to the O'Keefe (at least that's what I think 1 Front Street East was called at that point.) Living in Scarborough and taking the TTC, that was at least an hour. In an attempt to shut me up, my Mom bought me some sort of flashy light toy. Once the show began, I was still making snide comments from my seat about how I was so happy no one from my class would see me at a show for babies. But when Grover came out and danced to the Beverly Hills Cop theme song complemented by strobe lights that shut me up for the rest of the night.

It's funny how more than two decades later I think Sesame Street Live is the hottest ticket in town.

All Moms Should Go to Circus School

It's Sunday night. Tomorrow will begin a new work week, my second in the last 54 weeks. The mat leave is over, and in some respects, so is the party.

Everything has changed. Routines have to change. Alarm clocks have to change. How I manage my time has to change. I need to learn to juggle my priorities and therefore focuses in life. I need to learn to juggle.

I made it through my first week OK. There was no crying in the bathroom. There were lost passwords and new ideas at work.

There was no Sesame Street. No finger foods. No cuddles. No baby giggles.

There was also no Caillou. No messes. No pinches. No tantrums.

I could get up to use the washroom whenever I pleased without securing anyone or singing to them while I did my business.

If someone wanted something from me, they would just ask - in English. What a revolutionary way to communicate!

Once we get in to grooves and all adjust - Chris to dropping Hannah off at daycare, Hannah to spending all day at daycare, and me to work and daycare pickup (which, is seriously the BEST moment of my ENTIRE day) I think I will be happy to be back at work.

The phrase "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" could not be more true in this case. Being away from my daughter all day gives me extra patience with her in the evening and I can't get enough of being with her (well, save poopy diapers - the daycare can have ALL of those!).

So if my blog posts are a little sparse for the next few weeks you'll know why - I've run away to join the circus and learn how to juggle.

How did you learn to juggle?

© 2013 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

How Mommyhood Affected My Facebook Account

When I found out I was pregnant, Chris and I actually had a discussion on if/what we would announce/post on Facebook. We waited until I was 20 weeks along before we made any mention of it. Of course we had told friends and family way before then, and thankfully no one spilled the beans on either of our walls until we made our "official" announcement (which we did via a cute (if I do say so myself) Media Advisory note).

But before I made the announcement I did the great Facebook purge of 2011. I had two criteria: A) Have I seen this person in the last 2 years? and B) If I saw them in the street would I be happy to approach them? If you didn't get a yes, you were purged. Why should these people who don't care enough to talk to me be privy to all my cute baby bump photos? Or adorable baby photos when Hannah actually was born?

"Um, aren't you showing complete strangers photos of Hannah?" you ask. Well, yes. However I hope people come to my blog because they are interested in reading what I have to say. If adorable baby photos keep them coming back, then I suppose I'll allow it. 

And let me tell you, purging your Facebook is a huge relief. You only see posts from people you care about. As for work and career-related folks, that's what LinkedIn is for.

Now I log on to Facebook to find out what my friends are up to - AND to read some of the postings in Mommy groups I'm lucky to be a part of. When I click "Like" on a friend's photo of their child sitting up by themselves, it has a whole new meaning. I'm not just clicking because the baby is cute - I'm clicking for support and congratulating the parents, now that I know first-hand how great moments like those are.

I also "Like" more baby pages and companies with baby products (feel free to like YYZ Bambina Blog :D) than I do bands, movies or TV shows. My interests and priorities have shifted, and so has my Facebook account.

Did your social media habits change after becoming a parent?

© 2012 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.