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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

*** Quick Note: I will not hold our weekly Theta Mom Thursday next week, as my blog will be going through a major transition with the move to WordPress. I know I will be feverishly working on the website, probably more than I should be, so I don’t want to commit to your awesome posts if my site isn’t complete. And then the following week is Thanksgiving. So obviously, we’ll all be eating turkey instead of blogging…so, we’ll meet back and link up again December 3rd. You should all have MUCH to tell me by then! ***

Anyway, you know this move is all I’ve been talking about lately. And now that I have made the decision, I just want it to happen. Perfectly, smoothly, like this instant. But, we all know in the world of the blogosphere, these things take time. And a good thing is worth the wait, right?

Every spare moment, if I haven’t been ranting about Blogger, I have been digesting every single thing I can about WordPress. Every. Single. Thing.

Seriously, I’m getting a little scared. I know it TOTALLY RAWKS and all, but I must admit, I’m shakin’ in my boots a little. Alright, maybe a lot…

Am I an Ivy League Graduate? Yes. Am I a web savvy, tech-knowledge guru of html and CSS pages? Um…..not in the least.

Ladies, my hour (make that ENTIRE week) has been eating, sleeping, drinking WordPress.

I tried to get it in the shot, but can you see the 500 blue post-its I have on like every page? Uh, yeah, this is me. Total easy Blogger chick jumping ship to the land of the unknown without a clue about code. This should be very interesting.

I’m really trying super hard girls…but right now, all I can say is I am so glad I hired a designer!

If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, how did you spend your one hour? Link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

And don’t forget the $64 Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway ends tonight.


My Pledge to You: The Theta Mom Community

Many of you know that I was (and still am) having some Blogger/Google issues. I shared my frustration not only through some posts, but also all over Twitterville. I have been thinking about a change from Blogger to WordPress for quite some time, and this drama solidified my need to make that transition. Beginning November 16th, that change will be taking place. I will be sure to post my experience and reasons for making the move as I’m sure many of you will be curious to hear. Actually, my fellow SITS girls just made the move and I couldn’t be more excited for them.

All of this change has given me time to reflect over the last couple of weeks. When I wasn’t commenting as much as I usually do on your blogs because of the challenges I was facing, it gave me a chance to take a step back and really think about this whole blogging process…

I began this blog over four months ago with the sincere intention of building a community of Theta Moms everywhere. This is why I wrote a Mission which you can read here. I wanted to use this website as a platform to share the voice that we all want heard; the fact that motherhood is so rewarding, yet isn’t always easy. I wanted to open the line of communication and start redefining this role of motherhood (as my tag line states) which is in itself quite an evolving process. Since starting this blog, I have met some of the most amazing, creative, and inspiring women. I haven’t met one of you face-to-face yet, but there isn’t a need to. I feel your passion, I hear your stories and I share in this commitment that you have for your own blogs. Through your comments, I have started to build a community. And this is exactly my intention for starting this blog, to begin the conversation…

However, I was on twitter recently and one of my followers (who I adore) categorized me in one of her lists. She listed me as a “Reviews/Giveaways” blog. I have to be honest with you, my heart sank a little. Don’t get me wrong, of course I like Review/Giveaway blogs. In fact, there are so many out there and so many of them do a beautiful job of rolling out multiple contests daily. And, I have started performing reviews and giveaways myself on this blog! Do I enjoy doing them? Absolutely! Do I want to continue to bring you excellent reviews and quality products? For sure! But is this what I want readers to remember me by? Not quite…

I don’t want someone coming to my blog just to see the new “contest” or free product I have available for them. I want a reader to come by and read my blog. I don’t want the fact that by performing reviews/giveaways that I am categorized as just that. I don’t want these giveaways to be the focal point of my blog. I want the content to speak for itself.

Therefore, I pledge to you that although I perform reviews and giveaways, this will never be the center of my blog. Although I get emails from companies pitching me their product(s), I do not and will not work with any company and/or product that I don’t fully endorse myself 100%. I won’t perform a review/giveaway just to do it. It must be worth my time and also your time. At the end of the day, this is not the sole reason my blog is running. It’s running because of the community of Theta Moms I have built since day one, and I will never lose sight of that.

I want you to come to my blog to read compelling content, to relate to an honest and sincere approach on motherhood, and/or share a different perspective. Do I still want you to enter my giveaways? Of course! Will I still get really excited about the products and companies I endorse? Of course! I just don’t want these contests to take away from the community that I have worked so hard to build.

Moving forward, I look forward to your follows, subscriptions, your comments, and your commitment to this process. Just as motherhood is an evolving process, so is this blogging experience. There are a million blogs out there…I want to be one of the ones that you remember and keep coming back to because of the content, not the free products.

For this, I have taken the pledge and I look forward to building this community together with you. After all, we are Theta Moms, and motherhood doesn’t get more authentic than that.

What Makes You a Theta Mom?

Debby from JUST BREATHE tagged me and I thought it would be fun to play along. I’m changing the rules a little bit, though. Here’s what I came up with…

I am going to share five experiences that have helped to shape me into a Theta Mom (The True, Authentic Mom).

1. Our son was a sick baby. For over a year and a half we didn’t know what was wrong with him and every specialist that we saw didn’t know either. It was such a frustrating and difficult time in our lives, especially being first-time parents. After routine visits for blood work, an extensive year and a half work up and a final trip to CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), our son is now a healthy and thriving four year old boy. We truly are blessed. That experience doesn’t get more authentic than that.

2. It took me over a year to find the right pre-school for my son. I did my homework, researched endlessly and talked to many parents, neighbors, and of course other Theta Moms. The pre-school he used to attend was a very caring and nurturing environment. However, my son needed to be doing more than free play and coloring. He needed a structured program, implementing more of a solid and sound curriculum. After many visits to various centers and lots of discussion, I have found the perfect fit. He is happy and so is this Theta Mom!

3. My daughter screams bloody murder when she is hungry. We’re talking able-to-hear-her-outside-even-with-the-windows-shut scream. It is torturous. My son never had a piercing scream like this. It’s not a cry, it’s a SCREAM and it drives me crazy! At these times, I wish she were already a toddler able to tell me what she wants. It’s so annoying and SO frustrating. Admitting that this motherhood gig is not always enjoyable is a total Theta Mom characteristic.

4. I never realized how F-U-N it is to take my children out, especially while traveling. I literally need an extra suitcase for all of the crap I need to entertain them. Who knew it would be such a task? Between the DVD player, cheese goldfish, a million other snacks and sippy cups, toys, coloring books, etc…what about me? Do I get a second to breathe and perhaps look through a magazine in the car or on the plane? Um, no. As a Theta Mom, not a chance.

5. Motherhood has surprised me in so many ways. I never thought it would be this rewarding and at the same time so challenging. I don’t have this thing all figured out. In fact, I am far from that and I am the first to admit it. I am still learning as I go along and love the fact that I am able to share my experiences through this platform with you.

So, I am challenging the following bloggers as well as any fabulous reader of my blog to grab this tag and post some experiences that have helped to shape YOU as a Theta Mom! I would love for you to play along, so go grab the tag and let’s get this party started! Don’t forget to tag other Theta Mom bloggers and challenge them as well. I can’t wait to read what you come up with!

Sevin Family
The Working Mama
Leigh vs. Laundry
My Messy Paradise
Sanity Sold Separately
Menopausal New Mom
Winey Mommy
Simply Delightful
Christine’s Corner
Mommy Words
Laugh Until You Cry
The Daily Dribbles
Apple Juice and Milk
Loulous Views
Headaches, Hormones and Hot Flashes
Running Away I’ll Help You Pack
Two Peas in a Pie
Family of Shorts
Stir-Fry Awesomeness
Mama 4 Real
Tater Tot Mom

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

It’s been one of those weeks. I spent some time down the Jersey Shore with my family. We lost our beloved Nana a year ago and we attended a beautiful ceremony at the church where we said good-bye. It’s definitely been an emotionally charged week for me.

Having said that, I took some time away from Blogging as well. Although I’ve created new posts, I decided to shut the computer off for a night and just v-e-g out. So that’s exactly what I did.

I grabbed a package of my favorite potato chips:

A glass of wine (of course):

And sat down on the couch to watch two of my favorite reality television shows:
and
That’s right ladies, after this long and difficult week, eating some fattening chips, sipping some awesome red wine and watching my favorite absolutely-no-thought-required reality tv was a perfect time out for me this week!

If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, how did you spend your one hour? Link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

And don’t forget the $180 Pearl Earring Giveaway from Pearl Paradise ends tonight, so get those last entries in!


Until We Meet Again

Dear My Baby Girl,

As I sit down to write this I have so much in my heart I want to say, it’s hard for me to find the right words. I still can’t believe it’s been a year.

Today.

I am blessed to know that she had the chance to hold your little body.

If only you could have known her longer than six weeks.

If only she could have witnessed you taking your first steps, uttering your first words and watching you smile in delight.

I wish she could hear your laughter and feel your breath.

I wish she could see the joy you bring to my life everyday. I wish she was here to talk to you, to hold you, to love you.

I wish you were able to really know one of the most amazing women that have ever entered my life.

I wish you could have experienced her love for jewelry, a good shoe, and a damn good drink. I wish you could have witnessed her dedication to her family and felt her unconditional love.

I wish you could have spent time with her at the Jersey Shore like I did every summer since I was a little girl. I wish you could have gone to the ocean with her. Fishing, crabbing, I could go on and on…

But as much as I can only dream that these wishes were true, I am comforted in knowing that she is in a better place because she has been reunited with the greatest love of her life.

She has waited 34 years to see your great-grandfather. I know she is so happy to be in the hands of her beloved husband.

She is finally at peace.

You see, your great-grandmother will always be one of the greatest loves of my life.

And I am so thankful that the very last picture I have of her on this Earth is of her holding you.

Now part of my job as your mommy will be making sure that you know her as best as I do through pictures, videos, and stories. Lots and lots of stories…and I believe in my heart she already knows you better, too.

We will keep her in our hearts little girl. Forever.

Love,
Mommy xoxo

You have touched my life in so many ways. Your memory will live on… You have been an inspiration to me, one of the most amazing women that I ever encountered. I love you Nana, and I miss you more than you’ll ever know. Until we meet again…

WIFE, MOTHER, NANA

1919-2008