About This Blog
Welcome to my blog. I'm Anne-Marie Nichols, a 40-something WAHM to Nathan, 6, and Lucie, 3. I've been married 12 years to their dad Paul, a scientist. When I'm not doing the mommy thing, I'm a freelance writer, and vice president of the board of directors for a Colorado public charter school. In my spare time I like to sleep, eat, read, and decorate cakes.
I created this online journal to share some entertaining and insightful stories from my own experiences as a writer, domestic engineer, and mom. I encourage you to share this blog with your friends, and hopefully it will spark some lively discussions on issues we can all relate to. Enjoy!
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Oct 23 2008
Put that on my tab
On Tuesdays, Nathan has golf league for about three hours, depending on when the coach decides when the little kids need to get out of the heat. Since league is followed immediately by a trip to the speech therapist, I make sure that Nathan has something to eat at the club house.
Knowing that the pros and staff look out for the little kids, I let Nathan have a soda and hot dog by himself or with his friend Michael after they finish their round. (He'll call me to pick him up after he eats.) It's nice to give him that sense of freedom while knowing he's in a very safe environment.
Sometimes I give him cash or I'll prepay and give him the receipt. One morning, when I had no cash, I was paying by credit card. The lady at the counter offered to start a tab for Nathan so I didn't have to pay each week. I told her that since I had to come to pay greens fees each time, it wasn't a big deal to prepay for his food, too.
A six-year-old with a tab? I could see Nathan now. "Hey guys, the root beers are on me!"
Oct 22 2008
Kissy break
With a freelance writing career and a direct marketing business, I'm on the computer most of the day. Add to that my position as VP of a charter school board, and the school's web mom, well I might as well get one of those *Borg implants and plug myself directly into my PC.
So unlike those children in the past who looked for mom in the laundry room or kitchen, my kids come to my computer when they're looking for me. And even if Nana is visiting or daddy is home, they like to check in with me on occasion.
Nathan usually interrupts me with a question like, "What are we going to do today?" But Lucie is more subtle. She comes up with a kiss and a hug, then turns on the TV, puts in a video, and crawls into my bed. I'm not so thrilled about the distracting racket from the television, but the kissy break sure is nice.
(*The Borg is a race of cyborgs in the Star Trek shows and movies.)
Oct 21 2008
Fine dining
I've been reading about the state of American dining lately. It's made me think about how Paul and I teach our children how to appreciate good food.
Last night, we wanted to hear some gypsy jazz at a local coffee house. Thinking that Nana and the kids would also enjoy it, we decided to go out to eat as well. The coffee shop was in the old part of town, a place where mom and pop stores and privately owned eateries still exist. It's also home to one of the better casual dining spots in town. It's an Irish pub that also serves Greek, American, and Mexican dishes and good local beer. (Only in America.) It's also home to the best prime rib in town.
As we waited for a table to open -- and were visited by the manager to make sure the kids were entertained with crayons and potato chips -- I thought back to reading that most Americans don't appreciate good food as they're used to pizza delivery, fast food courts, and chain restaurants. They're impatient and aren't adventurous. Yet here we were showing our kids that the best food was at a small, one-of-a-kind restaurant with excellent service. I was glad we were able to share that with them.
Later we walked down the street to the coffee shop and listened to the band as Paul and I sipped our coffee drinks. Lucie danced around, showing off her new ballet moves. Nathan carefully studied the guitar work while Nana kept time by tapping her fingers. I marveled to myself what a special evening it had been, yet so simple. A nice meal, good music, spending time with grandma, and showing the kids what's important in life -- it's something we should all do more often.
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