There’s no doubt about it — mums are squares.

It’s not that I was ever particularly cool, but let’s put it this way: I was never as uncool as when I became a mum.

Dork, square, call me what you will. Either way, the desperately uncool antics spill over to every corner of life. For example —

You might catch this mum singing three consecutive cycles of “Baby Beluga.” In public? YES!

OR….

You might spot her doing dances and jigs and slinging her hips from side to side just to make baby feel wonderful.

OR….

You might overhear her talking about the weather — rain! sun! sad bones cloudy skies! — as if it’s the latest gossip.

OR…

You might observe her reading aloud from “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” with the same relish as a normal person would devour a Stieg Larsson novel.

It’s just part and parcel of being a mum. (Or so I tell myself.)

Of course, if August were 15 (actually, make that 9 … or even 7?) he would be mortified by the sing-songy-hip-slingy lady who is his mum. But, today he’s not complaining. And who’s watching, anyway?

Back to Baby Augie.

Tags: Moms, Mother, Playing, Songs

Mummy Bjorning in the Rain

On the whole, I’d rate having Baby August at 9,000 out of 10 on my bliss-o-meter.

He has brought me happiness beyond the furthest stretches of my imagination (OK, to be fair, I was slightly dreading how hard it was all going to be, but still) and he has filled the coffers of my heart with love so huge it hurts. I never fathomed that something so small could make my life feel so big.

I absolutely adore being with August. And I think (hope?) that August quite enjoys being with me. Not just because I’m a free-flowing milk keg, but also because I am occasionally fun and I can keep a tune and I’m no longer the world’s worst swaddler and I have a bellowing reading voice.

BUT much as we enjoy holing up in the apartment and staring into one another’s eyes, August and I are, on occasion, prone to bouts of cabin fever.

Thank goodness for Baby School.

On Mondays at 10 a.m., come rain or shine (see photo above) we venture over to the JCC and sit in a room with three other mums with three other babies and we chit-chat about mummy things. Today, we went around the room and each talked about something positive and something negative that had happened the previous week. All this for an absolutely unreasonable $200+ facilitation fee. (I know, it’s New York and nothing is free, but still…)

It’s not exactly dinner and a movie, but it helps to get out and about when you’ve got a newborn. After all, there’s no better antidote for the dreaded cabin fever than having something — anything — on the agenda. Take it from me.

Tags: Cabin Fever, Classes, Love, Moms, Networking