Strolling overseas

In case you haven't noticed, I'm completed Internet addicted. I don't know how people could live without it and I definitely can't imagine my life without it. I really do almost everything on the Internet. If I could cut my children's fingernails through the web I certainly would. I need to be "connected" 24/7. The last thing I do before turning off my light is checking my blackberry and guess what is the first thing I do in the morning? Wrong. I first turn on my light :) This can't be good, right?

So here's the deal. I'm going away for four weeks. Yes, four full long weeks, with limited access to the cyber world and full access to my children (even more than I have right now). We'll be together aaaallll the time. No school, no playdates, no birthday parties, nothing. Which makes it even more difficult to have access to the outside world, but I'm really glad for that. However, since we will still be strolling around - yes, I'm taking a stroller with me(*) - I'll try to come here whenever possible to continue sharing our adventures. This time we will be strolling in Brazil and Uruguay, searching for a warmer, sunnier, buried-under-sand-and-sea-salt Christmas.

Cheers!

(*) Since I feel really inspired today, let's open a parenthesis on the stroller subject. I'm the happy owner of 3 strollers. You read it right. Not one, not two but three nice strollers. And here's what I've been noticing since I became a mother. Mothers are a whole different species. When they tell you that maternity will transform you, it is a fact. Believe me, not only your body changes, but you become a whole new person you didn't even know existed inside you.

Let me give you an example related to my bragging on having three strollers. Mothers are very competitive, but the competition takes place on a whole different level. They don't care how many houses, or cars or fancy shoes the other mothers have. They actually want to know how many words the other children are saying (can you believe it?! Some parents actually count and write down how many words their 2 years-old know!), with how many months they started to walk, they stopped using the pacifier, the bottle and so on. I've never counted how many words my children knew when they started talking. So whenever I had an appointment with the pediatrician, (here's my little dark secret - because I'm a mother, therefore I'm competitive as well), I would search on the Internet (my best friend) how many words they were suppose to know at that age. I did that a couple of times with F. and with P. I just told the pediatrician that he was talking a lot (in three languages, what about that?).

Since we are on the subject, here's another anecdote (mothers love to tell you about their special stories). The other day, I was talking with another mom from F.'s class and she promptly asked me how had F's report been. I blanked. I had actually completely forgotten to look at the report (just to remind you, he's only 4, so I still consider school like a fun place where children go to play, color, socialize and learn new things outside home). No need to tell you she looked at me and then at F. with a lot of pity in her eyes. She's probably thinking that with that kind of mother, F is doomed for the rest of his life. On the other hand, I was quite surprised about me. Given that I've always been the kind of nerdy student, I thought I would be like the other mom. I stressed so much with my own studies, that I think there's nothing left for my kids's. Maybe I'll change again when they'll be older...

Anyway, this has nothing to do with my original post. But those are my two cents on the subject before leaving on vacation. I wish you all a very happy Holiday!

I took the picture from here, and this guy has actually strolled a lot. Inspiring.