Popular Misconceptions of My Mothering Attitude

If you know me well then you have heard the term "Devil Incarnate" come out of my mouth.  It is my loving new nickname for Linc.  As my Aunt pointed out this weekend, with Linc being the "devil incarnate" that makes me the "devil"!
Truth be told, neither Brian nor I would know what to do with a perfectly angelic child.  Linc is just what we need/want.  He tests us, pushes us to our limit and then in the blink of an eye has us laughing to hard we need to walk away.  I might go on and on about military school and how Linc will be spending more time in the principal's office then in class, but let's be honest he is just taking after his parents.  I know that I pushed my parents to their limits at times (and probably the extended family as well).  I was (am) opinionated, inquisitive, daring, and (yes) defiant.  All of those things, with my parent's and family's  guiding hands, turned me into the person I am today.  Hopefully, with a little luck and a lot of hard work, Linc will feel the same when he is about to turn 30.

Linc is the perfect blend of Brian and myself.  He loves all things electronic, and yet can't wait to get outside and run around.  He has a thirst for knowledge that leads him to dismantle and examine everything he possibly can.  He has no problem asking for help in his endeavors, which is probably the main reason his defiance is amusing rather than troubling.  He isn't sneaky - he will look you in the eye as he scales the kitchen cabinets to get to the snack cabinet.

He is SPOILED - which is probably our biggest downfall.  As Brian said just yesterday, we would move sun and moon for him if we could - yet we would expect a "thank you" upon completion of our task (and we would get one).


So, in clarification, I do NOT feel Linc is a bad egg - I feel he is PERFECT (as any self respecting mother would feel of their child).  He may drive me crazy at times, but that craziness is good.  It means he is thinking, he is trying, and he will eventually succeed! I am thrilled, proud, and honored to be his mother! (He is only 2... I am sure there will be a LOT more things that test me in the years to come!)

Showtime, HBO, Epix - OH MY

About a year ago the Shea household took the plunge and signed up for FIOS television service.  I know that for most households this is not a big statement or even occurrence, however this had been a long drawn out and tedious decision for us.  We had been making due with Hulu and other random online video viewings.
At first, having television service was great!  Linc could watch Disney Junior On Demand and Brian and I could browse the hundreds of channels that were now available to us at the click of a button.  A year later I can honestly say that there really is NO NEED for television service in this house.  I will admit to loving the fact that I can watch the Sox games, however is it worth it to pay for the service just to watch a handful of baseball games?  Brian and I use our FIOS television service to watch Mythbusters, How It's Made, and Big Bang Theory - all of which we were watching prior to getting service.  Luckily Linc is not a TV zombie - most of the time he could care less if it is on or not.  On those few occasions he wants to watch something, it is always a movie from the vast collection (currently we are Studio Ghibli obsessed - but that is a whole other blog).

So here is the question - Do you have television service?  Is it worth it to you?  If we weren't in a package deal (you know how they suck you in - phone, internet and television all for one low low price) I firmly believe we would be ditching the service at the first available opportunity.  When will the cable companies learn - go a la carte and you might keep your customers!!

OK I know this has been a boring blog post, but it was one that I started over a year ago when the service was new and I felt the need to finish it - there is nothing worse then drafts sitting there staring you in the face!

This Is The Cold That Never Ends...

Yes it goes on and on my friend!

Tis the season for germs!!  Well technically I would say all seasons are germy; yet is always seems like that stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas brings with it the stuffy heads, red noses and rattling coughs.  Since the addition of Linc I have noticed that we seem to pass that cold right around the house.  During this time we have countless boxes of tissues side by side with bottles upon bottles of Purell yet none of that does the trick.

I have noticed that no matter how diligent I am about hand washing I always seem to catch the bug - normally AFTER Brian and Linc have had their gunky days and are on the road to recovery.  Is there some magical means of keeping the sickness contained to one family member?  I can only spray so much Lysol and wash my hands so often before they become so red and chapped.  I am dreading the day when Linc discovers that he doesn't need one of us to wipe his nose for him - I will be finding used tissues EVERYWHERE!

As for now, I will start my orange juice infusion and make sure the Clorox wipes are handy.  I will also think about how thankful I am that Linc now knows how to blow his nose and those horrible aspirators can forever be out of my life!  Always look on the bright side - at least Linc sounds adorable when he screams "BLESS YOU" from the other room :-D

Only Child Syndrome

G. Stanley Hall seemed to go out of his way to give only children a bad rap, as a matter of fact he called their state a "disease of itself."

It has taken two years and a LOT of tears to come to grips with the fact that Linc will in fact be an only child.  I know that all you single children out there are reading this thinking "why is that such a big deal?"

First you have to understand that I always pictured having at least 4 children.  The more the merrier - that seems to be my family's opinion and personally I have always loved it.  With that being said, life has taken a different path and I am reshaping that picture of the future to now revolve around Linc and his EXTREMELY lucky/thankful parents.

Secondly, I am not an only child.  I am privileged enough to be the younger sister to my WONDERFUL older sister.  I can honestly say that there has been no time in my life when I could picture something being better without her.  I can't picture my LIFE without her and I am positive she enriched my life growing up.  I am not saying that all of those people without a sibling had a worse life then mine, I am just saying that my sister and I have always been and will always be there for one another - and that is not something I would ever trade away.  (Seriously, who but a big sister could you do this to day in and day out and they still want you around?)

Now maybe because I had that live in playmate/confidant/someone to always take my side against that of the parental units, I never had to find all of those things in one or many other people outside my house.  That doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened it just means that I never had to look for it.  Does being an only child make you view your friends in a different manner?  Will Linc be angry that he doesn't have a live in playmate?  Will he understand?  Will he like the peace and quiet?  Will he view his lack of siblings as a "disease in of itself?"

I know that this is very jumbled and jumpy - as are my thoughts on the topic.  I just wanted to write something down in hopes of helping my refocusing and reshaping!  I just want to be able to provide the best possible life for Linc!

Is it wrong that I get goose bumps when I hear the Disney version of "When You Wish Upon a Star"?

I posed this question to my Facebook friends not to long ago.  I know I am a grown woman, however there is just something about Disney.  Just the first opening notes of a Disney movie will do it to me!!  I am not talking about Eisner's later years and multitude of sequels (however funny some of them may be.)  I am talking about true Disney.  I know that mostly all of Disney's big movies are just regurgitations of fairy tales or other cultures stories (Kimba the White Lion anyone?).  Yet despite knowing the stories I still flock to a Disney movie with the enthusiasm of Augustus Gloop to the chocolate waterfall.

Disney World really is the happiest place on earth.  How could it not be?  There are rides, shows, your favorite characters, and just a total ambiance of fun and childhood.  Brian and I had made the trip to Disney (World in Florida) every year from 2000 - 2009.  The addition of Linc paused our yearly excursions until he was old enough to enjoy it at least a little.  This coming year we will be going back.  Linc will be 2 and in my mind that is plenty old enough to enjoy the sights and sounds of Disney.  Yes I know there will be those people out there that feel we are crazy to bring him so young - he won't remember it.  Well we don't plan on this being his ONLY trip to Disney, just his starter trip and I say let's bring him while he is still FREE.  With his current love of Cars, his newfound love of Mickey, and his overall enjoyment of amusement parks - I can not WAIT to see all his expressions when we go!

I have never been to Disneyland, Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris, or Hong Kong Disneyland.  I have, however, been to Disney World many a time!  Though in recent years, Magic Kingdom has not been a frequent stop for us - it seems we will be changing that now that we have a little one to enjoy the "magic".  Animal Kingdom, also, was never very high on the to-do list while visiting.  Though they do have some exceptional rides (Everest) and the atmosphere is gorgeous.  MGM - oh I'm sorry - Disney's Hollywood Studios was always a favorite of mine from the very first trip we took to Disney when I was 7.  The addition of the Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and the Stunt Show have solidified it as a must see whenever a Disney trip is to be made.  MGM (I'm sorry I will never be able to think of it as anything else) is also home to Fantasmic!!!  If you have never caught a Fantasmic show, and you are in Disney I suggest you get yourself over there for priority seating right away! Talk about goose bumps! (Of course it may be because I am a HUGE Maleficent fan and there is a HUGE Maleficent in the show but I would have to say that it is one of the best Disney shows I have ever seen - it kicks Illuminations butt!!)  My absolute favorite of the Disney World parks is Epcot!  Not only do you have all the fun of future world - where I rode my first ever Segway, but the World Showcase is the perfect way to spend a day!  Might I suggest going during the food and wine festival, that way you get to try all the wonderful different foods!!  Also, Epcot is home to Figment - and who doesn't like Figment?


OK I have rambled enough about the joys of Disney World - see I am like a little kid.  I would be great for one of those commercials where a kid is told they are going to Disney and they squeal and scream - just change the kid into a 28 year old female and you have your lead!  I should say, however, that we always make the trip on "off season" times - January!!  That way we really don't encounter too much of a crowd and the heat isn't unbearable.  ALSO we normally break up the Disney adventures with a trip to SeaWorld and WonderWorks (blog about them coming up now that I have mentioned them).

So am I the only one?  What does Disney mean to you?

Some things stay the same even as they are changing

This past weekend Brian and I took Stinks on an adventure - like we are wont to do nearly every weekend.  Ever since I got my license I found myself heading to Salisbury, MA about once a month.  For anyone that knows me you know the reasoning behind that - my Nana lived on Beach Road for as long as I could remember.  Sadly Nana passed a few years back.  To try to keep this post in a positive, non-downer light I am going to just say this now and move on:  My Nana was a wonderful, amazing woman whom I loved and miss dearly!!

I have been going to this fun area for my whole life.  On top of the fact that I have family there, there is just something about the are that keeps me coming back for more.  Brian has joined me in my jaunts to the north for quite a few years now.  I have him hooked on Beach Pizza (more on that later) and he can even find something in the Pink Store that keeps him going back.

As with everything, Salisbury Beach has changed over the years.  I am sure my older family members can tell me how it had changed a lot before I even remember.  When I was younger I remember begging my parents to let Heather and I go on the water slides, the carousel , or just blow $5 in Joe's Playland.  I remember when they started tearing down the amusements and putting up condos - or the day they took out the water slides and up went more condos.  I remember when Joe's took over the arcades on both sides.  Store fronts have come and gone.

The main constants - and reason, in my opinion, for the boardwalk to even still be there - have been Cristy's and Tripoli's.   We stopped by this weekend and the picture would have been a good representation of the crowds at the pizza places.  As always, we have to get a selection of pizza from both - it is an ongoing battle (and not just with our family) over which joint provides the best pizza.  For all of you that are curious - the breakdown currently stands at 2 for Cristy's (my mother and myself), 2 for Tripoli's (Heather and my father) and 2 that refuse to pick sides (Brian and Chris)!  Though I am thinking that at some point Chris went over to the dark side!!   Beach Pizza has been described many many different ways - delicious, interesting, "crap on a cracker"!  Though the last description seems to be mutually exclusive to that one person.  If you have never been, you are missing out.  I say get in your car this very evening and drive on out there.

The beach at the end of the boardwalk has been cleaned up in recent years.  I remember when I was little  we used to have to watch where we walked for fear of stepping on broken beer bottles and still lit cigarettes.  That does not appear to be an issue anymore.  They have built up the boardwalk area to have live bands, nice benches, and apparently they do fireworks during the summer quite frequently.  The beach itself has a nice parking area that, on off times, provides excellent views while you eat your pizza in the warm coziness of your car!

Due to the shortcomings of the boardwalk beach, when I was little we always visited the Salisbury Beach Reservation.  Nana had a car pass, and would therefore bring little Heather and Amy to the beach and watch us play in the sand.  It was always nice at the reservation, if a little crowded at times.  The beach was kept up and no one really bothered you - not to mention there was always plenty of parking (an issue during the summer at the boardwalk).  On heading up this past weekend I suggested to Brian that we check out the reservation.  I couldn't believe that he had been making these trips with me for almost ten years, yet I had never brought him there.  It had probably been 14+ years since I had been myself!!  As we pulled down the entrance feelings of nostalgia kicked in - soon to be replaced with WHAT THE HECK?!  The camping area - which I definitely do NOT remember from when I was younger, though could have been there - was HUGE!  It looks like all the boardwalks had been replaced - when I was younger it was just paths through the dunes.  There were changing stalls, showers, bathhouses etc.  There was even a PLAYGROUND - which either was not there when I was little or Nana just didn't allow us to play on it.  It was gorgeous - all of it!

Stinks loves beaches (probably steming from the fact that we have been bringing him to not only Salisbury Beach but also the beaches on the Maine coast for his entire short life)!  He loves walking on the sand and trying to get as close as we will allow to the water.  He loved the boardwalks, the sand, the dogs, everything about the reservation.  There were some ominous clouds threatening rain and we told Stinks we had to go back to the car - he was not having any of that!!  I am sure from now on we will definitely be bringing our pizza over to the reservation for eating.  I leave you with these beautiful pictures of the day!!  Oh and remember everyone needs to have Beach Pizza at least once in their lives!!!

Permanent Ink

It has come to my attention that the vast majority of my family and friends are anti-tattoo!  OK, maybe that is an overstatement, and the anti's are just more vocal.  Between being told I am crazy for being jabbed with a needle repeatedly and being asked why I would consider permanently altering my body, it isn't hard to infer the feelings of many.

I have no fear of needles, nor am I going to ink the insignia of my favorite sports team anywhere on my body - no matter how much a part of Red Sox Nation I might be.  I know I have stated, in the past, that a tattoo is something controllable in my otherwise uncontrollable life - yet that does not mean that at times when life goes astray I am going to run out and get some new ink.

I will agree that there are some STUPID tattoos out there.  Though I am sure everyone has their own reasons for getting the ink that they do, that website makes me question the intelligence or sobriety of those tattoo bearers.

Brian and I have a rule in life, if there is something we want we wait to get it.  If in six months we still want it then we wait a little bit more.  Finally if we still want it we make plans to obtain it.  This is the same philosophy I have with tattoos.  They are not something that I would suggest anyone gets on a whim.  You should have a design in mind and wait it out.  If in a few months you still love that design and are still hell bent on getting it inked then - wait some more.  If you can go 6 months still wanting the same design with the same intensity then I would say you are probably safe.  (It took me until I was 21 to get my first tattoo!)

Also keep in mind that this is something you will have for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.  You might be a diehard My Little Pony's fan now, but when you are 60 will you still love the fact that you have a Pony inked into your lower back?!  PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING PEOPLE!  (Sorry my hatred of tramp stamps is showing!) Please keep in mind that not all professions approve of tattoos and not all areas of your body will look the same in the years to come.  (With these things in mind you might want to think of locations that can be covered easily if need be.)

Now on the flip side, my tattoo of Linc's footprint from birth is something that I will PROUDLY display for the rest of my life.  This tattoo has great meaning for me - as I feel tattoos should.  The claddagh insignia on my ankle is a testament to my marriage (it was a featured design on the day as well as it is inked in the colors of the day as well).

I have a few more designs floating around in my head that I am sure I will put to ink at some point in my life.  One of them being a favorite line of mine from a poem - yet I can't seem to find the perfect place for a script tattoo, any suggestions?!

I leave you with two ink blogs that are just fun to read through:
This one is for the literary minded
This one is a little bit of it all - with a fair amount of humor added in