The Halloween Craze

It's that crazy time of year again! We have been having a countdown til trick or treat for the past ten days. The worst part of Halloween for me is the vats of candy sitting around. If it's there, I will eat it! How to hide it from the kiddies and most importantly myself, is the hardest. Loral is going to be her idol, Hannah Montana! She is so pumped to put on her wig and Hannah Montana shirt. Mason is going to be a vampire like Max, from Max and Ruby's Halloween. My husband Matt chose our Halloween costumes this year. A step up from the indecent ones we had last year, but not by much! This year we are going to be K-Fed and Britney. While Matt's costume was easy to put together, mine was a little more tricky. Should I be the innocent school girl look, the sexy diva look, or the I just shaved my head and am beginning to go crazy look! I am not going to tell yet what I have chosen because I don't want to give away my costume for those of you who are reading this and will be attending our annual Halloween bash!!! Stay tuned... I also wish everyone a safe and exciting Halloween and trick or treat. Bye for now.

My newest Venture - teaching online

Well, as we all know, Mom's take on a lot of roles - we are EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE!

And, before I started b.glam baby, I was a teacher for 13 years. I loved it, but hated all the stuff that came along with teaching in the inner city in Cleveland. For the most part the kids were great...but, the parents, the wacky administration - and I mean CRAZY!!!! My last principal should have been committed - if she isn't there right now. (She was fired from Cleveland Schools, which is just about impossible unless you physically harm a child, or as the rumor mill says for her, embezzled money to keep for her own - pretty smart that one is!)

Anyways...I'm off track...

I am now back to teaching part time again while also trying to run a company, take care of 2 kids, keep a happy husband & 2 wiener dogs - Oliver and Maxine, and keep my sanity. Sometimes I wonder if I am the one who may be a little crazy:)

But, the teaching is fun and I am doing something entirely opposite of what I did in Cleveland. I have a masters in reading, but I also have a minor in my undergraduate in creative arts. That lets me teach my Art 1 and Art 2 classes. They are high school kids, which I swore I would NEVER teach! Being around 1st graders for the past 7 years, high school is VERY different. However, the "bad part" as I thought it would be, does not apply when you are online. You don't have to worry about a big classroom and all the hormones. You just help them and you can actually communicate with them - something that is hard at times with 6 year olds, because you can't even read some of their names!

Anyways, I put out an assignment for my students to help create a new logo and give us some fresh ideas - I thought it would be a fun way to combine art and let them see a little bit about me. I am also giving them a chance to blog on the b.glam baby blog. I am really excited for them to share some of their ideas and learn some new things about them. I don't get to have that one on one interaction with them in the classroom, so maybe this will help!

So kiddo's, I hope to hear more about you and learn somethings about you OUTSIDE of the classroom!

Megan
A.K.A Mrs. Kuosman:)

Boys should be boys

Well, here it is. My second blog ever! Everyone who knows me knows that I am very picky when it comes to dressing my kids. Everything must match to a "T "for the girls and Kenzie our son always coordinates perfectly. This "condition" as many of my friends refer to it as, started when we had our oldest daughter Sophie. When she was an infant, she always had a pacifier that was the same color as her outfit hanging from her with a binky string of the same color. Also, any bottles or sippy cups she used that day, were the same color as the outfit. My father-in-law said that would change when we found out we were pregnant with our son a mere 11 months later. I told people he obviously didn't know me very well and when Kenzie came along, he was dressed everyday with the same care and matching factors. Sadie our third came a short 17 months after Kenzie and again, perfectly matched, always!! Anyways, back on the subject. I have seen many parents who dress their sons in clothes that are either made for girls only or should be. Kids have enough problems at school in this day and age without being made fun of for the way they are dressed. I just found this awesome product called baby legs. They are super trendy and cool leg warmer type leggings for kids. However, check this out.




WHAT IN THE SAM HECK WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING?????? These boys look like they are waiting to go hit the happy(gay!) playdate nightlife. COME ON!!! BOYS IN TIGHTS?? WHAT NEXT? PIRATE SHIP PATTERNED TUTUS FOR BOYS!!! PLEASE! If you have a child who happens to be of male gender, please lord do not under any circumstances subject him the the mental scarring of wearing leg warmers at age 5. O.K. I admit, on a 5 or 6 month old baby, in the dead of winter, in the pitch black(OK that one was going a little too far) they MIGHT be cute. On your first grader NEVER!!!!!!!!!! Please think about what you are doing to that childs psyche. They already have to overcome so many insecurities, please help them out a little by dressing them appropriately for age and gender. Enough said. Once again LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this product for GIRLS ONLY!!!! www.babylegs.net Love the product, hate the unisex implication.
Tricia

Meeting the Baby Einstein "Guru" Julie-Aigner Clark

Well, Tiff & I had our first real ever celeb type sighting, and it was a good one:) We did our first ever COSE meeting at the IX Center in Cleveland and we were lucky enough to see that the key speaker was none other than the FOUNDER of BABY EINSTEIN!!! (or as my 3 year old says - and has said since he was 1, Baby Stein Stein)
It was right up our alley!
As many of you may know both Tiff and I have said that we could not have survived many days with our little ones with out the soothing sounds of Bach and Mozart. http://www.babyeinstein.com/
It is a lifesaver!!!! So, we couldn't wait to hear what Julie was going to say:)
Also, we were lucky enough to get to each each LUNCH with her - yes friends we had LUNCH with her!
Anywayyyyyssss....back on track Meg.
So, we sat in the front row of about 1000 people so that we could hear the speech, and it was AWESOME!!! She was a great speaker and I love the way that she presented the info to us. She didn't use all kinds of charts and graphs, just fun colors, cool text, and simple pics that caught your attention.
Her story was like deja vu for me. (Well except maybe making billions of dollars and selling the rights to Disney) But, the start up part was very much like b.glam. She was a teacher that quit and decided to stay at home, when her daughter was born. - Much like Tiff and I. She started in her basement, used friends and other stay at home Moms to answer phones and promote her business, and did everything she could to make the business succeed. She was engaging and charming without even trying and it felt like you were listening/talking with a friend. I can pretty much tell you why she succeeded - (besides all the hard work and endless hours she put into it) She succeeded because she is likable, friendly, and a good Mom. She knew what her kids would like, and looked at the business as a Mom, not a high powered executive. It worked for her because of the product that she had!
Well, when it came time for lunch I was PUMPED!!!!
I, of course, was the first one to the room and was ridiculously over anxious. Soon, more people trickled in and then Tiff was there. (We were in 2 different seminars earlier) We were mingling and talking with some other business owners and then Julie appeared. I didn't want her to think that I was stalking her, but I really wanted to sit next to her, if only to gain some of her business savvy AURA:) So, I waited to see where she put her purse down and was sitting, and then I literally RAN over there to put my stuff down. She must have thought I was CRAZY, but I was going to make sure that I was there.
It was so fabtabulous! I got to talk with her and Tiff and I were able to listen to all her wise words of wisdom. We gave her a couple of our shirts for her two daughters and we told her we were going to make her one because she is/was a Breast Cancer Survivor. So, as we speak Tiffy is busy sweat shopping it for her:) We are happy to make it because she is well worth it. Seeing that my Mom went through Breast Cancer too, it is not an easy challenge and every woman who deals with it should be applauded beyond belief!
So, that was our brush with fame, and the great thing about it is, she is still a real person. Good for you Julie!
Oh, and by the way, we were hoping to meet her baseball team in the World Series - she is from Colorado now and is a Rockies Fan. And, all you Cleveland Fans know how that went....BUT DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT ONE!
Megan

The Bad Breath Story

Well, Loral's honesty and say whatever is on your mind is on the move once again! Loral is in the big "K" this year. Every evening we go over what happened or the exciting things she did in school that day. Well, the first full week of school went by with no glitches. Then, Loral came home one day and informed me that one of her classmates had bad breath. (or as Loral put it, _____ has stinky breath!!!) I explained to her that maybe this person didn't have time to brush their teeth that morning, or they ate something that had a strong odor. She just looked at me the entire time I was explaining this. She then blurted out, " I told her she has stinky breath!" Oh no. I told Loral that wasn't very nice because she might have hurt her feelings or someone else might have heard her and she could have embarressed the little girl and wouldn't her feelings be hurt if someone said that to her. She seemed to understand that and so I thought this topic was over. But, no! Loral came home a couple of weeks later and said to me "________ breath still stinks!!!! I wonder if she ever brushes, I GUESS NOT!!" I immediately asked if she said anything to the little girl and she said yeah, I told her "Your breath still stinks." Ohhhh Loral. I was shocked and so I asked her if she remembered what I had told her about embarrassing the little girl. She said, "Mommy, I waited until the teachers were in the hall so they wouldn't hear me and she wouldn't be embarrassed!" She definately is one smart cookie, and as my mother-in-law has told me since she was born, she has a large brain! He, he. Well, at least I can say she is honest and will tell you how she feels.