Make Em Laugh

Sometimes when I need a break from the summer "I'm bored mami, what can I do now?" request, I put Ben and Alex on task.  The game is called Make Dori and Wynnie Laugh.  Not the most creative of game names, but for 20-30 minutes straight the boys have to compete on which baby laughs the most and the loudest.  It turns into a scene straight out of The Three Stooges.  The babies respond really well to the boys bonking each other over the head, wrestling, running and jumping, or talking loudly in really high pitch voices.    Did I mention it's also not the safest game in the world?  You automatically lose if you start crying (from getting hurt) or if you start complaining that the baby assigned to you isn't appreciating your efforts.  Abrupt disqualification is avoided at all costs.

But the best part of the game is that Ben and Alex spend quality time with their baby brothers... all in the name of healthy competition. It's so easy for them to get absorbed with cartoons, toys or video games that sometimes they can go a whole day without really interacting with the babies otherwise.

 Tonight's installment of the game was under the pretense for my own downtime to check emails.  Usually I use the game time for a coffee break on the other side of the room or to cook a quick lunch for myself or the boys.  All this is just easy little ways to cut down on stress because sometimes having the kids home all day AND working from home can be a little daunting.  I'm grateful for Viktoria's help throughout the day... if it weren't for her I'd never be able to do a conference call without screaming/laughing kids in the background.  No matter how far women have come, it just doesn't sound very professional to a client if they can hear my kids having a dance party in the distance.

I'm also very thankful to my dear friends and trainers at LiveWire fitness.  Jennifer Reid was introduced to me by The Revolution producers, and although the show was not renewed for a 2nd season, it gave me one of my most genuine friendships.  I'm still working out 6 days a week at the gym on my own, but now I also do their night bootcamps twice a week.  Getting together with my bootcamp buddies to burn calories has been another great source of camaraderie and stress relief.  They are a lot of fun!  Chris gets all the recaps of all the jokes and funny stuff that goes on at bootcamp when I get home.  Also if I didn't have Chris's support in being gone two nights a week my escapes wouldn't be a reality.  And don't get me started about Miss Marcia-- for those of you that know her there is no introduction necessary, but those those that don't she is a combination of Oprah/Ghandi/Nurse/Grandmother/Fashion Editor/Mediator/Honorary Grandmother all rolled into one. Note to self: I need to make her a business card with that title on it.

I guess I am just feeling especially thankful for all the great friends, neighbors and family that make my job as CEO of Mi Casa Loca a manageable reality.  To know us is to understand the chaos ... but if it were too much like Leave it To Beaver around here I would feel like I was missing out on some cool memories to be had.