This week I finally got to see the movie BABIES! I’ve been dying to see it since I first heard about it coming out.  I was invited to the event through the Philadelphia Social Media Moms - so I trotted on down to the Ritz Bourse with a friend and prepared to fall in love with 4 of the most adorable babies from around the world.

If you haven’t heard - BABIES is a movie about 4 infants and their families from around the world.  There is Ponijia from Namibia, Mari in Japan, Bayar from Mongolia and Hattie from the United States.  Each of the children are incredibly unique but yet so similar.

It was hysterical to watch each of the parents from such different parts of the world, with incredibly different backgrounds behave so similarly with their children.  The children all went throught the different childhood milestones so similiarly.  Watching each of them crawl in such different situations - in a  Japanese apartment, in a San Francisco park, in the Mongolian desert, and across the African landscape - but act so similarly while doing it was a fantastic reminder of how similar we all are.

Everyday we all work so hard to show how unique we all are, but yet at the core of it - we are all alike.  Each of these babies took their first steps wobbly and unsure, they laughed for the first time with bright eyes and big smiles, they cried when they got hurt, ate like they’d never be fed again, and looked at their parents with love and affection.

For me, it was so nice to get out with a girlfriend, sit in a movie theater and be absorbed in the world of babies again.  Definite must see! Check out the trailer!

Disclosure: I was provided free tickets to the showing.  The tickets were not received in exchange for published content.

Is raising healthy kids important to you?  Do you ever ponder whether or not your kids are getting enough vegetables?  How to help your children make healthy choices about food and activities as they get older?  Ever wander through a grocery store and try to read nutritional labels to your infant in an effort to educate?  Have you watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and tested your childs knowledge of different vegetables?

Let’s be honest, we all want healthy kids.  And sometimes, it just isn’t easy to figure out what path to take to get there.  The once a year doctor’s appointments are chock full of vaccination information, developmental milestones, scoliosis testing and other really important things - sometimes the basics slip by the wayside.

That’s why it’s great when you have a chance to really engage your children around healthy living and healthy activities.  Once a year, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia puts on a Healthy Kids Day - an event designed to provide information and activities that educate and engage around healthy living for children.  If you have a chance - bring the kids down to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and take part.  Join the 5k walk, visit the vendor tables - learn more about healthy food and drinks - and have some fun!

*For disclosure purposes - I do have a “real job” and I am employed by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  This blog is not related in any way to the work I do at CHOP and is not endorsed or supported by CHOP.  The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

This weekend I ran a 1/2 marathon.  Literally.  I started at  the starting line (well, technically about 3 minutes behind the starting line) and I ran 13.1 miles.  Just for fun.  A few years ago, I wouldn’t have found running more than 13 miles to be fun.  But now that my life has changed because of my kids - I found myself enjoying running the 1/2 marathon.

You may remember my talking about this run previously.  I was working with a group called Team in Training to get prepared.  During the process, I was raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research and patient advocacy and assistance.

I didn’t expect to enjoy the run, but I found myself laughing and giggling as I ran.  There were times when I was running next to someone - another Team in Training teamate or a complete stranger - but the majority of the time I was alone.  Being alone hasn’t always been comfortable for me.  I am they type of person who likes to be surrounded by others.  But while I was running - being alone was perfect.

It made me thing about how as parents, we aren’t really ever alone.  Even at night I have the breathing of my little one and my husband next to me to keep me company while I sleep.   Running gave me a few hours of dedicated alone time.

I spent a lot of the time thinking.  I thought about my kids (what a surprise), I thought about my husband, our home, our life, my job, etc.  It was really nice to have some dedicated me time.  The best part about it was I didn’t feel guilty.  (well maybe a little bit - but much less than usual!)  While I was running, I was doing good work raising money and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Showing my daughters that their Mommy is a strong and dedicated person who can run 13.1 miles and not collapse at the end.

I can’t believe how much I learned about myself and about parenting through this experience.  I feel like I’ve been running ever since my first daughter was born - 3.5 years ago - but this weekend was the first time I meant it literally!

The other night I had reason to be in the Emergency Room at CHOP.  It wasn’t for me or my family, but it was sad and scary just being there.

I was there late at night - I’ve been before, but always during the day.  The other day I didn’t arrive until after 10pm and it was a totally different place.  There were few families there - but the ones that were seemed to be stressed in a way I don’t know that I ‘ve ever experienced.

As scary as it was - I saw the most tender and touching moment I’ve seen in a long time.  There was a man who carried his daughter out of the triage area.  She appeared to be around 11 years old and was clearly upset and scared.  He put her down and she stood on her own for a moment and then reached out to him and wrapped her arms around him.  He enveloped her in a hug and they stood there for a few minutes.  He softly said, I know, I know.

I felt like a voyeur - so I walked away, but I wondered what was happening with that family.  I know that there was pain there, but I was so enthralled with the tenderness of the relationship.  I hope that when my daughters are that age, I can still be a comfort to them - like that man was to his daughter.

Three is a completely exhuasting age - but it has it’s hysterical moments.  Like today - when my daughter kicked me while I was putting her down for her nap.  No, her kicking me wasn’t hysterical - it was what happened next that had me rolling on the floor (outside of her eyesight of course!).  When she kicked me I pretended to cry (it didn’t really hurt - but that wasn’t the point) - she said she was sorry and I said, “that really hurt me.  Why did you do that?  Do I kick you?  She said, “no.”  Then she appeared to think about it for a while and said, “yes you do.  You kicked me in the head once!.”

Needless to say - I have never kicked my daughter in the head.  I just find it hysterical that her mind works that quickly.  I want to write one of those books about funny things your kids say - I think I could fill a whole book with the things she’s said just this year!

So, this thing called blogging is hard.  Trying to find something interesting to write about and then to find a way to write about it that is engaging isn’t easy.  I’m new to the whole idea, it came to me as part of this site.  A site to provide other parents with information about services - a blog was a natural connection.  In addition to writing the blog I spend a lot of time reading other blogs.  I read everything from other parenting blogs to design blogs to medical health and wellness blogs.

I was talking to my friend this week and she was asking be about this blogging thing.  She didn’t really understand it - so I shared a few of the blogs that are in my blog reader with her.  And I thought I’d share them with you too.  You may like them as much as me, you may hate them…but they are interesting - no doubt in that.  Here’s my top 5 list:

1.  Special Sauce in the House - A newer blog to the arena.  A really interesting take on parenting and living life as a Mom of 3.  Everytime I read this blog it either makes me laugh or leaves me in deep thought.

2. Classic Play - Every edition of Classic Play gives me new ideas of fun and interesting things to do with my kids.  Fantastic ideas to encourage imagination and interact with your children.

3. Momfluential - Fun and intriguing.  A mix of pop culture, news and a peek into the life of one of the most interesting families I’ve ever seen.

4. Tiny Sprouts - A small business owner with a passion for old houses, antiques and kids.  Not only does she make the cutest outfits - she makes me want to find my nearest antique store and shop till I drop!

5. The Suburban Jungle - Four words - Laugh my a– off!

These were on my reading list tonight - tomorrow I’ll hit others - I’ll let you know about those too.  In the meantime - stop by and have a read - I can’t wait to hear what you have to think about my reading list!