I really could be stranded on a desert island with my purse and be alright. Everything I need is in there!

iPhone
I can’t live without it. I rarely use the phone, but check my email, Facebook and Twitter often.  And play Cooking Dash in the carpool line.

Juicy Couture Sunglasses
I’m really a vampire and hate sunlight.

4 Kinds of Lipgloss
Lips look better with a light shine.

Altoids, Dental Picks & a Tiny Disposable Toothbrush
For other people. When I point to their mouth and say “You need to take care of that”, I offer a solution.

Motrin, Tums & Band-aids
Someone in my family is ailing at any given time.

Hand Sanitizer & Kleenx
Germs!

Wipes: Shout & Wet Ones
Again for the family; they are messy.

Flip Cam
My son once had the funniest reaction to laughing gas at the dentist and I didn’t have my Flip, so I couldn’t record it; I never want to miss a show like that again.

25 “Frequent User” Store Cards
For eventual discounts, but I wish the retail world would come up with a better system; what a pain to carry these around.

An Extra Pair of Contacts
Just in case.

A Sharpie
You’d be surprised how much I use this or loan to others who need to permanently mark something.

3 Ritz-Carlton Pens
They are slim and write well.

A Hello Kitty Notepad
Despite the “Notes” feature on my iPhone, I like jotting down notes on real paper. And Hello Kitty is just cute.

Wallet
I get tons of compliments on my Betsey Johnson wallet; it’s very Rocker-Chick stylish.  Of course it carries my money, but also driver’s license, insurance cards, Chili Dawg’s i.d., business cards (Funkidivagirl, Lovable Labels and Mommy), insurance cards, library card, and membership cards (Zoo Atlanta & High Museum). I also have a Blockbuster card, but that is a dying business and I never use it.

Twizzler Nibs
Shhh…don’t tell my daughter.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*This is an on-going list that I will update from time to time.

Own another dog *This is my sweet Chili Dawg!

Swim with dolphins

Travel to the South Pacific Islands

Stay overnight in an Irish castle (because I am royalty, after all)

Rent a villa in Tuscany

Learn to surf (that could be a problem as I am afraid of sharks)

Write my memoirs

Appear on Sesame Street

Own a horse

Go on safari

Live on the beach

There.  It’s out there.  God, are you listening?

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I regret not having a 3^rd child.  It’s bluntly said, without any fanfare or fancy introduction sentence because that’s how I’m feeling right now.   Regret is a powerful emotion because it means that you can’t do anything about the situation, but live with it.  Well, technically I can do something about it—have a baby—but considering my husband is quite adamant about leaving our family just the way it is, it’s not really a possibility.  But I’m going to walk it out and let myself explore the possibility of getting pregnant one more time.

While I enjoyed being pregnant twice before, there are things that are not so pleasant: the weight gain, nausea, exhaustion and all the other mysterious ailments that bombard a pregnant body.  And let’s not forget the pain of childbirth, an experience really best forgotten or remembered through the hazy, rose-colored lens of time.

Of course once the baby is here there are the sleepless nights, leaky breasts, endless crying (both me and the baby), constant cleaning and the whole 24/7 of it all.  When would I find any time for me? It’s something that I have slowly grown accustomed to.  I like having the space to explore different parts of me; that would be hard to give up.   With a baby, my day would revolve around nap times, which of course the old saying goes, I really should be napping also.  As much as my mind thinks that I am 25 years old, it’s actually not true (are you as surprised as I am?); I would need to nap!

The truth is that I would be a different kind of parent for the 3^rd child because Gymboree groups and floor play are not as fun as they once were.   I relished those days when I did it, but there are only so many games of Candyland that you can play without wanting to bang your head on the table.  What I once found delightful and fulfilling does not seem appealing to me anymore; I can’t even romanticize it.  I like sleeping all night, wearing clothes free from spit-up and being able to take my children anywhere; naptime meltdowns or tantrums are no longer a threat.  I really enjoy the conversation and fun that I have with my children now.   The last few years of traveling have been so light: no strollers, sippy cups, snacks or toys needed.

Do you know what else I’ve discovered, by having a teenager?  Mothering doesn’t get any easier!  The infant/toddler parenting is physically exhausting, yes, but a piece of cake compared to the anxiety and worry that goes into making sure that you are releasing a decent human being into the world in just a few short years.  I think I know too much now.  It’s probably best to have children all at once—knock them out, as people say—before you have too much time to reflect on what an awesome responsibility you have undertaken.

These are sound arguments for being thankful for the 2 wonderful children that I have and not even consider having a 3^rd–and I’m sure that my husband can come up with many others.   Still I can’t deny that I feel regretful.  Now that I see how fast it goes—zoom!—I wish that I would have been more intentional about planning my family.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I heard this song the other day and it brought back memories.  I honestly don’t remember any other songs by Mass Production, but “Firecracker” was the jam!   I still know all the words, as I am gifted like that, but this particular song is burned in my memory for a reason.

I was in 7th grade when I decided to try out for the pom-pom squad; this was a big deal because most of the girls on the squad were 8th graders.  Pom-pom and cheerleading wasn’t really even my thing, but you know, this was 7th grade and I wanted to be a part of something and be popular in Jr. High.   Fortunately, I had 8th grade neighborhood friends who let me be a part of their try-out team.  They were a cool bunch, hip on all the latest music and dance moves; they chose “Firecracker” as our performance song.   For weeks we rehearsed our routine after school until it was flawless.  Finally the day came for try-outs….and I woke up terribly sick.  Not a fake I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school Ferris Buller kind of sick, but an Oh-God-no-this-can’t-be-happening-to-me kind of sick.  I had to stay home from school and missed the pom-pom try-outs.  But do you want to know what made it really bad?  The “ain’t that a blip” about the whole thing?  EVERYONE ON MY TEAM WHO TRIED OUT MADE THE POM-POM SQUAD.

And that’s why I will never forget “Firecracker.”  But despite my tragic adolescence recollection, it’s still a jam.  Take a listen ♬:

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Almost a month post-birthday, with the celebration over and the reality that I’m another year older settling in, the Honest Tea people bottled this tea just for me.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.