Are you dealing with peer pressure? Not the kid kind. The parent kind.

In the current issue of Woman's Day Magazine Paula Spencer's Momfidence column tackles the topic of parental peer pressure. (There's also a little somethin' somethin' from me at the end).
Give in to peer pressure? Me?

Here's another little somethin'....

Try making the suggestion that instead of snacks at every game, the parents pool snack funds together and provide an end of the season party for the team. I have actually made this suggestion myself and it has been embraced and accepted. No one accused me of being a funsucker. In fact, other parents expressed their own relief that someone stepped up and made the suggestion.

The end of season party is a celebration everyone can share and remember long after the last game is played.

Can you say the same for a juice box and a pack of cookies?

Vibramate Me

I know, they look ridiculous but I gotta tell ya', they are great! The day my Vibram 5 Finger shoes arrived at my doorstep, the entire family had to check 'em out. My son thought they were totally awsome. My older daughter thought they were hilarious and my younger daughter informed me to never allow any of her friends to see me wearing them. My husband was a little upset about them being too small for him to try on. Once I finally was allowed to check them out myself, I was intrigued, to say the least.

First, I had to read the little booklet that came with them to figure out how to get them on properly. Don't laugh. You know how little kids have trouble getting their fingers into each hole in a glove. It was kind of like that experience. Of course, it was made a little more difficult by my totally deformed baby toe that I had to literally pry away from its neighbor to fit in the right spot.

Anyway... the booklet warns to not wear them for too long when you first get them. Take this warning seriously. After about 30 minutes of walking around my house in them, my thighs were burning. Yes, burning. At that very moment, I was in love. A way to work my thighs while simply doing day to day stuff around the house. I decided, if they were this good while walking at home, I should try them at the gym. So, I did. I decided to wear them for my morning work out. I proudly put them on at the gym and went 25 minutes on the eliptical. What an amazing experience. I got my regular cardio work out with an added core strengthening benefit. You see, the shoes really do force you to distribute your weight differently. I get a much better full body work out just from doing my same old routine in these wacky shoes.

I took them to a dinner party on night - not wore them, took them. They were a great conversation starter and, once I explained my own experience with them, everyone wanted to know how they could get a pair. A few of the people were really interested in them for climbing and bouldering.

If you are done laughing at the thought of me in these things, I suggest you check them out for yourself. They really are cool, even if they make me look somewhat primate like.

So push rewind, just in time, I wanna do it again.

Last week I was in Chicago attending the auto show as a guest of General Motors Corporation. It was an excellent adventure and all will be revealed as to the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How in a future post because currently at Chez Renner we are going through major kitchen renovations so my time is limited on my computer due to construction dust. Additionally, I am unable to locate the cable which we use to connect camera to computer in order to download pictures. When I post about it all, I want the pics to go with it. I know, I am such a stickler for protocol is hurts, but I think the result will be well worth the wait.

So, given our kitchen chaos, I am going to begin at the end and work my way back. But please stay tuned for the beginning of the story which might get written and posted towards the end of the week. But it could very well be at the beginning of the week after or even later than that. Confused? All I can say is, "Welcome to my world!"

Now, back to the end of the story...

The final night of my visit to Chicago included a private party at the House of Blues. Hands down, one of the best concert venues ever! Who performed for us?

Smash Mouth.

Chicago has smartly banned smoking in eating establishments,the air was totally clear and the drinks were flowing. GM was our designated driver and all was right with the world. Not that we got hammered, we didn't. I actually get fairly uptight about even having one drink if I know I will be driving. For me, knowing none of us had to be behind the wheel was just one less thing I needed to think about during the course of the evening. Mmmmmm, San Pellegrino Jack & Coke!

Kim (who also blogs here , here,and here) and I were hanging out in the specially reserved GM balcony, dancing around to the music and joking around about yelling out from the balcony, "Shrek Songs! Play the Shrek Songs!" instead of the standard "Freeeeee Birrrrrrrd." After determining we would not be trampled in a mosh pit, we decided to head downstairs and get closer to the stage. This is not to be confused with us "rushing the stage" because this wasn't a crowded event and a couple of 40-something women running full force across the dance floor heading right for the stage would have definitely gotten a look or two. And not in a good way.

Arriving at our destination, we hear, "Now all the ladies, up on the stage, come dance!" All it took was a knowing look exchanged with Kim, and a boost up by one of the security guys. He did an outstanding job of helping us,(it's PC to say we are VC), although I landed on the stage with all the grace of Bambi on ice. Not a surprise, believe me. Tuesday's child full of grace? Ha! Me being born on a Tuesday was someone's idea of a really bad joke.

Once we were up on the stage, the big fun began. Not only were we shaking our tail feathers, after all that is what one does at a Blues club, we were shaking em with the band!

Note: Kim with her guitar hero on the left, Devra the dancing fool on the right. Pictures courtesy of Kim's sobriety camera.

I believe I have found the perfect fantasy man in lead singer Steve Harwell. After all Smash Mouth has been a fixture in our house way before Shrek was even a twinkle in Dreamwork's eye. The Huz, Son One and Son Two are already big fans. Would The Huz even be bothered if I've got Steve H all to myself in my bed head? Hell no.

I can even prove it. I've been brazenly humming "Then the morning comes" all week and no one has said squat to me about it.

But...

If fantasy ever wins over reality, and I go on tour with Smash Mouth, at least I am confident I'll have one roadie and a couple of willing groupies with me and our family will have a delicious distraction from our kitchen renovation.

Cross-posted at DC Metro Moms Blog