“I get it, I get it - the last one there is a rotten egg.  Shesh-I’m moving as fast as these little legs will go! “

This is a picture of Little Man, Jason’s son, who looks like he is being followed by a not-so Little Man.  Perhaps this is what Little Man will look like in 4 years or so.  These shadow pictures are wondrous!

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

We all love to talk about the firsts. The first smile. The first steps. The first taste of real food. That first solid poop… (well maybe that was just me) -anyway I think you get me. This is a “first” you dread.

This all started with the first frightened mama phone call, which quickly turned to the first feeling of- “$#@! I’m at work and 40+ minutes from home from them” and on to our first family emergency.

Yes, it finally happened- My LittleMan fell down the stairs - wood stairs- 12 of them to be exact. My wife almost caught him, but his little foot slipped off the stair and he fell from top to bottom. From her angle there was just no way he wasn’t hurt so she called 911and then called me. I could tell she was very upset- she told me what had happened and what was happening- and all I could do was- nothing… Try to console over the phone- the obligatory “everything’s going to be alright-” even though she knew better than me.

All I knew was that he was heading to the hospital in an ambulance and I needed to catch up.
I left work. Miraculously turned a 40 minute trip into 25- and I was standing in the ER waiting room looking at one very happy little boy climbing all over miniature tables and chairs with multiple GIANT lumps on his head, and one very relieved- very worn out- looking mama. Confused, but glowing with relief -I hugged that LittleMan. He proceeded to squirm away, took a couple of running steps then fell to the ground, but then sat up and brushed his hands off. (incidentally always on his head- it’s really pretty funny) He was fine…

There were more firsts to be had- like the head x-rays or the hospital snacks; but fortunately that’s pretty much where the firsts ended. We walked out all together feeling very lucky, feeling relief at the thoroughness of the hospital staff and the examination. But also feeling as if we had been inducted into a special club that you never wanted to be a part of- but feeling a bit more ready for the next time.

Designing a nursery is a very important and fun aspect of planning for a baby. You want the room where your little one will sleep and play to be comfortable, cozy and safe. As parents, you want to enjoy the atmosphere while feeding or soothing your baby as well. You probably look through the entertainment and home decor magazines or at celebrity baby websites and think- those celebrity babies have got it made! Their wealthy parents fly in decorators and Feng Shui gurus to design nurseries that are creative and filled with joy and wonder.

But what about the cost conscious parents out there that are designing a nursery on a budget? Here are some cost effective ways to design a Feng Shui inspired nursery :

• Utilize mirrors in the nursery.  Your baby will find it pleasant to stare at himself and his surroundings. Mirrors also help to open up the energy flow. If there is a protruding wall or “poison arrow”, a mirror will help to open up that space and let the positive energy flow. Positive chi makes happy baby (*and mom and dad*)!
• Decorate the ceiling with painted clouds or glow in the dark stars so baby has something fun to stare at. You can even stamp shapes or paint stencils to make the room fun.
• Make sure there are pictures of family members and other familiar images framed around the room (you can even frame pages from children’s books).
• UNCLUTTER! There is nothing worse than a cluttered room where the energy cannot flow evenly. Creative energy flows best if it’s not tripping over tchotchkes.
• Wind chimes bring good fortune (and don’t [have to] cost a fortune).
• Do not put the crib on the same wall as the door.
• Greenery! Green plants stimulate positive energy.

Feng Shui is all about open, airy energy flow, symmetries or evenness throughout the room and following the Bagua. The Bagua is an ancient Asian map that was created from a turtle’s back. It is broken up into the earth’s elements (water, fire, grass, water, air), colors (red, pink, white, grey, black, blue, green, purple), body parts, people (children, grandparents, father, etc) and aspects of life (like travel, prosperity and creativity). The Bagua map will help you determine which parts of a room focus on a given subject or part of life. For example- the western part of a room is focused on creativity, children, metal and the color white. You might want put artwork created by a child in this part of the room that is placed in a white or metal frame - it’s that easy! When you walk into a room you would hold the red section of the Bagua out so it is directly in front of you facing south.

Decorating a nursery can be a fun and exciting task. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to achieve an inspirational, encouraging, soothing room with positive energy flow!

Every day is a good day to thank your mom. I truly try to do that whenever I think of it. Here’s an example of a recent call - “Hello Mom? I just heard a radio ad about paying down your college debt- thanks for paying for college and not leaving me with heaps of debt. That’s it. Gotta run…!

But Mother’s Day is just a reminder for us to acknowledge the moms in our life. I wanted to thank my mom for the values she instilled in me as a child. These values are so important to me and I hope to instill them in my children as well. Here goes:

Honesty- I will never forget the time you told me that “Liars do not live in this house!” Apparently I was stubborn enough to decide that the need to keep lying was more important than a roof over my head because I packed my Snoopy suitcase and this sad, pajama-clad 4 year old in pigtails showed up at the neighbors looking for a place to stay.  Lesson learned. Honest.

Charity- Fortunately I was enough of a charity case that most of your generous donations went to me but you always showed me how important it is to give to others whenever possible.  Thanks to you, I’m known as a “bleeding heart” to all my friends!

Independence- Yeah- this is one of those things that I probably cursed at you for years but I look back now and thank you. When you always made me order my own food, talk to the bank teller as I deposited $1.27 from my latest capital venture, pack my own lunch every day, get a job at like—age 12! (Child Labor laws anyone??!!) Your confidence building nudges have made me the independent woman I am today.

Commitment- Me- “Please, please, please can I skip soccer practice to go to the cool girl party of the year at so and so’s house??”  You- “No. You made a commitment to the team and you need to follow through on that because they depend on you being there.” Let’s just say I hated that for many years because I made too many commitments that kept me away from too many cool sleepovers but once again, I’m thanking you now- I get what it means to be on a team and what that commitment means to everyone involved.

Support- Nothing says loving support like 2 cups of coffee and a power nap at halftime. I’m talking about the 2 cups of hot coffee you simply held to keep warm, shivering under your coat, on the stands at my sporting events just so when I looked up you would be there cheering me on (with your eyes and smile since your hands were full!) and the power naps you took in the car at halftime after working the night shift and driving 2 hours to a soccer game only to watch the entire game, drive home and actually return to work the next night! Now that’s support!!

Love- Having 2 parents that still love each other after 37 years of marriage is a true testament to what love is and the role model that you are for me as a wife. I am eternally grateful for the love that you have given me – unconditionally. I don’t think anyone truly understands unconditional love until you are a mother. (or parent) To love a child and do whatever it takes to make them happy is a bigger task than anyone could imagine. But it’s something you take on without consideration when you become a mom because you just wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for not having it any other way.

So Mom- on Mother’s Day- Thank you. Such a small word for such big gifts. I appreciate you every day and love the role of “Nana” that you have taken on over the last 3 years. I’m so happy that my children will benefit from having you in their life as well.

Lastly- to my mother-in-law, Pattie. As far as mother-in-laws go, I’m happy to say, it doesn’t get better than you. I want to thank you today for raising your son with the same core values that I was taught as a child and that guidance you gave him is clear in the man he is today. He’s an incredible husband and father and for giving me that- I thank you this mother’s day.  And of course, you are a wonderful and giving Grandma too!

Stop by and tell me how someone thanked you this Mother’s Day.

Runners take your MARK! Go!

As the horn sounded early on April 26th, over 800 racers took off on their way through a very hilly 5K benefiting the Mommy’s Light Organization. The weather was beautiful and the music blared at the starting line. What on earth was this running about?

Mommy’s Light is an incredible organization with a special mission: to bring joy and comfort to children and teens who have lost their mothers, by helping them keep alive traditions and simple pleasures they shared with their mothers. To support young people in adapting to their mothers’ illnesses or deaths, Mommy’s Light’s key initiatives include: (1) free Tradition Fulfillment Services to eligible children and teens; and (2) the development and distribution of education and outreach materials targeting grieving children and the adults who are likely to interact with them.

With headquarters near our Graco office, this was the perfect event for us to sponsor, right here in our own community.

Prepping for the race was the talk of the office leading up to this day….ok, well maybe it was more like just me panicking about not being able to finish and humiliating myself in front of my coworkers. Surprisingly, not the case! By some miracle I was propelled up the last hill of the course pumping my arms on my way to the finish. I will not reveal my time, as many of you reading this could probably walk faster, but I finished none the less! I was indeed amazed at all of the Moms sprinting past me with joggers- SO inspiring!

We do, however, have some amazing athletes here at Graco! A special congrats to the following people who won medals in their age categories:

• Tom Pollack-Silver (Engineering)
• Erin Varano-Silver (Marketing)
• Josh Jacobs-Bronze (Finance)

It wasn’t just Graco employees running the race. Some of the most intense competition occurred on the hills of the playgrounds.

Three year old Jagger was prepping for his moment. “Eat my dust,” he said as he happily greeted PP. (Lindsay taught him that) Good thing they weren’t in the same age group!

The toddler trot drew big crowds, and for good reason- we had a Graco child in almost every age category! All of the children were winners, sporting their medals proudly.

The event also consisted of a Graco Stroller Walk and I Mile Fun Run. We also had a Graco tent raffling off lots of great products! It was a fun event and raised over $47,000! Thank you to Mommy’s Light for giving us the opportunity to support such a great cause, but more importantly, for helping so many children keep alive the cherished memories and traditions of their own mothers.

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by Janet Shamlian of the Today Show for a piece about “mommy bloggers” (and why corporations were reaching out to them) I have to admit, I was a bit nervous for the interview but had I known that it would be only 5 seconds, perhaps I wouldn’t have gotten so worked up! A bunch of you were asking when you’d see it and I said you would only see it if it was good - - so here it is! (yes- that means it was good enough to share here! Phew!)

It was certainly fun to see Graco and our NYC mom blog party on the Today Show, but it was even cooler to see some of the smart, funny and sweet women that we have interacted with online like Mir, Kristen, and Jill talking about why they blog. I also enjoyed the interview with Dooce (Heather Armstrong) where she said that she blogs because of the incredible community she has become a part of (well that was one of my favorite take aways- some other folks found Kathie Lee’s lack of computer knowlege rather entertaining).

Either way, it was a fun experience and so is all this blogging stuff!

And they’re off!!

This is a picture of Melissa’s daughter PP running in a “Toddler Trot” at a recent Graco sponsored event.  (check back on Friday for a post about this event and the great cause it supported) You might think that boy is Michael given Melissa’s post yesterday, but it’s not. That’s actually another employee’s son who is just whooping her butt in the race!

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

Kim’s post about Bear having a best friend at 2 years old made me stop & think. Does PP (who is also 2) have a best friend? Not really, but what she does have is a boyfriend (aka childhood crush). Of course I use that term affectionately (and not realistically) but there is a boy at her daycare that she is really sweet on. Whenever I ask PP who her boyfriend is, she shyly smiles & says, “Michael.” She will even pick up her play phone and pretend like she is talking to Michael. When she arrives in the morning at day care, Michael happily runs over to her & they hug (have even shared a few smooches, too!). Michael & PP have become the “it” couple in the toddler room at daycare.

Of course, I have talked to his mother about this. Apparently Michael has been bitten by the love bug just as much as PP-at home he stares at her picture & gives it kisses. When PP is not in daycare, he asks for her. I wonder if they will remember each other as their first childhood crush?

I have stumbled upon some very interesting & hysterical posts about childhood crushes. If you have a good one, send my way!

I’m inspired to write this blog for a dear friend of mine. It’s a bit personal but is intended to provide hope to others enduring the same struggles.

My daughter’s favorite movie, Charlotte’s Web, has a beautiful theme song – Ordinary Miracle. The song’s message holds a life mantra we all should practice:

Life is like a gift they say,
Wrapped up for you everyday.
When you wake up everday
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Because we are all a part of the Ordinary Miracle today

As my husband and I anxiously await the arrival of our 2nd baby this summer, we feel blessed to be given the opportunity to become parents again and are still awe struck by the miracle of life growing inside of me. We struggled with infertility for years and turned to in-vitro 3 years ago with our daughter, Bear. As we experience another successful round of in-vitro with this pregnancy we keep the faith that miracles are happening around us everyday.

During infertility struggles you remain silent searching for success stories. Unfortunately, when you are trying to get pregnant without success, it seems to be in the water for everyone around you. It’s painful to hear baby announcement after baby announcement. At one point I thought my career at Graco would have to change – how could I surround myself with babies EVERYDAY? And the question you can’t seem to understand or answer, haunts your every thought…Why won’t it happen for us?

And there is NO WAY you are going to talk with friends or co-workers. SILENCE is your perception of the best solution. At least silence prevents the heartache and guaranteed tears that will begin to flow when you see the empathy & pain in anothers eyes. Deep down inside, you also know that other people can’t relate and there is nothing they can say that will FIX the problem…so it’s best to save them the awkwardness and yourself the anguish.

At least that is what I thought. Looking back, I wished I talked more- especially to my family (my husband would agree with that, since he was the lucky recipient of my every thought and worry).
BUT…the minute you have success with in-vitro (Clomid, IUI, etc) ) you can’t say enough. I volunteer that our Bear is a successful in-vitro baby and the same with this pregnancy. It may be awkward for some people to hear however, if I can impact ONE couple with hope that THIS TOO shall happen for them, I’m thrilled.

I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason – my husband & I struggled for a reason. We won’t know why – but I share our story as one of hope & optimism for those enduring the same heartaches of infertility. Because, it was stories like these that gave me strength to keep believing during our 5 years of failed attempts to have children.

My advice…
Have Faith, Relax, Count Your Blessings and…
Enjoy the miracles happening around you everyday.

In my daughter’s words, “Happy to Us”
In a mother’s words, don’t stop believing miracles can happen to YOU!

It’s always exciting to hear the pitter patter of little feet throughout the Graco building.  We had many little visitors during Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day last week.  Employees got to bring their children to experience the magic that happens here at Graco every day! 

Sure, we think we’re engineering and designing breakthrough products, but how would the children describe what their parents do here?  I conducted some interviews to find out:

Question: What did you learn today with your Mommy/Daddy at work?

 “Slinkies don’t go down stairs.”  and (POP!) “Plastic bubbles (from packaging) are fun to pop!”  Craig Desrosiers (Lead Engineer)’s son, age 5, learned two important lesson in physics, focusing on motion and sound. 

Question: What does your Mommy/Daddy do here at Graco?

 “Daddy chatters, spies on people, and goes to a lot of meetings”, observes Mike Halak (General Manager, North America)’s 8 year old daughter.  (Spies?  Oh, she means those focus groups- don’t worry - all of the parents involved know we are intently listening behind the glass! )

Other insights included “talks on the phone,” and “plays” on the computer.  
We managed to harness all of this creative energy around the building by transforming a conference room into a carnival of games and treats.

We also identified some future talent for the fashion and design department! (see for yourself) All in all, everyone had a great time.

And what does this day mean for those who don’t work in a corporate office setting? Beth F. from the NYC Moms Blog had an adorable idea….a trip to the zoo!  (After all, how much fun can kids really have with staplers and paper clips before some serious damage is done?)