Enjoy the moment

Great video on relaxing and enjoying the moment.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=591382213499&ref=nf

If Moms Earned a Salary, How Much Would They Make?

If Moms Earned a Salary, How Much Would They Make?

Filed under: Salary & Benefits, Just for Fun Print Article

Posted May 9th 2010 7:16AM

By Barbara Safani

With Mother's Day upon us, I've been thinking about the "Mom job" and how many different jobs it really is. Can you imagine if moms got paid for all they do? Obviously moms don't take the job for the money, but it does make you wonder what their earning potential would be if they were actually compensated financially for all they do.

Here is a list of all the jobs moms do and their corresponding salaries according to Payscale:

#	Job Title	Hourly	Annual
1	Daycare teacher	$9.94	$26,600
2	Restaurant cook	$10.52	$28,900
3	Medical assistant	$13.84	$30,200
4	Tutor	$16.74	$35,000
5	Van driver	$10.48	$28,300
6	(Mental Health) Counselor	$19.00	$44,700
7	Housekeeper	$11.05	$29,000
8	Sr. administrative assistant	$17.56	$43,900
9	Event coordinator	$16.40	$45,500
10	Drug counselor	$18.18	$39,800
11	Writer (notes, letters)	$19.06	$51,939
12	DJ	$27.41	$42,700
13	Career counselor	$18.19	$50,300

That adds up to over $500,000 a year, a nice little chunk of change! And I've even got a few of my own jobs to add:

• Referee -- for all that sibling rivalry
• Child advocate -- to deal with the abundances of injustices in most school systems
• Costume designer -- think of all those school plays
• Editor -- how many of your kid's research papers have you had to read?
• Fundraiser -- schools always need people to help them raise money
• Tour guide -- what mom among us hasn't chaperoned a class trip?
• Entertainer -- moms know this one needs no explanation

The list goes on and on. The reality, however, is that women don't get paid a dime for parenting and society tends to value paid work over non-paid work. And even though moms who work outside the home may "outsource" some of these jobs, they still have to squeeze most of these duties into the evenings, weekends and days off.

So what's my point? It's that we all need to thank all the stay-at-home moms and working moms -- not just on Sunday but every day. And, although there's no salary, bonus or service awards, for many moms the "benefits package" makes it all worth it. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

Babies The Movie

My sister in-law was telling me about this movie "Babies The Movie" and was excited to watch the trailer with my son.

Arriving in theaters Mother’s Day Weekend (May 7), this visually stunning movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world-from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. There are about a billion babies in the world. And Pampers is committed to doing everything we can to support babies on their unique journey of development—caring for their health and happiness, their moms and their world.

© 2010 Focus Features LLC. All rights reserved.

http://www.pampers.com/en_US/babies-the-movie/

-Kathy

Virtual Baby Shower

How do you throw a baby shower for a sister in-law across the country? Host a virtual baby shower.

My brother in-law, along with help from MarthaStewart.com hosted a virtual baby shower for his wife.

Here's what he did:

1. Sent out email to family requesting letters

2. Ordered fun supplies from MarthaStewart.com

Here is a sample of the email he sent out:

Dear Friends and Family,

The past 38 weeks have passed by so quickly and though we have been so far away from most of you, we have felt your support throughout pregnancy #3! Thank you all for being so thoughtful and supportive!

We are now entering the "Final Countdown" - a mere 8 days away! As many of you know, the last few days after a long pregnancy can be some of the most trying days for an expecting mother - and so I would like to invite you to participate in a "virtual" baby shower!

So what is a "virtual" baby shower? And how can you participate? To answer these questions, let me first "paint the picture" for you:

On Saturday A will receive a visitor (son #2) at the front door with an invitation in hand - inviting her to a special baby shower. She will be given a blindfold to place over her eyes and will be led into the back yard where son #1, Dad, and marthastewart.com have decorated the patio with balloons, streamers, flowers, etc. The table will be filled with A's favorite treats (that she has been deprived of due to her gestational diabetes) and her favorite lunchtime menu.

On the center of the table will be a gift for her to open - and this is where YOU come in:

Please respond to this email over the next few days (no later than Thursday evening) with a personalized letter or note to A. Help her to feel as though you are present with us through your words. She is so excited for the arrival of Baby Boy #3. Help us to celebrate this momentous occasion with all of you! Your words of encouragement, love and support will be a gift that will last forever!

I will transfer your letter/note to an individualized card - which she will discover when she opens the gift on the table.

For those of you who, in addition to the letter/note, would also like to Skype in on Saturday, I will have our laptop and webcam ready to receive your calls throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday Also, please feel free to call, text, or leave a message.

With your help and involvement, this will be a very special "virtual" baby shower for A!

Love,

Dalton Family

- Kathy