It happens all the time... I get together with friends over coffee or lunch and inevitably the topic turns to my new lifestyle.

How's it going?

Are you happy?

How did you DO it?

And then the woman across the table will lean forward, lower her voice, and begin to unload. About the frustration, the stress, the exhaustion of trying to juggle career and motherhood. Of her desire for something different, and her fears about how to get there.

Being a stay-at-home mom isn't right for everyone. But I believe it IS right for more people than you'd think.

Take me, for instance. I am a classic workaholic. I loved school and job and the endless spiral to grow and be promoted and make more money. I thrived on the corporate environment. Conversely I hated housework and cleaning and the mundane chores that spoke "stay at home mom" to me.

If you'd asked me five years ago whether I'd make a good stay-at-home mom, I'd have answered with a resounding NO!

So what happened?

And how did it happen?

I've decided to share my story, my tips and tricks, and my advice in the hopes that it will help and encourage those women (and men!) who are considering making a similar life change.

Before I dive in, though, I want to hear what you think.

What questions do you have?

What are you afraid of?

What do you worry about?

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I've noticed that some of the best conversations that CJ and I have take place in that in-between time when I'm shuttling CJ around in the car.

I wonder why this is.

Is the back of my head more conducive to chit-chat than my face? Does my attentive, listening face scare off the big questions?

Or is it the gentle lull of the engine that brings out the deep thoughts from the recesses of my son's four-year old brain?

Is it simply the fact that there's nothing else to do?

Whatever the reason, these car-ride conversations are just another reason that I'm glad to be a stay-at-home mom. I can't predict when CJ will pipe up with a question about death or growing up or babies or cigarettes but I'm always glad that I'm the one who is there to answer it.

Even when I don't know what to say.

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Seattle Mom blogs is hosting a giveaway of a free night and swim package at the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge (giveaway ends tomorrow, 5/15!).

See this post for details.

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I don't know about you, but this winter has seemed the longest, rainiest, and WORST ever. Each and every weekend I bemoan the fact that there are not enough indoor places to play.

So I was delighted to see a new indoor play place opening on Greenwood this Saturday.

According to the website, Playmatters offers children age five and under a place to play in a fun, clean, and safe environment, while adults can chat and network with other adults.

And, this Saturday as part of their Grand Opening event, they're offering free admission all day (10:30am to 6pm).

For more details check out the website at www.playmattersseattle.com.

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I am sitting in the audience listening to a panel called Opting In/Opting Out in which a group of intelligent, likable women talk about their decisions to work or not work, or some variation of the two. The panel is part of Parent Map's Pathways series and is moderated by Mona Locke.

The panelists cover a lot of ground, sharing each of their personal stories, challenges, and perspectives. Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner of Moms Rising lends insight into some rather horrifying statistics, while Carolyn Harvey and Beth Herrild share interesting insights they obtained while doing research for their book, Comfortable Chaos.

There's barely time left at the end for questions. So when a woman stands up and asks what I think is the most interesting question of the night, there isn't time for the panelists to give it the attention that it deserves.

Why is this a conversation about women? Why does the language always point to MOMS? What about the dads?

It seems to me that, yet again, in the great To Stay at Home or to Not Stay at Home debate, the prospect and existence of the stay-at-home-dad has been overlooked, ignored, and forgotten.

It's too bad, really. Because there's some really great stay-at-home-dads out there.

And there's a lot more men who could be.

There are two lectures left in the Pathways series; The Teen Brain; what Parents Need to Know by Laura Kastner, Ph.D. and Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman, Ph.D.

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There's so much to know and so little time! This seems to be a theme in my life.

Which is why today, in honor of Earth Day, I wanted to give you pointers to some of my favorite green online resources.

We all have to start somewhere. I like this list from Baby Center, Going Green; 20 small steps that make a big difference, because it feels like something I can take action on. Start at the top, work towards the bottom, and feel sure that I'm headed in the right direction.

Fellow Seattle P-I reader blogger K.C. Ridihalgh has a really great blog called Green Parenting that is smack full of all sorts of ideas, product recommendations, and inspiration.

Treehugger.com is an all-inclusive resource for going green and everything related. I especially like their "Go Green" master guide, which includes tips on how to greenify everything from a funeral to your sex life.

I'm really excited about the new Carless in Seattle column over at Seattle Mom Blogs, and I'm thinking that reading about this family's carless lifestyle (along with rapidly rising gas prices!) will give me inspiration to drive less.

Seattle Mom Blogs has compiled a huge list of reader tips for going green. And, ending today, there are giveaways for a bunch of great green products including Georgeously Green, brand-new Method baby products, local Belli skincare products, flushable and biodegradable gDiapers, and Kids Klutter Katchers.

Happy Earth Day!

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1) Phinney neighborhood garage sale (details)
Because recycling and reusing is the original green way of life.

2) Volunteer at a local park
There's nothing like getting down and dirty and, you know, earthy. Many local parks have volunteer clean-up efforts going on this weekend. You can find a complete list of these work days here.

3) Climate day for Kids (details)
Sponsored by the Seattle Art Museum, this event at the Olympic Sculpture park promises to be a day of fun AND learning.
Saturday, noon-3pm at Olympic Sculpture Park.

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Don't forget to check out Seattle Mom Blogs for more green tips and giveaways as part of the Earth Day countdown!

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With Earth Day fast approaching, I've been putting some thought into things that our family can do to live more responsibly.

Especially now that I'm in the highly important role of shaper-of-a-future-generation (aka MOM), I want to make sure that Jay and I are walking the walk and giving CJ a worthy example of responsibility and thoughtfulness.

The good news is that we don't throw litter out of our car while speeding down the highway.

We recycle.

We resist the urge to dump toxic chemicals down the drain.

But the truth is that there's a whole lot more that we could be doing.

I was up North at my in-law's house the other weekend, when I ran to the store with my mother-in-law. She reached into her backseat and whipped out an organic cotton (and cute!) reusable grocery bag to bring in with her, and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

I've been out-greened by my mother-in-law.

Then, a few weekends later, I was shopping with my sister-in-law when SHE pulled out a whole stack of reusable Trader Joe's bags to take into the store with her. And I happen to know for a fact that she votes Republican.

Not to say that Republicans can't be green. But, can they?

I guess so!

Here's where I confess that I still use those nasty petroleumy plasticky bags at the grocery store.

And HERE'S where I vow not to any more.

I want to be more like her. And like my mother and sister-in-law.

So now I have to ask... who has the best reusable grocery bags, in terms of durability, usability, and cuteness?

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Make sure to visit Seattle Mom Blogs; where they're giving away two copies of the book Gorgeously Green today as part of their Countdown to Earth Day initiative!

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All of us ladies over at Seattle Mom Blogs are counting down to Earth Day (next week!) by hosting a "blogathan" of green, encouraging people across the internet to write about steps they're taking to live a little bit more responsibly.

The Earth Day countdown includes some great green giveaways (open to everyone, not just bloggers). Check the website often as we'll be posting a giveaway each day, and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment!

I'll be participating by posting some green tips and ideas here. Leave me a comment or send me an email if you have something to add!

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I have been desperately trying to add some HEALTHY into our breakfast routine. Trust me, it's not easy with my four-year old who likes PANCAKES or CEREAL (only not the healthy kind).

But what is it they say... about desperation being the impetus for inspiration? Must be something like that, because the other morning I struck on the PERFECT solution.

Healthy Apple Pancakes
1) Multigrain pancake mix (I like Arrowhead Mills)
2) 1 apple
3) cinnamon

Prepare pancake mix according to directions.
Puree apple and add to mix. Add cinnamon to taste

Cook normally.

They're so yummy! Light and fluffy and golden and flavorful!

I'm not ready for Top Chef yet but I am feeling pretty smug!

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Every day I thank my stars that CJ is potty-trained.

I don't like diapers, pee, or poop.

However, if we were still in the diaper stage, I'd be tempted to try out gDiapers; biodegradable flushable diapers that are free of nasty stuff like plastic, chlorine, perfumes, and dye.

They sound perfect for the modern parent who wants to make responsible decisions but can't stomach the concept of cloth.

Best of all, local blog Hola Isabel is hosting a gDiaper kit giveaway. The kit includes 2 "little g" pants, 10 plastic-free flushable refills, a swishstick and a handy user's guide.

To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment on this post before Friday (4/11) at midnight.

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I got my weekly bulletin from Parent Center today. It's one of many email newsletters that I subscribed to in a moment of weakness, which now clutter up my inbox and give me things to delete. Because, as you might expect, I never actually read them.

But for some reason the title of this email caught my eye. It said;

"Is your child gifted?"

It piqued my interest, so I scanned further. Here's what I saw.

Top Story:

Is your child gifted?

• Is your 5 to 8 year old gifted?
• Signs of giftedness in your 2 to 4 year old
• Inspiring your gifted preschooler
• Helping your gifted child succeed in class
• Share your tales on the Gifted Children board

So I'm thinking, is there a parent out there who DOESN'T think their child is gifted?

I mean, come on. Honestly, people!

As most of you know, I spent the last six months of my life in school tour hell. I gave up a significant portion of my life but the upside was that I learned a lot on these tours... sometimes about the schools and their philosophies, but ALWAYS about the demographic that I'm a part of; parents.

We're a scary lot.

For example, you could always predict which questions would come up in the Q&A component of the tour. The harried principle would open it up for questions and a well-dressed woman in the first row would raise her hand. "Yes, can you tell me how your school works with gifted children?" she would ask in a brusque, commanding tone. And all the parents would sit up straighter in their chairs and lean forward because this part of the Q&A applied to THEM.

MY CHILD IS GIFTED! seems to be the refrain of this parenting generation.

It's funny, at these Q&A's, no one ever asks about how the school supports the NOT-SO-gifted children.

Apparently there aren't any.

I was always tempted to be that parent, the one in the back of the room who yells out, "My kid is a total brat and dumb as a doorpost... what are ya gonna do about HIM?!"

But I never did. Because, you know, it would be embarrassing. And not to brag or anything but CJ is obviously gifted.

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