2ND ANNUAL FALLING FOR TV

It’s what you’ve all been desperately waiting for: my shortlist of which new television shows to watch this fall.  I’ve noticed that three of my must-see shows are on CBS, and none of them are on the CW. I feel old.

 

Mom (CBS)
Premieres Sept. 23rd at 9:30/8:30c

Anna Faris is Christy; a newly sober, single mom of two children who moves to Napa Valley to live with her critical, estranged mom, played by Allison Janney. Christy also has to contend with a married boss/lover, a crazy co-worker and an irresponsible ex-husband.  Sounds like just the right amount of dysfunction for my taste.

Hostages (CBS)

Premieres Sept. 23rd at 10/9c

Toni Collette plays a surgeon hired to operate on the President of the United States. Before she even has time to update her LinkedIn profile, Dylan McDermott shows up as a rogue FBI agent who threatens the lives of her family if she doesn’t follow his orders to kill the president.   

 

Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (ABC)

Premieres Sept. 24th at 8/7c
The adventures of six agents who are members of a covert crime-fighting organization. Clark Gregg reprises his role as Agent Phil Coulson from a movie I’ve never seen but which apparently made a little money at the box office last year. Personally, I will be watching because Joss Whedon is awesome. Also, the creative team has collectively worked on Alias, Angel, Smallville, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Lost and Heroes so this may be worth giving a shot.
 

The Goldbergs (ABC)

Premieres Sept. 24th at 9/8c
A comedy about a loud, smothering Jewish family set in the 80’s. You had me at loud. The Goldbergs is a semi-autobiographical show from creator Adam Goldberg. It’s being compared to The Wonder Years, which makes me feel really old because I was around Kevin’s age when that show was on, and now I’m closer to Jeff Garlin’s age. Oy vey. The comedy stars Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey.

 

The Crazy Ones (CBS)
Premieres Sept. 26th at 9/8c
I’m kind of wishing that Robin Williams had played Sarah Michelle Gellar’s father on Buffy, but I guess I’ll have to settle for this David E. Kelley sitcom about a family run advertising agency. James Wolk apparently impressed producers with his ad man character on Mad Men because he is also employed at this ad agency. The buzz is around Kelly Clarkson’s cameo in the first episode, but personally I will be watching to see if James Wolk helps to hire any nurses for Robin Williams’ mom.
 

The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)

Premieres Sept. 26th at 9:30/8:30c
The preview for this show made me chuckle so I will definitely be tuning in to watch Fox playing a character based on his own experiences living with Parkinson’s. Fox will play Mike Henry, a news anchor returning to work after a five-year hiatus. This looks like just the right combination of heart and comedy.

 

Almost Human (FOX)
Premieres Nov. 4th at 8/9c
Set 35 years in the future when all cops are obliged to be partnered with highly evolved human-like androids. This latest sci-fi offering from J.J. Abrams doesn’t look nearly as layered as Fringe but I always like to give his shows a chance. I am admittedly unfamiliar with the male leads Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, but the female leads make up for that (Minka Kelly and Lili Taylor).

 

About a Boy (NBC)
Midseason; Tuesdays at 9/8c
Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) is the executive producer of this remake of the 2002 film (based on the bestselling novel by Nick Hornby), so be prepared to laugh and cry at least ten times during every episode. The super cute David Walton plays the man-child who lives next door to a needy mother (played by Minnie Driver) and her precocious 11-year old son (played by Benjamin Stockham).

 

Us and Them (Fox)
Midseason; TBA
Let me get this straight: Rory Gilmore is now dating Jason Ritter, who dated Sarah Braverman on Parenthood, played by Lauren Graham, who played Rory’s mom on Gilmore Girls. This all seems a little incestuous but Jason Ritter and Alexis Bledel seem cute together so this may just work after all.

And please take a moment during commercial breaks to follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.

 

LABELS

Yesterday I did something completely out of character. I registered for my very first 5K run. This might not seem like a particularly remarkable feat, but for those who know me personally this is a big deal. I believe my greatest athletic accomplishment thus far has been being named Gym Class Athlete of the Month in my high school newspaper. My lack of athleticism is a tad embarrassing since I happen to be married to an NCAA champion, but my four-year-old has been teaching me a few skills on the basketball court so I like to think of myself as a work-in-progress.

Exactly one year ago I did something else that was also completely out of character. I started this blog. I remember spending hours mulling over whether I should share my first post but eventually I just took the plunge. Initially, I cringed at the thought of sharing my thoughts. My words. I mean, at least twenty people must have read that first post! Ironically, my first blog post was about embarrassing myself when I fell off a stationary bike in my first spin class. Now, one year later, I am writing about preparing for my first race. I’m not running a marathon, but it’s still nice to think that I’ve made a little progress.  

Sometimes I get a little jealous of my boys. Their days are filled with all of the various activities we have planned for them: gym classes, playdates, soccer, swim lessons, music class, etc. We are always pushing them towards new experiences, introducing them to new people and bringing them to new places where they can explore and learn. Adults don’t have it quite as easy. If we want to do something new we have to plan it ourselves, carve out time in our tight schedules, and then follow through. We all have so many daunting obligations to work, family and friends that doing something new, something for ourselves, becomes a non-priority.

I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point during the past few months I started thinking of myself as a blogger. A writer. Labels are a funny thing. When you’re younger and in school labels often just fall into your lap. You’re the class athlete, class clown, drama geek or bookworm. As an adult, I’d like to think that I have a little more control over how people perceive me and how I want to spend my time. It’s not always easy, but I’ve learned that sometimes you have to label yourself and just let life catch up to that.

Over the past year I decided to call myself a blogger. And a runner.

I’m looking forward to deciding what to call myself next.

P.S. If you want to give me a one-year blogging anniversary present, please like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter!

LIFE’S (SOMETIMES) A BEACH

Last week my husband and I stuffed our car with two suitcases, a stroller, the diaper bag, the beach bag, snacks, sippy cups and a mountain of sand and water toys and headed to the beach for a few days. I can't help but think to myself that whoever came up with the expression “life’s a beach” surely has never been to the beach with a one-year-old and a four-year-old.

This thought first crossed my mind after we had all settled in with our beach chairs, towels and umbrellas. I decided to sink into my own chair with a drink and a book and got about three pages in when my husband called me over to help. Big bro was desperate to start building his sandcastle, while all little bro wanted to do was eat sand. I reluctantly put my book down and picked it up again exactly zero more times. The book sat in my beach bag taunting me alongside the four magazines that I had also brought (silly me, I had previously contemplated whether that would be enough reading material).

I realized that I probably wouldn’t be making it to the spa this vacation.

Then it started raining.

With my family huddled under umbrellas trying to stay dry, I decided it would be a good time to pick up some lunch for us. By the time I arrived back with a bag of goodies, the sun had come out again and I started to get back into vacation mode. I doled out chicken fingers, French fries, fish tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, and frozen lemonades. I sank into my chair and was about to bite into my fish taco when suddenly a seagull swarmed down right in front of my son and ripped into his chicken fingers. The seagull flew away, I recovered from my mini heart attack, and we all just sat there staring at the nibbled on chicken. I made the neurotic mommy decision that it would be too gross to let my son finish his lunch, and after much cajoling he finally agreed to share my lunch. Surprisingly, he ended up finishing a whole fish taco.

After lunch, we endeavored to get little Bro down for a nap. We were certain that the ocean air and soothing sounds of the nearby waves would lull him to sleep in a matter of minutes. Instead, we ended up spending the next half hour struggling to get him to stop squirming away from us in his quest to find more sand to ingest. I looked around at the other adults sitting nearby, lounging with drinks in hand, napping, reading or just gazing at the ocean. Feeling defeated, I turned back to my one-year-old, who was grinning at me with a mouthful of sand. I couldn’t help but grin right back. Then I looked over at his big bro who was busy at work burying his poor daddy in the sand and I couldn’t help but start giggling.

I’ve decided to change the meaning of the expression “life’s a beach”. For me, that now means that sometimes life can be hard, but it is also totally worth it. You may not be able to read your book like you planned, but you may end up helping to construct your child’s first sandcastle. It may start raining at any moment, but when the sun comes back out you appreciate it even more. You may lose a chicken finger or two along the way, but maybe your kid will end up trying something new. You may try to get your one-year-old down for a nap….yeah, there really wasn’t any silver lining to that one…

So yes. Life’s a beach. It’s messy and unpredictable and exquisite. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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THE PARENTING GAME

I’m not a sports fan (much to the chagrin of my husband) but I’ve always loved how baseball can be symbolic of so many crucial life lessons. I thought it might be valuable to consider how baseball can teach us all a thing or two about parenting and what lessons to pass on to our children.

 

Learn how to lose

My four-year-old hates to lose, whether he’s playing basketball, a board game or a computer game. That doesn’t mean that when he insists on climbing up a chute I don’t patiently explain to him that he can only climb up ladders. Little kids might throw the occasional fit if they don’t get their way, but the only way to stop those tantrums is if they realize they can’t change the rules of the game. Learning how to strike out is just as crucial as learning how to succeed.

 

Realize the importance of the sacrifice

Once in a while you’re going to have to give something up for someone else on your team. Sometimes you may have to share your toys, finish chores before going out to play, or miss out on something because of the family’s busy schedules. The good news is that the team you sacrificed for will also be there for you if you need something.   

 

It’s ain’t over till it’s over

The thing I love most about baseball is that unlike so many other sports, a team can be down by a lot but they always have a chance to win, even in the last inning. A day in the life of a parent is long and there are countless ways to screw up (both for the child and the grownup). But you can always end the day with a good bedtime story, and as long as your kid goes to bed happy and in one piece, consider it a home run.

 

Watch out for curve balls

The one thing you can plan for as a parent is that you can never count on anything going as planned. Excited for that vacation you have coming up? Someone is probably going to get sick. Planning to make a phone call during your child’s naptime? They will only want to nap for twenty minutes that day. I find the hardest thing about being a mother is the uncertainty of knowing from minute to minute what problem you will have to solve. Once I relinquished the idea that everything would go as planned, parenting all of a sudden got a lot easier.

 

Don’t forget about the 7^th inning stretch

Kids have a funny little habit of making everything about themselves, but sometimes you need to step away from whatever you’re doing and give yourself a break, even if it’s for five minutes. Modern parents pride themselves on getting down on the floor and playing with their kids, on keeping them away from the television and computer, for making all of their organic meals from scratch. These accomplishments are all definitely things to be proud of, but once in a blue moon it’s ok to turn on Disney Jr., hand your kid a lollipop (organic, of course), and take ten minutes for yourself. As long as you’re not singing Cotton-Eye Joe, this time out will be worth it.

 

If things get really boring, get everyone a hot dog

Or at least some Cracker Jacks…

…but stay away from the juice.

 

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

Dear Duchess,

Given the imminent birth of your first child, I wanted to offer you some advice on what to expect in the delivery room. I’ve read reports that you are planning on having a natural birth, and that you are going to get through it by listening to soothing music. I too was advised to bring music to the hospital and was assured that it would distract me from the pain. Wrong! Please, take my word for it, unless you are using your iPod to throw at everyone who keeps telling you to ‘just breathe’, it really won’t do you much good.

During my first pregnancy, a prenatal class instructor advised me to think of other distractions to bring to the hospital in addition to music. During one class I was given a paper plate and was told to draw a comforting image. I drew my husband and me lying on two beach chairs facing the ocean. In retrospect, I should have drawn me, ripping a paper plate into a million pieces and throwing it out of a hospital window.

Will your royal servants be packing your hospital bag? You must be wondering what you’ll need! Don’t go crazy packing a million things. I’m sure William will run out and get you anything you forgot at the castle. Personally, the first time I was pregnant I arrived at the hospital with a huge duffel bag, filled mostly with a fluffy robe that I NEVER TOOK OUT OF THE BAG. It laid there right next to the fancy pajamas that I NEVER TOOK OUT OF THE BAG. Did you also happen to see the episode of Tori and Dean when Tori Spelling is wearing a designer hospital gown? I foolishly assumed that I, too, would care what I looked like for visitors, but I am here to tell you that Tori might have gone a little too far with that one.

Have you picked a name yet? I would highly recommend doing that before the birth. And if William tells you he wants to wait and see what the baby looks like before making any final decisions, feel free to tell him what I told my husband, “The baby will look like a BABY, not like an Elliott or a Frank.”   

Speaking of your husband, don’t let him try to talk you into a double room. I remember when I told my husband that I wanted to try and get my own room he quite rudely responded, “Those rooms are so expensive. Who do you think you are, a queen?” Don’t let William talk to you like that!   

Your friend,

Mom-fiction

P.S. Kate, if you have some time before the baby arrives, why don’t you follow me on Twitter and ‘Like’ me on Facebook. You won’t regret it!

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

“I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.”

I love television, a little too much at times, but I’m not a nutcase who goes around quoting fictional characters to impart life lessons. Okay, sometimes I am that nutcase. Andy Bernard’s quote from The Office finale has been haunting me for a couple of weeks now. As I witness me and my friends grappling with the daily anxieties that inevitably accompany life as a “grown-up”, I can’t help but reminisce about the good old days in high school and college when I spent my time thinking about tests, crushes, parties and the Future.

Well, the Future has arrived, and in many ways it is filled with more laughter and love than I could have ever imagined. But let’s face it. Life is hard. We are all bone-tired. It feels like we are now bombarded on a weekly basis with some horrific news story that takes place across the country, or sometimes right in our backyards. No matter how blessed any of us feels, it’s hard not to long for simpler times.

Recently, Little Bro “graduated” from his gym class. While this won’t be the most significant graduation of his lifetime (I’m hoping) it did encourage me to pause and think about how time has just flown by. I was suddenly nostalgic for all of the times I had watched my little one so proudly attempt to walk on the balance beam or try to make a basket with the big bouncy ball.  Yet while I loved observing Little Bro blossom in his first gym class, I have to admit that during class I could occasionally be caught checking my watch or (gasp!) my phone. There were many times when I was completely focused on the flip that my son was about to do, but there were also times I could be caught taking mental notes for a future blog or figuring out if I had time after class to buy gifts for the birthday parties we were attending that weekend.  

Nowadays, I find myself caught between longing for The Future, when my young boys are a little older and I have a little more freedom, and The Past, when my boys were little babies who cuddled and cooed and seemed to do something new every day. Little Bro is finally a one-year-old. He can finally feed himself and allow me a few minutes to feed myself! We can go out in public and not worry that we will have to leave an event after twenty minutes because we’ve already gone through the three changes of clothes we brought! We can sleep through the night again (most of the time)!

And yet I still find myself pining for them to be infants once more. Look at how he just falls asleep in my arms! Did you see how he rolled over for the first time!! How cute is he when he spits out the banana?!

If I keep thinking about The Past, or longing for The Future to arrive, I doubt I’ll be able to enjoy much of anything.

That’s why I’m going to try and make Today the “good old days”.


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MAD MEN CHARACTERS ARE JUST LIKE TODDLERS

Turns out that the characters from Homeland are not the only ones who are just like toddlers. Our friends on Mad Men are also a little lacking in maturity.

Here are the top ten ways that Mad Men characters are just like toddlers:

 

1.      Roger Sterling often throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way.

2.      Don Draper likes to play make-believe and pretend he’s someone else.

3.      Pete Campbell has tattled on Don and his father-in-law.

4.      Everyone is obsessed with Heinz ketchup.

5.      Bertram Cooper refuses to put on his shoes.

6.      Peggy Olsen has a new best friend every week.

7.      After lunch, everyone at the office seems to take a bottle and then a nap.

8.      Betty Draper always wants seconds on dessert.

9.      Joan Harris likes to boss people around.

10.  Megan Draper likes to sing in front of everyone at birthday parties.