Since having kids in school, September has new meaning.  September, for me, now represents a crazy start.  No longer just a month, September is cool clothes, new haircuts, interesting ideas, new friends, play dates, expensive shoes, and goals.  Essentially, September is my January.   As I hold my boys' hands and walk them to their first days of school, I not only think about the experiences that lie ahead of them, I also think about the experiences that will inevitably lie ahead of me.

This September, a busy month, became a series of firsts for us - one experience right after another. Some of these firsts include:

•  The first year of school for our 4-year old.
  


• The first year with both kids (finally, thankfully, I thought the day would never come) in school.
  


• The first year where we're not paying so much to our poverty fund, I mean, child care.
  


• Our first year of way, way too many after school activities.
  


• The first year where I finally see clear, dark circles under my eyes.
  


• The first year where I'm able to walk past a sink full of dishes, clothes on the floor, crayons on the wall (!), and just go to bed.
  


• The first year in awhile where the news actually causes me to worry about the economy.
  


• The first year where I can look at my 7-year old and finally relax, knowing he can tie his shoes, dial his phone number, and make it through the boys locker room without stopping my heart.
  


• The first year where I fully understand the importance of strawberry cheesecake, loyal friends, a good iPOD, a husband who makes me laugh, and most importantly the little white iPhone that I will someday own.
  

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Here is what I need. Wine for moms - a fruit flavored wine called  Mommy's Time Out.  I want this!  I'd never buy wine online or any kind of beverage online. However, it sure would be funny to see this in the stores.

Sometimes - I wonder - why can't the kids give me a time out?

At work, I spend most of my time at my desk.  With the exception of occasional trips to a vending machine, cafeteria, or bathroom, I pretty much sit at my desk, stare at a computer, chat with coworkers close by, and then leave at the end of the day.

So it baffles me to look at my phone and suddenly see my voice mail indicator light up - when clearly my phone does not ring.  Confused, I realize that - instead of talking to me - the caller has selected the option to go straight to my voice mail.

Why?  Should I take it personally?  Don't they like my voice?  Or are they just too busy to talk to a real person?  Why someone would call and choose to go straight to my voice mail baffles me and honestly I'm not sure if I want to know the reason.

Well, I just learned about a free phone service that makes me think of this feature of my work voice mail - Sly Dial.  This is a free service where you can call and leave a message to any mobile phone voice mail without causing the mobile phone to ring.

You simply dial 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425) from your cell phone or landline. You then need to listen to an ad (how they make their money, I presume), enter the mobile phone number you want, and Sly Dial immediately directs you to the recipients voice mail. The recipients phone does not ring.

So, if you're nervous about confrontation, if you want to leave a voice mail without disturbing someone, or if you simply don't want to get sucked into a long conversation with Aunt Bertha, then this service could be useful.  It's still sneaky, I think - hence the name, Sly Dial.  I tried Sly Dial on with my husband's cell phone and it worked well - not only did I succeed in leaving him a voice mail without causing his phone to ring, but of course, I confused him. 

Well - maybe I could have fun with this service.