"Babies will wean and someday they will sleep through the night. This high maintenance stage of nighttime parenting will pass. The time in your arms, at your breast, and in your bed is a relatively short while in the life of a baby, yet the memories of love and availability last forever. "
This is why we 1) cosleep and 2) REFUSE REFUSE REFUSE to sleep train our daughter to go to sleep on her own.
I do not want to send the message to her that we are only available to her during the day. I want her to learn that (to use Dr. Sears' phrasing) sleep is a pleasant state to enter into and a safe state to remain in. I do not believe that leaving her to cry alone until she falls asleep will accomplish those goals.
I'm not criticizing any other parent for choosing to use the cry-it-out method to get their children to sleep. I believe that, generally speaking, parents do what they feel is best for their families based on their own beliefs and principles when it comes to raising children. So why do I not get the same courtesy from other parents? If I'm venting about having trouble with sleeping, just offer some sympathy and encouraging words: "This too shall pass."
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
WRONG!!!
Um, wrong. There is ONE person in the US that has MY NAME....
DUH!
Who writes these programs?!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Bachelorette Party
You know you're in trouble, when you Google, "Name-of-hometown Nightlife" and the only thing that pops up is the local historical downtown movie theatre.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Halfway House?
So as of yesterday, there are now seven beating hearts living in our house. No, I'm not pregnant! I just have a 3-week-old cottontail bunny living inside a plastic box in our bathroom right now. He's a temporary resident and will be returned to the "wild" (aka our yard) probably this weekend.
A storm came up yesterday mid-morning and the wind that preceded the storm was blowing our empty 5-gallon plastic water jugs all over the front porch. I stepped outside and glanced down at the planter that sits right outside the front door. I noticed something out of place...there was a tennis-ball-sized pile of fluff sitting huddled between the wall and the container. It startled me and I exclaimed, "OMG What IS THAT?!" I quickly realized it was a baby bunny. Great. I figured out he had probably been disturbed when the landscape guys came that morning to mow our grass (we have landscape guys because Brad is HIGHLY allergic to most grasses and weeds, I just refuse to mow, and N isn't tall or strong enough to push a mower yet).
Hilarity ensued...after talking to my friend Kimberly (who had recently had the same problem, except there were TWO bunnies invovled in her case, and they were much younger) I decided to set some water and spinach out for him. Well, in doing so, I frightened him and he darted off to the end of the porch. Now he was huddled next to the wall and under the porch railing, but remember the storm I mentioned was coming? Well, it had arrived and the wind was blowing sideways, soaking this poor rabbit.
I ran to the garage to get the stroller and my umbrella. I secured Nyssa in the stroller and set her in the front door where she could see me but wasn't getting soaked like I was about to be. I then opened the umbrella, walked around the porch in the pouring rain, and poked the bunny back toward his original hideout. I had to nudge him a couple of times, but he ended up back where he was, except now he was quite wet, poor thing.
I then got an email from a wildlife rehabilitation lady (http://www.rescuedrabbits.org/), who advised me to get the rabbit, put him in a small shoebox lined with a t-shirt, and set the shoebox on a heating pad set on medium. Then she sent me a Power Point presentation that showed Eastern Cottontails in various stages of development, from birth to adulthood. She asked me to guess how old the bunny was. I figured 2.5-3.5 weeks, and then sent her a picture, which she confirmed was probably a 3-week old bunny.
She said I could either get him to her later that evening, or she could tell me how to care for him over the next few days. We opted to care for him ourselves. She advised us to put him in a tall box, keep part of that box on a heating pad, and to provide water in a shallow dish and give him cut grass from our yard for him to eat. She also listed some of their other favorite foods (dandelions, pansies, petunias, hibiscus), but I don't have any of those so he's just getting grass!
I found out a little later that they don't eat spinach. She advised against giving apples and carrots since they don't get those in the wild.
So I put the little shoe box inside a big clear plastic box and then set a baby gate on top of that. I realized that evening that rabbits are nocturnal! He was bumping around a bit while I was trying to fall asleep, and then he was quiet through the night. And then at dawn, he started bumping around again. Silly guy! When I went to check on him after I got up this morning, I panicked, because I didn't see him at first. He had burrowed underneath the t-shirt that was in the shoe box. I uncovered his head, worried about him getting enough oxygen. He was probably fine, but the mom in me was concerned.
I'll post a photo of his latest set up later.
A storm came up yesterday mid-morning and the wind that preceded the storm was blowing our empty 5-gallon plastic water jugs all over the front porch. I stepped outside and glanced down at the planter that sits right outside the front door. I noticed something out of place...there was a tennis-ball-sized pile of fluff sitting huddled between the wall and the container. It startled me and I exclaimed, "OMG What IS THAT?!" I quickly realized it was a baby bunny. Great. I figured out he had probably been disturbed when the landscape guys came that morning to mow our grass (we have landscape guys because Brad is HIGHLY allergic to most grasses and weeds, I just refuse to mow, and N isn't tall or strong enough to push a mower yet).
Hilarity ensued...after talking to my friend Kimberly (who had recently had the same problem, except there were TWO bunnies invovled in her case, and they were much younger) I decided to set some water and spinach out for him. Well, in doing so, I frightened him and he darted off to the end of the porch. Now he was huddled next to the wall and under the porch railing, but remember the storm I mentioned was coming? Well, it had arrived and the wind was blowing sideways, soaking this poor rabbit.
I ran to the garage to get the stroller and my umbrella. I secured Nyssa in the stroller and set her in the front door where she could see me but wasn't getting soaked like I was about to be. I then opened the umbrella, walked around the porch in the pouring rain, and poked the bunny back toward his original hideout. I had to nudge him a couple of times, but he ended up back where he was, except now he was quite wet, poor thing.
I then got an email from a wildlife rehabilitation lady (http://www.rescuedrabbits.org/), who advised me to get the rabbit, put him in a small shoebox lined with a t-shirt, and set the shoebox on a heating pad set on medium. Then she sent me a Power Point presentation that showed Eastern Cottontails in various stages of development, from birth to adulthood. She asked me to guess how old the bunny was. I figured 2.5-3.5 weeks, and then sent her a picture, which she confirmed was probably a 3-week old bunny.
She said I could either get him to her later that evening, or she could tell me how to care for him over the next few days. We opted to care for him ourselves. She advised us to put him in a tall box, keep part of that box on a heating pad, and to provide water in a shallow dish and give him cut grass from our yard for him to eat. She also listed some of their other favorite foods (dandelions, pansies, petunias, hibiscus), but I don't have any of those so he's just getting grass!
I found out a little later that they don't eat spinach. She advised against giving apples and carrots since they don't get those in the wild.
So I put the little shoe box inside a big clear plastic box and then set a baby gate on top of that. I realized that evening that rabbits are nocturnal! He was bumping around a bit while I was trying to fall asleep, and then he was quiet through the night. And then at dawn, he started bumping around again. Silly guy! When I went to check on him after I got up this morning, I panicked, because I didn't see him at first. He had burrowed underneath the t-shirt that was in the shoe box. I uncovered his head, worried about him getting enough oxygen. He was probably fine, but the mom in me was concerned.
I'll post a photo of his latest set up later.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Why I Love Dr. Sears
It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Dr. Sears.
This is my latest favorite quote of his.
"To expect a curious two-year-old to be a model of obedience in a supermarket that is set up to make adults act impulsively is unrealistic."
This is my latest favorite quote of his.
"To expect a curious two-year-old to be a model of obedience in a supermarket that is set up to make adults act impulsively is unrealistic."
High Fructose Corn Syrup
I have been avoiding almost all products that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for a while now. It started when we found out Brad had a corn allergy. And then I started doing some reading about how awful HFCS is, and so far this is my favorite paragraph about it:
"If nothing else, think of high fructose corn syrup as a giant red flag that says 'I’m heavily processed! I’ve lost most of my nutritional value! The people who made me took the cheap way out, because they care more about profits than quality! You don’t want to eat me!'"
from http://cleanerplateclub.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/take-the-high-fructose-corn-syrup-challenge/.
I think the only thing in our cabinets that contains the stuff is my jar of Miracle Whip lite and the bottle of Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce, both of which will be going into the trash tomorrow. I learned from a couple of different Canadians that the Lea and Perrins sold in Canada does NOT contain the HFCS. I bought some other brand from Whole Foods, but may have to get my friend in Canada to send me a bottle or three of the Lea & Perrins if the Whole Foods brand doesn't taste right.
As for the Miracle Whip, I'm going to just have to start eating my sandwiches dry.
"If nothing else, think of high fructose corn syrup as a giant red flag that says 'I’m heavily processed! I’ve lost most of my nutritional value! The people who made me took the cheap way out, because they care more about profits than quality! You don’t want to eat me!'"
from http://cleanerplateclub.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/take-the-high-fructose-corn-syrup-challenge/.
I think the only thing in our cabinets that contains the stuff is my jar of Miracle Whip lite and the bottle of Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce, both of which will be going into the trash tomorrow. I learned from a couple of different Canadians that the Lea and Perrins sold in Canada does NOT contain the HFCS. I bought some other brand from Whole Foods, but may have to get my friend in Canada to send me a bottle or three of the Lea & Perrins if the Whole Foods brand doesn't taste right.
As for the Miracle Whip, I'm going to just have to start eating my sandwiches dry.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Free on Craigslist!
Need some entertainment? Check out what's being offered for free on Craigslist sometime!
Free Toilets. slightly used in good condition
Ok, yuck.
2 Epson inkjet printers- don't work
Old Dirty Gas Grill PLEASE COME GET IT -
I know why people post these, but it still cracks me up.
***Need shade trees?*** FREE Maple trees you dig up -
Nice way to get revenge on your neighbor.
Bees and Beehive-Please take away
Um, yeah. Good luck with that.
Old, dirty, stained, stinky furniture
I'm guessing this person didn't major in marketing.
free small clown cake
I had extra cake batter and frosting and made a small clown cake. Pick up soon please. Lewisville off 121 and 35 thanks!
While I suppose this is a nice gesture, it falls into the, "Don't take candy from strangers," category.
COLOSTOMY SUPPLIES -
I have a box of leftover supplies from my colostomy and would like for someone to have these that really need them. They are very expensive and already paid for so I would like for them to go for someone's good use.
I have no words.
Fish tank & all supplies, litter box, framed pictures, phones etc
Wow, these fish are litter-box trained, and have a nice set-up with framed photos and phones!
2 Empty Buckets -
Ok, random! The post even included a photo. They were joint compound buckets.
FREE SHRUBBERY
Not so funny if you haven't seen Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail.
FREE : Two Used Tires to good home
Why do they care if the tires go to a good home? What constitutes a good home for used tires, anyway?
FREE MINT GROWING IN MY BACK YARD
This was just weird and random and bound to bring crazies out of the woodwork!
Free Toilets. slightly used in good condition
Ok, yuck.
2 Epson inkjet printers- don't work
Old Dirty Gas Grill PLEASE COME GET IT -
I know why people post these, but it still cracks me up.
***Need shade trees?*** FREE Maple trees you dig up -
Nice way to get revenge on your neighbor.
Bees and Beehive-Please take away
Um, yeah. Good luck with that.
Old, dirty, stained, stinky furniture
I'm guessing this person didn't major in marketing.
free small clown cake
I had extra cake batter and frosting and made a small clown cake. Pick up soon please. Lewisville off 121 and 35 thanks!
While I suppose this is a nice gesture, it falls into the, "Don't take candy from strangers," category.
COLOSTOMY SUPPLIES -
I have a box of leftover supplies from my colostomy and would like for someone to have these that really need them. They are very expensive and already paid for so I would like for them to go for someone's good use.
I have no words.
Fish tank & all supplies, litter box, framed pictures, phones etc
Wow, these fish are litter-box trained, and have a nice set-up with framed photos and phones!
2 Empty Buckets -
Ok, random! The post even included a photo. They were joint compound buckets.
FREE SHRUBBERY
Not so funny if you haven't seen Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail.
FREE : Two Used Tires to good home
Why do they care if the tires go to a good home? What constitutes a good home for used tires, anyway?
FREE MINT GROWING IN MY BACK YARD
This was just weird and random and bound to bring crazies out of the woodwork!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tagged
Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you’ve posted your three sentences.
So since the nearest books were "Shiny Touchy Smelly" - no words, "Happy Baby 123" - not 123 pages, and "Moo, Baa, La La La" - also short on pages, I got up and walked into the study to get a book that had 123 pages.
"Women admitted to the hospital in early labor or prelabor may be more likely to have labor interventions. If you have reached the point in pregnancy when labor looms even larger than you do, you have almost certainly considered pain relief medication for labor. Obstetric management offers only two options: injected narcotics and epidurals."
From Henci Goer's _The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth._
No, I'm not pregnant. I lent the book to a friend and just got it back a couple of weeks ago, and hadn't bothered to return it to its proper place on my bookshelf yet.
Tagging: April, Erin, Adri, Lynn, and Misty. And anyone else that wants to participate.
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you’ve posted your three sentences.
So since the nearest books were "Shiny Touchy Smelly" - no words, "Happy Baby 123" - not 123 pages, and "Moo, Baa, La La La" - also short on pages, I got up and walked into the study to get a book that had 123 pages.
"Women admitted to the hospital in early labor or prelabor may be more likely to have labor interventions. If you have reached the point in pregnancy when labor looms even larger than you do, you have almost certainly considered pain relief medication for labor. Obstetric management offers only two options: injected narcotics and epidurals."
From Henci Goer's _The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth._
No, I'm not pregnant. I lent the book to a friend and just got it back a couple of weeks ago, and hadn't bothered to return it to its proper place on my bookshelf yet.
Tagging: April, Erin, Adri, Lynn, and Misty. And anyone else that wants to participate.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Best laid plans...
Yesterday evening Brad could tell I needed a break, so he sent me out for some retail therapy. I headed to Michaels, where I stumbled upon a fabulous sale - 60% off all of these super-cute cottage-style decorations (photos are over on the house blog). I instantly knew that I had to have these things for our downstairs bathroom. I picked out several pieces and decided it was time to pick a color for the bathroom walls. I selected a couple of shades of paints and decided that the next morning N and I would head to the paint store and buy samples so I could choose one color and get started on painting.
Since it was really nice outside, I decided we should walk to the paint store. I mean, it was only a half-mile from our house - literally around the corner - the weather was great, I could use the exercise, I wouldn't have to get N in and out of her car seat just to go a half-mile, fuel prices are really high (ok, so that wasn't really any motivation for not driving, I mean, it was ONLY a half-mile away!), I had lots of great reasons why I should walk. Brad asked me if I was sure I wanted to walk there, and I insisted that it was a good idea.
It turns out I should listen to my husband more. He is wise. Wise enough not to try and convince his stubborn wife that she really should just get in the car and drive the half-mile to the paint store.
I loaded N up in the stroller, gave her a little scrapbook that happens to be her favorite right now, and off we went.
About three-quarters of the way there, I was reminded of Shel Silverstein. The sidewalk ended. Not only was our nice paved surface gone, but so was the flat terrain. All of a sudden, we were presented with an uneven, hilly area that was extremely difficult to navigate with a 20 pound stroller and a 21 pound toddler. And when the hill finally flattened and the sidewalk picked back up, it was over a bridge and the sidewalk was just as wide as my stroller. And then the sidewalk ended again! We walked through a parking lot, only to find that there was no sidewalk along the MAJOR road (think three lanes of traffic on each side!), so now I was pushing the stroller across the grass just a few feet from cars and trucks driving 50 mph or more. It was nerve-wracking to say the least!
We did make it to the paint store safely, selected the paint and a few supplies, and then I called Brad to see if he was close enough to come pick us up, as I was dreading the walk back home. Unfortunately, he was a couple of towns away (so probably just 15 minutes, plus the time to go home and pick up the car seat) and I decided I'd suck it up and walk back home. Fortunately, I had had the foresight to put the Beco in the basket of the stroller, just in case. I ended up putting N on my back, since the stroller without 21 pounds of toddler would be easier to manage on that stupid hilly terrain. Once we reached the sidewalk again, I returned N to the stroller as it really was too hot to wear her and continue to walk home.
Since it was really nice outside, I decided we should walk to the paint store. I mean, it was only a half-mile from our house - literally around the corner - the weather was great, I could use the exercise, I wouldn't have to get N in and out of her car seat just to go a half-mile, fuel prices are really high (ok, so that wasn't really any motivation for not driving, I mean, it was ONLY a half-mile away!), I had lots of great reasons why I should walk. Brad asked me if I was sure I wanted to walk there, and I insisted that it was a good idea.
It turns out I should listen to my husband more. He is wise. Wise enough not to try and convince his stubborn wife that she really should just get in the car and drive the half-mile to the paint store.
I loaded N up in the stroller, gave her a little scrapbook that happens to be her favorite right now, and off we went.
About three-quarters of the way there, I was reminded of Shel Silverstein. The sidewalk ended. Not only was our nice paved surface gone, but so was the flat terrain. All of a sudden, we were presented with an uneven, hilly area that was extremely difficult to navigate with a 20 pound stroller and a 21 pound toddler. And when the hill finally flattened and the sidewalk picked back up, it was over a bridge and the sidewalk was just as wide as my stroller. And then the sidewalk ended again! We walked through a parking lot, only to find that there was no sidewalk along the MAJOR road (think three lanes of traffic on each side!), so now I was pushing the stroller across the grass just a few feet from cars and trucks driving 50 mph or more. It was nerve-wracking to say the least!
We did make it to the paint store safely, selected the paint and a few supplies, and then I called Brad to see if he was close enough to come pick us up, as I was dreading the walk back home. Unfortunately, he was a couple of towns away (so probably just 15 minutes, plus the time to go home and pick up the car seat) and I decided I'd suck it up and walk back home. Fortunately, I had had the foresight to put the Beco in the basket of the stroller, just in case. I ended up putting N on my back, since the stroller without 21 pounds of toddler would be easier to manage on that stupid hilly terrain. Once we reached the sidewalk again, I returned N to the stroller as it really was too hot to wear her and continue to walk home.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
A Word to the Wise...
If you want to spend four days gimping around like you're a hundred and thirty years old, then I recommend that you do squats to failure. That means that you tap your hiney to a chair (without actually sitting down) until you simply cannot return to a standing position any longer.
I confess, I did quit probably a few squats before total failure, since Miss N was getting rather impatient sitting in her stroller watching her crazy mommy sit down and stand back up again, over and over, to the tune of a hundred and five times.
And boy, let me tell you, simple movements like standing, sitting, rolling over in bed, getting in and out of the car, etc! have become unbelievably difficult in the last few days. I know I've been rather comical to watch moving around the house. I even caught my foot on the door frame of our bathroom and my TODDLER laughed at me! Eesh.
The last time I remember being this sore was right after giving birth. The time before that was after the White Rock half-marathon in December of 2003.
What prompted me to do such a thing in the first place? Well, our StrollerFit instructor has issued another 6-week total body challenge. Last year we just took measurements. This year she's added in a few physical challenges as well: total situps in 60 seconds (I HATE situps! Crunches are good, situps SUCK), pushups to failure, and squats to failure. As my workout buddy Becky pointed out, I'm going to have to beat my initial count of 105 on the squats in 6 weeks. Right now I don't see that happening, not because I don't think I will get stronger and can do more by then, but because I do not want to be this sore again for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time. Back when I was working a desk job, it wasn't a big deal. My job now requires me to be a LOT more active - I spend a lot of time going from sitting in the floor to standing and am on my feet and walking around a lot more than I used to!
I confess, I did quit probably a few squats before total failure, since Miss N was getting rather impatient sitting in her stroller watching her crazy mommy sit down and stand back up again, over and over, to the tune of a hundred and five times.
And boy, let me tell you, simple movements like standing, sitting, rolling over in bed, getting in and out of the car, etc! have become unbelievably difficult in the last few days. I know I've been rather comical to watch moving around the house. I even caught my foot on the door frame of our bathroom and my TODDLER laughed at me! Eesh.
The last time I remember being this sore was right after giving birth. The time before that was after the White Rock half-marathon in December of 2003.
What prompted me to do such a thing in the first place? Well, our StrollerFit instructor has issued another 6-week total body challenge. Last year we just took measurements. This year she's added in a few physical challenges as well: total situps in 60 seconds (I HATE situps! Crunches are good, situps SUCK), pushups to failure, and squats to failure. As my workout buddy Becky pointed out, I'm going to have to beat my initial count of 105 on the squats in 6 weeks. Right now I don't see that happening, not because I don't think I will get stronger and can do more by then, but because I do not want to be this sore again for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time. Back when I was working a desk job, it wasn't a big deal. My job now requires me to be a LOT more active - I spend a lot of time going from sitting in the floor to standing and am on my feet and walking around a lot more than I used to!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Flat
You know how in cartoons when the characters get run over by steamrollers they are as flat as paper? Well, that happens to real, live frogs as well.
N and I were heading out for the morning yesterday. I had just put her into her car seat and was walking behind the car heading to the driver's side. I glanced down at the garage floor and thought, "Hm. That leaf is shaped like a frog! Oh, wait. No. That IS a frog. Oops."
How sad! We have a creek behind our house where there are lots of frogs ribbeting at night, and I commented the other day that I wanted to see the froggies. Seeing one on our garage floor squished flat by my car tire was SO not what I meant! At least it happened on the day AFTER Earth Day!
N and I were heading out for the morning yesterday. I had just put her into her car seat and was walking behind the car heading to the driver's side. I glanced down at the garage floor and thought, "Hm. That leaf is shaped like a frog! Oh, wait. No. That IS a frog. Oops."
How sad! We have a creek behind our house where there are lots of frogs ribbeting at night, and I commented the other day that I wanted to see the froggies. Seeing one on our garage floor squished flat by my car tire was SO not what I meant! At least it happened on the day AFTER Earth Day!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Were you an April Fool?
I almost was, for about 15 seconds after reading my friend Heidi's email about them relocating to France in 30 days. Then it dawned on me what day it was.
I was going to email a photo of a digital pregnancy test that said pregnant to some friends, but yesterday was so busy that I never got this:
But I did pull a fast one over on B! I called him and some semblance of the following conversation took place between us:
J: Guess who called me to offer me my old job back.
B: Your old boss!
J: I know, can you believe it! So crazy. Anyway, I think I'm going to accept her offer. The money would be nice, and I'm getting bored with staying home all day. Bored and burned out - I need a change of pace.
B: But what about N?
J: What about N? We'll just put her in daycare. She'll be fine. She'll adjust, kids are adaptable.
B: Are you serious?!
Now if you could have seen me, you'd have known I was lying through my teeth. I was trying so hard not to laugh. I LOVE staying home with N, we do a LOT and are NEVER bored. The only thing I'm burned out on is not getting a good night's sleep thanks to TEETHING. I couldn't go on any more with the charade, so I asked B if he'd looked at his calendar. He just laughed and laughed after realizing what day it was.
Poor guy, that wasn't his first April Fool's, either. He'd had his medical exam for his private pilot license and after it was over, the doctor said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to pass you today." B stuttered and stammered for a few seconds before the doctor said, "April Fools!" POOR B!!! :-) He's a good sport.
I was going to email a photo of a digital pregnancy test that said pregnant to some friends, but yesterday was so busy that I never got this:
But I did pull a fast one over on B! I called him and some semblance of the following conversation took place between us:
J: Guess who called me to offer me my old job back.
B: Your old boss!
J: I know, can you believe it! So crazy. Anyway, I think I'm going to accept her offer. The money would be nice, and I'm getting bored with staying home all day. Bored and burned out - I need a change of pace.
B: But what about N?
J: What about N? We'll just put her in daycare. She'll be fine. She'll adjust, kids are adaptable.
B: Are you serious?!
Now if you could have seen me, you'd have known I was lying through my teeth. I was trying so hard not to laugh. I LOVE staying home with N, we do a LOT and are NEVER bored. The only thing I'm burned out on is not getting a good night's sleep thanks to TEETHING. I couldn't go on any more with the charade, so I asked B if he'd looked at his calendar. He just laughed and laughed after realizing what day it was.
Poor guy, that wasn't his first April Fool's, either. He'd had his medical exam for his private pilot license and after it was over, the doctor said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to pass you today." B stuttered and stammered for a few seconds before the doctor said, "April Fools!" POOR B!!! :-) He's a good sport.
Hang Up and DRIVE!
N loves the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. I have been trying to find a used one for a decent price from Craigslist to no avail. So then I started searching the regular retailers. Target doesn't have the classic car that's red and yellow, but they do have a Princess car that comes with a pink ! cell phone! And that's not all...no, the product photo has a little girl DRIVING THE CAR WHILE ON THE PHONE!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Gardening
My friend and neighbor down the street has some beautiful hydrangeas planted in pots outside her home.
I have a horrible time remembering what the name of them are, and usually go through delphinium and hyacinth before hydrangea finally hits me. I had to use Wikipedia to remind me.
At the bottom of the Wiki entry for hydrangea was a warning on their poisonous nature.
"Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides. However, poisoning is rare, as the plant does not look like an enticing food source."
Whomever wrote that has obviously never had a toddler.
I have a horrible time remembering what the name of them are, and usually go through delphinium and hyacinth before hydrangea finally hits me. I had to use Wikipedia to remind me.
At the bottom of the Wiki entry for hydrangea was a warning on their poisonous nature.
"Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides. However, poisoning is rare, as the plant does not look like an enticing food source."
Whomever wrote that has obviously never had a toddler.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Fun with Flair
I'm too old to be messing around on Facebook, but it's a nice, mindless time-waster.
I had fun looking through the virtual buttons on the Flair application.
My favorites:
some are hard to read! The top middle says, "I sing for the one who gave me my song." The black one next to it says, "I can't...I have rehearsal." Seems like I'm always missing moms' night out because of worship team rehearsals on Thursdays...but that's ok! :-)
The blue one below "I scrapbook" says, "they don't know that we know they know we know."
The music note one says, "What have I done?" The one next to that says, "If my daughter is the Princess, that makes me the QUEEN!" Below "Save the tatas" is "You're a great friend but if the zombies chase us I'm tripping you." The green one says, "Well, that's not a good sign." The blue one with an angry face says "I judge you when you use poor grammar." The one with the ducks says, "I had plastic surgery done."
I had fun looking through the virtual buttons on the Flair application.
My favorites:
some are hard to read! The top middle says, "I sing for the one who gave me my song." The black one next to it says, "I can't...I have rehearsal." Seems like I'm always missing moms' night out because of worship team rehearsals on Thursdays...but that's ok! :-)
The blue one below "I scrapbook" says, "they don't know that we know they know we know."
The music note one says, "What have I done?" The one next to that says, "If my daughter is the Princess, that makes me the QUEEN!" Below "Save the tatas" is "You're a great friend but if the zombies chase us I'm tripping you." The green one says, "Well, that's not a good sign." The blue one with an angry face says "I judge you when you use poor grammar." The one with the ducks says, "I had plastic surgery done."
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wii have a fever
For well over a year now, I have not understood all of the hype surrounding the Wii gaming system.
Until last night.
A month or so ago, we invited a couple of our friends over for dinner last night. My parents just so happened to be driving back home from their spring break trip to Oklahoma and wanted to stop and spend the night with us to visit. So we had a house full of guests. We had fajitas, chips, and salsa from Chili's, and beans and rice from a local Mexican restaurant down the street from where we live, and homemade guacamole. Oh, and slushy bucket margaritas made using the On The Border bucket margarita mix with Jose Cuervo Gold tequila (see my previous post about Mommy of the Year!). And after dinner, my parents offered to bring in their brand new Wii that they picked up at a WalMart in a small town near where they were staying. There were fourteen in stock; B and I keep joking about driving up there to pick one up. Anyway, the six of us had a BLAST just creating our Miis - lots of laughter ensued. And then we played the bowling game right in the comfort of our own living room! It was a LOT of fun and now we want one to entertain ourselves!
After two rounds of bowling, our dinner guests had to go home. After they left, my mom and I started playing the Wii Play games trying to get to the Cow Racing portion. It's the second-to-the-last game on the disc, and you HAVE to play the first seven games in order to get to the Cow Racing game (which by FAR is the best game on the disc). The most annoying and hard-to-learn game was the billiards one. It took Mom and I for-EV-ER to get through that one.
And then when we went to play today, we found ourselves having to go through all of the games AGAIN! GRRRR! The billiards game went a little faster this time, but it was still aggravating.
Until last night.
A month or so ago, we invited a couple of our friends over for dinner last night. My parents just so happened to be driving back home from their spring break trip to Oklahoma and wanted to stop and spend the night with us to visit. So we had a house full of guests. We had fajitas, chips, and salsa from Chili's, and beans and rice from a local Mexican restaurant down the street from where we live, and homemade guacamole. Oh, and slushy bucket margaritas made using the On The Border bucket margarita mix with Jose Cuervo Gold tequila (see my previous post about Mommy of the Year!). And after dinner, my parents offered to bring in their brand new Wii that they picked up at a WalMart in a small town near where they were staying. There were fourteen in stock; B and I keep joking about driving up there to pick one up. Anyway, the six of us had a BLAST just creating our Miis - lots of laughter ensued. And then we played the bowling game right in the comfort of our own living room! It was a LOT of fun and now we want one to entertain ourselves!
After two rounds of bowling, our dinner guests had to go home. After they left, my mom and I started playing the Wii Play games trying to get to the Cow Racing portion. It's the second-to-the-last game on the disc, and you HAVE to play the first seven games in order to get to the Cow Racing game (which by FAR is the best game on the disc). The most annoying and hard-to-learn game was the billiards one. It took Mom and I for-EV-ER to get through that one.
And then when we went to play today, we found ourselves having to go through all of the games AGAIN! GRRRR! The billiards game went a little faster this time, but it was still aggravating.
Mommy of the Year Award
Goes to ME, for hauling my kid into the liquor store yesterday to buy a bottle of tequila.
When we go shopping in other places I am always talking to her about what's on the shelves, you know, "Oh, see the pretty vases? Look, there's a red one, and a yellow one..." etc. There is nothing quite like saying, "Oh, look at the pretty bottles," to your 15-month-old in a liquor store!
Hey, it was better than leaving her in the car!
And apparently they have lots of kids come in there with their parents - enough to warrant a big bowl of Dum Dum suckers behind the counter! The guy asked me, "She's too young for a lollipop, probably."
When we go shopping in other places I am always talking to her about what's on the shelves, you know, "Oh, see the pretty vases? Look, there's a red one, and a yellow one..." etc. There is nothing quite like saying, "Oh, look at the pretty bottles," to your 15-month-old in a liquor store!
Hey, it was better than leaving her in the car!
And apparently they have lots of kids come in there with their parents - enough to warrant a big bowl of Dum Dum suckers behind the counter! The guy asked me, "She's too young for a lollipop, probably."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
She's Gone
This is not going to be the most uplifting blog entry I've written. You won't hurt my feelings if you don't read or don't finish.
My friend Dottie lost her battle with breast cancer last Wednesday. I've put off writing about it, partially because I don't have any photos of my own of her on this computer. Dumb, but that's my excuse. I'd known Dottie for a little over or under 10 years. We met on a scrapbooking newsgroup way back in 1998 or 1999. In 2000, I met her in person at a weekend scrapbooking retreat for the aforementioned newsgroup. She was an amazing person, full of life and laughter and fun, and she called a spade a spade with no qualms or apologies. We kept in touch via email over the last 10 years, and I'd been praying fervently for her healing. She got the Ultimate Healing and has no more pain or sorrow, as she is in the presence of the Lord.
On Saturday, just four days before Dottie passed away, my great-aunt Leota went home to the Lord. She had had a stroke several years before, and her health had declined from there. She weighed just 60 pounds when she died. She was a tiny person anyway, but 60 pounds still wasn't healthy for her. Bless her heart! I tried to be good in the last few years about writing her letters and sending her photos, but never sent as many as I would have liked. You know, the shoulda, woulda, coulda guilt complex!
And then I started thinking, you know, I have lost a LOT of family members in my lifetime. I still have some friends who have not yet had to deal with the death of anyone close to them. I'm no stranger to that. This is going to be weird, but I thought I'd catalog all of the family members I've said goodbye, or rather, see you later, to over the years.
My first loss was either my great-grandmother or my great-grandfather; I can't recall which. I think it was MawMaw but I am not sure. Anyway, she died when I was really young, maybe 5? Her husband died shortly thereafter, I think. I was really young so the details are pretty hazy.
These dates may not be the most accurate. I know both of my step-dad's parents passed when I was in either middle school or high school. I can't remember the exact years (sorry!). My dad's mom died when I was a freshman in high school. My dad's dad (well, his step-dad, as his biological father died when my dad was 9) died in 1993 when I was a freshman in college. In 1994, my then-sister-in-law gave birth to a premature baby, Kevin Blake, who died 13 days later. It was the hardest funeral I'd ever attended. Until then, only old people had died in my life, and this just wasn't right!!! Babies aren't supposed to die!!! My mom's best friend died from cancer in February of 1994 in her late 30s. Another difficult death for me - she left behind a great husband and two sweet boys. She herself was a really sweet woman. I attended a funeral in 1997 for my sister's friend, who drowned. That also sucked - he was a senior and had his whole life ahead of him. My aunt (my mom's sister) died in August (?) of 1998. My grandmother (mom's mom) died in September of 1999. In December of 2001, I lost my dad. It sucks a lot to lose a parent, even if you don't have the greatest relationship with them. My great-uncle Doug (my maternal grandfather's brother) died in 2002, I think, then his brother Jimmy (Aunt Leota's husband) died in 2003, as did my cousin TJ - another rough death - he was my age (!!!) and a week or so later, my dad's brother Ray died. Then in February of 2005, my Popa, my mom's dad, died. That was another hard one for me, he was my last living grandparent. In early 2007 Brad's uncle died, and then in late 2007, his grandmother passed away. And that brings me to the two most recent deaths already mentioned at the beginning of this post.
I think there have been some other deaths on my dad's side of the family, but I can't recall who at the moment.
So here's the neat thing...I know they all are in heaven and that I will see them all again some day! That is pretty exciting. And that's what gets me through the rough times.
My friend Dottie lost her battle with breast cancer last Wednesday. I've put off writing about it, partially because I don't have any photos of my own of her on this computer. Dumb, but that's my excuse. I'd known Dottie for a little over or under 10 years. We met on a scrapbooking newsgroup way back in 1998 or 1999. In 2000, I met her in person at a weekend scrapbooking retreat for the aforementioned newsgroup. She was an amazing person, full of life and laughter and fun, and she called a spade a spade with no qualms or apologies. We kept in touch via email over the last 10 years, and I'd been praying fervently for her healing. She got the Ultimate Healing and has no more pain or sorrow, as she is in the presence of the Lord.
On Saturday, just four days before Dottie passed away, my great-aunt Leota went home to the Lord. She had had a stroke several years before, and her health had declined from there. She weighed just 60 pounds when she died. She was a tiny person anyway, but 60 pounds still wasn't healthy for her. Bless her heart! I tried to be good in the last few years about writing her letters and sending her photos, but never sent as many as I would have liked. You know, the shoulda, woulda, coulda guilt complex!
And then I started thinking, you know, I have lost a LOT of family members in my lifetime. I still have some friends who have not yet had to deal with the death of anyone close to them. I'm no stranger to that. This is going to be weird, but I thought I'd catalog all of the family members I've said goodbye, or rather, see you later, to over the years.
My first loss was either my great-grandmother or my great-grandfather; I can't recall which. I think it was MawMaw but I am not sure. Anyway, she died when I was really young, maybe 5? Her husband died shortly thereafter, I think. I was really young so the details are pretty hazy.
These dates may not be the most accurate. I know both of my step-dad's parents passed when I was in either middle school or high school. I can't remember the exact years (sorry!). My dad's mom died when I was a freshman in high school. My dad's dad (well, his step-dad, as his biological father died when my dad was 9) died in 1993 when I was a freshman in college. In 1994, my then-sister-in-law gave birth to a premature baby, Kevin Blake, who died 13 days later. It was the hardest funeral I'd ever attended. Until then, only old people had died in my life, and this just wasn't right!!! Babies aren't supposed to die!!! My mom's best friend died from cancer in February of 1994 in her late 30s. Another difficult death for me - she left behind a great husband and two sweet boys. She herself was a really sweet woman. I attended a funeral in 1997 for my sister's friend, who drowned. That also sucked - he was a senior and had his whole life ahead of him. My aunt (my mom's sister) died in August (?) of 1998. My grandmother (mom's mom) died in September of 1999. In December of 2001, I lost my dad. It sucks a lot to lose a parent, even if you don't have the greatest relationship with them. My great-uncle Doug (my maternal grandfather's brother) died in 2002, I think, then his brother Jimmy (Aunt Leota's husband) died in 2003, as did my cousin TJ - another rough death - he was my age (!!!) and a week or so later, my dad's brother Ray died. Then in February of 2005, my Popa, my mom's dad, died. That was another hard one for me, he was my last living grandparent. In early 2007 Brad's uncle died, and then in late 2007, his grandmother passed away. And that brings me to the two most recent deaths already mentioned at the beginning of this post.
I think there have been some other deaths on my dad's side of the family, but I can't recall who at the moment.
So here's the neat thing...I know they all are in heaven and that I will see them all again some day! That is pretty exciting. And that's what gets me through the rough times.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
I need an eye exam
Our new couches arrived on Tuesday. I finally got around to removing the hanging tags from them today. One of the tags is a "WARNING: FLAMMABLE" tag. I really need my eyes examined, because I thought bullet point number 3 said, "Keep children away from machetes and lighters." It says "matches," but machetes is much funnier. I suppose I should return Nyssa's Easter gift back to Machetes R Us!
For some reason, the name "TAMMY" is stamped on the WARNING:FLAMMABLE tag. I'm not sure why. It doesn't say, "Inspected by," or "For a good time, call" or anything.
Junk mail amuses me. Pizza Hut's latest flyer is advertising "The Natural." It has a multi-grain crust, sauce made from organic tomatoes, and (this is the one that gets me) ALL-NATURAL mozzarella cheese. That scares me a little. I mean, what is the mozzarella cheese on their regular, non-all-natural, pizzas made from, if it's not ALL NATURAL??? What does unnatural cheese look like? Actually, I think I know the answer to that one - it's in the form of veggie cheese slices made from tofu. I'm not knocking tofu products masquerading as dairy products, in fact, I am a big fan of the Tofutti products, specifically the Cuties (ice "cream" sandwiches), and the Better than Cream Cheese and Better than Sour Cream dairy substitutes. But veggie cheese still strikes me as unnatural.
For some reason, the name "TAMMY" is stamped on the WARNING:FLAMMABLE tag. I'm not sure why. It doesn't say, "Inspected by," or "For a good time, call" or anything.
Junk mail amuses me. Pizza Hut's latest flyer is advertising "The Natural." It has a multi-grain crust, sauce made from organic tomatoes, and (this is the one that gets me) ALL-NATURAL mozzarella cheese. That scares me a little. I mean, what is the mozzarella cheese on their regular, non-all-natural, pizzas made from, if it's not ALL NATURAL??? What does unnatural cheese look like? Actually, I think I know the answer to that one - it's in the form of veggie cheese slices made from tofu. I'm not knocking tofu products masquerading as dairy products, in fact, I am a big fan of the Tofutti products, specifically the Cuties (ice "cream" sandwiches), and the Better than Cream Cheese and Better than Sour Cream dairy substitutes. But veggie cheese still strikes me as unnatural.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Kids' songs? And other ramblings...
One of N's favorite toys is a pull-along ladybug that sings lots and LOTS of songs. Most really are great kids' songs, but it seems to be playing Little Brown Jug from time to time.
I looked up the lyrics and the first page the search engine returned was the following: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/jug.htm.
I was very, very amused by their disclaimer. "Important! This is a fun song to sing, but the message is about a man and his wife who had a lot of hard times because of alcohol addictions. Remember, drinking excessively is not good for your health and could lead to serious problems and addictions. In fact, addictions of all types can be very serious health concerns. " And then it went on to list several kid-related anti-drug/alcohol websites.
On another totally unrelated note, I was going through coupon circulars and ran across an ad for an optical illusion swimsuit. The company claims that it can make you look up to four sizes smaller, and up to 40 lbs. thinner. The concept is pretty easy to buy, since the front and back panels are solid colors in an hourglass shape, and the sides are a zebra pattern. I'm totally convinced I should order at least one
after reviewing the before and after illustration in the lower left-hand corner of the ad:
I looked up the lyrics and the first page the search engine returned was the following: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/jug.htm.
I was very, very amused by their disclaimer. "Important! This is a fun song to sing, but the message is about a man and his wife who had a lot of hard times because of alcohol addictions. Remember, drinking excessively is not good for your health and could lead to serious problems and addictions. In fact, addictions of all types can be very serious health concerns. " And then it went on to list several kid-related anti-drug/alcohol websites.
On another totally unrelated note, I was going through coupon circulars and ran across an ad for an optical illusion swimsuit. The company claims that it can make you look up to four sizes smaller, and up to 40 lbs. thinner. The concept is pretty easy to buy, since the front and back panels are solid colors in an hourglass shape, and the sides are a zebra pattern. I'm totally convinced I should order at least one
after reviewing the before and after illustration in the lower left-hand corner of the ad:
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