Just started Diana Gabaldon's next book in the series The Fiery Cross. I'm having a hard time getting into it.... this is the 5th book and I've read exerpts from it but I can't remember what happened in the last two books...
Next up is probably Flags of Our Fathers. Hot Stuff read it and loaned it to my dad, who loaned it to my mom, who loaned it to my sister.... so if it ever comes back I'll check it out.
Just finished re-reading the Narnia books.... I got the complete set in one edition for Christmas.
Is Sweet Boy ready for nightly installments of Charlotte's Web? Anyone? Hot Stuff read him Gentle Ben and he did ok.... maybe I should start with something a little lighter.... but now that the tv season is slipping into reruns we'd like to do a chapter-a-night in the living room a few nights a week.
The kid really digs books. We read three at bedtime.... his choice. And, yes, I have been known to hide the really long ones (or that damn Dr. Seuss tongue-twister one, Oh Say Can You Say) in the book shelf where he might not find them.... We bought a few lots of Dr. Sueuss and Little Critter on ebay to jump-start his library and it has grown quite a bit but we are always on the look-out for good new books.... any suggestions?
Oh, what, and you'd like MY suggestions for reading? Why, my most recent favorite is Old Turtle because I love the pictures.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Watching.
We watched Borat this weekend. I dunno, maybe I went in with low expectations, but I kinda liked it. There were laugh-out-loud moments and, in general, the whole movie just made me feel kinda.... uncomfortable. And I think it is good to feel uncomfortable once in a while. It made me realize how hopelessly comfortable I usually am.... know what I mean?
Now I wish I'd paid attention to all the things the critics said about the movie... didn't they get sued a couple times over it? And, not to be too 'neck, but is the actor the same guy who is in Talladega Nights????
Other movies I've seen recently: Flyboys (good by nothing like the book... not even the same war, actually....), Flags of Our Fathers (good, still have to read the book... not sure I'm ready for it....), The Illusionist (good, love Edward Norton), Some movie with Robin Williams becoming president (Bad, wanted a funny movie.... not funny, not compelling), Little Miss Sunshine (good, clever).
As you can see.... my review criteria are very limited. One good line can redeem an entire movie in my world.
On tv we are watching The Black Donnelly's on Monday nights. (And, yes, I still watch Heroes... more out of sick habit than acutal enjoyment) Tuesdays are pathetic. Wednesday is Friday Night Lights. Thursdays: The Office, My Name is Earl & ER. Friday is Vegas. I would like to watch Grey's Anatomy, Numbers, Deadwood & CSI: Las Vegas but we don't get the channels.... Any other tv shows I should be watching or get the series on dvd?
Now I wish I'd paid attention to all the things the critics said about the movie... didn't they get sued a couple times over it? And, not to be too 'neck, but is the actor the same guy who is in Talladega Nights????
Other movies I've seen recently: Flyboys (good by nothing like the book... not even the same war, actually....), Flags of Our Fathers (good, still have to read the book... not sure I'm ready for it....), The Illusionist (good, love Edward Norton), Some movie with Robin Williams becoming president (Bad, wanted a funny movie.... not funny, not compelling), Little Miss Sunshine (good, clever).
As you can see.... my review criteria are very limited. One good line can redeem an entire movie in my world.
On tv we are watching The Black Donnelly's on Monday nights. (And, yes, I still watch Heroes... more out of sick habit than acutal enjoyment) Tuesdays are pathetic. Wednesday is Friday Night Lights. Thursdays: The Office, My Name is Earl & ER. Friday is Vegas. I would like to watch Grey's Anatomy, Numbers, Deadwood & CSI: Las Vegas but we don't get the channels.... Any other tv shows I should be watching or get the series on dvd?
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
3 More Reasons I Won’t Be Getting Mother of the Year
Subtitle: Confessions of an “earnest” mommy.
I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to give kids under 3 popcorn. The almonds he sometimes gets to eat? Yes, I know I’m risking a trip to the ER to have tiny bits of rock-hard nut picked out of his lungs after he inhales them. But popcorn? How else am I supposed to do a trip to Target without the $1 combo #1???
Darling Girl started to fall off a high place… instead of just letting her fall and land on the soft rug I smooshed her poor little self into the cabinets trying to break her fall. Poor baby. But, when I confessed to the nurse at her 6 month appt, she said, “Uh-huh. And it won’t be the last time….”
I saved a toilet paper tube to test some of SB’s toys that DG sometimes plays with…. I put the tp tube down, grabbed the tub of toys, turned back around and…. All that was left of the tp tube was a sodden, slimy lump of cardboard…. That girl sure can move fast... and this was even before she knew how to crawl.....
I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to give kids under 3 popcorn. The almonds he sometimes gets to eat? Yes, I know I’m risking a trip to the ER to have tiny bits of rock-hard nut picked out of his lungs after he inhales them. But popcorn? How else am I supposed to do a trip to Target without the $1 combo #1???
Darling Girl started to fall off a high place… instead of just letting her fall and land on the soft rug I smooshed her poor little self into the cabinets trying to break her fall. Poor baby. But, when I confessed to the nurse at her 6 month appt, she said, “Uh-huh. And it won’t be the last time….”
I saved a toilet paper tube to test some of SB’s toys that DG sometimes plays with…. I put the tp tube down, grabbed the tub of toys, turned back around and…. All that was left of the tp tube was a sodden, slimy lump of cardboard…. That girl sure can move fast... and this was even before she knew how to crawl.....
Baby #3
The maternity ward at St. Pete's is getting an overhaul. Completion is projected for May 2008. The new maternity unit will be located on the 4th floor.
Do you know what this means?
My next child will be born in the elevator.
Do you know what this means?
My next child will be born in the elevator.
So do they have the seasonal GSC ice cream in the stores yet???
Lordy, I am so FULL of Girl Scout Cookies. Hot Stuff bought a box from the daughter of every guy he works with and I bought a couple boxes from the lovely Big.
I read Elle's post regarding cookie distribution and, honestly, I thought she was just saying she was doing that to up all the projects and ceiling fan installation she's been doing.... because she doesn't want to make me feel guilty for not getting off my ass and doing any of the many, many home improvement projects on my list. I also believed this because I hadn't received my shipment of samoas & thin mints. So I called her to tease her about it and she swore she'd shipped them..... hmmmm, I though, a mystery....
I couldn't believe Hot Stuff would eat them.... not his thing. Our UPS guy is usually pretty reliable and leaves things in the dining room door (we have huge space between the screen & the door... the beauty of old log houses that have been sided) or on the big (pellet storage) trunk outside the door. Nope, no cookies there. So I wandered around to the other door.... the one that faces the road and opens into the living room... the one we never open unless it is time to take down the Christmas wreath. Lo-and-behold (where DOES that phrase come from, anyway??) THERE WERE MY COOKIES.
I had a blue & fuzzy moment and split a box of lemonades with Sweet Boy. Then I wised up and stashed the rest in the freezer in the garage. As you may know, my garage is across the yard from the house so at least I will be getting a good workout running back and forth retrieving my snacks.
I read Elle's post regarding cookie distribution and, honestly, I thought she was just saying she was doing that to up all the projects and ceiling fan installation she's been doing.... because she doesn't want to make me feel guilty for not getting off my ass and doing any of the many, many home improvement projects on my list. I also believed this because I hadn't received my shipment of samoas & thin mints. So I called her to tease her about it and she swore she'd shipped them..... hmmmm, I though, a mystery....
I couldn't believe Hot Stuff would eat them.... not his thing. Our UPS guy is usually pretty reliable and leaves things in the dining room door (we have huge space between the screen & the door... the beauty of old log houses that have been sided) or on the big (pellet storage) trunk outside the door. Nope, no cookies there. So I wandered around to the other door.... the one that faces the road and opens into the living room... the one we never open unless it is time to take down the Christmas wreath. Lo-and-behold (where DOES that phrase come from, anyway??) THERE WERE MY COOKIES.
I had a blue & fuzzy moment and split a box of lemonades with Sweet Boy. Then I wised up and stashed the rest in the freezer in the garage. As you may know, my garage is across the yard from the house so at least I will be getting a good workout running back and forth retrieving my snacks.
It's Monday.
So I've slacked a bit on this.
Today your job is to deal with your stick. Sounds kinky, right? No, silly, your chapstick.
And, yes, I am in the process of baby-proofing my house, why do you ask? What? Your kids have never eaten a chapstick???
The goal is to locate your lip balm, assess it, use it up or replace it as needed.
So I have several places I keep lip balm items:
The car: I have a glass-shine squeeze tube of tinted stuff in the car. I don't love it but it handles the heat/freezing well. When it is used up I will replace it with a screw-top wand-applicator tube of something delightful.
The decanter on the fridge: I have an antique alcohol thingy on my fridge and in one of the little shot glasses resides my mail chapstick. Currently I'm using up the last "Natural Ice -After All, It's Inglenook" advertising lip balm from back in the day when I worked for WME. Once we close that chapter I'll start in on one of the many Burt's Bees balms Santa keeps bringing me.
The drawer in the living room: We have this drawer (I'll post photos later) that contains, well, those things.... nail files & hand lotion & clippers & stuff. I have a lip conditioner tube in there.
The bedside table: Tricky one.... little fingers tend to get into this space when they are supposed to be napping. So, in a zippered container shoved way in the back I have a nail file, foot lotion & lip guck..... what else might be in that container? Hah.... that stuff is in another special place....
My purse: I have about eleventy-million lip balms, glosses & sticks in my purse. Well, ok, I counted.... actually there are 3.
Work: I have a nice lipgloss & a plain lip balm in my desk drawer.
That's it. That's all I need. The rest are brand-new Burt's Bees stashed in the tub with the spare toothbrushes & extra vitamins. Now I just have to talk myself into "releasing" those half used tubes of brownish Lancome lipstick my mom gave me from her "freebie" gifts.
I can do it. I can do it.
Today your job is to deal with your stick. Sounds kinky, right? No, silly, your chapstick.
And, yes, I am in the process of baby-proofing my house, why do you ask? What? Your kids have never eaten a chapstick???
The goal is to locate your lip balm, assess it, use it up or replace it as needed.
So I have several places I keep lip balm items:
The car: I have a glass-shine squeeze tube of tinted stuff in the car. I don't love it but it handles the heat/freezing well. When it is used up I will replace it with a screw-top wand-applicator tube of something delightful.
The decanter on the fridge: I have an antique alcohol thingy on my fridge and in one of the little shot glasses resides my mail chapstick. Currently I'm using up the last "Natural Ice -After All, It's Inglenook" advertising lip balm from back in the day when I worked for WME. Once we close that chapter I'll start in on one of the many Burt's Bees balms Santa keeps bringing me.
The drawer in the living room: We have this drawer (I'll post photos later) that contains, well, those things.... nail files & hand lotion & clippers & stuff. I have a lip conditioner tube in there.
The bedside table: Tricky one.... little fingers tend to get into this space when they are supposed to be napping. So, in a zippered container shoved way in the back I have a nail file, foot lotion & lip guck..... what else might be in that container? Hah.... that stuff is in another special place....
My purse: I have about eleventy-million lip balms, glosses & sticks in my purse. Well, ok, I counted.... actually there are 3.
Work: I have a nice lipgloss & a plain lip balm in my desk drawer.
That's it. That's all I need. The rest are brand-new Burt's Bees stashed in the tub with the spare toothbrushes & extra vitamins. Now I just have to talk myself into "releasing" those half used tubes of brownish Lancome lipstick my mom gave me from her "freebie" gifts.
I can do it. I can do it.
I like peas.
But I don't like pees. And for some reason I've been encountering a lot of them lately. Someone (no one will 'fess up) peed in front of the chair in the living room. I'm blaming the dog.... well, actually, I'm blaming the ones in our home who are capable of opening the child-proofed front door..... because I'm pretty sure we failed to make him go out before we all left for the day.
Then last night Sweet Boy... oh where do I start.... Sweet Boy woke up with a wet pull up, tried to go potty in the potty chair, managed to hose down the front of his jammy shirt, I helped him clean up and get into sweats & a t-shirt and a dry pull up..... Then his morning he went racing downstairs to see Grandma, give daddy a hug-n-a-kiss, and go potty. Daddy was in the bathroom with the door locked (his either afraid my mom will walk in on him or afraid I'll try to put the moves on him in the shower.... we aren't sure....). Sweet Boy came racing back upstairs for the potty chair..... he didn't make it. He got his pants down and then, in his words, "My wiener just peed, mom. It just peed right there on the floor." My first thought? "Who taught him the word wiener???"
But we have the carpet cleaner here (called mom to bring it after finding pee spot #1) so I'll take care of it tonight. Fun Monday night in store for me, eh??
Then last night Sweet Boy... oh where do I start.... Sweet Boy woke up with a wet pull up, tried to go potty in the potty chair, managed to hose down the front of his jammy shirt, I helped him clean up and get into sweats & a t-shirt and a dry pull up..... Then his morning he went racing downstairs to see Grandma, give daddy a hug-n-a-kiss, and go potty. Daddy was in the bathroom with the door locked (his either afraid my mom will walk in on him or afraid I'll try to put the moves on him in the shower.... we aren't sure....). Sweet Boy came racing back upstairs for the potty chair..... he didn't make it. He got his pants down and then, in his words, "My wiener just peed, mom. It just peed right there on the floor." My first thought? "Who taught him the word wiener???"
But we have the carpet cleaner here (called mom to bring it after finding pee spot #1) so I'll take care of it tonight. Fun Monday night in store for me, eh??
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Dum-da-dum-dum
Dum-da-dum-dum.... that's the sound of drumming.... ear-drumming. Ear-drumming my daughter can't hear very well right now.
The audiologist tests showed her ear drum has healed perfectly (yeah, no more hot pink choking hazards to stuff in her ears for bath time). But..... her tympanic test (?) showed a flat line in her left ear and a little flutter in her right ear. Not the hearty vibrations needed for good hearing. So she's still got fluid in behind her ear drums and requires more powerful antibiotics for 10 more days.
So, after yet another charming time at CVS-West, (damn, the guy I had to deal with really had his tit in a ringer about something... fortunately I only had one kid with me and I wasn't tired so I didn't have to shove him in a 55-gallon drum, plant him in the back 40 & grow tomatoes on him) I came home with some pricey new antibiotics.... not the bubble gum kind this time. I can't tell if they bother her belly or if she just thinks sleeping with mama is a good habit to develop right now.... be patient with me.... she's still getting me trained.
Now, we are planning to play along for this second round of antibiotics but if things don't get better soon I might go homeopathic and take her to see my witch doctor.
I'm discovering I'm not a very good parent of a sick child. I'd be a mess with a chronically ill child. I get all tired & forgetful with stress. Interesting. I'm great with my own illnesses...brave face, strong front, plan a dynamic course of action.... all that. But it is an entirely different thing when you are worrying about someone else. Especially when that someone is a 17 pound bundle of pink cheeks & grins who seems to think she invented skip-hop crawling and delights in smooshing gummy cracker bits in her hair & eyebrows. A cheery little person who actually grinned at the doctor while he shoved things in her ears and offered him the dixie cup she was chewing on.... she gave him a look like, "Hey, this sucks, but they have great toys here...."
So we will be BACK at the doc's office next week to see what's up....
The audiologist tests showed her ear drum has healed perfectly (yeah, no more hot pink choking hazards to stuff in her ears for bath time). But..... her tympanic test (?) showed a flat line in her left ear and a little flutter in her right ear. Not the hearty vibrations needed for good hearing. So she's still got fluid in behind her ear drums and requires more powerful antibiotics for 10 more days.
So, after yet another charming time at CVS-West, (damn, the guy I had to deal with really had his tit in a ringer about something... fortunately I only had one kid with me and I wasn't tired so I didn't have to shove him in a 55-gallon drum, plant him in the back 40 & grow tomatoes on him) I came home with some pricey new antibiotics.... not the bubble gum kind this time. I can't tell if they bother her belly or if she just thinks sleeping with mama is a good habit to develop right now.... be patient with me.... she's still getting me trained.
Now, we are planning to play along for this second round of antibiotics but if things don't get better soon I might go homeopathic and take her to see my witch doctor.
I'm discovering I'm not a very good parent of a sick child. I'd be a mess with a chronically ill child. I get all tired & forgetful with stress. Interesting. I'm great with my own illnesses...brave face, strong front, plan a dynamic course of action.... all that. But it is an entirely different thing when you are worrying about someone else. Especially when that someone is a 17 pound bundle of pink cheeks & grins who seems to think she invented skip-hop crawling and delights in smooshing gummy cracker bits in her hair & eyebrows. A cheery little person who actually grinned at the doctor while he shoved things in her ears and offered him the dixie cup she was chewing on.... she gave him a look like, "Hey, this sucks, but they have great toys here...."
So we will be BACK at the doc's office next week to see what's up....
Redneck Boobies.....
Well, I'll admit I'm pleasantly surprised by this bit of legislation regarding pumping at work.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Do You Keep Score??
As I was snuggling the baby in bed last night Hot Stuff and I had the following conversation:
HS: Did you give the baby her antibiotics tonight?
Me: Shit.
HS: You better do it. You haven't missed a dose yet.
Me: You do it. Seriously. How many times have you given her a dose of anitibiotics?
HS: How many times have you plowed the driveway?
Me: How many times have YOU plowed the driveway? Because I bet it is fewer times than I've given this kid antibiotics.....
I have this internal conversation going almost all the time about balance, fairness & equality. I have to have the conversation or I get bitter. I like to think of it as self-therapy.
I keep score.
I'm not proud of it but I do it. And you know what? I'm winning.
I asked my mom one time why she packed my dad's clothes & toothbrush for him. She replied, "I've never changed the oil or checked the tire pressure."
I try to keep that in mind. Balance is about what is fair at any given moment in a relationship.
Sometimes that is hard to keep in mind when I realize I change the oil in all three vehicles (well, ok, I write the check & I wrangle the two little ones while someone else does it...), I schedule all the appointments, I do all the doctor & vet trips, I wait for the repair guy, I empty the dishwasher, I do the majority of the cleaning (toilets, tub, dusting, vacuuming....), I deal with the taxes & bills, I do the budget, I balance the checkbook, I do the baby books & photo albums, I sort the too small clothes, I do the grocery shopping, I do the toilet paper shopping, I feed the baby strained peas, I buy the wedding/baby/Christmas gifts & wrap them, I buy the stamps, I wash the sheets & make the bed.... and on and on and on.... Hot Stuff handles snow removal & goes to the dump......and that, my friends, is a paragraph about me being bitter.
The reality is we have a more balanced marriage than most. Hot Stuff will grocery shop if I give him a carefully prepared list.... but he always comes home with 100 impulse buys. And Costco with him... well, I've blogged about that before..... He sweeps. He mops. He puts his dishes in the sink. He generally keeps the house tidy. He picks up the toys. He tries not to track mud into the house. He recycles his pop cans. He makes dinner for himself and the kids on a regular basis. He picks up the kids from daycare and in the summer he often drops them off. He changes diapers. He reads stories.
So if he's such a good husband and daddy why do I always keep score? I either keep score and decide things are in balance and we have the perfect situation or I keep score and I feel smug because I am super-mommy and get so much accomplished compared to him. Isn't there something about dancing backwards and in high heels?
I'll be thinking more about this.....
HS: Did you give the baby her antibiotics tonight?
Me: Shit.
HS: You better do it. You haven't missed a dose yet.
Me: You do it. Seriously. How many times have you given her a dose of anitibiotics?
HS: How many times have you plowed the driveway?
Me: How many times have YOU plowed the driveway? Because I bet it is fewer times than I've given this kid antibiotics.....
I have this internal conversation going almost all the time about balance, fairness & equality. I have to have the conversation or I get bitter. I like to think of it as self-therapy.
I keep score.
I'm not proud of it but I do it. And you know what? I'm winning.
I asked my mom one time why she packed my dad's clothes & toothbrush for him. She replied, "I've never changed the oil or checked the tire pressure."
I try to keep that in mind. Balance is about what is fair at any given moment in a relationship.
Sometimes that is hard to keep in mind when I realize I change the oil in all three vehicles (well, ok, I write the check & I wrangle the two little ones while someone else does it...), I schedule all the appointments, I do all the doctor & vet trips, I wait for the repair guy, I empty the dishwasher, I do the majority of the cleaning (toilets, tub, dusting, vacuuming....), I deal with the taxes & bills, I do the budget, I balance the checkbook, I do the baby books & photo albums, I sort the too small clothes, I do the grocery shopping, I do the toilet paper shopping, I feed the baby strained peas, I buy the wedding/baby/Christmas gifts & wrap them, I buy the stamps, I wash the sheets & make the bed.... and on and on and on.... Hot Stuff handles snow removal & goes to the dump......and that, my friends, is a paragraph about me being bitter.
The reality is we have a more balanced marriage than most. Hot Stuff will grocery shop if I give him a carefully prepared list.... but he always comes home with 100 impulse buys. And Costco with him... well, I've blogged about that before..... He sweeps. He mops. He puts his dishes in the sink. He generally keeps the house tidy. He picks up the toys. He tries not to track mud into the house. He recycles his pop cans. He makes dinner for himself and the kids on a regular basis. He picks up the kids from daycare and in the summer he often drops them off. He changes diapers. He reads stories.
So if he's such a good husband and daddy why do I always keep score? I either keep score and decide things are in balance and we have the perfect situation or I keep score and I feel smug because I am super-mommy and get so much accomplished compared to him. Isn't there something about dancing backwards and in high heels?
I'll be thinking more about this.....
Boring Budget Post
I was dealing with the credit card yesterday.
I say "dealing" because our current budget system is this: Put everything on the credit card and then pay it off every month. When I get the statement I check for errors & do a quick breakout to make sure we aren't spending too much in any category. The general categories are:
Groceries
Target
Movies
Fun Stuff
Medical
Fuel
Lunch
Groceries seemed kinda high but then I realized all of the Costco bill was going to groceries and much of what we get at Costco is really "Target" stuff like toothpaste & toilet paper. My Target spending was far below the $150/month budget. Fuel costs are always a kick in the teeth. Lunch... I didn't eat lunch out at all in January and Hot Stuff got "confused" and used cash for all his lunches so I have no idea what he spent.... can't have been much because he didn't get out any cash this month and there was about $60 in the change bowl and I think $30 is still there. We spent a whooping $27 on movies... weekend rentals are $3.50 for new releases and $2.00 for regular movies... we've been splurging on new releases so that's about 2 movies a weekend plus the occassional kid movie. (Although Bob the Builder goes West & Magic Schoolbus from the library have been great for the last few weeks.) Good thing I bought a big bag of popcorn on sale or our entertainment budget would be maxed out. Our breakout for January was further complicated by the purchase of mass quantities of Musinex & Alka-seltzer cold (for Hot Stuff), chloraseptic cough drops (for me), Dimetapp (for Sweet Boy), and a very expensive prescription decongestant (that didn't do a damn thing) and antibiotics (for Darling Girl). It doesn't seem like much but it adds up. Not to mention the splurge for Puffs Plus with Lotion. Figured out the mystery $250 charge was a payment to the doctor's office. It covered medical expenses going back to September. Insurance was being nasty about paying and I had to take DG in so I just put it on the card.... got a reimbursement from them for $189 last week... so that wasn't as bad as it could have been.....I stayed on budget... less the $20.... For Valentine's -fabric to make wash cloths for DG, a few Valentine's cards, a plastic car case (ok, really a thread organizer) and a clearance bag of lollipops for SB. I also spent $20 on a toy chain saw for SB's birthday in June & $25 for 10 pairs of Vicky's Secret panties. What? I needed panties and 10 for $25 is a great deal. Hot Stuff is the one who blew the budget this month. hee-hee. He bought a CHAIN SAW. Not a toy one. Actually he did pretty well.... popped his ebay cherry and got a Stihl. But after that plus another $120 or so in accessories... well, the bill was a little higher than I like. So we will try to tighten the belts for the next month... problem is we have about 100 baby and wedding gifts (some for the same people!!) to get this month..... hhmmmm.... I wonder if they'd all like wash cloths???
I say "dealing" because our current budget system is this: Put everything on the credit card and then pay it off every month. When I get the statement I check for errors & do a quick breakout to make sure we aren't spending too much in any category. The general categories are:
Groceries
Target
Movies
Fun Stuff
Medical
Fuel
Lunch
Groceries seemed kinda high but then I realized all of the Costco bill was going to groceries and much of what we get at Costco is really "Target" stuff like toothpaste & toilet paper. My Target spending was far below the $150/month budget. Fuel costs are always a kick in the teeth. Lunch... I didn't eat lunch out at all in January and Hot Stuff got "confused" and used cash for all his lunches so I have no idea what he spent.... can't have been much because he didn't get out any cash this month and there was about $60 in the change bowl and I think $30 is still there. We spent a whooping $27 on movies... weekend rentals are $3.50 for new releases and $2.00 for regular movies... we've been splurging on new releases so that's about 2 movies a weekend plus the occassional kid movie. (Although Bob the Builder goes West & Magic Schoolbus from the library have been great for the last few weeks.) Good thing I bought a big bag of popcorn on sale or our entertainment budget would be maxed out. Our breakout for January was further complicated by the purchase of mass quantities of Musinex & Alka-seltzer cold (for Hot Stuff), chloraseptic cough drops (for me), Dimetapp (for Sweet Boy), and a very expensive prescription decongestant (that didn't do a damn thing) and antibiotics (for Darling Girl). It doesn't seem like much but it adds up. Not to mention the splurge for Puffs Plus with Lotion. Figured out the mystery $250 charge was a payment to the doctor's office. It covered medical expenses going back to September. Insurance was being nasty about paying and I had to take DG in so I just put it on the card.... got a reimbursement from them for $189 last week... so that wasn't as bad as it could have been.....I stayed on budget... less the $20.... For Valentine's -fabric to make wash cloths for DG, a few Valentine's cards, a plastic car case (ok, really a thread organizer) and a clearance bag of lollipops for SB. I also spent $20 on a toy chain saw for SB's birthday in June & $25 for 10 pairs of Vicky's Secret panties. What? I needed panties and 10 for $25 is a great deal. Hot Stuff is the one who blew the budget this month. hee-hee. He bought a CHAIN SAW. Not a toy one. Actually he did pretty well.... popped his ebay cherry and got a Stihl. But after that plus another $120 or so in accessories... well, the bill was a little higher than I like. So we will try to tighten the belts for the next month... problem is we have about 100 baby and wedding gifts (some for the same people!!) to get this month..... hhmmmm.... I wonder if they'd all like wash cloths???
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Credit Where Credit is Due....
Seems someone came to visit today based on my comment at Mary P's about the kiddie-bedroom looking like ToysRUs barfed in it.
I must give credit where credit is due.
I believe the lovely Elle first said that line to me.
She's good with the one-liners.... so good that many of my one-liners originated with her... or some conversation we've had.....
Go visit her blog and ask her to tell you the story of the fart jar. You won't be disappointed....
I must give credit where credit is due.
I believe the lovely Elle first said that line to me.
She's good with the one-liners.... so good that many of my one-liners originated with her... or some conversation we've had.....
Go visit her blog and ask her to tell you the story of the fart jar. You won't be disappointed....
So… about that ear….. things I have learned…..
***UPDATED TO ADD***
I didn't slap the baby. Really. She got an ear infection after getting a cold and that is the reason for the ruptured ear drum. But while researching it on the 'net I found out a slap can cause it too.... and this, for some reason, turned me into earnest-mommy at the doctor's office.... I think in the back of my mind I was afraid the doc was speed-dialing human services when she left the exam room..... and it made me all stuttery and nervous and talking fast about the COLD she had last week and the PUS coming out of her ear from the INFECTION.
***END OF UPDATE***
I learned one of the main causes of ruptured ear drums is a flat or cupped-hand slap to the side of the head.
I learned pus is spelled with one s.
I learned pus leaking out of your ear 6 days after you’ve seen the doc for a cold is a bad sign. (And can I just shout about how TOTALLY vindicated I feel about that doc trip last Friday even though the doc I saw made me feel like a total idiot for bringing them in for a simple cold…. Yes, I took them in because of the puking but at least now human services can’t get me for neglect, right? Possibly a slap to the head, but not neglect….)
I learned ENT stands for Ear, Nose & Throat.
I learned pink antibiotics must be refrigerated. Thank Bob it was my daughter…. I can dress her in little pink outfits to disguise the pink slobber on her clothes.
I learned CVS-West sucks as a pharmacy (but it still has the best wine selection in town). And, yes, dear little girl at the counter, I DO want to wait for the prescription… does my staring make you nervous? Or is it the twitch??
I learned the ear pain should be gone once the ear drum perforates…. And yet the little one STILL thinks she should sleep in my bed and use my nose as a comfort object.
I learned I love my doctor’s office. And I really, really, pink-smiley-face love my doctor’s nurses.
I learned babies with exploded ear drums can’t get water in their ears.
I learned I don’t actually need to bathe my child all that often.
I learned wax ear plugs are by the contact solution at ShopKo.
I learned wax ear plugs come in hot pink.
I learned babies will try to eat hot pink wax ear plugs if possible.
Ok, I’m tired, enough learning…. Wish us luck at the ENT tomorrow… we should get a clean bill of health and no problems…..
I didn't slap the baby. Really. She got an ear infection after getting a cold and that is the reason for the ruptured ear drum. But while researching it on the 'net I found out a slap can cause it too.... and this, for some reason, turned me into earnest-mommy at the doctor's office.... I think in the back of my mind I was afraid the doc was speed-dialing human services when she left the exam room..... and it made me all stuttery and nervous and talking fast about the COLD she had last week and the PUS coming out of her ear from the INFECTION.
***END OF UPDATE***
I learned one of the main causes of ruptured ear drums is a flat or cupped-hand slap to the side of the head.
I learned pus is spelled with one s.
I learned pus leaking out of your ear 6 days after you’ve seen the doc for a cold is a bad sign. (And can I just shout about how TOTALLY vindicated I feel about that doc trip last Friday even though the doc I saw made me feel like a total idiot for bringing them in for a simple cold…. Yes, I took them in because of the puking but at least now human services can’t get me for neglect, right? Possibly a slap to the head, but not neglect….)
I learned ENT stands for Ear, Nose & Throat.
I learned pink antibiotics must be refrigerated. Thank Bob it was my daughter…. I can dress her in little pink outfits to disguise the pink slobber on her clothes.
I learned CVS-West sucks as a pharmacy (but it still has the best wine selection in town). And, yes, dear little girl at the counter, I DO want to wait for the prescription… does my staring make you nervous? Or is it the twitch??
I learned the ear pain should be gone once the ear drum perforates…. And yet the little one STILL thinks she should sleep in my bed and use my nose as a comfort object.
I learned I love my doctor’s office. And I really, really, pink-smiley-face love my doctor’s nurses.
I learned babies with exploded ear drums can’t get water in their ears.
I learned I don’t actually need to bathe my child all that often.
I learned wax ear plugs are by the contact solution at ShopKo.
I learned wax ear plugs come in hot pink.
I learned babies will try to eat hot pink wax ear plugs if possible.
Ok, I’m tired, enough learning…. Wish us luck at the ENT tomorrow… we should get a clean bill of health and no problems…..
Lent
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. I did not make waffles for dinner on Tuesday and I did not go to church yesterday. So I'm not a good Catholic... what else is new??
One year I gave up chocolate & coffee for Lent... that was a good one. Back in the days when I was in great shape & exercised and wasn't a slave to cravings like I am now.
This year we are not going to punish ourselves for Lent. No. We are going to be proud and strong and productive.
Susan is giving up multi-tasking. It's a great post. Go read it.
I'm giving up starting another project until I finish the one I'm on now. For example, yesterday I made new face washclothes for Darling Girl. Adorable little double-thickness squares of the softest and most beautiful blue and white striped fabric. They look great with her eyes. And she likes to snuggle them. She likes them so much I'm thinking of cutting out a teddy bear shape and making her a little flat-stanley bear to play with... because, of course, what the kid needs is more toys. But I will FINISH with the blue and white fabric and put the extra bits away before I start anything else.... or that's the plan anyway.
My second Lenten Resolution is to make a list of 40 things that need doing and getting them done. I've made it to 26 and I'm stuck.... so help me please.
One year I gave up chocolate & coffee for Lent... that was a good one. Back in the days when I was in great shape & exercised and wasn't a slave to cravings like I am now.
This year we are not going to punish ourselves for Lent. No. We are going to be proud and strong and productive.
Susan is giving up multi-tasking. It's a great post. Go read it.
I'm giving up starting another project until I finish the one I'm on now. For example, yesterday I made new face washclothes for Darling Girl. Adorable little double-thickness squares of the softest and most beautiful blue and white striped fabric. They look great with her eyes. And she likes to snuggle them. She likes them so much I'm thinking of cutting out a teddy bear shape and making her a little flat-stanley bear to play with... because, of course, what the kid needs is more toys. But I will FINISH with the blue and white fabric and put the extra bits away before I start anything else.... or that's the plan anyway.
My second Lenten Resolution is to make a list of 40 things that need doing and getting them done. I've made it to 26 and I'm stuck.... so help me please.
And it is Thursday again....
Oops.
Ok... here's a quickie. Go sharpen all of your eyeliners. (Brother, this one is for you.)
I'm serious.
I am so tired of trying to draw a tidy smudge during my first cup of coffee and being nearly blinded with pain by the scrape of a wooden edge becaue my eyeliner is so dull.
So sharpen them. Or toss them. Your choice.
Ok... here's a quickie. Go sharpen all of your eyeliners. (Brother, this one is for you.)
I'm serious.
I am so tired of trying to draw a tidy smudge during my first cup of coffee and being nearly blinded with pain by the scrape of a wooden edge becaue my eyeliner is so dull.
So sharpen them. Or toss them. Your choice.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Snippets
And, suddenly, as I was putting away the apples I thought to myself, "I gotta blog this..."
My weekend, in snippets:
Cucumber all-purpose spray. Yes, this is what I bought myself as a treat this weekend. And then I found myself cleaning the pushy-knob that opens the microwave door. With a toothbrush. And, ta-da, I've developed yet another obsession. At a certain point Sweet Boy and I were actually arguing over who got to spray the front door and who got to wipe it. Ta-da, my children also harbor my obsessions. It's genetic.
A riddle. Small child sprinting down a long corridor followed by a woman frantically balancing a baby, a slice of pizza, a shopping cart (you're imaging me balancing a shopping cart on my head now, aren't you??) & a frozen yogurt. Where are they going?
The answer. Picture the woman carefully and calmly trying to talk the little boy through the process of unlocking the bathroom stall BEFORE he makes a puddle on the floor. Damn, that kid is fast... he had the door locked before I even got to it.
And, to make it even funnier. Picture the baby, strapped in her car seat in the front of the cart, happily gumming the slice of pizza (it was sitting on the tot-seat). Mother dreams of the millions she will make when she sells amazing rubber-armed child to the circus. Big Brother says, "Aw, sister...."
Finally, lunch & shopping are over. Everyone is happy and chatting away. We walk outside and a giant gust of wind blows the yogurt & the pizza away. GONE. BLEW AWAY. Sweet Boy spends the rest of the day making up stories about where it went. They involve mountains, dump trucks & grandpa getting in trouble for eating all the pizza when it blew into him.
So we have an adventure. We went through the drive-thru car wash…. I'll admit I've never been through one of those. It was a new experience for all three of us... heck even for the car so all 4 of us.... The blue-whappy things were a little scary but it was fun with the sunroof open... I mean... well, you know what I mean..... And a little man comes out and scrubs the back window and we yelled for him to run or the blue whappy things would get him… it all made quite an impression on SB… he can't stop talking about it.
Home & guests. The freakin' Jehovah's Witness people showed up. They come every few weeks…. I know the one girl so I can't be mean to her…. I had a feeling they would show this weekend (usually they show up when I'm making waffles in my flannel jammies with the dogs on them) but I was blindsided when they got here on MONDAY and they didn't offer to help unload the groceries or anything so it was a short visit.
It musta been the veggie puffs. Since Darling Girl made her new love of solid foods so obvious I dug out the container of veggie puffs. Yes, they are left over from SB's toddlerhood. Yes, the container is almost full. No, SB still doesn't like veggies all that much. But does Darling Girl like them? You betcha. I tasted them. They didn't taste too stale... well, no worse than how they taste new. And they melt in your mouth... which is actually a little disturbing.... but she had a blast... getting to pick up a little thing and put it in her mouth and NOT have every adult in a 6-foot radius shriek, gasp, make a horrible face, and take away her treasure. But then, then.... the most amazing poop. It shot up her back to the tops of her shoulders. Now, I should remind you, this kid is not big on producing waste. She doesn't poop all that often and this was two days in a row.... I was horrified. But, the up-side? We got to try out the brand new (hot pink) wax ear plugs* in the bath and they work like a charm.
Well, what do you call it? I fell prey to the siren-song of pre-produced, processed foods and bought a spinnin-chicken for dinner. What? You have no idea what delicacy this spinnin-chicken thing is?? Why? Ask Elle. She came up with the name. Why? Because it is logical. A chicken that spins.... on a rotisserie. It was so yummy and moist and delightful. Maybe I'll try to feed my kids less sodium & processed foods NEXT week.
And that, my dears, is all I got right now.....
*What? I failed to blog about the ruptured-perforated-exploded ear drum? Ah, maybe tomorrow.
My weekend, in snippets:
Cucumber all-purpose spray. Yes, this is what I bought myself as a treat this weekend. And then I found myself cleaning the pushy-knob that opens the microwave door. With a toothbrush. And, ta-da, I've developed yet another obsession. At a certain point Sweet Boy and I were actually arguing over who got to spray the front door and who got to wipe it. Ta-da, my children also harbor my obsessions. It's genetic.
A riddle. Small child sprinting down a long corridor followed by a woman frantically balancing a baby, a slice of pizza, a shopping cart (you're imaging me balancing a shopping cart on my head now, aren't you??) & a frozen yogurt. Where are they going?
The answer. Picture the woman carefully and calmly trying to talk the little boy through the process of unlocking the bathroom stall BEFORE he makes a puddle on the floor. Damn, that kid is fast... he had the door locked before I even got to it.
And, to make it even funnier. Picture the baby, strapped in her car seat in the front of the cart, happily gumming the slice of pizza (it was sitting on the tot-seat). Mother dreams of the millions she will make when she sells amazing rubber-armed child to the circus. Big Brother says, "Aw, sister...."
Finally, lunch & shopping are over. Everyone is happy and chatting away. We walk outside and a giant gust of wind blows the yogurt & the pizza away. GONE. BLEW AWAY. Sweet Boy spends the rest of the day making up stories about where it went. They involve mountains, dump trucks & grandpa getting in trouble for eating all the pizza when it blew into him.
So we have an adventure. We went through the drive-thru car wash…. I'll admit I've never been through one of those. It was a new experience for all three of us... heck even for the car so all 4 of us.... The blue-whappy things were a little scary but it was fun with the sunroof open... I mean... well, you know what I mean..... And a little man comes out and scrubs the back window and we yelled for him to run or the blue whappy things would get him… it all made quite an impression on SB… he can't stop talking about it.
Home & guests. The freakin' Jehovah's Witness people showed up. They come every few weeks…. I know the one girl so I can't be mean to her…. I had a feeling they would show this weekend (usually they show up when I'm making waffles in my flannel jammies with the dogs on them) but I was blindsided when they got here on MONDAY and they didn't offer to help unload the groceries or anything so it was a short visit.
It musta been the veggie puffs. Since Darling Girl made her new love of solid foods so obvious I dug out the container of veggie puffs. Yes, they are left over from SB's toddlerhood. Yes, the container is almost full. No, SB still doesn't like veggies all that much. But does Darling Girl like them? You betcha. I tasted them. They didn't taste too stale... well, no worse than how they taste new. And they melt in your mouth... which is actually a little disturbing.... but she had a blast... getting to pick up a little thing and put it in her mouth and NOT have every adult in a 6-foot radius shriek, gasp, make a horrible face, and take away her treasure. But then, then.... the most amazing poop. It shot up her back to the tops of her shoulders. Now, I should remind you, this kid is not big on producing waste. She doesn't poop all that often and this was two days in a row.... I was horrified. But, the up-side? We got to try out the brand new (hot pink) wax ear plugs* in the bath and they work like a charm.
Well, what do you call it? I fell prey to the siren-song of pre-produced, processed foods and bought a spinnin-chicken for dinner. What? You have no idea what delicacy this spinnin-chicken thing is?? Why? Ask Elle. She came up with the name. Why? Because it is logical. A chicken that spins.... on a rotisserie. It was so yummy and moist and delightful. Maybe I'll try to feed my kids less sodium & processed foods NEXT week.
And that, my dears, is all I got right now.....
*What? I failed to blog about the ruptured-perforated-exploded ear drum? Ah, maybe tomorrow.
Friday, February 16, 2007
I "scowley face" New Blogger.
I can't seem to post comments since switching to New Blogger. Anyone else having this problem?
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Another reason pink & red don't go together.....
Valentine's Day..... the celebration of Love.
I'm not going to lie. I had some plans for Valentine's.... you know what I mean..... I shaved.
Both legs.
All the way to the top.
And, as Susie notes.... Hair removal DOES count as a Valentine's Day gift.
I was wearing my new (TEN pairs for $25 at Vicky's Secret) panties. The ones that look really sexy (read: uncomfortable) but are actually quite comfy. Yeah. In pink. With hearts. I was wearing them.
You know the married-with-kids sexy night..... Wear the big one out playing "chase" and drug* the little one..... we all crawled into Sweet Boy's bed around 8:15 to read stories and that is where I woke up around 11:30. Lights out, baby & spouse gone, dog snoring, son drooling, disoriented.... so I guess I've officially crossed that line.... From wanna-be-sexy-trying-hard-but-usually-failing to just failing. Heavy sigh.
*Gawd, You know I'm kidding... right?!?!?
I'm not going to lie. I had some plans for Valentine's.... you know what I mean..... I shaved.
Both legs.
All the way to the top.
And, as Susie notes.... Hair removal DOES count as a Valentine's Day gift.
I was wearing my new (TEN pairs for $25 at Vicky's Secret) panties. The ones that look really sexy (read: uncomfortable) but are actually quite comfy. Yeah. In pink. With hearts. I was wearing them.
You know the married-with-kids sexy night..... Wear the big one out playing "chase" and drug* the little one..... we all crawled into Sweet Boy's bed around 8:15 to read stories and that is where I woke up around 11:30. Lights out, baby & spouse gone, dog snoring, son drooling, disoriented.... so I guess I've officially crossed that line.... From wanna-be-sexy-trying-hard-but-usually-failing to just failing. Heavy sigh.
*Gawd, You know I'm kidding... right?!?!?
Oops. Missed Monday Again...
So Elle officially made Monday the Doggie Doo-doo day. Pick up the poo in your yard. Well, we have quite a few inches of snow covering that poo so I'm going to modify the assignment for here.
Pet stuff. Yes. Pet stuff. Clean the dog beds, toss the chewed up chew toys... whatever it takes.
Personally, I washed the in-house and on-porch pet bed covers and this weekend I will be fluffing the portion of the barn that attaches to the dog pen..... Not that the dog's butt has spent moment-one in the dog pen this winter.... But I will dust off his futon (yes, futon) and wash all the blankets, sort the toys and tidy things up a bit. Then I will throw out half a dozen chewed up tennis balls and make sure there are lots of fresh treats in the various treat jars.
SB has decided he LOVES to give Gunnar treats. He really loves to give him the ones shaped like little pretzels.... so maybe a trip to PetCo will be needed to resupply.
There aren't a lot of toys to tidy.... we've been trashing a frisbee a week this winter trying to keep in shape... they are brittle when frozen and break easily when chomped by an overzealous pup. I need to attend more parades to restock the supply.... or break down and actually spend CASH to get a really flexible one designed for dogs....
Probably pet week should involve a dog bath and tooth-brushing but I'm just not sure we will get to that this time.....
Pet stuff. Yes. Pet stuff. Clean the dog beds, toss the chewed up chew toys... whatever it takes.
Personally, I washed the in-house and on-porch pet bed covers and this weekend I will be fluffing the portion of the barn that attaches to the dog pen..... Not that the dog's butt has spent moment-one in the dog pen this winter.... But I will dust off his futon (yes, futon) and wash all the blankets, sort the toys and tidy things up a bit. Then I will throw out half a dozen chewed up tennis balls and make sure there are lots of fresh treats in the various treat jars.
SB has decided he LOVES to give Gunnar treats. He really loves to give him the ones shaped like little pretzels.... so maybe a trip to PetCo will be needed to resupply.
There aren't a lot of toys to tidy.... we've been trashing a frisbee a week this winter trying to keep in shape... they are brittle when frozen and break easily when chomped by an overzealous pup. I need to attend more parades to restock the supply.... or break down and actually spend CASH to get a really flexible one designed for dogs....
Probably pet week should involve a dog bath and tooth-brushing but I'm just not sure we will get to that this time.....
Monday, February 05, 2007
But this shit only comes in 3’s right???
My garage door opener died. Now, this has happened before (different garage) so it isn’t like I don’t know the signs…. Last time the signs were a burning smell, smoke and no uppy-uppy when I pushy-pushy the button. This time at least I had motor sounds but no uppy-uppy. So Hot Stuff and I got up there on the double-sided ladder (it was way kinkier than it sounds and we’re planning to utilize it in some manner for Valentine’s Day). All those little plastic gears that make the door go uppy-uppy?? Yeah, they were plastic dust. Of course, nothing being easy…. Our “garage” is actually a “shop” and the door opener is mounted (hee-hee, I said mounted) in the most confucked manner possible. And this confucked (that would be a hybrid of confused and fucked for the slow-on-the-uptake that read this site) configuration won’t work with the new style of garage door openers out there now. Heavy sigh.
Then the washing machine quit with the spinny-spinny. Water goes in, water goes out, but there is no agitation or spinny-spinny to get things clean. That will be coming apart in the next few days… meanwhile I run the occasional load of laundry at my in-law’s and remind Hot Stuff to think of the enjoyment he gets from his new-used chain saw while he’s pounding his socks on rocks in the creek because that’s about what it would cost to get a new machine. (Good thing the man rarely wears underwear, isn’t it brother??)
So then… to top it all off… the tv remote quit. (Again, brother, something you wouldn’t understand what with that vintage non-remote tv you own.) It works on the vcr & the dvd but not the tv. And you know I need volume control so I can mute the commercials while I’m watching Judge Joe Brown and drinking tequila in the early afternoon. I went out to the garage to look in the black file box… the box where I, in all my Virgo glory, keep all the owner’s manuals and information for every product we now or ever have owned. And I find the directions to the THREE remotes we have for the ONE tv upstairs and I find the single sheet of info for the GE remote that lists what devices it will control and it tells me how easy it is to program but IT DOESN’T TELL ME HOW TO PROGRAM IT. And I weep.
Then the washing machine quit with the spinny-spinny. Water goes in, water goes out, but there is no agitation or spinny-spinny to get things clean. That will be coming apart in the next few days… meanwhile I run the occasional load of laundry at my in-law’s and remind Hot Stuff to think of the enjoyment he gets from his new-used chain saw while he’s pounding his socks on rocks in the creek because that’s about what it would cost to get a new machine. (Good thing the man rarely wears underwear, isn’t it brother??)
So then… to top it all off… the tv remote quit. (Again, brother, something you wouldn’t understand what with that vintage non-remote tv you own.) It works on the vcr & the dvd but not the tv. And you know I need volume control so I can mute the commercials while I’m watching Judge Joe Brown and drinking tequila in the early afternoon. I went out to the garage to look in the black file box… the box where I, in all my Virgo glory, keep all the owner’s manuals and information for every product we now or ever have owned. And I find the directions to the THREE remotes we have for the ONE tv upstairs and I find the single sheet of info for the GE remote that lists what devices it will control and it tells me how easy it is to program but IT DOESN’T TELL ME HOW TO PROGRAM IT. And I weep.
The Kid Room
I've spent a lot of time getting the bedrooms into some semblance of functionality. Wow. Was that a mensa-sentence or what? I've read it twice and it still doesn't make sense.
Dooce posted pictures of her daughter's room and got indignant email out of the deal. I thought I'd try for the same....
This picture shows 4 of the things I hate about this room. The peach (really, the photo just DOES NOT do it justice) carpet, the fake-wood trim (although it looks pretty good here), the what-do-you-call-that stripey wallpaper, and the stink bugs. The stink bugs invade on a regular basis... so much so that part of the bedtime routine is to hunt them down and smoosh them.
Dooce posted pictures of her daughter's room and got indignant email out of the deal. I thought I'd try for the same....
This picture shows 4 of the things I hate about this room. The peach (really, the photo just DOES NOT do it justice) carpet, the fake-wood trim (although it looks pretty good here), the what-do-you-call-that stripey wallpaper, and the stink bugs. The stink bugs invade on a regular basis... so much so that part of the bedtime routine is to hunt them down and smoosh them.
Cute Smokey Bear poster, huh? He has 3 of them and they were free... but shrink wrapping cost me a fortune. See the ugly light fixture? That's gotta be fixed. And I think I'll paint the blades blue. Can you see the new closet curtain on this side? I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet but it was in my fabric box so we'll try it for a while....
Here's the kid bedroom. See the kids? Yes, we are testing the baby to make sure she isn't vampire by exposing her to intense sunlight. I'm not sure how she feels about it but she isn't squalling so it must not be too bad. Can you see the closet curtains? Shoulda taken another shot of them. And also the cool chalkboard and clever little playland of Little People behind the bed. See the trio of dinosaurs guarding the bed? Good idea, huh??
This is pretty standard for this room. Sweet Boy, in his Bob the Builder undies, playing. See the new closet curtain on this side? And we moved the Winchester posters (please, hate mail regarding gun posters in a toddler's room? Go ahead) and the headstall he won and you can see the Smokey Bear poster on the incline there.... Also the cool carpet that is for playing cars on one side and railroad tracks on the other. He loves that. The dresser... vintage '70's with some orbital sanding, new knobs & some chalkboard paint.
This is the coolest thing in this room. We call it The Cave. It's the over-the-stairs storage and this is a crummy photo (really, why are all these pics so crummy? I'm usually pretty good with the camera.... hee-haw.) I'm thinking of painting it various shades of blue and spray painting the curtain rod blue. Sweet Boy likes to jump out of here and land on his bed.
We call it a "dangerous trick" and, well, we'll meet you at the emergency room.....
So that's it. The bedroom. You can see all the work that remains. Mostly painting.... I think I can prime the wallpaper and paint over it since we can't quite figure out what is UNDER it..... And I can't paint without Elle so that will have to wait.....
Drugs. Drugs. Drugs.
Elle has posted the challenge for this week.
Drugs.
I found baby decongestant with about half a dose left in the bottle..... and it expired in 2004. So help me.
I did the daycare bag drugs.
I did the kid drugs.
I did the daddy drugs.
I did the mama drugs.
I did the first aide drugs.
I did the cough & cold drugs.
I did the aches & pains drugs.
I flushed half a bottle of advil. What?!?! You say?!?! Yes. Hot Stuff has been complaining about this bottle for years..... I accidentally stored it in a cabinet next to a basket of opened soaps so it tasted like.... soap.
I ordered a new epi-pen. (And chucked the old expired ones I keep around just-in-case.)
I took the drugs out of the car, the purse and the travel kit and put them "back in rotation" so they will get used up and I replaced them with "fresh" stuff.
I realized I need to get more little batman bandaides.
Heck, I got so gung-ho I used up the "big kid wipes" my mom bought for potty-training.... felt great to toss that container. I know, I know... not technically a drug but still.... go me.
I re-thought drug storage in our house. Currently everything goes in the cupboard over the dryer (not as inconvenient as it sounds.... it is between the kitchen and the bathroom.... some day I will draw my house floor plan and you all will laugh....) The old prescription stuff that is worth keeping goes in a bin on the top shelf. The cough, cold, aches & pains stuff goes in a bin (another mini-crate that was a cd case in college) on the bottom shelf next to the first aid stuff. Then there is the big tub of "extra" stuff..... like the giant CostCo bottles of stool softener and the 47 bottles of GNC prenatal vitamins the state sent me when I registered for the prenatal program. All in all it is pretty efficient and it does keep it all above the heads of the little ones.
Ok, I'm going to make a Virgo confession here.... I save those tiny bags spare buttons come in and I put little mixes of advil-tylenol-aleve-excedrin in them for my purse, glove box & travel kit....
Ok, I'm off to sort bandaides by size and style now.....
Drugs.
I found baby decongestant with about half a dose left in the bottle..... and it expired in 2004. So help me.
I did the daycare bag drugs.
I did the kid drugs.
I did the daddy drugs.
I did the mama drugs.
I did the first aide drugs.
I did the cough & cold drugs.
I did the aches & pains drugs.
I flushed half a bottle of advil. What?!?! You say?!?! Yes. Hot Stuff has been complaining about this bottle for years..... I accidentally stored it in a cabinet next to a basket of opened soaps so it tasted like.... soap.
I ordered a new epi-pen. (And chucked the old expired ones I keep around just-in-case.)
I took the drugs out of the car, the purse and the travel kit and put them "back in rotation" so they will get used up and I replaced them with "fresh" stuff.
I realized I need to get more little batman bandaides.
Heck, I got so gung-ho I used up the "big kid wipes" my mom bought for potty-training.... felt great to toss that container. I know, I know... not technically a drug but still.... go me.
I re-thought drug storage in our house. Currently everything goes in the cupboard over the dryer (not as inconvenient as it sounds.... it is between the kitchen and the bathroom.... some day I will draw my house floor plan and you all will laugh....) The old prescription stuff that is worth keeping goes in a bin on the top shelf. The cough, cold, aches & pains stuff goes in a bin (another mini-crate that was a cd case in college) on the bottom shelf next to the first aid stuff. Then there is the big tub of "extra" stuff..... like the giant CostCo bottles of stool softener and the 47 bottles of GNC prenatal vitamins the state sent me when I registered for the prenatal program. All in all it is pretty efficient and it does keep it all above the heads of the little ones.
Ok, I'm going to make a Virgo confession here.... I save those tiny bags spare buttons come in and I put little mixes of advil-tylenol-aleve-excedrin in them for my purse, glove box & travel kit....
Ok, I'm off to sort bandaides by size and style now.....
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Oops. I forgot about Monday
Well, it is Thursday. Do I have an excuse for not figuring out a Monday project? No.
So here's the project. Quick and dirty.
Clean your car.
Don't get all crazy and VACUUM it... it is 18 degrees and blizzarding here.... there will be no vacuuming.
I mean just get it organized.... Hell, you can do this while you are stuck waiting for a train..... Clean out the console box. (Yes, I have a lot of crap in there too.)
Toss the dried-out wet wipes.
Re-think the gallon-sized zip loc bags for each kids' stuff in the spare tire storage area. What? You don't have this? I have a sweatshirt and a change of clothes for SB (including socks... somehow he always manages to pee on his socks) and clothes and a spare diaper/wipes for DG. Every once in a while I have to up the sizes of everything. I also have an old pullover jacket for me and various items needed for winter living in Montana....
Oh, this is fun. Ok, the glove box... or jockey box... depending on where you live. Since I actually keep gloves in it I'm going to go with the former....
A little red bag containing: advil/excedrine/aleve, imodium, antihistamine, a tampon, bandaids, hand lotion
A little pair of stretchy gloves
Camp suds (eco-soap in the liquid variety.... for washing the dog in a creek after he rolls in cow shit..... trust me, it's the most used item in my car)
Hand sanitizer (for me, after the above episodes)
A bottle opener (what? I'm from Montana)
Spare headphones
Dog leash
Travel tissue packet
Registration & proof of insurance
Map
Console box: ipod, ipod charger, sunglasses case, ziploc of rabbit crackers, lip gloss, pencil, toy tractor
Under the seat: Roller window shade, travel box for butt wipes, bottle of water (Go ahead, Elle, admit you have a giant rock under your seat)
Trunk area: the above mentioned ziploc bags, various winter items depending on the day, a blanket & chew bone for the dog
Don't leave home without: sippy & sunglasses for the boy, paci & blanket for the girl, coffee & sunglasses for the mama, diet pepsi & nicotene gum for the daddy-o
So here's the project. Quick and dirty.
Clean your car.
Don't get all crazy and VACUUM it... it is 18 degrees and blizzarding here.... there will be no vacuuming.
I mean just get it organized.... Hell, you can do this while you are stuck waiting for a train..... Clean out the console box. (Yes, I have a lot of crap in there too.)
Toss the dried-out wet wipes.
Re-think the gallon-sized zip loc bags for each kids' stuff in the spare tire storage area. What? You don't have this? I have a sweatshirt and a change of clothes for SB (including socks... somehow he always manages to pee on his socks) and clothes and a spare diaper/wipes for DG. Every once in a while I have to up the sizes of everything. I also have an old pullover jacket for me and various items needed for winter living in Montana....
Oh, this is fun. Ok, the glove box... or jockey box... depending on where you live. Since I actually keep gloves in it I'm going to go with the former....
A little red bag containing: advil/excedrine/aleve, imodium, antihistamine, a tampon, bandaids, hand lotion
A little pair of stretchy gloves
Camp suds (eco-soap in the liquid variety.... for washing the dog in a creek after he rolls in cow shit..... trust me, it's the most used item in my car)
Hand sanitizer (for me, after the above episodes)
A bottle opener (what? I'm from Montana)
Spare headphones
Dog leash
Travel tissue packet
Registration & proof of insurance
Map
Console box: ipod, ipod charger, sunglasses case, ziploc of rabbit crackers, lip gloss, pencil, toy tractor
Under the seat: Roller window shade, travel box for butt wipes, bottle of water (Go ahead, Elle, admit you have a giant rock under your seat)
Trunk area: the above mentioned ziploc bags, various winter items depending on the day, a blanket & chew bone for the dog
Don't leave home without: sippy & sunglasses for the boy, paci & blanket for the girl, coffee & sunglasses for the mama, diet pepsi & nicotene gum for the daddy-o
Thursday, January 25, 2007
A typical Tuesday night at our house.....
I am Harry-Green-Bean-Potter and I'm going to turn you into.... APPLESAUCE.
I'm so hungry I think I will just EAT THIS SPOON.
And the dog is thinking, "Any level of humiliation... just let me LICK THAT BABY!!!!"
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The Can.
So do you think this potty seat would be more sanitary than this Dora seat we are currently using?
Wait.
Let me back up.
We already have several potty apperati. We have the singing potty. Singing. Potty. I bought it for $17 and it worked like a charm.... Plunk him on it during Saturday morning cartoons and reward him like crazy when you hear the trumpet fanfare. It was a piece of living room furniture for several months.... it's in the bedroom for night time pottying now. (Yes, our house is small but his room is as far as humanly possible from the toilet.) Then we have the antique wooden potty..... perfect because it has a snack tray. Yes. A potty chair with a snack tray... do they make these in adult sizes? Seriously, if the kid is so inclined, how do you keep them ON a modern potty? You can't. But with a tray you can. We also had a spare First Choice potty that was a hand-me-down..... and we like to have a potty in every room. Then we had the hand-me-down Dora seat-insert potty and, yes, mommy is too cheap to spring for the fancy wooden foot stool (Sweet Boy uses a mini crate -a mini crate I stored CD's in when I was in college -for a step stool). He kept knocking the pee-guard ("for boy's tails" according to my 3-year-old niece) in the toilet and getting frantic about it so we took it off. He knows how to "tuck his unit" anyway. But, the problem is.... ew. I hate grabbing that nasty -and often WET- thing off the toilet. Is there a way around this?
Now.... let me clarify. We aren't buying this just to be yuppie parents. (Although, really, isn't that reason enough? Then I could get a bumper sticker that says, "MY OTHER potty sings....") We really do need a new toilet seat.... the one we have is padded. Need I say more? (Yes, I know, we've lived in this house for several years... it just never was at the top of the "to do" list.... but it is starting to crack.... (ha-ha, no pun intended) and that moves it up the list considerably....) I'm more of the $7.99 cheap-o seat kind of person than the $24.99 fancy seat kind of person.... and then there is the aesthetic... the toilet is tan.... can I put a white seat on it?
Oh, internet, do you see the challenges I face on a daily basis???
Wait.
Let me back up.
We already have several potty apperati. We have the singing potty. Singing. Potty. I bought it for $17 and it worked like a charm.... Plunk him on it during Saturday morning cartoons and reward him like crazy when you hear the trumpet fanfare. It was a piece of living room furniture for several months.... it's in the bedroom for night time pottying now. (Yes, our house is small but his room is as far as humanly possible from the toilet.) Then we have the antique wooden potty..... perfect because it has a snack tray. Yes. A potty chair with a snack tray... do they make these in adult sizes? Seriously, if the kid is so inclined, how do you keep them ON a modern potty? You can't. But with a tray you can. We also had a spare First Choice potty that was a hand-me-down..... and we like to have a potty in every room. Then we had the hand-me-down Dora seat-insert potty and, yes, mommy is too cheap to spring for the fancy wooden foot stool (Sweet Boy uses a mini crate -a mini crate I stored CD's in when I was in college -for a step stool). He kept knocking the pee-guard ("for boy's tails" according to my 3-year-old niece) in the toilet and getting frantic about it so we took it off. He knows how to "tuck his unit" anyway. But, the problem is.... ew. I hate grabbing that nasty -and often WET- thing off the toilet. Is there a way around this?
Now.... let me clarify. We aren't buying this just to be yuppie parents. (Although, really, isn't that reason enough? Then I could get a bumper sticker that says, "MY OTHER potty sings....") We really do need a new toilet seat.... the one we have is padded. Need I say more? (Yes, I know, we've lived in this house for several years... it just never was at the top of the "to do" list.... but it is starting to crack.... (ha-ha, no pun intended) and that moves it up the list considerably....) I'm more of the $7.99 cheap-o seat kind of person than the $24.99 fancy seat kind of person.... and then there is the aesthetic... the toilet is tan.... can I put a white seat on it?
Oh, internet, do you see the challenges I face on a daily basis???
To bring you all up to speed.....
I realize I've failed to post about this yet. Oops.
Elle & I are on a mission.
It all started with the great dishtowel meltdown.... and then Elle says, "Hey, I did my dishtowels too.... what's next?"
So Week 2 was DVD & VHS tapes. I sent a small box of old VHS movies to Good Sam's and scrapped a pile of blank tapes. I figure I need 3 blank tapes. 2 for recording and one for loaning out things I've recorded. So why the drawer full? Then I sorted the remaining tapes & disks into a few categories and shoved them back in the drawer: kids, stuff to watch over and over, hunting, workout. I didn't get up the nerve to "release" any of the kid vids.... "The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars" is still there. So is that particularly annoying "Barney does Halloween" video. But I did let go a few "tapes of tapes" of kid stuff.... I didn't touch the sacred hunting vids & dvd's.... that's Hot Stuff territory. And I got rid of two really awful workout tapes.... but I have high hopes of someday DOING some of those tapes..... so I held onto that illusion..... for now. And I felt pretty good about things so SB & I borrowed "Big Bird Goes to China" from the library on Wednesday after storyhour to celebrate.
This weekend I realized there were two boxes of tapes in the garage.... boxes I moved out when my sis moved in. So I guess I'm not officially done with week 2 yet.... darn.
Week 3 was candles. Clean the candle holders of wax and soot. Toss. Sort. Burn. That kind of thing. I decided a long time ago I really just want one jar candle on my kitchen window sill for burning..... so I got rid of a bunch then. But this week I was able to free the white-but-stored-with-red tapers that looked like hell. And I started burning the 3-wick red candle I've had FOREVER and am now calling a Valentine's candle. And we've had candle-lit dinners every night but I still have a lot of tapers to get rid of.... It's hard to burn candles at our house.... Hot Stuff has candle-fire issues and Sweet Boy likes to blow them out.
Week 4 (started yesterday) is file cabinets. YEAH! I have no file cabinets. Well, actually, I have two 2-drawer cabinets but one is empty and the other has home-garden stuff in it. Magazine clippings and the like. I have one drawer of old tax returns and "important" stuff. But all the 2006 paperwork (old phone bills anyone?) goes in an accordian file by the desk and has already been stashed in a box in the shed. Yes, I keep them 7 years. I'm not sure why. So now I'm working to scan any clippings I really want to keep and getting rid of the paper.....
Anyone else playing??
As can be seen here.
Elle & I are on a mission.
It all started with the great dishtowel meltdown.... and then Elle says, "Hey, I did my dishtowels too.... what's next?"
So Week 2 was DVD & VHS tapes. I sent a small box of old VHS movies to Good Sam's and scrapped a pile of blank tapes. I figure I need 3 blank tapes. 2 for recording and one for loaning out things I've recorded. So why the drawer full? Then I sorted the remaining tapes & disks into a few categories and shoved them back in the drawer: kids, stuff to watch over and over, hunting, workout. I didn't get up the nerve to "release" any of the kid vids.... "The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars" is still there. So is that particularly annoying "Barney does Halloween" video. But I did let go a few "tapes of tapes" of kid stuff.... I didn't touch the sacred hunting vids & dvd's.... that's Hot Stuff territory. And I got rid of two really awful workout tapes.... but I have high hopes of someday DOING some of those tapes..... so I held onto that illusion..... for now. And I felt pretty good about things so SB & I borrowed "Big Bird Goes to China" from the library on Wednesday after storyhour to celebrate.
This weekend I realized there were two boxes of tapes in the garage.... boxes I moved out when my sis moved in. So I guess I'm not officially done with week 2 yet.... darn.
Week 3 was candles. Clean the candle holders of wax and soot. Toss. Sort. Burn. That kind of thing. I decided a long time ago I really just want one jar candle on my kitchen window sill for burning..... so I got rid of a bunch then. But this week I was able to free the white-but-stored-with-red tapers that looked like hell. And I started burning the 3-wick red candle I've had FOREVER and am now calling a Valentine's candle. And we've had candle-lit dinners every night but I still have a lot of tapers to get rid of.... It's hard to burn candles at our house.... Hot Stuff has candle-fire issues and Sweet Boy likes to blow them out.
Week 4 (started yesterday) is file cabinets. YEAH! I have no file cabinets. Well, actually, I have two 2-drawer cabinets but one is empty and the other has home-garden stuff in it. Magazine clippings and the like. I have one drawer of old tax returns and "important" stuff. But all the 2006 paperwork (old phone bills anyone?) goes in an accordian file by the desk and has already been stashed in a box in the shed. Yes, I keep them 7 years. I'm not sure why. So now I'm working to scan any clippings I really want to keep and getting rid of the paper.....
Anyone else playing??
As can be seen here.
Friday, January 19, 2007
What do you pack for lunch?
Making lunch one night.....
Bowl.
Spinach.
2 slices turkey bacon -cooked crispy and crumbled.
Cheddar.
Avocado.
Snap peas.
Grape tomatoes.
Garbanzos.
Green Goddess dressing.
More spinach to hold it all down and keep the dressing from sticking to the lid.
Husband says, "Are you kidding me? Garbanzos, baby poop dressing & ecoli.... yum."
____________
And then there is the grocery budget. The "budget" is $75/week for groceries.... but I tend to use the word "groceries" in a casual manner.... cough meds, dog food, detergent.... all groceries. So we've been doing quite well sticking too it until....
Costco with Hot Stuff on Wednesday. $150. Bacon, hot dogs, pickled asparagus, butter, random meat products, beer, pop, almonds, underpants (a 3-pack. boxer-briefs. why? the man doesn't WEAR underpants.).
There are certain unspoken rules about Costco:
1. Pick a theme. (like "veggies" or "things you can do with a bag of spinach too large to fit in the overhead luggage compartment of a 7-47) and shop around it. Dinners this week (veggies) are creamy veggie pasta, stir fry, grilled veggie sandwiches.
2. Shop from a list.
3. Purchase one impulse item per family member. (Me.... I like pesto, sugar snap peas or kiwis. Sweet Boy likes turkey bacon & bread.... I'm serious.... they had samples of toast and he loved the bread..... heavy, dense, fiber bread.... he was so excited when I bought it for him. Hot Stuff gets things like garlic-stuffed olives, almonds & real bacon. Darling Girl gets.... nuthin'... but she's been eyeing the frozen potstickers & jalapeno poppers.... or maybe a nice bottle of Liberty House wine.)
4. Don't pile groceries on the baby.
5. No matter how quick a trip it is.... we will have to take at least one potty break.
6. Keep the bill under $100... the place ain't going anywhere.... the frozen chicken cordon bleu will still be there next week.
7. If everyone is good we get pizza for lunch.
So we are doing our usually shopping thing.....
Raising eyebrows with the sampler-ladies by giving SB a taste of the spicy pasta sauce..... the lady just kept saying, "It's spicy, it's spicy" as I was ladling our 3-noodle sample into his baby-bird mouth. Except the way she was saying it -over and over, getting more high pitched by the moment- it sounded like, "Iyahts spaycee, iyahts spayyycceeeee" and SB kept saying, "What? What? Mama. WHAT is she saying??"
Making people laugh by talking to the baby like she's a real person and not just an adorable fluff-brained kewpi doll in a funny hat. She entertained a couple by the milk cooler with her amazing play-my-tongue-like-it-is-a-musical-instrument rendition of some great work of symphony music. That kid and her tongue. I have yet to get it on video but she has a future in..... something.
Poking fun at the very tiny Eastern-block woman in the odd grey tweed suit who felt up our baby to make sure we weren't stealing something.... as if there was anything at Costco small enough to fit in the folds of a carseat.... a stray grape tomato maybe?
Being amazed, yet again, by how much pizza SB can consume.... and how clever he is when he announces to EVERYONE, well, ok, to me... at 90 decibels, "Mama. Mom. Mommy. I went POOP in the potty! Poop, mama. By myself. In the potty. With daddy. And I WASHED my hands. Mama. With soap." Laughter all around us... all the time.
Yes. Laughter all around us... all the time..... we know how to make the ordinary fun, don't we?
Bowl.
Spinach.
2 slices turkey bacon -cooked crispy and crumbled.
Cheddar.
Avocado.
Snap peas.
Grape tomatoes.
Garbanzos.
Green Goddess dressing.
More spinach to hold it all down and keep the dressing from sticking to the lid.
Husband says, "Are you kidding me? Garbanzos, baby poop dressing & ecoli.... yum."
____________
And then there is the grocery budget. The "budget" is $75/week for groceries.... but I tend to use the word "groceries" in a casual manner.... cough meds, dog food, detergent.... all groceries. So we've been doing quite well sticking too it until....
Costco with Hot Stuff on Wednesday. $150. Bacon, hot dogs, pickled asparagus, butter, random meat products, beer, pop, almonds, underpants (a 3-pack. boxer-briefs. why? the man doesn't WEAR underpants.).
There are certain unspoken rules about Costco:
1. Pick a theme. (like "veggies" or "things you can do with a bag of spinach too large to fit in the overhead luggage compartment of a 7-47) and shop around it. Dinners this week (veggies) are creamy veggie pasta, stir fry, grilled veggie sandwiches.
2. Shop from a list.
3. Purchase one impulse item per family member. (Me.... I like pesto, sugar snap peas or kiwis. Sweet Boy likes turkey bacon & bread.... I'm serious.... they had samples of toast and he loved the bread..... heavy, dense, fiber bread.... he was so excited when I bought it for him. Hot Stuff gets things like garlic-stuffed olives, almonds & real bacon. Darling Girl gets.... nuthin'... but she's been eyeing the frozen potstickers & jalapeno poppers.... or maybe a nice bottle of Liberty House wine.)
4. Don't pile groceries on the baby.
5. No matter how quick a trip it is.... we will have to take at least one potty break.
6. Keep the bill under $100... the place ain't going anywhere.... the frozen chicken cordon bleu will still be there next week.
7. If everyone is good we get pizza for lunch.
So we are doing our usually shopping thing.....
Raising eyebrows with the sampler-ladies by giving SB a taste of the spicy pasta sauce..... the lady just kept saying, "It's spicy, it's spicy" as I was ladling our 3-noodle sample into his baby-bird mouth. Except the way she was saying it -over and over, getting more high pitched by the moment- it sounded like, "Iyahts spaycee, iyahts spayyycceeeee" and SB kept saying, "What? What? Mama. WHAT is she saying??"
Making people laugh by talking to the baby like she's a real person and not just an adorable fluff-brained kewpi doll in a funny hat. She entertained a couple by the milk cooler with her amazing play-my-tongue-like-it-is-a-musical-instrument rendition of some great work of symphony music. That kid and her tongue. I have yet to get it on video but she has a future in..... something.
Poking fun at the very tiny Eastern-block woman in the odd grey tweed suit who felt up our baby to make sure we weren't stealing something.... as if there was anything at Costco small enough to fit in the folds of a carseat.... a stray grape tomato maybe?
Being amazed, yet again, by how much pizza SB can consume.... and how clever he is when he announces to EVERYONE, well, ok, to me... at 90 decibels, "Mama. Mom. Mommy. I went POOP in the potty! Poop, mama. By myself. In the potty. With daddy. And I WASHED my hands. Mama. With soap." Laughter all around us... all the time.
Yes. Laughter all around us... all the time..... we know how to make the ordinary fun, don't we?
Friday, January 05, 2007
My 2007 Resolution aka. Screw working out and weight loss....
My resolution for 2007 is to continue to simplify.
This led to a funny phone conversation with Elle last night. Typically, I call her when I am grocery shopping alone…. Mostly just to brag about the “me” time (see how this simplifying thing works? I now consider talking on the phone in the dairy isle a special luxury).
I was having a dishtowel dilemma.
I’m serious.
These are the days of my Life.
See, I have these dishtowels my (now deceased) beloved Gram made for me… the ones with the little crocheted tops on them. The towels themselves are pretty garish (Gram was nothing if not colorful) and not really my style. (Style? Ok, my I-wish-I-had Style is vintage-looking flour sack towels in ticking stripes… if you are shopping for me.) So Elle gave me exactly the advice I needed, “Put them in the rag bag. You still have them but they aren’t cluttering up your cupboards or your kitchen.” I love that girl. I’m sure, last time she visited, she was wondering why the hell I had them in the first place.
So the simplifying continues. I feel like I should make an accomplishment checklist just to show you how very complicated I can make simplifying. Then I would feel so very accomplished, holier-than-thou, and helpful. You could either take it and modify it as a “how to” list for your own simplification plan or use it as yet another reason to hate me for my smugness.
Next stop…. Dvd and vhs organization…. Any suggestions?
This led to a funny phone conversation with Elle last night. Typically, I call her when I am grocery shopping alone…. Mostly just to brag about the “me” time (see how this simplifying thing works? I now consider talking on the phone in the dairy isle a special luxury).
I was having a dishtowel dilemma.
I’m serious.
These are the days of my Life.
See, I have these dishtowels my (now deceased) beloved Gram made for me… the ones with the little crocheted tops on them. The towels themselves are pretty garish (Gram was nothing if not colorful) and not really my style. (Style? Ok, my I-wish-I-had Style is vintage-looking flour sack towels in ticking stripes… if you are shopping for me.) So Elle gave me exactly the advice I needed, “Put them in the rag bag. You still have them but they aren’t cluttering up your cupboards or your kitchen.” I love that girl. I’m sure, last time she visited, she was wondering why the hell I had them in the first place.
So the simplifying continues. I feel like I should make an accomplishment checklist just to show you how very complicated I can make simplifying. Then I would feel so very accomplished, holier-than-thou, and helpful. You could either take it and modify it as a “how to” list for your own simplification plan or use it as yet another reason to hate me for my smugness.
Next stop…. Dvd and vhs organization…. Any suggestions?
New Years Past
Past resolutions I have made:
1. Eat ice cream every week. (Oh, sure, easy in August…. You try shoveling in a bowl mid-fudge season…. It ain’t so easy, is it?)
2. Get no parking tickets. (If my office lot is full I park on the street in 2-hour parking and never remember to move my car….. $20 a pop….. I used to ignore them until the end of the year when they had a “half-price” sale if you brought in a food share donation….. then I married Mr. “Oh-my-you-can’t-have-this-outstanding” and I have to pay them right away….. so I just vowed to quit getting them. I’ve done really well the last few years…. But I think that has to do with how few parking attendants there are rather than remembering to move my car….)
3. Not set foot in Wal-Mart. (It’s not that I hate big-box retail…. CostCo & Target are my friends…. It’s just something about that store…. It gives me a rash. I can’t find anything and it is clear across town (insert laughter…. A town of about 25K).
4. Eat more fruit. (And my love affair with yogurt-covered raisins began….)
5. Wear every article of clothing in my possession. (Failed miserably… but Good Sam’s got lots of great donations at the end of the year…)
6. Make a baby. (Who knew that one would be so tough??)
7. Eat chocolate every day. (I missed a few days….. I just couldn’t bring myself to pop a hershey’s kiss in my mouth after brushing my teeth.)
I think I forgot to post this last month....
One. Two. Three. Aaaaawwwwww. Please note:
Darling Girl made this exact same face when the doctor picked her up and tried to cozy up to her when she had a goopy eye last month.
Sweet Boy's fingers. He does this with his fingers when he's nervous or unsure about something.... guess what? I realized I do it too.
What a fine mall santa we have.....
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Redneck Sledding
Who knew it would SNOW while we were at the farm? Day One of Sledding photos here..... Bonus points for anyone who can tell me what we are using for a sled. And extra bonus points for anyone else who has gone sledding behind a tractor.....
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
All I Want for Christmas is a.....
Is it a Bad Thing the baby is getting a wafflemaker for Christmas?
What? The Damn Dog (formerly known as Gunnar) managed to knock ours off the kitchen counter and break it into more pieces than even my masterful superglue abilities can repair.
And we need our waffles.
And I need gifts for the baby under the tree. She was getting rice cereal in her stocking but we had to break that out last night after I got tired of her staring at me while I consumed 12 lbs of rock-hard fudge. (Last week's to-do list included purchasing a new candy thermometer...overcooked fudge is chalky.) So we ripped the bow off the rice cereal and let her slurp some. She actually seemed to enjoy it.
I would write it in her baby book if she had one. Oh, that would be a great Christmas present IF I COULD FIND ONE. Yes, I live in a God-forsaken hick town but I can't even find a decent one on hallmark.com. WTF?
So I told my sister-in-law... only half-joking.... about getting the baby a wafflemaker for Christmas and she found me a deluxe Oster version on sale for about $50. What? No. We will be purchasing the $12 Target special.... the dog won't mind.
Hot Stuff's family is horrified by the gifts we're getting Darling Girl. We got Sweet Boy a new carseat for his first Christmas and various other things a new baby really needed. Darling Girl is getting some new sippy cups, pacis, a very cute storybook from her brother, a giant box of hand-me-down Little People stuff (from the amazing Elle), and a baby book... if I can find one. Am I making a mistake? Would a bit of additional retail therapy now prevent years of on-the-couch therapy later?
Oh, wait. Or is it that I'm feeling a wee bit envious of my well-off sister-in-law? The people who bought their daughter a $100 lego knight set and gave it to her in early December "just because." I don't have a problem with the way we give to our kids (1. They don't need all that commercial stuff and, 2. We can't stand the clutter.) EXCEPT when this little demon starts comparing what we give them to what their cousins get. My aunt used to talk about this kind of thing when her kids were little and had the same problem with their cousins. Maybe I should call her.
I shopped with the sis-in-law the weekend after Turkey day and she bought her kids a lot of stuff and she pushed me to buy for my kids. I didn't. For one thing.... if I'm going to spend money on things like books I will do it at the local Montana Book & Toy Company rather than Barnes & Noble. Prices are the same so why not shop locally if possible? Sis-in-law bought lots of toys for her kids.....I actually returned the Little People Garage I got for Sweet Boy when Elle offered me 1000 pieces of Little for the cost of postage. He is also getting a race car launcher thingy and the movie "Cars" from Santa, a box with some much-needed long underwear and some coloring/activity books in his stocking. Daddy got him a model Caterpillar tractor. Santa generally tends to be very into oral hygiene at our house..... stockings typically have new toothbrushes/paste and maybe something mama wouldn't normally splurge on... like Batman tattoo bandaids. Santa is a practical man.
But enough of me listing what I'm buying my kids to try to justify spending too much and/or not enough on them. Back to the original question.... is it bad that Darling Girl is getting a wafflemaker for Christmas??
What? The Damn Dog (formerly known as Gunnar) managed to knock ours off the kitchen counter and break it into more pieces than even my masterful superglue abilities can repair.
And we need our waffles.
And I need gifts for the baby under the tree. She was getting rice cereal in her stocking but we had to break that out last night after I got tired of her staring at me while I consumed 12 lbs of rock-hard fudge. (Last week's to-do list included purchasing a new candy thermometer...overcooked fudge is chalky.) So we ripped the bow off the rice cereal and let her slurp some. She actually seemed to enjoy it.
I would write it in her baby book if she had one. Oh, that would be a great Christmas present IF I COULD FIND ONE. Yes, I live in a God-forsaken hick town but I can't even find a decent one on hallmark.com. WTF?
So I told my sister-in-law... only half-joking.... about getting the baby a wafflemaker for Christmas and she found me a deluxe Oster version on sale for about $50. What? No. We will be purchasing the $12 Target special.... the dog won't mind.
Hot Stuff's family is horrified by the gifts we're getting Darling Girl. We got Sweet Boy a new carseat for his first Christmas and various other things a new baby really needed. Darling Girl is getting some new sippy cups, pacis, a very cute storybook from her brother, a giant box of hand-me-down Little People stuff (from the amazing Elle), and a baby book... if I can find one. Am I making a mistake? Would a bit of additional retail therapy now prevent years of on-the-couch therapy later?
Oh, wait. Or is it that I'm feeling a wee bit envious of my well-off sister-in-law? The people who bought their daughter a $100 lego knight set and gave it to her in early December "just because." I don't have a problem with the way we give to our kids (1. They don't need all that commercial stuff and, 2. We can't stand the clutter.) EXCEPT when this little demon starts comparing what we give them to what their cousins get. My aunt used to talk about this kind of thing when her kids were little and had the same problem with their cousins. Maybe I should call her.
I shopped with the sis-in-law the weekend after Turkey day and she bought her kids a lot of stuff and she pushed me to buy for my kids. I didn't. For one thing.... if I'm going to spend money on things like books I will do it at the local Montana Book & Toy Company rather than Barnes & Noble. Prices are the same so why not shop locally if possible? Sis-in-law bought lots of toys for her kids.....I actually returned the Little People Garage I got for Sweet Boy when Elle offered me 1000 pieces of Little for the cost of postage. He is also getting a race car launcher thingy and the movie "Cars" from Santa, a box with some much-needed long underwear and some coloring/activity books in his stocking. Daddy got him a model Caterpillar tractor. Santa generally tends to be very into oral hygiene at our house..... stockings typically have new toothbrushes/paste and maybe something mama wouldn't normally splurge on... like Batman tattoo bandaids. Santa is a practical man.
But enough of me listing what I'm buying my kids to try to justify spending too much and/or not enough on them. Back to the original question.... is it bad that Darling Girl is getting a wafflemaker for Christmas??
Popsicle weather....
I have pictures but I can't get them to load....
Yesterday was about 25-30 degrees F and sunny. I bundled the kids and we walked to the mailbox. Then we played with the sled on the ice in the yard. Darling Girl sat in her bouncy seat on the porch for a bit, then went in the dining room (just inside the door) while I sat in the sunshine with a big box of baby clothes from the shed and sorted them. Sweet Boy was playing in the yard and with his toys in the barn. We finally went inside because we were all getting hungry.
We were outside for over an hour.
I had on canvas pants and a fleece pull-over, a hat & gloves. Sweet Boy was wearing snowpants & a ski coat, stocking cap & mittens. Darling Girl had on her fleece snowsuit & a hat. Both kids had vaseline on their cheeks (frost nip is my biggest fear....).
Are we crazy or just climatized? I remember the first weekend it was below freezing and I thought I would DIE before spring. Now I'm out in below-freezing weather in a glorified sweatshirt? I've heard stories of guys at the South Pole cutting ice with no shirts on in 10 degree F weather..... and I love to think my kids are tough little buggers but playing trucks (you should see him try to push a toy wheel barrow over ice....) in freezing temps seems just a bit shy of insane to me....
Yesterday was about 25-30 degrees F and sunny. I bundled the kids and we walked to the mailbox. Then we played with the sled on the ice in the yard. Darling Girl sat in her bouncy seat on the porch for a bit, then went in the dining room (just inside the door) while I sat in the sunshine with a big box of baby clothes from the shed and sorted them. Sweet Boy was playing in the yard and with his toys in the barn. We finally went inside because we were all getting hungry.
We were outside for over an hour.
I had on canvas pants and a fleece pull-over, a hat & gloves. Sweet Boy was wearing snowpants & a ski coat, stocking cap & mittens. Darling Girl had on her fleece snowsuit & a hat. Both kids had vaseline on their cheeks (frost nip is my biggest fear....).
Are we crazy or just climatized? I remember the first weekend it was below freezing and I thought I would DIE before spring. Now I'm out in below-freezing weather in a glorified sweatshirt? I've heard stories of guys at the South Pole cutting ice with no shirts on in 10 degree F weather..... and I love to think my kids are tough little buggers but playing trucks (you should see him try to push a toy wheel barrow over ice....) in freezing temps seems just a bit shy of insane to me....
Where's the Kid?
Ok, this is pretty bad but my very first thought was, "Oh, I'm so glad that wasn't me....."
A Lunch Date
I know you think I'm just ignoring you but I'm not.....
Although I did have to make THREE (double) batches of fudge and buy a new candy thermometer (read: rock-hard, over-cooked fudge... but my sister will eat it) before I had rewards I deemed acceptable for the mail lady. Now maybe the crazy bitch will deliver our mail to our house instead of my in-laws....
And it isn't that I'm so terribly busy attending elegant affairs (I really wanted to say "soirees" but I'm not sure how to spell it...) this holiday season.... I'm not that popular.
It's just that we got a new COSTCO in Helena and I've been spending (and spending my free time) there.....
(Kidding, only kidding.... but I have gotten a lot of milk there and I'm fully stocked for toilet paper through 2010.....)
PS. For you comparison shoppers.... the only thing I've found so far that is significantly "cheaper elsewhere" is nicorette gum. The Target brand is $30-ish for 110 pieces and the Nicorette brand at CostCo is $62-ish for 190 pieces. And, so far, the gas has been consistently a nickel or more cheaper per gallon.... not sure that justifies the $50 membership but we've compromised by calling it a "mama date" and we shop then share a slice of cheesy pizza. (Imagine my surprise and delight to see $1.99/slice pizza after the nightmare of buying pizza in the airport with my dad.... at least now I know where to take him for lunch next time he is in town....)
Although I did have to make THREE (double) batches of fudge and buy a new candy thermometer (read: rock-hard, over-cooked fudge... but my sister will eat it) before I had rewards I deemed acceptable for the mail lady. Now maybe the crazy bitch will deliver our mail to our house instead of my in-laws....
And it isn't that I'm so terribly busy attending elegant affairs (I really wanted to say "soirees" but I'm not sure how to spell it...) this holiday season.... I'm not that popular.
It's just that we got a new COSTCO in Helena and I've been spending (and spending my free time) there.....
(Kidding, only kidding.... but I have gotten a lot of milk there and I'm fully stocked for toilet paper through 2010.....)
PS. For you comparison shoppers.... the only thing I've found so far that is significantly "cheaper elsewhere" is nicorette gum. The Target brand is $30-ish for 110 pieces and the Nicorette brand at CostCo is $62-ish for 190 pieces. And, so far, the gas has been consistently a nickel or more cheaper per gallon.... not sure that justifies the $50 membership but we've compromised by calling it a "mama date" and we shop then share a slice of cheesy pizza. (Imagine my surprise and delight to see $1.99/slice pizza after the nightmare of buying pizza in the airport with my dad.... at least now I know where to take him for lunch next time he is in town....)
Friday, December 08, 2006
True Blogger Disappointment
I'm so bummed. I had a perfect photo op and my hubby ERASED it.
It was in the shower. (Oh, you're getting excited now.)
Well, to be specific, it was written on the wall with dry-erase marker. (What, you don't keep a dry-erase in the shower??)
It started with an endearing note to my hubby before I left for a short trip. (As opposed to the usual half-finished grocery list scribbled on the wall....)
Then my brother wrote a note, "Please don't write things like this in the shower when I might be present and read it."
Then my sister wrote, "Yeah, seriously, ew."
Then someone who shall remain anonymous wrote, "Sex. Sex. Sex. Loud."
So what's the writing on your wall?
End of the Story.
It was in the shower. (Oh, you're getting excited now.)
Well, to be specific, it was written on the wall with dry-erase marker. (What, you don't keep a dry-erase in the shower??)
It started with an endearing note to my hubby before I left for a short trip. (As opposed to the usual half-finished grocery list scribbled on the wall....)
Then my brother wrote a note, "Please don't write things like this in the shower when I might be present and read it."
Then my sister wrote, "Yeah, seriously, ew."
Then someone who shall remain anonymous wrote, "Sex. Sex. Sex. Loud."
So what's the writing on your wall?
End of the Story.
Nadine Update
From Nadine's parents.....
To let you all know Nadine had her first post-chemo checkup today and Dr gave her the thumbs up !!!!!!! He did mention that this first year is the most critical and most heavily watched year. This means that Nadine will have regular check ups every other month for the next two years. Please keep her lifted up in your prayers. We have only begun the next part of this journey but with great friends giving us great support we will make it to the end. We would like to thank each and everyone of you for everything that you have done thus far. We would not be this far without you. God bless.
To let you all know Nadine had her first post-chemo checkup today and Dr gave her the thumbs up !!!!!!! He did mention that this first year is the most critical and most heavily watched year. This means that Nadine will have regular check ups every other month for the next two years. Please keep her lifted up in your prayers. We have only begun the next part of this journey but with great friends giving us great support we will make it to the end. We would like to thank each and everyone of you for everything that you have done thus far. We would not be this far without you. God bless.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Boobs on Parade....
Apparently there has been a flurry of discussion regarding breastfeeding in public. Blogging Baby has some links and stuff for the more intellectual of you out there....
All I can think when I see this particular photo (and I thought it when Abby whipped out her breast pump on ER a few weeks ago too) is.... don't you know it is easier to go up from the bottom when wearing a button-down shirt? Duh. Wear a bottom-snap maternity bra and go up from the bottom....
I nursed my babe in the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas this week.... the man sitting next to me (in the big cowboy hat & pink shirt) didn't have a CLUE what I was doing.
In the last week I've also nursed in the following places: United, Delta, Ted, SkyWest & Big Sky airlines, Salt Lake City airport, Denver airport, Billings airport, Helena airport, Las Vegas airport, Tony Roma's, Don Miguel's, The Sands Convention Center, several theaters & expo centers.... frankly, I was thrilled to be in a hotel room and finally home so we could NOT be so amazingly subtle in our nursing..... it's nice to just let it all hang out once in a while.
So, for your amusement, here is Homestead's Handy-Dandy guide to public breastfeeding.
Rule #1. If it is my house, it will be your problem. I don't go in another room to feed the babe when I'm in my own house. You don't want to see my boobie? Don't look. Generally speaking I will cover up with a blanket but let's face it... that's because I'm more concerned about my fat roll than the boob.
Rule #2. Plan for the event. I prefer bottom-snap bras. Motherhood no longer carries them but I think Target does. I hate fishing around my shoulder to hook a bra. For this weekend's trip I wore a lot of stretchy-knit t-shirts with vests over them. Easy to sneak a baby under a t-shirt and the vest covers the fat roll and also hides if you leak through a bra pad or if the bra pad gets squinched up or you don't have time to hook you bra.
Rule #3. Be as subtle as needed. I don't go for the dramatic blanket over the shoulder thing..... I just drape it over the baby's head and kinda tuck it under my arm. With SB I would often tuck it up and under my bra strap because he liked to grab the blanket and yank it off while eating.
Rule #4. Leave the paci in as long as possible. I like to have her sucking away on the paci while I get her in place, then just yank the paci and let her grab onto the boobie.... keeps her quiet and she's ready to suck.
Rule #5. The SLC airport has several private rooms (off the women's bathrooms) for nursing. It is nice when you are tired of being covert with the nursing thing.
Rule #6. The Billings airport has the nicest nursing lounge.
Rule #7. If your mother tries to be "helpful" and arrange the receiving blanket while you are getting ready to nurse I promise you will flash the world your tit at least once.
Rule #8. Be wary those little ladies who want to pull back the blanket and "take a peak at that sleeping angel"... you will either flash them or you have to say something like, "Angel on Boob. Warning. Angel on Boob."
Rule #9. No matter what, something you do will totally ook-out your brother.
Rule #10. All of these rules apply to babies who know what they are doing. I have a whole 'nother set of rules for just starting out with nursing.
So what do you think? Am I crazy to spend so much time posting about this tiny little microcosm of society? (Dude, how do you spell microcosm?) We, the nursing mamas.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
More Mom Advice....
File this under Really Good Motherhood Advice....
Don't set the "horns" to the breastpump on the windowsill at work when it is -10 degrees F. It just ain't comfortable.
Don't ever leave the house without a spare outfit for EVERYONE if the baby hasn't pooped in 4 days....
Don't lick your finger immediately after using hand sanitizer.... don't let anyone else do it either.
Teach your son not to stick his tongue on frozen metal. (Do this by explanation... not demonstration.)
Don't teach your son how to open the door if you don't want him to go outside.
Empty the potty chair BEFORE you start throwing the football.
Don't set the "horns" to the breastpump on the windowsill at work when it is -10 degrees F. It just ain't comfortable.
Don't ever leave the house without a spare outfit for EVERYONE if the baby hasn't pooped in 4 days....
Don't lick your finger immediately after using hand sanitizer.... don't let anyone else do it either.
Teach your son not to stick his tongue on frozen metal. (Do this by explanation... not demonstration.)
Don't teach your son how to open the door if you don't want him to go outside.
Empty the potty chair BEFORE you start throwing the football.
Monday, November 27, 2006
The Rodeo Queen Update
Cassidy arrived in Vegas (with mom) on Thursday and got all settled in. Her little Chevy Colorado was packed pretty tight but, compared to the other girls, she seems to have packed light. She only brought 16 pairs of boots and three hats.... She was feeling a little tense and stressed-out when she arrived in Vegas so on Friday she went sky-diving to blow off a little steam. Yup, that's our girl.
Thank you to everyone who sent cards & notes to Jody (Montana's national director) before the pageant. You can follow the pageant progress on the official website: http://www.missrodeoamerica.blogs.com/ AND you can send email support to her via missrodeopageant@yahoo.com with "Cassidy Han, Miss Rodeo Montana" in the subject line. She can receive email until Friday at noon so please drop her a line if you have a moment.
Thanks to you all!
PS. The above photo is NOT her skydiving..... it is her at work..... hence the sooty face.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
So I was wondering.....
Can you think of a slang term for nipples?
Nope, me neither.
Wish Bucky read my blog..... she'd have one.
*** UPDATED ***
One Crue Girl wins. Tune in Tokyo. Every time I bare a breast to nourish the child I'm going to think of that phrase and start to giggle.
Nope, me neither.
Wish Bucky read my blog..... she'd have one.
*** UPDATED ***
One Crue Girl wins. Tune in Tokyo. Every time I bare a breast to nourish the child I'm going to think of that phrase and start to giggle.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Darling Girl and her namesake Auntie.
Same nose. Same cheeks (although you can't see it here). Same deep-set eyes. These two are roughly the same age. That scares the fuck out of me. Maybe naming her after her Auntie Niki wasn't such a wise idea....
She's at her fighting weight and training hard...
4 month shots yesterday..... she was a champ.
The stats
Head: 50th percentile 16"
Height: 75th percentile 25"
Weight: 90th percentile 13#7oz
I've never really gotten into the "percentile" race.... except this time because it is so funny.... and, of course, it makes me feel superior regarding my milk production.
And my doctor gave me a stroller. What? A very nice double-jogger. Obviously I'm his best patient. I think I deserve it. I think he owes me.... he must feel guilty for the 4.3 minutes it took me to deliver Darling Girl.... and he didn't really do anything except suction the ook out of her nose..... so I got a stroller. Bonus.
Don't question these things. Just know I lead a charmed life.
The stats
Head: 50th percentile 16"
Height: 75th percentile 25"
Weight: 90th percentile 13#7oz
I've never really gotten into the "percentile" race.... except this time because it is so funny.... and, of course, it makes me feel superior regarding my milk production.
And my doctor gave me a stroller. What? A very nice double-jogger. Obviously I'm his best patient. I think I deserve it. I think he owes me.... he must feel guilty for the 4.3 minutes it took me to deliver Darling Girl.... and he didn't really do anything except suction the ook out of her nose..... so I got a stroller. Bonus.
Don't question these things. Just know I lead a charmed life.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
She isn't just a Blob anymore....
Darling Girl has been doing that I'm-going-to-make-a-comma-shape-by-arching-my-back thing a lot lately.... usually trying to chase her paci into her gummy little face.
Last night.... yes, on Erection Night.... while Hot Stuff and I avoided the last of the political mumbo-jumbo by watching Deadwood on dvd (What Sweet Boy was in bed and Darling Girl won't be TOO warped by the violence & language.... will she??).... she ROLLED OVER.
Back to front over her left arm.
I didn't believe it so I put her on her back and SHE DID IT AGAIN.
And then she grabbed the dog by the ear and he licked her full on the face (much to her delight and my horror), then he looked at me and said, "What? She came to me."
Last night.... yes, on Erection Night.... while Hot Stuff and I avoided the last of the political mumbo-jumbo by watching Deadwood on dvd (What Sweet Boy was in bed and Darling Girl won't be TOO warped by the violence & language.... will she??).... she ROLLED OVER.
Back to front over her left arm.
I didn't believe it so I put her on her back and SHE DID IT AGAIN.
And then she grabbed the dog by the ear and he licked her full on the face (much to her delight and my horror), then he looked at me and said, "What? She came to me."
HELP
Car seats.
Oh car seats.
What to do about car seats.
First, the scene:
Child One: approx 30 months (2.5 years), 35 lbs, tallish.
Child Two: approx 4 months, 16 lbs or so, tallish.
The situation:
Child Two is in a bucket seat and, based on my current predictions, will be in it until March-April or so. AT THAT TIME.... we need to decide our next car seat configuration. Child One currently has THREE car seats. A Britax Roundabout (Because we are nothing if not gullible yuppie wanna-bes.... and it was low-profile and on sale.), an Evenflo something-or-other (it looks like a papasan chair.. maybe this) & an Eddie Bauer over-the-head bar seat that I can't find a picture of but it doesn't really matter....
So can Child One graduate to some sort of booster seat soon? Any suggestions? I want, of course, safety first but I also really want low-profile (think two car seats & a dog in the back seat of a Toyota). And I want.... cheap.
There I admit it. I want cheap. And I want convenient. And I'm looking for the best compromise of safe, cheap & convenient. (I say this because I felt a lot of guilt over turning Child One's car seat forward facing at 13 months when I learned my sister-in-law was horrified and couldn't believe it.... she is ALL ABOUT safety. So the next time she visited we let Sweet Boy drive home from Nana & Papa's.... we're rural like that.)
So advice, criticism, website referrals and honest opinions would be welcome.
Oh car seats.
What to do about car seats.
First, the scene:
Child One: approx 30 months (2.5 years), 35 lbs, tallish.
Child Two: approx 4 months, 16 lbs or so, tallish.
The situation:
Child Two is in a bucket seat and, based on my current predictions, will be in it until March-April or so. AT THAT TIME.... we need to decide our next car seat configuration. Child One currently has THREE car seats. A Britax Roundabout (Because we are nothing if not gullible yuppie wanna-bes.... and it was low-profile and on sale.), an Evenflo something-or-other (it looks like a papasan chair.. maybe this) & an Eddie Bauer over-the-head bar seat that I can't find a picture of but it doesn't really matter....
So can Child One graduate to some sort of booster seat soon? Any suggestions? I want, of course, safety first but I also really want low-profile (think two car seats & a dog in the back seat of a Toyota). And I want.... cheap.
There I admit it. I want cheap. And I want convenient. And I'm looking for the best compromise of safe, cheap & convenient. (I say this because I felt a lot of guilt over turning Child One's car seat forward facing at 13 months when I learned my sister-in-law was horrified and couldn't believe it.... she is ALL ABOUT safety. So the next time she visited we let Sweet Boy drive home from Nana & Papa's.... we're rural like that.)
So advice, criticism, website referrals and honest opinions would be welcome.
Hey, hey family and friends.....
My baby sister is going to Vegas. She leaves the day before Thanksgiving for an eight day competition for Miss Rodeo America.
Here's the request. Please send cards & e-mail in support.
To assure delivery to Cassidy, please send them BY NOVEMBER 23rd to the following:
c/o Jody Rempel
National Director
1405 US Hwy 89
Fort Shaw MT 59443
You can email her any time at missrodeomontana2006@yahoo.com
This is going to be an exhausting week for her and she will really appreciate a little love.... and while you're at it... if you aren't from Montana and your state has a queen.... send her a little love too. These girls really do work hard.... It ain't all about lookin' good in your wranglers..... they're smart too.
On and Off Again
This weekend Hot Stuff learned what many people who regularly wear jewelry or are married already know…. Rings go on easier than they come off.
Poetic, isn’t it, that he discovered he couldn’t get his wedding ring off? I mean, hey, I don’t ever want him to WANT to take his wedding ring off, right? But….. His job makes it dangerous for him to wear his ring so he usually has it on a chain around his neck. Last week he went to a conference and decided to wear his ring on his finger. Well, apparently, that little “jam” he suffered this summer…. The one that was so insignificant he didn’t even tell me about it….. yeah… I’m pretty sure he broke his finger. I palpated it. (Lord, I love saying that.) Yes, I palpated and, while I’m no expert, I can feel a lumpy spot. (Hey, that was fun to say too.)
So we tried lube. (hee-hee) And ice. (hoo-hoo) And lubed ice tugging with a terrycloth towel. All the while I was taunting him for having TWO broken bones and cataract surgery (again) in the last six months….. words like fragile, precious, dainty and delicate. As you can see, I am one to enjoy my man’s suffering.
So we went to our favorite local jeweler…. The ones who have our credit card number on speed dial….. and they used a little tiny can open (er… circular saw) to cut his finger off…. I mean…. His ring off. Miracle of miracles they didn’t cut through the inscription. (It says “Hey, put this back on” Ok, no not really….) They measured him and figured out a plan to repair the ring (I missed that part….. small son said, “Mom, I gotta PEE.” And we were off on a mad-dashed race to find a bathroom…. Successfully.)
And all ends well….. Hot Stuff feels just horrible about having the ring cut off but, hey, in the greater scheme of things I’m still the big loser…. I LOST his great-grandmother’s wedding band…. He just got a little over-zealous about showing those conference sluts he was a married man.
Poetic, isn’t it, that he discovered he couldn’t get his wedding ring off? I mean, hey, I don’t ever want him to WANT to take his wedding ring off, right? But….. His job makes it dangerous for him to wear his ring so he usually has it on a chain around his neck. Last week he went to a conference and decided to wear his ring on his finger. Well, apparently, that little “jam” he suffered this summer…. The one that was so insignificant he didn’t even tell me about it….. yeah… I’m pretty sure he broke his finger. I palpated it. (Lord, I love saying that.) Yes, I palpated and, while I’m no expert, I can feel a lumpy spot. (Hey, that was fun to say too.)
So we tried lube. (hee-hee) And ice. (hoo-hoo) And lubed ice tugging with a terrycloth towel. All the while I was taunting him for having TWO broken bones and cataract surgery (again) in the last six months….. words like fragile, precious, dainty and delicate. As you can see, I am one to enjoy my man’s suffering.
So we went to our favorite local jeweler…. The ones who have our credit card number on speed dial….. and they used a little tiny can open (er… circular saw) to cut his finger off…. I mean…. His ring off. Miracle of miracles they didn’t cut through the inscription. (It says “Hey, put this back on” Ok, no not really….) They measured him and figured out a plan to repair the ring (I missed that part….. small son said, “Mom, I gotta PEE.” And we were off on a mad-dashed race to find a bathroom…. Successfully.)
And all ends well….. Hot Stuff feels just horrible about having the ring cut off but, hey, in the greater scheme of things I’m still the big loser…. I LOST his great-grandmother’s wedding band…. He just got a little over-zealous about showing those conference sluts he was a married man.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Pondering Milk
I noticed the other little one at my daycarista’s was using a medela bottle too. You know…. Those clear plastic ones with the yellow tops that you consider, in a bleary-eyed pre-coffee state, using as creamer out of the fridge at work. So I asked if I needed to do anything special to mark my bottles. She said my standard pen-n-tape marking was fine and she also noted she could usually tell our milk apart because of the color. The other mom’s was white-blue-white and mine was creamy. I, of course, took “creamy” as code for “yellowish-and-possibly-substandard” so I did an internet search and found this and then emailed my source-for-all-things-baby (and, interestingly, the source of many of my medela bottles) and asked if it was normal to have milk that looks like vanilla slim-fast.
SHE said my milk was perfect and the buttery color (buttery…. I love that term… it sounds so much better than smoker’s-cough yellow) was from high fat content and my chestages were producing a superior product. Her own milkage (which nursed three chubby wee ones and countless others when she donated a freezer full of frozen milk to la leche) was the color of hazelnut creamer. So I got the thumbs up for being a vanilla creamer kinda girl.
I also learned drinking green gatorade can tint the milk. How cool will that be for St. Patrick’s Day???
SHE said my milk was perfect and the buttery color (buttery…. I love that term… it sounds so much better than smoker’s-cough yellow) was from high fat content and my chestages were producing a superior product. Her own milkage (which nursed three chubby wee ones and countless others when she donated a freezer full of frozen milk to la leche) was the color of hazelnut creamer. So I got the thumbs up for being a vanilla creamer kinda girl.
I also learned drinking green gatorade can tint the milk. How cool will that be for St. Patrick’s Day???
Friday, November 03, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Thinking of the Future.....
If I were a celebrity I would have children to wear as an excessory to my latest fabulous outfit.
But I'm not.
I'm a Redneck.
So I have children in hopes their wrestling moves will make them big stars on Friday Night Smackdown and they will buy mama a new trailer.....
Monday, October 23, 2006
I was wondering.....
Nursing is a surge that sustains my baby and energizes me..... pumping is a drain the makes me tired and gives me a dry mouth. Why IS that??
Friday, October 20, 2006
PT
"My son understood the concept of potty training instantly."
"Oh, that stuff about boys being harder to train than girls is hooey."
"I got him a toy he really wanted and then don't let him have it until he was trained.... it only took two days."
"I bought the singing potty. My son was trained and showing off his new "skills" in half a day."
"I just let him pee off the porch like daddy."
"Pull-Ups worked really well for me."
"Plain undies worked really well for me."
"Once he learned that being wet is uncomfortable he stopped peeing himself."
"I got him cute undies with Super Heroes on them."
These are all quotes by mothers-in-potty-training (MIPT's). Not THIS mother. But mothers. What I want to know is WHO is actually being TRAINED here.....
Potty Training Hazmat Status Day 8: Safe around the house and on short trips.... but don't plan a marathon project without first installing a Pull-Up..... and if he's playing hard or napping all bets are off.....
"Oh, that stuff about boys being harder to train than girls is hooey."
"I got him a toy he really wanted and then don't let him have it until he was trained.... it only took two days."
"I bought the singing potty. My son was trained and showing off his new "skills" in half a day."
"I just let him pee off the porch like daddy."
"Pull-Ups worked really well for me."
"Plain undies worked really well for me."
"Once he learned that being wet is uncomfortable he stopped peeing himself."
"I got him cute undies with Super Heroes on them."
These are all quotes by mothers-in-potty-training (MIPT's). Not THIS mother. But mothers. What I want to know is WHO is actually being TRAINED here.....
Potty Training Hazmat Status Day 8: Safe around the house and on short trips.... but don't plan a marathon project without first installing a Pull-Up..... and if he's playing hard or napping all bets are off.....
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Baby Notes.....
Ok, so if you are struggling for a baby gift and don't mind forking over a bit of cash, check out these books. Sweet Boy has one and he loves to see his name in it.
I'm also a big fan of the chambray sheets from Pottery Barn. I think the link is here.... I have a crib sheet and I LOVE it..... although the baby doesn't appreciate me crawling into bed with her.... maybe I should add that to my Christmas list....
I'm also a big fan of the chambray sheets from Pottery Barn. I think the link is here.... I have a crib sheet and I LOVE it..... although the baby doesn't appreciate me crawling into bed with her.... maybe I should add that to my Christmas list....
Christmas is coming......
I'm ready to be done Christmas shopping.
In our little corner of the world lists are a NECESSITY. Seriously. If you don't give me a list, you won't get a present.... unless you are my brother..... then you are getting new Wranglers and a University of Montana Grizzlies sweatshirt.... (Don't worry.... I'm still patiently waiting for my 2005 Christmas present AND my 2004, 2005 & 2006 Birthday presents.....)
Dear Santa-
I'm asking for a popcorn popper, smartwool socks & a new pair of jeans. Hot Stuff wants a gun safe, pickup seat covers, reloading equipment & UnderArmor clothing..... no, what he really wants is Capital Sports gift certificates. Darling Girl wants long-sleeved onsies for under her overalls, a new daycare diaper bag, pampers & a helmet (life with a brother is rough.) Sweet Boy wants Bambi II, Lilo & Stitch, long underwear & lumber for the swingset. (Will a 2x4 fit in a stocking?? Stay tuned to find out....) We could also use an automatic starter for the pellet stove. Hot stuff gets lint roller refills every year from the cat..... clever little thing, and the dog, for some reason, gets him new dishrags every year.... a 3-pack. I can't explain it. Our pets know us so well.
In our little corner of the world lists are a NECESSITY. Seriously. If you don't give me a list, you won't get a present.... unless you are my brother..... then you are getting new Wranglers and a University of Montana Grizzlies sweatshirt.... (Don't worry.... I'm still patiently waiting for my 2005 Christmas present AND my 2004, 2005 & 2006 Birthday presents.....)
Dear Santa-
I'm asking for a popcorn popper, smartwool socks & a new pair of jeans. Hot Stuff wants a gun safe, pickup seat covers, reloading equipment & UnderArmor clothing..... no, what he really wants is Capital Sports gift certificates. Darling Girl wants long-sleeved onsies for under her overalls, a new daycare diaper bag, pampers & a helmet (life with a brother is rough.) Sweet Boy wants Bambi II, Lilo & Stitch, long underwear & lumber for the swingset. (Will a 2x4 fit in a stocking?? Stay tuned to find out....) We could also use an automatic starter for the pellet stove. Hot stuff gets lint roller refills every year from the cat..... clever little thing, and the dog, for some reason, gets him new dishrags every year.... a 3-pack. I can't explain it. Our pets know us so well.
Friday, October 13, 2006
12 Weeks.....
Damn. The Darling One is 12 weeks old. I've been working quite a few hours a week in the past few weeks so I can "ease" into this whole back-to-work thing. I will be up to 3 days in the office next week.
It's also part of my not-so-secret plan to cut my hours to 30 (or less). Call it a test-run if you will. Can I get enough work done in 3 days in the office and working from home the other 6 hours or so??
Paychecks-be-damned, I like hanging out with my kids.
So, internet, I challenge YOU to come up with some serious money-saver ideas for the KEEP THE HOME IN HOMESTEAD campaign. What's the single most important thing you've done that saves you cash??
Things I'm already doing and/or can't or won't do:
1. Groceries: Buying beef whole (cheaper AND yummier), freezing mass quantities of garden produce from my grandpa (Bumper crop of tomatoes this year....), eating a lot of egg salad (eggs are on sale a lot and make cheap meals),
2. Livestock: I will not buy a goat. Although Sweet Boy drinks enough milk to keep one in production round-the-clock. I refuse to have a child who's biggest kindergarten fascination is the fact that milk comes in cartons. (Ok, ok, I admit..... it BOGGLED me to see milk in cartons when I started school.)
3. Clothing: Not a lot of shopping going on around here. I do buy Lands End tshirts on clearance for work but that's about it. SB & DG are clothed almost 100% in hand-me-downs and Hot Stuff wears fire pants & t-shirts for work.
4. Media: Ok, our biggest expense? Probably movie late fees. Seriously. So we try not to get new releases. We don't have cable or satellite tv.... Rabbit ears. Yes. Rabbit ears. We get two channels downstairs and mmmaaaayyyyybeeeee one or two more upstairs if it is cloudy. We have a land line phone, 2 cell phones & dial-up internet and I've tried to talk myself out of internet service but I haven't been able to give it up.. although I am looking into juno.com or peoplepc.com... anyone have any experience there? We can't give up the land-line because cell phones don't work at our house. I won't give up the cell phones because I need to be able to get ahold of Hot Stuff on fires and his work is too cheap to provide him with a phone... we could get rid of the second phone but it would only save us $10/month (on a $65/month bill) so that isn't something I'm considering right now.
5. Unrealistic expectations: I just put my health club membership on permanent hold ($41/month) although we do use it enough to justify getting a couple of punch-passes ($8/visit) to use the pool.
6. Snacks: I don't drink fancy coffee or eat lunch out. We rarely go out to dinner. We only order pizza for special events. Hot Stuff does have a particular dill pickle sunflower seed addiction that eats up some funds but I'm willing to tolerate it since it replaces the Copenhagen addiction.
7. Utilities: We don't pay water or sewer. Electricity and propane are high but we try to use our pellet stove for most of our heating. We buy 2 tons (that's 100 bags) of pellets early in the fall (they are cheaper then and drier so they burn more efficiently) and that is enough for the winter.
8. Hot Stuff generally drives the Toyota car since he has the longer commute. I drive the Jeep but we are considering trading it in for a Subaru car to save gas mileage. Yes, I'd rather get another little car but, unfortunately, there are times we need 4WD to get out of our yard.... not often, but enough.
9. I'm planning to "shop" our insurance for our house and vehicles to see if I can get better rates... any suggestions??
10. I've already stopped changing the baby's diaper (kidding, geez, relax....) and Sweet Boy is aaaalllllmmmmmoooosssstttt potty trained. That will be a surprisingly big help.... (although I did drop $17 for a SINGING potty to, ahem, encourage the situation..... please don't ask......)
11. I'll add things as you guys come up with brilliant suggestions......
It's also part of my not-so-secret plan to cut my hours to 30 (or less). Call it a test-run if you will. Can I get enough work done in 3 days in the office and working from home the other 6 hours or so??
Paychecks-be-damned, I like hanging out with my kids.
So, internet, I challenge YOU to come up with some serious money-saver ideas for the KEEP THE HOME IN HOMESTEAD campaign. What's the single most important thing you've done that saves you cash??
Things I'm already doing and/or can't or won't do:
1. Groceries: Buying beef whole (cheaper AND yummier), freezing mass quantities of garden produce from my grandpa (Bumper crop of tomatoes this year....), eating a lot of egg salad (eggs are on sale a lot and make cheap meals),
2. Livestock: I will not buy a goat. Although Sweet Boy drinks enough milk to keep one in production round-the-clock. I refuse to have a child who's biggest kindergarten fascination is the fact that milk comes in cartons. (Ok, ok, I admit..... it BOGGLED me to see milk in cartons when I started school.)
3. Clothing: Not a lot of shopping going on around here. I do buy Lands End tshirts on clearance for work but that's about it. SB & DG are clothed almost 100% in hand-me-downs and Hot Stuff wears fire pants & t-shirts for work.
4. Media: Ok, our biggest expense? Probably movie late fees. Seriously. So we try not to get new releases. We don't have cable or satellite tv.... Rabbit ears. Yes. Rabbit ears. We get two channels downstairs and mmmaaaayyyyybeeeee one or two more upstairs if it is cloudy. We have a land line phone, 2 cell phones & dial-up internet and I've tried to talk myself out of internet service but I haven't been able to give it up.. although I am looking into juno.com or peoplepc.com... anyone have any experience there? We can't give up the land-line because cell phones don't work at our house. I won't give up the cell phones because I need to be able to get ahold of Hot Stuff on fires and his work is too cheap to provide him with a phone... we could get rid of the second phone but it would only save us $10/month (on a $65/month bill) so that isn't something I'm considering right now.
5. Unrealistic expectations: I just put my health club membership on permanent hold ($41/month) although we do use it enough to justify getting a couple of punch-passes ($8/visit) to use the pool.
6. Snacks: I don't drink fancy coffee or eat lunch out. We rarely go out to dinner. We only order pizza for special events. Hot Stuff does have a particular dill pickle sunflower seed addiction that eats up some funds but I'm willing to tolerate it since it replaces the Copenhagen addiction.
7. Utilities: We don't pay water or sewer. Electricity and propane are high but we try to use our pellet stove for most of our heating. We buy 2 tons (that's 100 bags) of pellets early in the fall (they are cheaper then and drier so they burn more efficiently) and that is enough for the winter.
8. Hot Stuff generally drives the Toyota car since he has the longer commute. I drive the Jeep but we are considering trading it in for a Subaru car to save gas mileage. Yes, I'd rather get another little car but, unfortunately, there are times we need 4WD to get out of our yard.... not often, but enough.
9. I'm planning to "shop" our insurance for our house and vehicles to see if I can get better rates... any suggestions??
10. I've already stopped changing the baby's diaper (kidding, geez, relax....) and Sweet Boy is aaaalllllmmmmmoooosssstttt potty trained. That will be a surprisingly big help.... (although I did drop $17 for a SINGING potty to, ahem, encourage the situation..... please don't ask......)
11. I'll add things as you guys come up with brilliant suggestions......
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
ABC Meme
This is one of those things that goes around…..
Accent – None…. But for some reason my siblings & I slip into some sort of colloquial Rez/Canuk thing when we are together. Have you ever heard gulla? Like that.
Booze of choice – Vodka & grapefruit. Whisky & 7up. Red wine. Good beer. Red beer. Gin & tonic. The occassional margarita.
Chore I hate – Cleaning the floors.
Dog or cat – I have a dog who has a cat.
Essential electronics – ipod.
Favorite cologne – wildfires & chainsaw gas.
Gold or silver? – white gold.
Hometown – The Hi-Line, Montana.
Insomnia? – No.
Job title – Other Duties As Assigned.
Kids – two… and a very spoiled dog.
Living arrangement – House in a ‘burb….. although the insurance company defines us as a “small farm.”
Most admired trait – I think I’m freakin’ hilarious.
Number of sexual partners – at a time? Geez, just one…. But the dog likes to watch….
Overnight hospital stays – Uh, let me think…. My knee twice and my back once, and having kids…. That makes 5.
Phobias – I’m afraid I’ll jump off of high things.
Quote – “I’m going to go clorox my frontal lobe now…”
Religion – Catholic. Catholic. Catholic.
Siblings – 2. One gorgeous sister and one dorky brother…. Although we all know he’s just a half-sibling…. Talk to the UPS man about that…..
Time I wake up – 2 seconds after the baby starts snorting.
Unusual talent – I can’t talk about that… my brother reads this blog.
Vegetable I refuse to eat – I don’t really like cabbage.
Worst habit – Talking too much.
X-rays – Yes, and I can see through your clothes too….
Yummy foods I make – tacos, calzones & cinnamon rolls.
Zodiac sign – Virgo. ‘Splains a lot, doesn’t it??
Accent – None…. But for some reason my siblings & I slip into some sort of colloquial Rez/Canuk thing when we are together. Have you ever heard gulla? Like that.
Booze of choice – Vodka & grapefruit. Whisky & 7up. Red wine. Good beer. Red beer. Gin & tonic. The occassional margarita.
Chore I hate – Cleaning the floors.
Dog or cat – I have a dog who has a cat.
Essential electronics – ipod.
Favorite cologne – wildfires & chainsaw gas.
Gold or silver? – white gold.
Hometown – The Hi-Line, Montana.
Insomnia? – No.
Job title – Other Duties As Assigned.
Kids – two… and a very spoiled dog.
Living arrangement – House in a ‘burb….. although the insurance company defines us as a “small farm.”
Most admired trait – I think I’m freakin’ hilarious.
Number of sexual partners – at a time? Geez, just one…. But the dog likes to watch….
Overnight hospital stays – Uh, let me think…. My knee twice and my back once, and having kids…. That makes 5.
Phobias – I’m afraid I’ll jump off of high things.
Quote – “I’m going to go clorox my frontal lobe now…”
Religion – Catholic. Catholic. Catholic.
Siblings – 2. One gorgeous sister and one dorky brother…. Although we all know he’s just a half-sibling…. Talk to the UPS man about that…..
Time I wake up – 2 seconds after the baby starts snorting.
Unusual talent – I can’t talk about that… my brother reads this blog.
Vegetable I refuse to eat – I don’t really like cabbage.
Worst habit – Talking too much.
X-rays – Yes, and I can see through your clothes too….
Yummy foods I make – tacos, calzones & cinnamon rolls.
Zodiac sign – Virgo. ‘Splains a lot, doesn’t it??
Friday, September 29, 2006
Stressed Out
This week Hot Stuff quit chewing & Sweet Boy gave up his paci at bedtime. The only way the XY's in our house could get any more uptight is if the dog gives up his milk bones.....
Meanwhile I'm considering taking up serious recreational drinking just to be around them.....
Meanwhile I'm considering taking up serious recreational drinking just to be around them.....
Miss Seuser would be proud.....
The only reason I didn't have a perfect 4.0 in Junior High was Home Economics with Miss Seuser. (Side note: She later died from inhaling fumes from mixing cleaning chemicals.... something she always warned about....) Can you imagine why?
The photo doesn't do them justice... these were really beautiful calzones. I'm teaching my sister to make some simple recipes to impress her boyfriend. Hah!
For some reason my husband wasn't as impressed with these as he was with the chicken pot pie that said, "Go Steelers!"
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
A weighty issue....
A month ago I was bragging about being down to 158.... yeah, still at 158.
Heavy sigh.
Heavy sigh.
Internet- I need some technical advice. I'm having some flash issues. (Not flasher-issues.... gutter mind.) I like to use the macro setting but if I use the flash I get this:
And if I DON'T use the flash I get this:
Where's the happy medium between over-exposed & too rosy?? (And OH MY GOD can you not just fall in love with those blue-blue eyes & that adorable smile??)
And if I DON'T use the flash I get this:
Where's the happy medium between over-exposed & too rosy?? (And OH MY GOD can you not just fall in love with those blue-blue eyes & that adorable smile??)
See Mama, I snugglin' her.
So I was thinking how lucky I am to have a "big" boy who undertands how to be careful with the baby.... and I look over to see this: 
Doesn't the look on her face just say it all? Welcome to the rest of my life.....
Doesn't the look on her face just say it all? Welcome to the rest of my life.....
Friday, September 22, 2006
Nadine Update
Hi all,
Nadine went in yesterday to begin her 5th and final round of chemo. The doctors decided this would be the last round and it is a 2/3 dose again (same as round 4). She got a scan yesterday and that was clear so that is positive. After this week is the tough part, the waiting game. She'll go every two months for scans to check for any tumors returning. Continue those prayers!!!
From a friend of Nadine's
Nadine went in yesterday to begin her 5th and final round of chemo. The doctors decided this would be the last round and it is a 2/3 dose again (same as round 4). She got a scan yesterday and that was clear so that is positive. After this week is the tough part, the waiting game. She'll go every two months for scans to check for any tumors returning. Continue those prayers!!!
From a friend of Nadine's
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Eddie Bauer
Dear Eddie-
I love you. I forgive you for that, ahem, unfortunate incident with the ink tags. Remember? When the sales person left the ink tags on the cute vest & fleece jacket my mom got me for Christmas at the store in Spokane? And then when my mom calledthe store the sales person told her, well, basically, "tough bananas." And by the time we found a store with the same ink tag remover it was MONTHS later and I was WAY too pregant to wear the clothes..... and I said I would swear off your clothing forever.....well, I forgive you.
Why? What could change a mind as stubborn as mine?
Boot-cut, stretch, dark denim jeans.... size 10 long.
I would marry these jeans..... I sleep in them, they are so sexy and fit so well.....
And LONG. Almost too long. Really. Eddie, how could you? ALL of your jeans now have 2 inches more in the inseam and the Longs have 2 inches more than that..... I always thought I wanted MORE than 4 inches but, Eddie darling, you've prove to me it truly isn't the length but how you use it.....
I will admit I'm not as impressed with your "tall" pants.... they are longer in the legs but also longer in the rise.... and those of us with freak legs and short little tiny bodies just don't NEED that length in the rise.... but keep doing that thing you do with the "long pants" and we will continue to have a hot and torrid love affair.
Forever,
Homestead
I love you. I forgive you for that, ahem, unfortunate incident with the ink tags. Remember? When the sales person left the ink tags on the cute vest & fleece jacket my mom got me for Christmas at the store in Spokane? And then when my mom calledthe store the sales person told her, well, basically, "tough bananas." And by the time we found a store with the same ink tag remover it was MONTHS later and I was WAY too pregant to wear the clothes..... and I said I would swear off your clothing forever.....well, I forgive you.
Why? What could change a mind as stubborn as mine?
Boot-cut, stretch, dark denim jeans.... size 10 long.
I would marry these jeans..... I sleep in them, they are so sexy and fit so well.....
And LONG. Almost too long. Really. Eddie, how could you? ALL of your jeans now have 2 inches more in the inseam and the Longs have 2 inches more than that..... I always thought I wanted MORE than 4 inches but, Eddie darling, you've prove to me it truly isn't the length but how you use it.....
I will admit I'm not as impressed with your "tall" pants.... they are longer in the legs but also longer in the rise.... and those of us with freak legs and short little tiny bodies just don't NEED that length in the rise.... but keep doing that thing you do with the "long pants" and we will continue to have a hot and torrid love affair.
Forever,
Homestead
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
2006
Ok, quick. What does this picture tell you about me?? (And check out my new Adirondack chairs on the deck!!)
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