With a little luck

Done for love

2010-02-16T16:39:00.002-06:00

My husband requested Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner tonight. Not really that big of a deal. Then he commented on how good it was last time I made it when I used homemade chicken stock.

My mental plan of buying all the ingredients in cans to save time was adjusted. Chicken was bought on the bone (and cheaper!) and baked. Chicken picked off to save for the soup and later meals. Bones cooked with veggies to make the stock. Everything recombined to make a soup my husband will love. A day long process completed. Dinner for 3, my husband and boys ready.

Me? Can't stomach chicken. Haven't been able to eat it since I was pregnant with my youngest. Four years since I've been able to enjoy chicken. Cooking it today was even difficult. For some reason my aversion to chicken, the smell, sight and taste, lasted longer than my pregnancy. I used to eat chicken probably 5 nights a week. Since the fall of 2005 I haven't finished a meal of chicken.

Cooking chicken for my family, a dish they love, is a way I show my love for them.

Pass the crackers and hummus, please.

Been too long

2010-02-09T16:23:00.003-06:00

No excuses, just life and haven't been in the mood to blog.
Everyone is great and thriving.
We're truly blessed.
But even though I know that, it can be hard to see.
Sometimes we don't see the beauty of the forest, only the clutter of all the trees.
Lately our trees have been covered in white-snow-ice.

Todays Mama Giveaway

2009-11-21T09:29:00.003-06:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
A massage
Pioneer Woman's cookbook
Dutch Oven
Lush bath items
Philosophy Gingerbread Man scrub

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
A scrapbook made by my mom

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
A quilt

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My cabbage patch doll

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
Playmobil toys

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Christmas cookies

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
PJ Pants for my boys

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
White Christmas

9. Favorite holiday song?
Ave Maria

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Watching Christmas movies

2009-10-22T14:48:00.002-05:00

1. All laundry from our trip is clean and put away
2. Floors have been washed and vacuumed
3. I helped the boys make construction paper jack-o-lanterns today. Bill just "loves it."

Small Successes

2009-09-03T15:50:00.003-05:00

1. Exercised everyday this week.
2. Read books with the boys, checked out new ones at the library and returned the old
3. Made spaghetti pie for dinner and everyone loved it.

Daniel X returns

2009-08-10T17:04:00.005-05:00

I was excited when Mother-Talk gave me the opportunity to read and review James Patterson's latest book in the Daniel X series, Watch The Skies. The first book had caught my interest and the second didn't disappoint.

Watch the Skies finds Daniel on the trail of another alien bad guy, Number 5. His loyal, self created, friends and family are back to lend him support. Once again we see Daniel use his powers to create all sorts of inventions that aid him in his quest. Any kid that likes imagining how things work or what they could make with random parts will enjoy this part of the book.

A new character finds her way into Daniel's life. It is fun to see him try to have a normal life with a normal girl while battling bad guys from outer space who took over her town.

Once again James Patterson comes through with a book sure to capture the interest of boys & girls.

Struggling

2009-07-08T12:43:00.003-05:00

I watch the bird seemingly stuck midair. Flapping its wings trying to get somewhere, anywhere. But the wind is too strong and holds the bird suspended in air. Try as it might the bird can't make its wings propel it forward. Finally, probably exhausted, the bird stops flapping, just for a second. It drops out of the current and into a new one. This one lets the bird's wings propel it forward. A new path is created.

I feel stuck, like that bird. I know there is another path somewhere, but I do not want it. I want the one I see ahead of me. The one I always thought I'd go on. Unfortunately, it seems like the wind is too strong and won't let me go on that path. I can't stop trying though. Near exhaustion, but not quite at it.

When do I give up?

How do I give up?

Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-29T17:06:00.002-05:00

Monday: Garlicky Bean Enchiladas and Asparagus
Tuesday: Vegetable Soup & Bread
Wednesday: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Thursday: ???
Friday: Bruschetta Chicken
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: ???

Bye to simpler times

2009-06-26T12:37:00.002-05:00

I realize I'm, cough, not so young anymore when I start saying "remember when..."

Remember when Michael Jackson came to Arrowhead on his Thriller tour?
My mother bought tickets for her, a friend, my brother and I to go. I remember running out to the mailbox and finding the tickets inside. The concert was amazing. My first ever. I couldn't have been much older than 8 or 9. The creatures that came out for the Thriller number scared me. He was an icon in the 80s. Truly the King of Pop.

Remember when Michael Jackson wasn't creepy?
When you didn't wonder if he had done the awful things he was accused of?
When you recognized him as the Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5? Before all the plastic surgery.

Remember Farrah Fawcett when she was on Charlie's Angels?
Okay, I don't really except from reruns. But I do remember seeing the pictures of her a lot as a child.

Remember when we were children in the 80s? How simple things seemed. How innocent. How safe.

Hello?

2009-06-19T16:19:00.005-05:00

Anyone out there?

I'm here, posting! It took a little nudge (Hi Kerry) but I'll post some.

This is just a quick little post to say "Hello."

Recap:
Summer is off to a good start.
S finished Preschool.
He starts Kindergarten in the fall. OMG How am I going to handle that?
B starts Preschool in the fall. NO! Not my baby!
B is not too interested when it comes to potty training.
He hasn't had an accident today. Cross your fingers with me, please.
Both boys are attending Summer camp every Wednesday for 2 more weeks.
S is playing T-Ball.
He is reading by himself!

True Confessions Monday

2009-03-23T12:14:00.002-05:00

It is time for Monday True Confession over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.

1. I really enjoyed resting this weekend.
2. It was a lot harder than I thought to do nothing but lay on the couch. (I hurt my back.)
3. I didn't pay any attention to what I was eating and didn't track anything.
4. The scale showed me why that is a bad thing this morning.
5. I'm glad I found The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans! I need a new burst of motivation.
6. I'm frustrated that DH didn't do more to help around the house.
7. I feel guilty about that because he did do a lot.

2009-03-21T14:05:00.003-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom makes it great fun to get out and find other blogs! And during their Ultimate Blog Party 2009 they are giving away prizes for doing so.

I'd love to win
58 – Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
Provided by: Moms Who Think Or any of the other wonderful prizes.

30 Again

2009-03-17T14:33:00.002-05:00

Today was my birthday. Another wonderful 30th birthday. I think it is my fifth time turning 30. It wasn't a great day, unfortunately. I spent hours dealing with AT&T regarding our Uverse installation. My birthday dinner of Thai food wasn't very good.

The best part was asking my 4 year old how old I was. His wonderful answer was "11." I love that boy!

Where does he come up with stuff?

2009-03-15T14:28:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to encourage B to potty train. At this moment he has no real desire. I'm not pushing it. S didn't figure it out till a month before he turned 3. That gives B till May. He really has till preschool starts at the end of August.

M: "B need a new diaper?"
B: grabs the front of his diaper to check for puffiness.
M: "B did you pee?"
B: Checks diaper again. Finds it isn't puffy. "Don't tell me that Momma!"
M: tries very hard not to laugh at B

Similar story, different day

2009-03-08T08:56:00.003-05:00

A month huh? Sorry to have been away so long. After lots of colds I was finally enjoying some beautiful Kansas weather.

Then S had a fever. That was the change we'd been waiting for. Since the last post, the croup event, he's had a cough every single night. It has been like we had a newborn in the house with as much as we were waking up. With the fever and month long cough they finally felt like he should be seen again by a doctor.

Our regular doctor was already booked so we saw Dr. H. I love our practice and all the doctors. They are truly experts and care for the children they see! Dr H took a long time with us. He asked lots of questions not only of Sam but me and our family history. I shared that I was labeled with exercise induced asthma in high school and N uses an inhaler when he has a cold for an asthma like condition. Turns out that since both parents have asthma/asthma like conditions S has a 70% chance of it. His cough symptoms fit too. 2 inhalers were prescribed. Dr. H also felt like S had a virus.

Boy does he have a virus. The 101 temp that was treated successfully with Tylenol that morning slowly crept up and up. 104.3 at midnight earned S a sponge bath and popsicle in mom and dad's bed. Thankfully that broke the fever. It keeps coming back. We haven't had it hit 104 again but close.

3 days of fever have worn us all out.

Change of plans

2009-02-07T07:09:00.002-06:00

We should be on a plane right now. A trip to Phoenix to visit my inlaws was all planned. We worried a little when we got sick, again. But not to worry the 3 infected boys were on antibiotics starting Monday. We thought we'd still be able to make the trip. That all changed Thursday night when we heard a seal in S's bedroom.

If you are a parent you probably know about the seal sound even if you haven't experienced it. The seal sound is the signal of croup. A viral infection of the vocal cords and voice box. Grown ups can get it too, but it is just a cold to adults. Children are smaller so when their vocal cords & all swell it causes problems.

We spent Thursday night in a steamy bathroom trying to get S better. Finally sleep greeted him again. Not so for Mom and Dad. We spent the rest of the night, well the 3 hours left of it, trying to sleep while listening to S breathe.

Friday morning the doctor confirmed croup. Our trip was officially cancelled. Steroids are the treatment for croup and were started quickly for S. Lots of coughing, one attack Friday afternoon, a mostly restful nights' sleep were the result of medicine. Much better than we expected. A little entertainment has also been provided by the medicine. Turns out steroids can cause restlessness. In other words, S can not sit still. He's constantly moving, bouncing, bobbing, and tapping. I guess anything can be a little funny with the right amount (lack of) sleep.

Do you remember

2009-01-28T13:44:00.002-06:00

22 Years ago today?

I was in fifth grade. Some place in the school a television or radio was tuned to the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. I don't know if I was watching it. I don't think my class was. I remember the teachers talking in hushed tones at the classroom door. Do you remember who told you about it? I don't. I can't say for sure if it was the teachers, I think it was. I am sure I saw it on television that night and talked about it with my parents. I remember the event with sadness.

Seeing Jeremiah talk about this on Tranquil Parent and how to handle retelling the history to his daugher has me thinking about it myself. How would I share this information with my boys?

Information, past and present, is everywhere now. I can't keep them away from it, at least not totally. Between television, radio, and internet (3 things that my boys have limited and supervised exposure of) they are bound to pick up on things as they get older. Add in overhearing conversations around them and all sorts of things can come to their attention without it being intended. I haven't had to deal with anything big yet. At four and two S & B just don't pick up on most grown up things. But that time is coming.

S is fascinated with space and astronauts. He watches the night sky for rockets and spaceships. I'm sure he dreams of flying among the stars. At some point he is going to reach for a book about NASA or the space program. Heck, he's already done it. But the book won't always be a little kid book. Soon it'll be a factual book and include the Challenger disaster. And the Columbia disaster. How do you explain that to a child so that they don't become scared or turned off by something they previously loved?

There are so many scary things in our world, especially at this time with the economy in shambles and wars being fought. I don't want my boys to be sheltered. I just want to keep them from the bad stuff for as long as possible. In keeping it away from them I feel that I can keep it away from me a bit too. It is hard enough for me to understand and handle. I don't want to have to explain it to them.

Are you watching? (Did you watch?)

2009-01-20T10:57:00.003-06:00

The answer if you look on Facebook and sites all over the internet is yes. People everywhere are watching the inauguration coverage. I'm watching too.

I remember watching the last three inaugurations (Bush, Bush, Clinton.) I don't remember the crowds even being half of what they are today. Whether or not you agree with Obama or even voted for him, you have to admit he has moved millions of people. Many of those people braved the cold and crowds to simply be in DC when he is sworn in. I can't imagine what it must be like there. The feeling I'm sure is overwhelming. But at the same time I'd have to think it is a little claustrophobic too!

I hope and pray that he is able to do great things for our country. God bless our country. God bless President Obama.

Against the wind

2009-01-19T10:08:00.003-06:00

If you live in Kansas you know wind. We have all kinds. Soft gentle breezes on a warm spring day. Cool gusts that rattle the leaves from the trees in the fall. Hot moist barely move anything whispers of wind in the summer. Strong cold winds that bring snow in the winter. Winds that bring danger in the form of tornados or straight line winds.

Lately though we've been having wind that keeps us up at night. Well to be honest, it only keeps N up at night. I sleep right through it (lately with the help of cough syrup, but that's another post.) Our house faces north east. There is nothing but a line of trees behind us. We're at the bottom of a gentle hill. That seems to be the perfect setup for wind to slam against our bedroom windows as it howls by us. Our house has been lucky. We've not had any damage (knock on wood.) But if you look around the neighborhoods nearby, you can see evidence of the wind. Shingles torn off roofs and fences knocked to the ground.

The only problem, besides lack of sleep, that the wind causes us is to freeze one little pipe. And that only happens if it is below 20 degrees for a few hours. It seems the plumber who worked on our house decided that it would be best to lay a water pipe in the small space between the outside wall and another board. Wind finds a way to get through anything. In our case we must have a teeny tiny pin hole somewhere along the area near this pipe. It wouldn't be a problem if there was insulation around the pipe. But there isn't any. Yet. Today that should be fixed thanks to a great insulation guy!

Once this is fixed I'll be hoping for a cold day, with strong cold winds that bring the temperature below 20. Have to test the solution to be sure the pipe really won't freeze. Just let the wind come during the day so N can sleep please.

Off to a good start

2009-01-18T13:45:00.004-06:00

One of my goals for this year is to keep on top of things around the house. It is too easy to get busy with other things (namely S and B) and let little things slide. That is okay for a day here and there. But more often than not one day stretches into 3 or more before I remember I wanted to clear off that counter, or really, really wash that floor. By then the chore has grown into two or three things to do before the main one can be done. I'm tired of it! But I have a plan for 2009.

Motivated Moms to the rescue. I won the 2009 planner (I'm sorry I forgot where from!) Already it is helping so much. It is very similar to FlyLady but doesn't fill my inbox with tons of emails. Every day there are basic things to check off like clearing counters, making beds, sweeping kitchen and such. Then there are 5-6 specific tasks to do each day. Some are pretty basic, like changing the towels in the bathroom. Others repeat weekly. Still others are thrown in to help you clean and declutter your house in baby steps.

I know I'm not even a month into 2009, but my house is already feeling the difference. I am too! I'm not as worried and preoccupied with what I have to do around the house. I have my handy Motivated Moms checklist to worry for me.

Oh my!

2009-01-15T13:27:00.003-06:00

I thought for sure I'd posted while on our Disney trip. I was even more sure I'd posted about Christmas and New Years. Ha! I haven't posted in over a month. I'll give you a quick recap.

December 19-24 We spent at Disneyland with my inlaws. It was a wonderful trip. S had a blast chasing down characters and getting their autographs. Did you know Donald and Daisy Duck only come out in the parades at Disneyland? B loved the rides he could go on.

December 25 Less than 24 hours after arriving home we hosted my family and Nick's brother & his wife for Christmas Day. My brothers big (70-80 pound) dog joined us as well. Everyone had a good time visiting, playing with the boys and just relaxing.

New Years Um, we're boring and didn't do anything!

Those are the highlights of the past month. I hope to blog more in 2009 than I did in 2008. We'll see what the future holds though!

2008-12-13T10:38:00.001-06:00

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-08T09:39:00.003-06:00

Monday: Lentil Soup (posted in this thread)
Tuesday: Salsa Roast Beef, Tomato Spinach Soup
Wednesday: Southwestern Round Steak
Thursday: Easy Southwest Chicken (hmm, do I have a theme this week?)
Friday: Taco Salad
Saturday:leftovers
Sunday: Chili

Check out Organizing Junkie for lots more menu ideas.

Knit one Purl two

2008-11-29T16:19:00.002-06:00

As if I don’t have enough hobbies and projects started in other areas, I’ve picked up another, knitting. I learned to knit when I was younger. My mother knitted when she had little kids (probably before most likely.) She thought I needed to know the skill. I tried knitting an afghan when I was pregnant with S, four years ago. I tried another one when I was pregnant the second time. I am most definitely not pregnant now and NOT trying another afghan.

Instead I’ve been knitting dishcloths. Nice, easy, small dishcloths. I came across a description of them on MomAdvice. I followed her link to the pattern. It looked so simple. It looked like something I could finish, not like those afghans. Off to Michaels I went.

A few dollars later I had plenty of yarn and was ready to go. Once I re-taught myself how to purl and cast on the first one was easy enough. When it was finished it looked ok. The stitches were a little tight and there were a few mistakes. But the variegated yarn was forgiving and hid the mistakes. I made knitted something!

The second one I felt comfortable enough to try changing colors to create a stripe. I successfully did that. Somehow I added a stitch but I fixed it. Then I realized that in doing that I shifted the pattern 2 stitches. Oh well! I finished a second knitted project!

Now I’m trying a hat. I cast on my stitches only to realize that my circular needle (thanks Mom!) is too long for 67 stitches. Back to Michaels I go!

"No Whammy!"

2008-11-23T19:20:00.004-06:00

Television was so much simpler when my brother and I were growing up. Remember early 80s television shows? Sitcoms with laugh tracks and game shows ruled. There were very few choices too. One of our favorites was, as we called it The Whammy show. I now know it is/was called Press Your Luck

I remember sitting there with my brother yelling at the tv. I was the one yelling "no whammy!" right along with the contestants. He was yelling "come on whammy!" I don't know if it was because it was opposite what I wanted or he really just wanted to see the whammy. Either way we both would laugh when the little animated guy came across the screen and took all the contestant's money.

As an adult I've learned this game show was figured out by one smart and patient contestant, Michael Larson. He figured out, something we always tried to, that there was a pattern to the Press Your Luck board. All he had to do was be patient and watch the pattern. It gave him over $100,000. Not bad for a few hours taping a game show!

They remade Press Your Luck in 2002. It wasn't as good, of course. But they learned one thing from the original. Use a computer to randomize the patterns of the board!

********
Join me in writing about your favorite game show memory for The Parents Blogger Network's Blog Blast! You could even win something from Oliebollen.

Why didn't I do this sooner?

2008-11-14T12:10:00.002-06:00

The house had recently been taken over by an invading army of toys. Everywhere I stepped or looked there was some other toy. I felt like I was spending every moment defending the main areas of my house from the invasion. I'd round up the offenders and put them away. Before I could take a step new ones had taken their place.

I knew it was time for a new tactic. I drafted two young boys to help me defend our house. S thought it was great fun to help Momma pick up. B helped for a bit but when my voice gave out (It's clean up time, its clean up time and everybody has to help in a sing songy voice) he wandered off. That was okay because, honestly, he wasn't much help. We cleared their rooms of the invasion. Everything looked great. Then we did the playroom. I felt victorious!

Then it struck me. What does every preschool teacher and many elementary teacher do in their classrooms? They take pictures of how things should look. Out came the camera. S followed me around and helped pick what to take pictures of, the train bin, the playroom art cabinet, the book bin, the art table.

Then I plugged the memory card into my Canon Selphy portable printer. This printer is awesome. It is totally portable and prints great quality pictures. You can do simple photo editing with it and print multiple pictures on one 4X6 sheet. I didn't need huge pictures so I use that feature and printed 2 photos on one sheet. A few snips with my paper cutter and we were ready to label.

Two bedrooms and the playroom are now labeled. It has been four days and the invasion has not continued. S has been very proud of keeping his room looking like the pictures. B has even been seen putting toys away in the right spot!

Why didn't I do this sooner?

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T08:13:00.002-06:00

Just for a moment think of those who have served our country and give thanks. Always remember those who fought so we could live as we do.

Today, like many days, my mind drifts to the grandfather I never knew, the father my mother never knew.

Thankful project

2008-11-10T18:12:00.002-06:00

The boys are having a fun time with our latest craft project. We made a giant turkey. S helped cut the tail feathers and B helped glue them on. Every day we write on it what they are thankful for. Just 10 days into the month and we already have a great list! S likes hearing us read the list every night. I think it is a great way to help S & B understand that we have so many things to be thankful for.

I forgot to take pictures of the process and don't have one of the finished turkey yet. I'll take one soon for you all.

How To:
Cut 1 big circle from brown paper. This is the turkey's body.
Cut 1 small circle from brown paper. This is the turkey's head.
Place the head on the body circle (we put ours towards the top.)
S colored a face and glued on a beak.
Cut strips of colored paper for the tail feathers. (we did 1 a day till Thanksgiving)
Trip one short edge to make it look more feathery.
Glue strips to the back of the turkey.
Write what you are thankful for on the feathers.

Menu Planning Monday

2008-11-09T16:28:00.003-06:00

Is it really Monday already? Here is what we are eating this week. Check out Organizing Junkie for more menus.

DINNER
Monday: Smothered Chicken with Garlic
Tuesday: N will be out of town. The boys and I will find something in the fridge to eat.
Wednesday: Garlicky Bean Enchiladas (Rachael Ray recipe)
Thursday: Bruschetta Chicken
Friday: Soup and Sandwiches
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Chili

I have to tell you about what I use to plan my menus. MacGourmet is a fantastic program! I have all my recipes saved in it. I find having a computer in the kitchen to be such a time saver. Since my recipes are in MacGourmet I just set my computer on the counter and cook. When I find a new recipe online it just takes a couple of clicks and there it is in MacGourmet. I bought the Mealplan add on to help me plan. It can import everything right to iCal (my calendar program.) This program almost makes planning meals fun, almost!
There are other add on programs too. You can have MacGourmet calcuate the nutrition values of your recipes and make your own cookbook.

Literal Music Video

2008-11-08T13:03:00.002-06:00

Having spent the 80s in listening to the radio on my pink getto blaster, I have a love of 80s music. When MTV came out I was surprised that the videos didn't always match the song. I was too young to understand the artistic, um, perspective. Oh what am I saying? I still don't get a lot of the music videos that are out there!

Here's a funny take on a classic 80s song.

Have I ever mentioned

2008-11-04T14:24:00.007-06:00

Have I ever mentioned that I can't eat meat off the bone? Totally disgusts me. My dad and husband both make wonderful delicious ribs, so I'm told. I can't eat them. The image of my teeth scraping the bone is just too much.~~I think it has to do with watching elementary kids suck chicken off the drumstick while doing lunch duty at a certain Catholic Elementary school~~. Kansas City has a wonderful fried chicken restaurant, Strouds, but I've never had the chicken because it is often on the bone and has the skin on it. That's another thing I can't stand, chicken cooked with the skin on it.

Based on all that I'm wondering why I am making the dinner that I am. I'm am cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot. I found the recipe from a friend's blog. (Nina, I think it was on your blog one time. Hope it is good!) A whole chicken costs a lot less than a bunch of chicken breasts so I thought I'd give it a try. Worst thing is I won't be able to eat it, which honestly happens about 75% of the time I cook chicken. Oh did I mention that since I was pregnant with B I can hardly eat chicken? Don't know why, just don't have the stomach for it most of the time.

Dinner should be interesting tonight.

Menu Planning Monday

2008-11-03T10:49:00.003-06:00

Monday: Italian Round Steak with pasta

Tuesday: Chicken in the Crockpot with baked potatoes

Wednesday: Apple Chili

Thursday: Chicken enchiladas

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Lentil soup

Sunday: Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-27T12:26:00.002-05:00

Trying lots of new recipes this week. Hopefully I'll like them enough to share.

Monday: Chipotle Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Tuesday: Beef Vegetable Soup

Wednesday: Southwestern Round Steak

Thursday: Fajitas

Friday: Leftover soup

Saturday: chicken something

Sunday: ?

A Hard Thing to Do

2008-10-25T12:16:00.002-05:00

I have a cold. I have toughed it out all week, kept up with everything planned. Thursday night I got little sleep because the cough started. You know the cough, the one that keeps you up all night. Friday was rough. I was out of breath just walking up the stairs.

After working out all morning, N came home with plans to take the boys to Boo at the Zoo. He wanted me to be able to rest and recover. Isn't that wonderful of him? I thought so too. Dreams of resting on the couch and watching what I want on tv filled my head. This was just what I needed.

I started getting things ready for them to go. Seeing my 2 little guys dressed up like Spiderman made me want to go. I remembered the fun we've had the last 2 years at Boo at the Zoo. I wanted to go! I'm feeling better. I can make it right?

N just looked at me like I was crazy. "You can come," he said. "But I'm trying to give you a chance to rest so you get better and not worse." Good point. I listened to him and sent my boys off with hugs and kisses.

Why is it so hard for a mom to rest?

Leaf Rubbings

2008-10-24T15:29:00.005-05:00

S asked to do a project the other day. I really didn't want to get out the paints and he didn't want to color. We had been talking about fall and leaves. Then inspiration hit. Leaf rubbings!

I sent S out with a bucket to collect all the leaves he could. This was well received. He pulled leaves off all the bushes and trees in the yard. He asked to go on a walk to collect more, but with B sleeping upstairs we couldn't do that.

I showed him how to make a rubbing.

S quickly got the hang of making a rubbing. Dark crayons work best he found. Crayon Rocks were easy to use for this too.

When S had made rubbings of all the leaves we decided to make a book. He glued the leaves to blank pages. Then we stacked the pages together, made a cover and stapled everything.

S has really enjoyed his book!

Giddie Up Cowboys

2008-10-20T12:59:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful time this weekend. A co-worker of my husband's invited a bunch of us out to his farm. The boys were thrilled to ride horses for the first time. They both took right away to Oreo.

I have to say I think I could get used to living out in the country. Quiet all around. No light pollution at night. Horses, a pond, and lots of land to run around on would all be very nice. I think there are 2 things holding me back, well besides my husband. I don't like gravel roads and I am not sure I could survive without a grocery store being just 10 minutes away!

The scrapbook layout was inspired by a sketch at Inspired Blueprints.

Long time, no post

2008-10-14T14:09:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize it had been over a month since I last posted anything. I guess I haven't had much to say or share. Life is good and much the same as always. We've settled into the routine of school for Sam. Bill and I are enjoying our mornings. We run errands and just enjoy playing by ourselves.

A quick list of things we're up to:

Sam's playing soccer with a little group of friends
Bill wants to play with the big kids
I'm baking lots, bread, cookies, anything
Nick's team at work loves all the treats I send in with him
Bill surprised me by calling out the letters he saw on the handle of the shopping cart. He had them all correct.
The boys are obsessed with super heroes
I made them and their stuffed animals super hero capes

2008-09-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

2008-09-10T12:20:00.005-05:00

Have boys? Have trouble finding a book your boys will read? If you thought yes, then The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson might be what you are searching for.

During my years teaching finding ways to get boys interested in reading seemed to be a challenge that many parents & teachers faced. We were all searching for books that grabbed a boy's attention and made them want to read more. A young man named Harry Potter came along and helped get many reading voluntarily. It was wonderful. But the series had to end at some point.

James Patterson has created a new hero and with him a new series of science fiction books. Daniel is different than your average boy. He can make things appear. He chases aliens. He talks to the reader. These three things alone should grab a boys attention. Aliens and super powers are things many young teen and preteen boys are interested in. Just look at the selection of video games!

I was excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. Daniel grabbed my attention from the start. Right from the beginning the reader knows Daniel is something special. After all not many 3 year old boys talk like he can, build intricate buildings or defeat an alien that just killed their parents. With that the story is off to a roaring start. Quite the adventure awaits Daniel, the alien hunter.

The chapters are short, some only a few pages. The action moves quickly, keeping you interested in Daniel and wondering what will happen next. I had hoped that I would enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed other young adult selections. But, to me, the short chapters were too choppy. Thinking of the audience James Patterson wrote Daniel X for, the short chapters work well. A chapter or two can be read. The book can be closed and put down for a bit. Then the reader can pick up with the next chapter. Very few of the intended audience would read the book in a single setting. The short chapters do a nice job of breaking it up into easy to read bites.

I'm thrilled Patterson wrote a book aimed towards boys. Hopefully The Dangerous Days of Daniel X will get more boys reading. While my boys (ages 4 and 2) are too young for this book, it is one I plan to save and share with them when they are older. I can see it being a great book to read together in a few years or for them to read alone in a few more.

Labor Meme

2008-08-31T21:29:00.002-05:00

A fun little Meme that was shared on Rocks in My Dryer.

How long were your labors?

Kid #1, about 7 hours
Kid #2, 13 hours

How did you know you were in labor?

Kid #1, water breaking.
Kid #2, water breaking.

Where did you deliver?

At a hospital. For those local, St. Joseph with #1 and Menorah with #2.

Drugs?

Yes, epidural with both. #1 was back labor and hurt. #2 I thought I'd have 3 hours of pushing like I did with #1 and was worn out. I wanted to be able to understand what was going on without focusing on pain since B was early and predicted to be in trouble.

C-section?

No, thank goodness.

Who delivered?

An on call doctor with my doctor's practice for #1. My doctor got to deliver #2.

And if anyone copies the meme from here, I'm adding a question.

Would you do it again?
YES! But if you know me, you knew that already LOL.

If you want to play along with this meme, just cut and paste the questions into your own blog, and leave your link in the comments and sign in with Mr. Linky over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Cool crafty blog

2008-08-27T10:06:00.003-05:00

I love crafts. I love reading about other people doing crafts because honestly, when do I have time to do many? If I do have the time, I also have two little boys who want to "help Momma" be crafty. While I appreciate that, it doesn't make for a very good Mommy craft.

Back to the point. One of my favorite craft blogs is Vanilla Joy. Lucky for me and my boys Vanilla Joy has great ideas for family fun. Now when I'm feeling crafty I can find activities that appeal to all of us. One that S thought was great fun was kids face painting.

This week it is even better--Vanilla Joy is having all sorts of wonderful crafty giveaways! If you like crafts, check it out. If you like giveaways check it out!

Another FIrst Day of Preschool

2008-08-25T09:26:00.003-05:00

Just a little while ago I walked my oldest to his preschool classroom. S is so proud to be in the Blue Room this year (for young 4s.) It was such a change from last year.

S woke up at 7am this morning. He grabbed his clothes that were set out for him and brought them into my room to get ready. The boy that usually isn't dressed by the time I'm done with my shower, was dressed (including shoes) before I could even wash my hair. S was excited about school!

We took a few pictures outside (will post when I get a new camera cord) and headed to school. The excitement was wearing a little thin. I could tell nerves were creeping in. We sang S's favorite song (St. Patrick by Mr. Stinky Feet) before walking into school. One more picture, then we walked to his classroom. Giving him his kisses to save for later calmed him down a bit.

Then Mrs. George came to walk him into his room. He followed her right in after one last tight hug. I stayed long enough to watch him put his backpack away and head off to play. He was moving slow, but was moving. So much better than last year!

Not quite 2 more hours till I pick him up. I can't wait to hear how his day went!

It clicked

2008-08-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

S has been wanting to read for so long now. I promise I haven't pushed it! We do little lessons when he asks. I keep them short, sweet and most of all fun! He has known the ABCs forever it seems. The sounds that go with each letter were also quickly picked up.

Sounding out words and putting the sounds together to make new sounds took longer than S wanted. He would get frustrated that he "couldn't read." I think he thought I would show him the big secret and he would be able to read. Not that easy is it?

This summer he has mastered many sight words. S has also learned to read some of his favorite books, mostly by memorization I'm guessing. But he's learning to read. He gets a wonderful Tessy and Tab book two times a month. He is able to read about 50% of the words in it on the first read. That is really motivation for him! We work at sounding out the others. By the third or fourth read through he is sounding them out on his own.

Then today, oh my! He was playing with magnet letters on the easel. "Momma come look" he called. When I look I see "S si 4 and B si 2." He'd written his first sentence all by himself! After our little celebration, I asked him to listen to the word "is" and tell me what sound comes first. He looked at his words and said "Oops! I need to switch that" and he did. The teacher in me couldn't let that slip by.

I took a picture of his wonderful creation, but sadly I still haven't found the cord for my camera. I'm scared that my memory card is getting full. Thankful that N bought a big one when we got the camera!

What a Great Day

2008-08-08T16:20:00.003-05:00

The weather here in Kansas has just been beautiful the last few days. The heat broke. We've been enjoying temperatures in the high 80s. Just perfect to escape to the outside!

Escape we did. We spent the morning playing at my boys' best friends' house. Mary and Lily are the same age as S & B. The four of them have such fun playing together. The kids played in the backyard while my friend, Amy, and I poured over cookbooks coming up with a plan to cook a bunch of freezer meals. Now if we can just settle on a date to cook we'll have our freezers stocked with plenty of meals for busy days!

After our playdate we headed home to finish packing a picnic lunch. N took the afternoon off work to spend with us. He was home before we got there. The boys were so excited to walk in and see Daddy home! We packed our lunch and went to Heritage Park. It is such a beautiful park. We're lucky to have it right across the street from our neighborhood. S was loving all the chirping birds entertaining us while we ate.

The outing ended with a visit to Deanna Rose Farmstead. It is such a gem. A free park that takes you back in time to the pioneer days in Kansas. Animals to feed and play areas are some of the favorite parts for my boys.

Tonight we'll watch the Olympics to cap off a great day!

When doubling a recipe

2008-07-31T13:56:00.003-05:00

The Brother, S, and I were making blueberry muffins. Seeing as the recipe called for 1 cup of blueberries and we had a bit over 2 cups left I decided to double the recipe. S and I were having a grand time cracking eggs (doubled? check.) and adding ingredients. He was telling me about how he never tried egg painting when they did it at school. (Did they really do something called egg painting?) I talked with him about trying new things and didn't really pay much attention to the recipe.

We followed the directions and "poured" the batter into the muffin tin. I thought it looked a bit runny. But since I hadn't made this recipe before I didn't think much about it. Muffins in the oven. Timer set. Clean up started.

Then I moved my Mac (laptop--awesome to have in the kitchen!) and noticed that the recipe called for 1 cup of flour. Hmm. I put in 1 cup of flour so that was right, but why was the batter so runny? Because I only put in 1 cup of flour. I was doubling the recipe!

Pull the muffin tin out of the oven. Dump the contents back into the bowl and start adding ingredients.

Muffins saved!

Love rainy days

2008-07-30T12:42:00.001-05:00

Could there be a better way to spend a rainy morning than curled up on a couch with 2 little boys watching Sesame Street?

Summer of Me Wrap Up

2008-07-25T23:42:00.001-05:00

Baby Tea Leaves held a great challenge to motivate people to loose weight. It was great for me! Between really focusing on working out at the right level (heart rate monitors are great for that!) and eating low carb I managed to loose 11 pounds since the challenge started. Yipee!!

Everyone checking in has made progress in some way. It is fun to have a group that works towards common goals. Baby Tea Leaves challenge provided that. I hope she does it again--still have a bit to go to get back where I was before kids.

What brothers are for

2008-07-25T13:51:00.003-05:00

Brothers are for bringing all your stuffed animals to you. The animals pictured are just a few of the ones who usually share crib space with B. I'm a little worried that his collection will multiply exponentially when we move him out of the crib. I mean imagine how many more he could fit with him in a full size bed?

Do you know?

2008-07-25T13:50:00.001-05:00

I seem to have lost the USB cable for my camera. I know I've had it since we returned from San Diego. But it isn't in any of the places I think I would have put it. Where, oh where, could it be?

A Year Ago, A Year From Now

2008-07-22T13:46:00.003-05:00

I saw this on Much More Than A Mom's blog (don't think it is there anymore though.)

A year ago I was going through a miscarriage. I'd just found out I was (surprise!) pregnant when it started. Everything was darkness and tears. Thank goodness I had a 3 year old and 1 year old to keep me busy. They gave me sunshine and kisses. We'd been in our new house just a few months and still had an empty room. N started talking about a grownups only trip to Jamaica.

A year from now I'll be getting ready to send The Brother off to kindergarten. The Little One will be going to preschool for the first time. I'll be ~~happy~~ ~~sad~~ bittersweet about having 2 mornings a week to myself. Will I still be dreaming of another child or could I be pregnant by then?

I can't wait to see what the next year holds!

Thursday 13

2008-07-03T09:45:00.002-05:00

Thirteen Things about what I've done by 9:30 am

1 Showered and dressed
2 Dressed The Brother and The Little One
3 Fixed breakfast for kids
4 Vacuumed the basement (finished) and main levels
5 Wiped down the kitchen counters & table
6 Run, emptied and loaded the dishwasher again
7 Read blogs
8 Emailed
9 Ate my breakfast
10 Had a Coca Cola
11 Waited for a friend to arrive for a playdate
12 IM'd The Dad
13 Prayed

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

There is more too, but since it is only supposed to be 13 I'm stopping there. Plus I'm even more worn out just thinking about all I've done already!

Oh my aching head!

2008-06-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

Migraines are one of the most painful things I've ever felt. I've had more than my fair share of migraines too. Right now my head feel like it is being slowly filled with concrete and there is no room left for it to expand. In many ways labor was a more pleasant experience than a migraine.

Summer of Me

2008-06-23T07:57:00.002-05:00

Had a a great time in San Diego this past week. Now I'm paying for it. No exercise. Lots of good, um bad for you, food. I'm kicking off the rest of summer today.

This morning I went for a nice little run. I'm working through the Couch to 5K plan. Today I did 1.68 miles. It was broken down into a 5 minute, 8 minute and 5 minute runs with some walking in between. Best part~ it felt good!

I'm hoping by the end of the Summer of Me challenge I'm 5-10 pounds closer to where I want to be.

SITS~ new site

2008-06-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

They are holding a great giveaway right now. Go check them out!!

I am a soccer mom

2008-06-01T08:57:00.004-05:00

The Brother has been playing soccer for a few weeks now. We really lucked into this opportunity. At Parents Day at his preschool a dad asked if The Brother wanted to play soccer. The dad and some friends had organized a little soccer group. No cost! They lead the kids through some drills. Then break them into teams to scrimmage. It is perfect for 4 year olds. For $2 we bought a shirt with an iron on number so The Brother is on the Blue Team. Of course some days all the kids that show up are Blue Team. But it works.

I was excited for The Brother to have this opportunity to work though his shyness at new things. The first week we went he wouldn't hardly join in. The second week was so much better. Now he's out there without The Dad or me running beside him. The Brother is becoming part of the group and he likes it!

The Little One likes going to The Brother's soccer games too. Only Little One thinks he should be on the team too. We try to distract him with food, toys and anything else we can find. Luckily once the big kids start their scrimmage there are plenty of extra soccer balls.

Don't plan to loose weight right before a birthday

2008-05-20T18:19:00.004-05:00

The Brother's birthday party was on Saturday. Not the best timing for me to start eating better huh? I didn't do too bad if you don't count all the nibbles of butter cream frosting as I was making his cake. The cake is gone now. Thank goodness!

Not doing too badly this week.
Saturday: Ran
Sunday: Chased Little One around at The Brother's soccer practice. Family walk after dinner
Monday: Ran and long family walk at the dog park
Tuesday: Weights and gardening

I have exercised for at least 30 minutes each day.

I figure I have at least 5 pounds to loose until my shorts fit comfortably. I'm crossing my fingers that I can do that by June 14 when we head to San Diego.

Oh and as of right now, I am out of Coca-Cola. I don't plan to buy anymore. Can I really quit? Do you hear my husband laughing?

Soreness

2008-05-14T14:18:00.003-05:00

A new strength training routine from Self magazine
+ 10 pound weights and 5 pound weights =
sore muscles

I am sore. I've been strength training for months now. But I really mixed it up yesterday with that new routine (Self Challenge 2008, month 3.)

I made cookies for N to take to work. I was good and didn't try more than one. That was hard. They were chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Oh so yummy! He took them all to work this morning thank goodness!

Time to get serious

2008-05-13T19:49:00.003-05:00

Seeing things in print, in pure black and white can have an dramatic effect. I'm hoping that by putting it here for all to see I will stick to my plan.

What am I talking about? My plan to loose weight.

June 14 I will be in San Diego. I will have to wear a swimsuit to play on the beach with my boys. I want to feel confident and comfortable. In order for that to happen I need to loose some weight.

Right now I am 143 pounds. I'm 5'4" so that's not the best, but no the worst weight for me. I'm small boned. I look better and feel better when I weigh less.

My goal by the trip is 135. I'd be thrilled to hit 130. Before I had The Brother I weighed 128. Oh how wonderful that was! But I like baking cookies with my boys and eating them. I'm not sure 128 is realistic for me at this point in my life. I'm fine with that. I'm not fine with 143. That just isn't good for me.

My plan:
Strength train 2-3 days a week. I can do this at home if needed.
Cardio a minimum of 3 days a week.
Start running again. I can run a 10 minute mile right now. I want to be able to have more endurance.
Cut back on carbs. I lose weight when I do that.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T14:54:00.003-05:00

My boys did a great job taking care of me on Mother's Day. I didn't have to cook a meal. The Brother was so excited to show me what he, The Little One and Daddy got me. I was thrilled with a selection of goodies from Bath Junkie I've already enjoyed a decadent bath!

You can make a difference

2008-05-09T21:33:00.002-05:00

Writing letters to companies can make a difference!

My friend M has 3 adorable kids. Two she carried inside her for 9 months. The third, she carried in her heart for longer. Her third is adopted. She wrote about Teleflora's (teamed with NBC and Today) America's Favorite Mom Contest. Originally one of the categories was for "Non-Mom Moms." The description described those fitting the category as "grandmothers, step mothers and adoptive mothers." Needless to say M was upset!

I was upset for her. I emailed those in charge of the contest through their support email. I wanted them to know how disappointed I was that they didn't consider adoptive mothers (or step mothers) real mothers. You can imagine what I said, but I said it politely I promise.

Within a few hours I had a response. Sure it wasn't signed by a real person, but I was impressed anyway. I don't know if it was really just because of *my* email, but it had to have helped. Bottom line, they changed the name of the category. Voting is over so most people who were interested had already seen the original name, but at least now it no longer claims adoptive mothers are "non-moms."

From their email:
"In response to your concerns, Teleflora is immediately changing the
name of our "Non-Mom" category to "Adopting Moms." After closer
examination, we can see how this may have been offensive to moms who
have adopted children -- moms who are indeed real moms to their
children in every sense of the word. In fact, many of us at
Teleflora are "adopting" parents ourselves, including our president
and owner. The essence of this category still focuses on a
grandparent, neighbor, step mom, or mom to adopted or foster
children, each one raising and loving a child.

This show of insensitivity on our part was in no way intended and we
deeply apologize for any concern or distress we may have caused. It
was always our intent to salute and celebrate all moms."

I bet their president and owner wouldn't take being called "non-moms" lightly either.

Tessy and Tab Reading Club

2008-04-25T16:06:00.004-05:00

Two of my favorite childhood memories are of having my very own magazine and getting my own mail. I have been looking for something like that for my boys. They are close in age, 4 and 2 (in another month anyway!) so I had hoped to find something that they both could enjoy. Who doesn't like killing 2 birds with one stone?

Tessy and Tab Reading Club is a magazine for preschoolers that is mailed to them two times a month. It was perfect. I checked it out online and liked what I saw. It is a child size magazine. Every issue includes a story and some games. The magazine is almost as sturdy as a board book. Flimsy magazine paper it is not! Bright colors hold the attention of the child. The text is clearly written and large enough for a preschooler to see easily.

Our first issue arrived today. The Brother was so excited to see his name and Little One's name on the cover. We had to open it right away. They couldn't have sent a better one to start us off with. It was about a field trip to a fire station. Oh were my boys excited! We read the story. The Brother was able to read some of the words himself. There was enough repetition that he was recognizing new words by the end of the story.

The fun didn't stop there. After the story were 4 pages of activities. There was an "I Spy" activity using both words and pictures. A word recognition page with picture clues and a counting page were included. The last page was a coloring page.

Little One likes holding the book and pointing out things in the pictures. The Brother likes having it read to him and "reading" it himself. I like that it works on so many levels! It is a hit in our house.

Check out a sample issue online.

Want $25?

2008-04-21T12:12:00.002-05:00

I've seen this on a number of blogs that I feel are trustworthy. They've checked it out. I've checked it out. You should do the same!

I joined. My $25 is already in my account. Soon I'll cash it out and have it in my bank account. How easy is that?

I'm more than happy to help Money Exchange give Pay Pal some competition. Not having good luck with Pay Pal in the past, just about anything can be better. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-14T09:02:00.003-05:00

Monday: Pot Roast and veggies
Place chuck roast in crock pot. Add 1 packet brown gravy mix, 1 packet Italian dressing mix, 1 packet ranch dressing mix and 1 cup water. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook on low 6 hours or till done. Should be fork tender and shred easily.
Tuesday: Flank steak and asparagus

Put flank steak in zip lock bag. Add some (1tbsp) balsamic vinegar, Pampered Chef Garlic, Garlic, Garlic seasoning and oregano or basil. Marinate in the fridge overnight. Cook on George Foreman grill till medium rare.
Wednesday: Chicken (??) and roasted veggies
Thursday: Vegetable Soup from Reversing Hypertension book
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Sandwiches & salads
Sunday: Out

Want toys?

2008-04-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

ick, blech, yucky

2008-04-08T14:45:00.002-05:00

I still do not like celery. Not with dressing, not with hummus, not with peanut butter. I do NOT like celery.

Now how to keep my 4 year old from noticing that mommy didn't finish her snack?

South Beach Diet, Day 1

2008-04-08T09:04:00.002-05:00

Breakfast was two eggs, little bit of milk, slice of american cheese and a bunch of salsa all scrambled together. Pretty tasty to someone who isn't a big egg eater.

Lunch was a delicious salad. Baby greens, some cucumber, red pepper, green onions, tomato tossed together. 2 slices of ham were topped with 1/2 a slice (each) of swiss cheese and tomato slices. This was broiled till the cheese was melted. Then folded in 1/2. Once cooled it was sliced and added to the salad. It didn't even need dressing, which I could have added.

Dinner oh my was this good! Flank steak marinated with balsamic vinegar, garlic and oregano. I used Pampered Chef's Garlic spice mix. It gave a great crunchy coating to the steak. I sliced my steak up and put it on my salad. Add in the asparagus and it was a perfect meal.

Snacks were string cheese and sliced cucumber with some cheese and a handful of soy nuts.

I'm surprised that I wasn't craving carbs or my Coca-Cola more than I was. I'm sure that's to come though. One day is pretty easy, 2 weeks has to be harder.

Eating the South Beach way

2008-04-03T15:10:00.003-05:00

I'm starting the South Beach Diet.

I choose this plan for a few reasons.

I want, I mean I need to loose weight.
I want to eat a more balanced diet (veggies anyone?)
I want to get used to eating and preparing vegetables before my CSA produce begins arriving in May.
I want to be a good example for my boys.
It was recommended by a few doctors I know & trust
A good friend has had success with it and swears it is easy!

Monday is my official start day, but I'm easing in to it until then. Tonight's dinner will be from The South Beach Diet book. It sounds yummy. We're having Ginger Chicken, steamed asparagus and a tossed salad.

I think I'm going to subscribe to the online South Beach Diet site. From looking it over I think it will be helpful as I figure out this way of eating.

My friend, A, tells me that the first few days are hard. The first 2 weeks you cut out all carbs and fruit. I live on carbs people. Bread, pasta, sweets--those things are my life. But I also know they are the reason for my weight gain. Every time I have a pasta dinner the scale jumps up 2 pounds the next morning. I can't eat pasta like I did in my 20s. Oh for the days I lived on pasta, cheese and pesto...

Goodbye March

2008-04-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

I am so glad March is over. Nothing bad happened. Well, we were sick a lot but that's life.

March was just about counting down to what could have been the arrival of a new baby. It is passed. Today was rough though. I found out that 2 people had babies in the last few days. I think that is the last hurdle I had to jump. I had mentally been counting down their pregnancies thinking of where I would have been. Now that countdown is over too.

I feel like I'm on some stupid merry go round that won't slow down enough for me to jump off. I keep going round and round thinking of the pregnancy I lost. I don't know why I can't put it totally behind me. I wasn't pregnant long. I knew about it even less. So why has it scared me so deeply?

No sleep for the sick

2008-03-10T00:44:00.002-05:00

This is getting very old. 12:44am and I'm awake. Not by choice. It is hard to sleep when you can't breathe and it feels like a lead balloon is expanding inside your sinus cavity. Let me tell you there is not much on tv in the middle of the night. One would think with over 200 channels on DISH I would find something decent to watch. I only wish that was the case.

I'm sure I have a sinus infection. I've had enough of them over the years. I should be able to write the prescription for an antibiotic myself. Tomorrow morning, 9 am, will find me on the phone trying to get an appointment with my doctor. Maybe, since he just saw me on Wednesday for other issues, he'll take pity on me and call something in. Yeah, I know, wishful thinking.

Ultimate Blog Party

2008-03-09T07:12:00.003-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom is doing it again! Their Ultimate Blog Party is such fun. I've enjoyed visiting many new blogs and hope you do too.

I wish I had more to offer or tell you. Unfortunately, my entire house is sick. Again. All of us. Again. So even if I had something to offer, you really wouldn't want it because it would be coming with all of our germs probably. I have to keep this short and sweet because, well 2 little guys and 1 big guy are sick and wanting me (sick mommy) to make it all better.

I will share with you a little about me. My husband and I've been married 8 years. We've known each other almost 15. I'm a SAHM of two crazy little boys (S & B.) They are almost 4 and almost 2. Before they came along I was an elementary teacher. Whether I ever go back is still up in the air. Luckily I have a few years till they are in school full time to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. I mainly write about my family and things that touch us.

If you are new, thanks for stopping by! If you are a friend, welcome back!

I almost forgot. 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away wonderful prizes as part of their Ultimate Blog Party! While I'd love anything boy related geared towards 2-4 year olds or their mom, some of my favorites are:

114 — $20 gift certificate to Lush
Provided by: After a Cup of Coffee…or Two
Prize details: Pamper yourself with a gift from my favorite natural
bath and body store.

79 — Skin Care Kit
Provided by: Hick Chicks Soap Barn

81 — Basket of Books
Provided by: Robin Bielman a mother of 2
and aspiring romance author.

19 — Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup
Provided by: Non Toxic Tots

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-03-04T10:11:00.006-06:00

Today is a backwards edition!

My problem that hopefully someone will help me with is whining. Specifically whining from a 3, almost 4 year old boy. Ugh. Anytime things don't go exactly the way he wants he starts in with the whining voice. Very seldom (and I mean very!) does it work to his benefit. I tell S that he needs to talk in a nice voice and no whining. I've modeled for him how a whining voice sounds. When I do it he asks me to stop right away. He says it "hurts my ears, Momma." Boy do I know, I want to laugh.

Thanks for any tips! Be sure to check out Works for Me Wednesday this week and see if you can offer up tips and information to other bloggers!

Best Dinner Ever!

2008-02-18T17:42:00.004-06:00

Last night was the big family birthday dinner celebration. Usually this means a dinner out at some restaurant. Not this year it didn't. Grandma requested I cook dinner.

Grandma is 91 years old. What she wants, she gets! Standing Rib Roast was her request. I was only happy to make it for her. I'd made it once before, this past Christmas. It was delicious if I do say so myself.

It really is very easy to make a wonderful standing rib roast. Coat it in salt, garlic powder and pepper. Then stick it in a 375 degree oven for one hour. Now this is where it gets tough. Turn off the oven. DO NOT open the oven for 3 more hours. Finally turn the oven back on to 375 and heat the meat to about 125. It will be perfectly done. Now how easy is that?

Unflavored=ICK!

2008-02-15T12:09:00.003-06:00

B has been having tummy issues for the last week. I won't gross you out with the details. I've been trying to get him to drink Pedialyte, well the generic version anyway. He would not drink the grape flavor or the fruit flavor. Today I bought the unflavored. Thinking maybe I could add a bit of juice to it or that he would just think it was water.

B took one sip. Oh I wish I had had my camera ready to capture his expression! He pulled the cup away from his lips as fast as his little arms would move. B scrunched up his mouth and eyes. A shake of his head side to side said it all. There is no way he's drinking that unflavored stuff. Juice has been added but still the icky taste must remain.

Finally I tried a sip. Now I am as picky as can be when it comes to the taste of medicine. I hate it. Won't take many things because they taste bad. Even had a birthday party taken away because I wouldn't take children's Tylenol when I was in 3rd grade and had a high fever. But I tried it to see if it was as bad as B was telling me. Something a good mom would do. This unflavored generic electrolyte solution for babies and children tastes awful!

Now really, if it says unflavored it should not have a flavor!

TT

2008-02-14T08:59:00.008-06:00

Thirteen Things about Why I Love My Husband

1. He makes me smile and laugh
2. He works hard to take care of us
3. He helps out without being asked
4. He is a great dad and loves playing with our boys
5. He loves me
6. He rubs my back when I have a migraine
7. When someone throws up he cleans up the mess while I take care of the kid
8. His eyes
9. The way he can raise just one eyebrow
10. He encourages me to try new things
11. He surprises me with special things
12. He makes us his first priority
13. He thinks I'm beautiful

Home

2008-01-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

I'm home and recovered from vacation!

Jamaica was wonderful. I'm so glad I went. N and I had a fantastic time laying on the beach, drinking chocolate flows, and just doing nothing. Getting away without the boys is something that strengthens us as a couple.

Jamaica is a beautiful place. It has harsh differences though. Driving from the airport in Montego Bay to the resort in Ocho Rios you see the differences. You see the resorts that the rich and famous stay in. A short way down the road you see someone washing in the river or ocean. You see luxury right next to slums. Seeing the differences really made me thankful for what I have. Yes, I'd love to stay inside one of those fancy fancy resorts, but I'm so lucky not to be at the other extreme. Being in the middle is such a blessing!

3 sleepless sleeps left

2008-01-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

Just a few more days till I'm supposed to leave for a kid free trip. I'll be honest, I'm scared to death. We are very close to canceling the trip because I am so worried that something will happen to us while we are away from our boys.

Please pray that I have peace with going on this trip and that we return safely to our family.

As the day ends

2007-12-31T17:04:00.000-06:00

"So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night..." 2007. You were a good year but it is time to welcome 2008. Before I do let me remember some high points, good and rough, from 2007. It doesn't feel like much was done by our family in 2007. We sold a house, built a house, and moved. I had a surprise pregnancy and even more surprising miscarriage. Birthdays, holidays, and a wedding were celebrated. Family was held close even when far away.

What does 2008 have in store for us? I wish I knew but then the journey wouldn't be as sweet would it?

I hope 2008 only improves on 2007.

5 Sleeps left

2007-12-31T11:24:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning, before the sun is even up, my husband and I will be on our way to the airport for our 1st child free vacation. We are headed to Jamaica!

I have to admit I'm a wee bit terrified. I don't fly well. I'm scared to leave my boys. I worry about everything you can imagine.

But I have to do this. It will be good for me, for my marriage, to be just with my husband for a bit. That hasn't really happened in almost 4 years. It will be good for my boys to know that mommy can do this. They need to see daddy and I doing things for us, as a couple. My two boys will have so much fun being spoiled by my in-laws while we are away.

I would appreciate any good thoughts and prayers you can send my way. Especially as I fly the next 2 Saturdays (leave on the 5th home on the 12th.)

He's getting it!

2007-12-19T15:42:00.000-06:00

S has been scared a lot lately. Nighttime is really hard. He's scared of the dark again. Not really scared of the dark I guess, but scared of the shadows. We leave the hall lights on, bathroom light on, his closet light on and he has a lamp we leave on. It isn't like the boy goes to sleep in the dark. A few nights ago I finally got him to show me what he was scared of. It was the shadows that things cast in his room. After much jumping on chairs and touching all the shadows he seemed a little more comfortable with them staying in his room.

We also started adding a part to his nightly prayer. Every night he asks God to bless people. After he does that I ask God to watch over S and help him feel safe. That has really made a difference. In doing that I talked about how God is all around us and helps us. I didn't think S really understood.

Yesterday I thought my wallet was gone. It wasn't in my purse. I couldn't remember where it was. I stopped the car when I could and looked for my wallet. As I was doing that I told Sam we were going to ask God for help. He said the prayer after me. It was so sweet! St. Anthony came through, as always, and my wallet was found. It was in the bottom of the diaper bag (why?)

I left the boys with N for awhile. When I came home N told me that he'd asked S who helped me find my wallet. N thought S would say "I did!" Instead S told him that God had helped me and that God was all around us and knew everything we did.

He's getting it isn't he.

Missing

2007-12-13T12:00:00.001-06:00

Last night I received a call I never expected. A sorority sister called to let me know another sister's father was missing. You hear about people disappearing on the news regularly but you never expect to know the person or the family. This time I do. I went to school and lived in the same house as two of the daughters. I met Richard Bradley a handful of times over the years, I'm sure.

Please click the link to read an article about him--we want to keep the story on the front page.
Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
Please God, let him be found safe and bring him back to his family soon.

Missing, Richard Bradley

New Jeans

2007-12-11T12:47:00.002-06:00

I finally found a pair of new jeans that I like. My Old Navy pairs really needed to be replaced. I've lost a bit of weight. Even though I still need the same size, the ones I had weren't fitting. Pulling them up as I chased the boys was starting to get really old.

I found a cute pair at New York & Co. Actually I found about 5 pairs. I pulled size 8 in all of them. One pair I couldn't get past my thighs. Three others I couldn't get the zipper closed or if I did they were so very tight. Finally the fifth pair. Over the thighs, zipper and button done and I can still move in them! Even better they were mostly comfortable (LOL.) Now of course if I loose the five pounds I'm working on they'll be too loose but I really needed jeans! I tried to find the pair online, but no luck. They have the cutest back pockets though. Little studs in a cascading like pattern. Love it!

So even though my immediate search for a pair of jeans if over, the quest for the perfect pair is not. 5 Minutes for Mom is offering a giveaway that could just help me in my quest. They are giving away a gift certificate to True Jeans. True Jeans picks the perfect jeans for you based on the measurements you give them. They take out much of the headache, I mean guesswork, in finding a pair of jeans. Check out the post at 5MfM yourself!

A sad reminder

2007-11-30T16:34:00.000-06:00

My SIL shared with me that her sister is pregnant. I am so happy for her because I know what a difficult time she's had and all she went through to get pregnant. She is having twins, boy and girl. I asked how far along she was, since she found out already. I'd been thinking she was just about 12 weeks. I was wrong. She's past 20. Due in late March or early April.

She is about where I would be if...

When will I stop thinking that?
When will I stop catching my breath and aching when I hear someone is pregnant?
Will the handful of friends who are having spring babies always be reminders of what I lost? When will I be able to not hear of them, from them or see them without sadness?
When will the hole in my heart be smaller?
Why am I having such a hard time with this loss?

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T10:25:00.001-06:00

We have loads to be thankful for this year. It is important to remember that when times are rough and emotions are low.

I'm thankful for (not in any particular order!)

Thermometers and Motrin to help me control fevers
antibiotics that are available when I really need them
2 healthy boys that give the best hugs and kisses
1 fantastic husband who understands me and still loves me
extended family that supports us
friends near and far who listen
a house, that we love, to live in
soft beds to sleep in
seeing my uncle at my brother's wedding
my Mac laptop
my faith in God

Due to me being sick, S being sick and my dad scheduled for a knee replacement soon we can't be together today. Just can't risk Dad getting sick and not having the surgery. My aunt is also sick but may still be going to my parents house. (I don't know why, but it is yet another example of my dad's messed up family and their lack of communicating what really should be said. In this case STAY AWAY so I don't get sick too!) We'll still get our Thanksgiving dinner. I've made my sweet potatoes and green beans. Later this afternoon I'll run them to Dad and trade for turkey, stuffing and other yummy things.

Are we really done?

2007-11-19T13:21:00.000-06:00

I am scared to even type this out. I think we may be done having children. DH has said some things off handed lately about not wanting another child. As much as I desire another child (girl or boy for readers who know my past) I can't force another child on DH. Oh how that idea makes my heart hurt. I couldn't sleep last night for thinking about it.

Then I started thinking that I could have been, should be, 5 months pregnant right now. And I felt like I couldn't breathe. In a way I've had my third child. I just never got to hold him/her or to even get used to the idea before I lost her/him. I know some don't believe that I lost a child because I was so early in my pregnancy. But I believe it. DH believes it. Our faith believes it.

I pray God turns my heart and DH's so they are in tune on this. I'm struggling with accepting that I won't have another baby. But I am trying to trust God. If that's what is his plan then that's what will be. I just hate living with me wanting one thing and DH not on the same page. I want us to be of one heart, especially on this.

I have to admit I feel a little betrayed by DH too. When I had the miscarriage, he had said that it made him realize he did want another child. I know logically, that that was said in the moment, the moment where we were just getting used to the surprise that I was pregnant. It isn't right of me to hold him to that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did I mention that I'm sick too? So that's probably part of the reason for all this depressing thoughts.

Struggling

2007-11-12T20:23:00.000-06:00

I'm struggling lately. Struggling with what I want to do when the boys are older. Struggling with my feelings of wanting another child. Struggling with the idea that my husband may not. Struggling with just the day to day stuff.

Then throw in the news I received yesterday. My uncle R has cancer in both lungs. About 2 years ago he was diagnosed with Melanoma on his chest. R had a large chunk of his chest removed. We are unsure if he underwent chemo or radiation. R emailed my dad on Sunday and briefly told him the latest. He will be undergoing more tests to see what exactly he is dealing with. It could be that the Melanoma has spread to his lungs or it could be "new" cancer in his lungs. Either way the information we can find isn't promising.

My dad's family isn't the most communicative. R who only lives 4 hours away maybe comes in town to visit his mother & two siblings once a year. I get very frustrated by how he treats my dad. My dad does everything for their mom but gets nothing but grief from R and their sister. That alone would be novel length to explain.

I just find it so frustrating and sad that at a time when family should be rallying around R he continues to do what he has done forever, stay away. It is sad to think that when I saw him at my brother's wedding in September that could have very well been the last time I get to see him.

In addition to my other struggles I struggle with wishing R well without the guilt and hurt feelings getting in the way.

Even more fun

2007-11-08T09:53:00.001-06:00

Check out 5 Minutes for Mom

They are doing another wonderful giveaway!

More Fun

2007-11-05T16:40:00.001-06:00

You know how I love contests. I love any chance to get something for nothing. Who doesn't? Right now is offering a fun contest. Head over to the site to participate in

Contest and cool site!

2007-11-02T08:20:00.000-05:00

From What's Cooking Blog:
"What’s Cooking Weekly is an online service that provides families with Healthy Menus for 5 meals every week. Subscribers receive recipes, organized grocery lists, nutrition information and tips on getting kids into the kitchen to help prepare healthy and seasonal meals. What could be easier than getting healthy menus delivered right to your email in-box?"

Now how great would that be? The hassle of menu planning done for you. Finding healthy meals for your family to eat, done for you. I could really use this service!

Bad blogger

2007-10-26T16:14:00.000-05:00

I've been bad about posting lately. Sorry to the few of you who read this!

The latest thing to occupy my time has been my new MacBook Pro. Oh it is so sleek and fun! I haven't had my hands on a Mac since high school. Things are so easy to do, like importing pictures from my digital camera. On the PC I have to have special software installed. On the Mac, I plug the camera in and presto there are the pictures. Amazing! Now all I need is photo editing software and I'm set.

Remembering

2007-10-15T13:37:00.001-05:00

I would have been close to 4 months pregnant today.

Menu Monday

2007-10-01T15:07:00.001-05:00

Monday: Stuffed Meaty Pizza (Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals)
Tuesday: Veggie Stew
Wednesday: Mexican Lasagna (HC T&T FFM)
Thursday: Chicken & Potato Bake (Thanks Angie)
Friday: Pot Roast (anyone have a wonderful recipe for me to try??)

Preschool Tears No More

2007-09-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday for the last few weeks has involved tears. S did not like me dropping him off at preschool. In fact a week ago was his first day back after missing a class. He was the little boy who got out of the car crying and walked with his mommy into the building crying. He had fun once he was at school but fought going.

Then we started car side drop off. Parents pull the car up to the sidewalk. Teachers come and get the kids out. Kids wave goodbye as they walk into school without parents. S loves this! He hasn't shed a tear since it started. He's been happily greeting the teachers who come to help him out of his backpack. He marches proudly into school with seldom a backwards glance at me. I love it too. He's happy. B and I don't have to get out of the car. It works wonderfully for us.

Never Forget

2007-09-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

Sick of recalls

2007-09-11T14:26:00.001-05:00

Are you as tired as I am of seeing more and more toys being labeled dangerous because of the way they were made? Shouldn't these companies, and we're talking the big toy companies, be more responsible in making sure the toys they make are safe for the children playing with them?

I'm thankful that other than 2 road signs from our Thomas the Train collection no toys that have shown up on the recall lists have been in our home. I've always leaned towards buying the boys toys that inspire their imaginations and don't use too many batteries. It seems like few wooden, natural toys (& European) toys have been recalled. There are a lot of cartoon character, plastic, and battery powered toys that seem to be filling up the recalls.

I don't understand why children's toys being made with lead paint (and other dangerous materials) isn't an even bigger story than it has been. The potential for damage to our children is too great to just send the toys back for a refund and buy them again. Unless the companies making the toys start implementing widespread checks to make sure the toys are safe we'll just keep seeing recalls months after the toys have already been in children's hands.

Clothes Giveaway!

2007-09-11T14:15:00.001-05:00

One of the funnest (is that a word? probably not) lines of children's clothes is Zutano. I was fortunate enough to have a mother in law that bought a few pieces when S was a baby. They wore well and B was able to wear them too. I love the bright colors and prints.

Mums The Wurd is hosting a contest for a $150 e-certificate to Zutano. What could be better?

And then they were gone

2007-09-02T13:53:00.000-05:00

Almost as quick as they came the spots disappeared. Before they faded away both boys were diagnosed with Roseola. Neither one presented with the typical symptoms, high fever for 3-4 days followed by a rash. But each boy had some of the main symptoms and a few not so common ones. Our doctor felt confident that Roseola fit B's mystery virus diagnoses of Wednesday too.

S's spots were gone the morning after they appeared. Nick says we need to bottle S's immunity and sell it. The boy goes through normal week long colds in just a day or two. Wish I could make sure B will be the same way. Heck, wish I could be the same way!

Runny nose, fever, and now spots. Oh My!

2007-08-31T14:24:00.000-05:00

S's fever is gone. But tiny little spots have emerged all over his trunk area, feet and legs. Fun.

Waiting for his doctor to call back with advice.

He has preschool on Tuesday. If spots remain can he go?

We leave Wednesday for my brother's wedding in Milwaukee. Is he contagious?

Will B get spots next?

Sorry if your kid gets sick

2007-08-30T16:51:00.000-05:00

I was so good Tuesday. I didn't take B up to preschool when I dropped off Sam or picked him up because B had a fever. Mom came and stayed with B. I didn't want to make everyone sick. After 24 hours fever free and a "he's good to go" from the doctor, I took B with me to preschool today.

30 minutes ago S woke from a nap. The boy does not usually take a nap. I figured that two days of playing hard at preschool and two sleepless nights due to nerves made him tired. Wrong. He woke up screaming and crying.

I scooped him up and cuddled him. I was holding fire. No thermometer needed to tell me that S had a fever. The ear thermometer only confirmed that it was over 100. 101.3 in the ear to be exact.

The boy is cuddled up in my bed right now. His favorite shows are on. Spot, his loyal pal, is at his side. A cool drink and some yummy cereal are within arms reach.

My poor boy is sick. Who is next?

Yes, I'm here

2007-08-30T15:36:00.001-05:00

I know I've gone too long with out a post. Sorry to anyone who reads regularly! I'll try to hit all the high points that have been happening here lately.

S Started Preschool
That's right folks, my boy is old enough for preschool. Do you know where the past 3 years went because I sure don't! Tuesday morning I walked him into school. He was nervous and not saying anything. He did great dropping off his homework (something yellow-a ribbon and a family picture) in the little bins. I gave him a kiss for each hand to keep while I was away. Then I told him to go on in. S looked at me. His eyes were so big and sad. His little hands were jammed deep into his pockets so he wouldn't loose the kisses. A teacher came and too him by the arm into the room. I heard "Momma!" and a little sob as he was led away. My poor boy doesn't do well with separation. When I picked him up the teachers told me he did fine until the last 10 minutes when he got sad. "I don't want to go back," he said. "Too many kids."

Today wasn't much different. He started walking into the classroom by himself. Two steps in he turned around and said "Mommy!" I quickly patted him as I turned him around and told him it was ok and he could do it. A teacher intervened and led him in. When I picked him up they told me that he did ok for the first 1/2. Then he started missing me. This will get easier right?

Three Days of Fever
B spent the weekend in a cranky mood. He woke up Monday morning with a temperature of 100. Within an hour it was at 103. Tylenol, as usual, does nothing for his fevers so we started on Motrin. Round the clock dosing kept him at a cool 99-100 degrees. He was not a happy boy and did not like to sleep. Tuesday I noticed that his top 2 molars had just barely poked through. His bottom ones were on the way, causing the gums to be swollen and sore. Was this the cause of the fever?

When he woke up Wednesday he was 99 degrees with no medicine for 7 hours. I thought we'd turned the corner. An hour later he was back to 103. A visit to the doctor in the afternoon brought the answer: virus. Great, that doesn't tell me anything really. I still have a cranky, crying, not sleeping, feverish little boy. Anyone ever have teething cause a 102 degree fever for multiple days? hmmm.

Facebook
I've been playing around on Facebook a little. It looks like it will be fun to find old friends. If you are on there, find me!

Life
Life has just worn me out lately. I don't quite know why. But I've just been down. This summer has been great, but rough too. I think I'm just ready to move on and put summer behind me.

Nick is planning a trip for us in January. We're going to go to Jamaica. Just the two of us. I think I-we-really need it. I just wish it was sooner!