It's like Christmas every week!

Since we JUST got rid of our advent calendar today (it still had about 8 rings left...oopsie), it seems appropriate that our next big day to count down to is...(drumroll....) GARBAGE DAY!

It's been this way since the week after Christmas. That week, because of New Years, our pick-up was moved forward one day. Which I totally forgot, of course, until I opened our front blinds and saw the neighbor's trashcan on the curb. At 10am. And of course that is about when the truck comes by.

So I scurried around in my bathrobe (YES, bathrobe at 10am - it was a huge deal for me!) getting a few bags of trash together, and just as I was opening the garage door...the truck zoomed by. So I was appropriately grumpy and went back inside.

And then at 1pm the garbage actually DID get picked up. The previous truck had been for recycling. So I missed it twice in one day.

Ack.

The next week, our first priority to get in the garbage can was the contents of the diaper pail. Everything else was second priority. Three bags were left over.

Then this week we started a small-ish remodeling project and I hosted a party. And had two sets of overnight guests, both of whom changed their share of dirty diapers.

That brings us to Monday, which had us celebrating that garbage day was only 3 days away. Because the can is already full, and thanks to the new garbage system, we get charged for any extra garbage on the ground.

Our plan? Ask the neighbors if we can stash some trash with theirs- cause they don't even fill up their smaller sized can. What a shame.

How does your family mark time?

At least the fumes have dispersed.

Do you ever feel like your mood is determined by the state of your home? When it is tidy and everything is put where it belongs, I feel calm and in control.

And today? Well, let's just say that there's grit under my slippers, planks of wall trim in the kitchen, the shop-vac is once again in residence, and the dryer, freezer AND washer are not in their proper places.

That's right, there's another remodeling job in progress. ALL I WANTED WAS A FREEZER.

But that lead to taking out cabinets. Which led to tiling some floor.

And then replacing the baseboards. And painting the walls. And ceiling. And doors & trim. And buying new light fixtures.

It's not all done yet, but I took the kids to a friend's house this morning, and Aaron made huge progress while we were gone. I tell you, that guy's amazing. If I had been in charge of this project by myself, I probably would have put a piece of plywood in the space where the tiles were missing and called it good.

But no. He has to go and do things the RIGHT way. At least he doesn't waste any time - right now, the walls, ceiling & baseboards are painted, and he's cutting the baseboard into the appropriate lengths.

My job is to try to keep the floor somewhat clean, dust off the sanded doors & trim, and figure out exactly how I want my newly enlarged entry to be configured. Hooks for adult coats? Drawers for hats & mittens? What exactly is needed?

Do you have a favorite organization system? Ever have a home project morph out of your control? What external factor most determines your mood?

Just do it!

I've wanted to post this dude for awhile now, and today is the big day! Please leave some sort of comment to reveal yourself as a reader...(chirp chirp...chirp chirp)

What!? You say you don't know what to say? Well, this isn't a thesis paper, friends. You can just say "Hi!"

Or...
- What is your favorite "odd" food? We are trying tofu for the first time tonight.
- Are you a Valentine's Day person or not? I am, but not so much for romance as friendship.
- Have you held onto any of your college textbooks? If so, why? I am contemplating clearing mine out, finally.
- Do you have any questions for me about books, movies, parenting, decorating, etc? What my life goals and dreams are? ANYTHING?

Okay. Hopefully you have something now. If you have never left a comment before (or even if you have, I'm not picky!) please do so today. And I'll leave you alone for another year.

(The only rules: Remember, if you know me in real life, please don't use our last name or Aaron's job. Just trying to keep everyone safe.:)

Vitamin A (and x-ray vision) is next.

Today I've had a series of odd experiences:

* flipped my cooked egg on the floor, trying to get it out of it's little microwave cooker & onto an English muffin

* smacked my head on the washer retrieving the wet clothes

* zipped Ben's chin up in his coat

* tried to toss Leah her apple slices while she was sitting in her booster in the back of the van - overshot, and they ended up in the "trunk"

To what do I attribute all these events?

That amazing Vitamin D supplement I started taking today. Man, those scientists better watch out - if all of us actually got all of D that we are supposed to, there may be some super-moms (and dads) out there!

Mostly Odds

Ben a"mazes" auntie Kate with his maze skills. Yes, I did SO just go there. Pun-tastic.

* Remember how Ben is kinda accident-prone? Or just, "impulse-control challenged"? I have two more rather drastic examples. A few weeks ago I retrieved my hand mixer from the large drawer on the opposite side of my kitchen island. I left the drawer open, since I was coming back for the appropriate attachment, but I wasn't fast enough. Ben came charging out of the bathroom, and smacked his little forehead right into the corner of the drawer. Incredibly, while a good sized egg & bruise arrived rather quickly, it never actually bled.

Adam gazes adoringly at his uncle Aaron.

Unlike his foot on New Year's Day. He was trying to help make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches by getting the jelly out of the fridge - but dropped the jar. Aaron (I wasn't home at the time) thinks that the jar hit his foot first and then shattered on the tile, but either way, he had a cut about a half-inch long on the top of his foot, and also a bruise surrounding it. I have to hand it to him, though - he was pretty tough. After the initial drama, he was proud to show off his Diego bandaid.

* Recently I have decided that the only way for me to be interested in cooking (I mean REALLY interested, not just out of hunger or necessity) is to torture my kids. No more cooking only kid-friendly stuff that I know they'll eat - it's time to experiment. Not necessarily every meal or every dish, but frequently enough so that I'm not bored stiff with pasta or rice and a meat.

"Thanks for the paper dolls, Grandma!"

* Yesterday I went grocery shopping. As I was grabbing 2 bags of parsnips, a fellow shopper stopped and asked, "Can I ask what you are making that you need TWO bags of parsnips?"

Is this odd? Has anyone else ever been interrogated about their produce selections?

Anyway, I'm making parsnip pancakes tonight. Leah loves parsnips, although usually I just roast them. She also LOVES pancakes. Ben doesn't really like either too much, so I'm preparing for battle.

* Going along with the "trying new foods" project, I'm also giving time-outs quickly and frequently these days. It seems that a time-out given (usually to Ben) before we even sit down is pretty efficient - he hates being left out, AND he's hungry. I just make him try a few bites of the new/disliked food. But bedtime snack is a limited portion. "Oh, you're still hungry? I guess you should have eaten more for dinner!"

* Television is just the greatest, don't you think? How did people ever amuse themselves without it? Oh yeah - they were actually DOING stuff. Poor folks.

Anyway - we are enjoying new episodes of Castle (yay for more romantic tension! "He's all yours!") and I enjoyed the first of two parts of Return to Cranford on PBS's Masterpiece. Aaron refused to watch "that old stuff" (yes, I DID tell him that Judi Dench was in it AND nominated for an Oscar last year for her role. Somehow, that didn't impress him much.) and chose instead the second hour of the new Chuck.

When I went to the site for that PBS link above, I saw that the Emma that will be on after Cranford is a NEW adaptation! (With a blonde Emma! I just can't see her as a brunette, many apologies to Kate Beckinsale.) I will be doubly sure to tune in - and Sunday evenings after that will be booked as well, since Northanger Abbey and Persuasion will follow. I can't wait. *Sigh*

* Adam is definitely growing new hair, so his cue-ball-like state is slowly diminishing. He does not, however, like cereal or any solid food any better. This is not making his sole source of nutrition (me) very happy. On the up side, though, I have no reason NOT to eat a huge bowl of ice cream and/or five cookies.

Rolling is not going so well, either, but he is a pro sitter-upper. At seven months, we are getting a bit antsy for him to be able to retrieve his own toys, but the upright posture is a good thing.

So what odd things are going on at your house? What new food are you trying to introduce to your family?

Found: All your old socks.

So we bought this new freezer, and I thought all my dreams were about to come true.

But first things first, right? First the cabinets had to be removed. These are cabinets that I have never used, because I didn't want to become attached to them.

One feature of this cabinet set is a really deep, really heavy, hamper pull-out thingy. Aaron's mom has one in their bathroom, where it works very well for dirty towels. Trying to think of a way to recycle the set, I thought it may be good for sports balls, but it would be way too easy for fingers to get smashed. Ouch. This hamper was the first part to tackle, after the easy task of removing doors.

And after pulling it out, we got a nice surprise...

A lovely pile of dirty laundry. Remember how I've never used these cabinets? So this is the previous owner's stuff, which, really, is bad enough since we've lived here for a year and a half. But that red thing in the upper right? That is a pair of kid socks. And the former owners had adult children. I'm really hoping they were from the grandkids.

Although you can just see the edge of a VERY 70's print towel... Anyway. I picked it all up with a bag over my hand and threw it out.

Now, if you are following me on Twitter (hint, hint - mdjane!) you may have seen my dig at Aaron for putting in a new surround sound system instead of installing the freezer. Well, I was a bit unfair. There's more to the freezer situation than just moving it into place, or trust me, I'd have done it myself.

The tile floor of the kitchen/laundry room is not original to the house. It was put in about 12 years ago, and when they did it, they put it UP TO the cabinets we removed, not under. Which means that there is a 3ft x 1.5ft area that needs to be tiled and made level with the rest of the floor. We do have enough extra tiles, and thanks to my parents we have almost all the tools needed for the job. What was holding Aaron up was the grout - we don't have a tool for removing it (to take out the pieces that were cut to fit the cabinet). But now we do! Thanks to one of his co-workers who so generously lent us his brand-new Christmas gift.

Work has begun. Stay tuned.

More time needed here. Preferably between 11pm and 7am.

Folks, it has been 10 years in the making, but I think I finally have a stylish, calming oasis from which to be woken 2-3 times a night by a screaming child. A couple projects from the last week (and a few done Much, Much earlier) provided the finishing touches.

Here, let me give you a tour!


Starting from the left, a Billy bookcase from Ikea, lamp and chair from Target, white throw from Ikea, and 2 accent pillows handmade by moi and detailed further later in this post. The wall hanging is comprised of fabric purchased at the Bay Window Quilt Shop in Perham, MN and artist's canvas stretcher bars from Hobby Lobby. A word or several about the bars - these things are awesome. They come in various lengths, and have fancy corners that hinge together so that you can make a rectangle or square of any size. You can even take them apart later on and do something else with them! To make my wall hanging, I used my handy-dandy staple gun to attach the fabric to the other side of the bars. DONE!

On with the tour: The nightstand and lamp are also Ikea, bed was a wedding gift from my parents-in-law, duvet set (by Echo, but no longer on their website) whose search I detailed here. The bedskirt I ordered online from somewhere. I was struggling to find a fitted white bedskirt, but now I think I was looking in the wrong places maybe?

Aaron and I made the headboard together a few years ago. It is basically an extension of the memo boards that I have made in the past - Aaron cut the basic shape from particle board, I wrapped it with quilt batting and then pleather, and stapled (man, I love our staple gun!) it to the back. I even used some other fabric to cover up all the mess back there. In the front, I wanted the upholstered look, but couldn't figure out how to attach covered buttons through all that material. So I got out the trusty hot glue gun. After stapling the fabric where I wanted each button, I glued the button over the top of it. And this worked very well.

Until we started finding the buttons laying on our pillows. After a few days, there was only one still attached. Aaron was all, "I TOLD you that hot glue wasn't going to hold!" And I was all, "Yeah, whatever...don't know why it didn't work..."

And then I walked in one day to see Ben in the process of pulling off that last survivor. I asked him, "Did you do this to the others?" And he nodded yes. (This is in those pre-speaking days.) VINDICATED.

The other lamp and the matching nightstand are of course from Ikea, also.

We are so, so lucky to have a large bedroom with an extra large window. Even though the window faces north, we still get quite a bit of sunlight in the room, and that plus the size makes the dark brown walls seem cozy, not oppressive. I am a big fan of them, and so glad I chose to go with the neutral instead of the blue. Also, it will be way easier to redecorate in the future, since I won't have to convince Aaron to repaint. Hopefully.



The lamp in the corner is one of two Ikea floor lamps that have finally provided enough light when the sun is down. Plus, they have that wonderful crisp, modern feel that I love. Another two wall hangings made from the same fabric and stretcher bars as before, except that these are square. The chest and boxes on the floor are not permanent, although they may remain there awhile. Also not temporary, the nasty Berber carpeting. It has GOT to go. Alas, Aaron is not so horrified by it, so it may be hanging around a while longer.

Here's a closeup on the fabrics. I love how the small graphic print of the wallhangings plays off the big print of the duvet cover. The larger, square pillow's fabric is this stuff, and the floral is from Hobby Lobby. That ball fringe on the square? FROM HELL. Yes, I so DID say that. It took me about an hour to sew that very simple pillow case together, and that was my second attempt. The flange-edge on the oblong pillow was MUCH easier, and I highly recommend it for an easy way to dress up an accent pillow.

Yes, the square pillow is reversible to a more masculine print. If there is such a thing.

There! I hope you like it as much as I do - I hate to throw my ugly orange cardigan on the chair, but it so much more convenient there when I have to go to Adam's frigged room for his 1am meal. But if you come over, I promised I'll throw it into closet, so as to not ruin the lovely effect for you.

What room are YOU trying to polish off? Is your bedroom an oasis or a...not an oasis?

I want CANDY!

My Ben has a sweet tooth. Almost every day he asks for a piece of candy. This is how the conversation typically goes:

Him: Mommy, me hungwy. Me want a frack (snack).
Me: What kind of snack do you want?
Him: Hmmm, piece of candy.
Me: That's not a snack.
Him: Fwuit frack?
Me: No, fruit snacks are a treat, not a snack. (despite the misnomer) How about (banana, Goldfish crackers & Craisins, granola bar...)
Him: Yeah!

Now, I have no problem with him having some candy once in awhile. But of course I don't want him to think that it's okay to eat candy or treats when you are really hungry!

Moderation is the key in life - deprivation could lead to gorging when he actually DOES get his hands on some sweets, and over-indulgence of course leads to excess weight and unhealthy eating habits. So if the kids ask for candy, they usually get a piece. As in, ONE. And I stopped buying fruit snacks in bulk from Sam's Club, just so I wouldn't be so tempted to hand them out more often.

On a separate (but soon to be related) topic, I love my husband, but "words of encouragement" or just compliments are not necessarily his default setting. So the other day, when he was talking the kids about treats and said something about "Mommy's good idea," it stuck with me!

He was talking about our candy bowls. I know, this sounds like a bad start. But stay with me.

For the last several years, whenever the kids bring home birthday goodie bags, they get a treat or two and the rest goes into the bowl. The same goes for parades, holidays, etc. After a day or two of the goodies being available but essentially out of view, they forget all about it.

Mommy and Daddy, however, can not only SEE it, but EAT it without asking permission.

It'll make me a better mom. I promise.

I have all sorts of reasons why we need an upright freezer. In fact, I've already blogged about it here, and since then a whole new set of reasons have cropped up, one of which seemed to tip the argument in my favor: Adam.

It's awfully hard to make & freeze your own baby food in an almost entirely full chest freezer. And since the other two kids ate almost no Gerber, I'd sure hate to start now with #3. This was the clincher for Aaron, and since Adam is just about 7 months, we figured the time was getting pretty close. For any other baby, the time would be past, but THIS baby still hasn't gotten used to baby cereal, so the other food are still a ways off (and yes, we DID try a few - applesauce & peaches- with no further success).

Anyway, my other reasons for wanting an upright freezer - and I was shooting for the largest possible size- were numerous. And I may not live them all down.

1. I have a really hard time finding anything smallish in our current freezer - like a regular size block of cheese, or a half-bag of hamburger. Chopped onion doesn't even stand a chance.

2. Buying in bulk is not really an option. We get some stuff from Sam's, but not as much as I'd like. And when things are on sale (like green beans this week at CashWise) I can't stock up.

3. Popsicle molds are taking up space in my cupboards, but I can't make my own popsicles in a chest freezer. At least, not one this full.

4. Ditto homemade granitas.

5. Eventually we will have 3 teenagers. At that point (or maybe sooner), I think buying a quarter or half of beef would be a good idea. For that reason, we are also storing the chest freezer in the basement and not selling it.

6. I have occasionally contemplated making meals in advance, but you guessed it...no space.

Aaron didn't think we needed the enormous version, but I thought the small version wouldn't be that much of a size increase. So we compromised and got the medium/large model. I can't wait to organize the sucker and fill it with goodies. Or casseroles. Either way.

What appliance addition has most changed your life? Which one are you SURE would make your life sooo much better?

Already Getting Behind...

I've been meaning to write so many things here over the last week! But stuff keeps coming up. So here is what's been keeping me away lately:

* Playing "Guess Who?" with the kids. Leah got the game for Christmas from her Daddy, and it's one kids game I can handle. Ben and I are a good team, even tho (or especially because?) Leah usually wins.

* Figuring out Adam's sleep schedule. Not only has he become super-smart at parent manipulation (crying until we pick him up- which we stopped doing when we figured it out - the record was 1 1/2 hrs.) but he has also decided that 3 45 minute naps are really ideal for him. Those naps come at about 10am, 1pm & 3:30pm. Not the most convenient, but at least he's getting more sleep.

* Buying a freezer! Yes! I finally convinced Aaron and on New Year's Day we trotted over to Sears and picked one out. It will be delivered on Thursday this week, but some minor renovations are needed before it can go into place...photos will prove if it gets accomplished or not.

* Hosting guests. My friend Clarissa and her five (yes, FIVE) daughters spent the night last week, as did our friends Jess & Raf and their two sons (on a different night, thank goodness!). Our nephew Marlin also stopped in for dinner last night, which was so nice since he lives in Michigan! (Oh, the life of a college student - to be able to visit friends while out of class...)

* Doing laundry. All those guests means lots of sheets and towels, dude.

* Finished projects. Like sending out our New Year's cards, undecorating the tree, sewing a couple pillows for our bedroom and a hat/neckroll for Ben... Had to clear out the project pile so that I could start...

* Planning more projects. Many of them are from the baby sewing book my lovely sister got me for Christmas. Hmm...that may be a good idea for a giveaway one of these days.

* Twittering. Yes, they finally sucked me in. Follow me! I'm aiming for different content than on the blog, so you'll be constantly amused by the hilarity of my kids. Or at least roll your eyes at my attempts to be amusing. Anyway - I'm mdjane. See you there!

What have YOU been doing this first week of 2010? Do you have a New Year's tradition?

Merry & Bright

We took the kids to a waterpark in a nearby town this afternoon. It was such a nice change of pace, and all the credit goes to my husband, who not only suggested the idea a few days ago so I could wrap my brain around it and be prepared, but also packed the kids all up along with the requisite gear. Also, he didn't totally freak when he came upstairs (after getting all those kids and bags in the van) and found out that I'd just finished taking a shower. WHAT?! A girl's gotta shave.

Anyway. I brought Adam's swim stuff along, but he started wailing the minute we stepped into the water area, so I figured that was a bad idea. I did swim for a bit while he sat half comatose in his seat, but then decided that I was better off dry. He and I headed to the family shower room (2 toilet stalls, 4 shower stalls, all with doors! It's so great.) to change clothes and get a fresh diaper on him, and then ducked into a changing room to nurse.

While I was in there, a herd of kids entered. A herd of kids and ONE mom.

These are some of the snippets I overheard (italics are Mom):

"The least you can do is help! Mom paid $35 for you guys to go swimming, and you sit there and do THAT! That's just naughty." Quick math - that's 5 kids.

"I have a matching swimsuit and towel!" - "Yes..."

"Mom, where are my goggles?" - "In the bag."

"I just knew that today was one of those days that is not going to go well..."

Coins drop on the floor - "Just put it here in my disaster of a purse." - "It's not a disaster, Mom!"

"Mom, where are my goggles?" - "In the bag!"

"I have a matching swimsuit and towel!" - "Yes, I know you do!"

"Oh, the ice cream got all over..." At this point, I'm almost laughing. But she doesn't know I'm there at all, so I keep veeerrrry quiet.

"Being a mom is hard work. You'll understand that when you have kids."

But this was my favorite part: "I have a hearing problem - everything sounds 10 times louder to me than it does to everyone else. That's why I get so upset when you guys yell." Hmm. That sounded feasible until I walked back into the swimming area and was blasted with noise as soon as I opened the door. And there was the mom, sitting quite calmly at a table blowing up inflatables. I think her hearing problem is called I'mtheMomitis.

The whole situation was very amusing to me. Not only could I totally relate, (and I only have 3 kids!), but I was thinking back to being a kid. Inevitably every mom has a bad day or ten, and the kids are all, "I really don't care how or why you are crabby, I just want to get away and do my fun thing!" Because there may be ice cream all over and disaster in the purse and who knows what else, but WE GET TO GO SWIMMING! And that is the only thing that matters. Of course!

I stayed in the changing room until they headed out, just to save that mom the embarrassment of knowing that I'd overheard so much. I just hope that they all ended up having a better afternoon!

Gifting

As I've explained before, Aaron and I give the kids three gifts for Christmas. Of course, this doesn't include all the goodies stuffed into their stocking, or the haul from the rest of the family - don't worry, they are sufficiently covered with new stuff.

One of the gifts they get from us, I make myself. A few years ago, Leah got an ABC album, with family for almost every letter. I've been saving a coordinating album for Ben, and decided to do this one with his favorite things. The side benefit (hopefully) is that it will help him learn his letter. We'll see how that works out.

"S" is for snow and swing, and "T" is for Thomas the Train, and tickles! Most of the photos were ones I already had, but I did take a few deliberately - Apple, Umbrella, Quilts... but the photo for Vikings is probably the oldest. Ben is about 18 months old, wearing his Vikings outfit.

Leah's gift has also been floating in my head for awhile. She loves playing dress up, especially (and predictably) princess. We have had a series of crowns in the house, but they are all fairly temporary. Thanks to this nifty blog, I made her a more permanent headpiece. All the rhinestones are sewn on, as well as hot-glued.

My friend Crystal at Two Peas makes some phenomenal tutus, and Leah has been dying to own one. My version is not quite as elaborate, but it'll do for something that gets shoved into a suitcase for storage. (You could totally make this yourself. Sew a piece of elastic into a circle, cut strips of tulle, and tie them on. Wonderful! ps - use tulle on a roll and save a year of torment.)

And for some reason, Leah is infatuated with wands. The shorter ones are sturdier, and also pose less risk of being turned into a weapon by a brother.

I think the crazy eyes mean that she likes it.

The neighbors are not forgotten - I didn't put it on my list of Christmas projects earlier, because this year I decided not to make a special goodies just for the neighbors - I just made a double-batch of cookies I was already going to make. The packaging is the fun part - my philosophy is to give a small selection of something especially delicious, and then make it look gorgeous. This year I even included the recipe, so I'll give it to you, too! These cookies are awesome, and so simple!

Chocolate-Dipped Cranberry Cookies

1 c. shortening
1c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 c. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
2 c. (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T shortening
1 ¼ c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large bowl, cream shortening & sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Using paper towels, pat cranberries dry; stir into dough. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

In the microwave, melt chocolate chips & shortening; sitr until smooth. Dip cookie halfway into chocolate misutre; sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Place on waxed paper until set. Yield: 3 ½ dozen


What gifts did you make for friends/family?

Christmas Bliss

One of my least favorite things about Christmas is how it seems to end so abruptly. Yes, I know that's kind of like answering "What's your biggest fault?" with "I am too dedicated,", but it's true. On the 26th, everything goes on as usual - stores open, people bustling, regular TV programming...but I like to savor the peace and specialness of Christmas Day.

Which is why this year was awesome. Not only was Christmas a Friday, essentially extending the holiday right through the weekend, but a blizzard dumped 17" of snow on us, and then blew it around for a little bit. Even us hardy North Dakotans know better than to attempt too much during those types of conditions, and since there was immobilizing snow on the roads, and some vehicles were covered...well, the city was forced to slow down. There was a long list of closing and postponements for Saturday and even stores opened later, so they could get the parking lots cleared out. It was wonderful.

We have dug ourselves out, thanks mostly to my dad hauling his snowblower down here...twice...and Aaron is on the hunt for one of his own. Most of the family have returned successfully to their own homes, and I just bought another carton of eggnog, and some eggnog creamer as a bonus. There are plenty of cookies left, new games to play, and I don't have to take Leah to school all week! Let the vacation continue!

Tomorrow I have a high school friend and her five daughters coming for an overnight, and I'm hosting a tea party for the girls in Leah's class on Wednesday afternoon. So there will be lots of entertainment, as well!

What part of Christmas do you hold onto a little longer?

It has come to this.

It's 10pm on Christmas Day. The kids are in bed and the husband is playing his new Wii game.

Me? I'm drinking eggnog and eating cookies. Yes, I glanced at the clock, and then decided to completely disregard common sense and any concern for my gastro-intestinal system.

I may be a Christmasholic. And I have no problem with that.

Settling Down for a Long Winter's Nap

We are in the final hours now, my friends. The siblings and their spouses (and a baby!) have all arrived safely from their various destinations. The chili has been made and eaten, with enough left over for lunch tomorrow. Well, for a few of us, anyway!

I got vacuuming done today, along with laundry finished and put away, bathrooms cleaned, and sheets changed. All because of the cup of coffee at breakfast and raw, nervous energy. Plus, what ELSE was I going to do? Rest came in the form of sitting with Ben until he fell asleep and took a 45 minute nap, and then watching some television with him after he woke up (in a ferociously evil mood. You do NOT want to wake that boy.)

The vacuuming didn't really need to be done, but I knew that if I didn't do it today I probably wouldn't get around to until next week sometime. Plus, my nephew David is a year old and I wanted to eliminate any items that might make their way into his mouth.

I can't wait to see the kids open their presents! Especially Leah with her new tutu and crown. Photos will follow, hopefully some in her pjs with the first try-on! I'm going to be remembering that God sent his son some two thousand years ago because He simply loves us, not because we were good (yeah, most DEFINITELY not because we are good!) What a present! And my enthusiasm should be that of a five year old's for a pink tutu.

Now is the time to relax, keep the dishwasher going, and refill the cookie tray. To absorb every ounce and moment with my family and stash it away in my head for those spring days when it seems like forever since I've seen them all.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The thumbs, they are a-twiddling.

Here I am, a full two days before Christmas Eve, and ALL my tasks have been completed. The presents are even wrapped and under the tree. Okay, fine - maybe I didn't finish that last project, but the hand print tree is not necessarily for Christmas...I can put it off until January. Along with our New Year's card and letter - I don't even attempt to get those out until after the year begins.

A few friends have expressed wonder and even disgust with me, that I can actually say I'm finished. Believe me, I'm just as shocked. This rarely happens. Usually this time of year I'm in the Christmas Crunch, staying up until midnight finishing things up. Here's how I managed to do it this time:

1) Start early. Thanks to staying at home for Thanksgiving, I had a majority of the house decorating done before December even started.

2)Make a plan. I made that holiday schedule and stuck to it pretty closely. Even if I didn't really feel up to it.

3) Get off your (my) rear. Even *gasp* get off Facebook once in awhile. I know. But desperate times call for desperate actions.

4) Figure out what the roadblocks are, and then eliminate them. My craft room is wonderful, and I love the space, but the sewing machine being down there, with all the sewing that I'd have to do...it wasn't going to happen. So I moved it upstairs, onto the counter overlooking the living room. Ahhh. So much better.

5) Know what to let go. Like that hand print tree, and the Christmas cards.

And here's the end product:

1) cookies - 5 types done. One afternoon each, baking about twice a week. Frosting them with Mom and sister Ruth and kids this week.

2) Ben's gift, an ABC album - Started and pretty much finished it in one night! Ahead of schedule on that one!

3) Leah's gift, a tutu/crown/wand and maybe slipper set (that's at least 2 evenings) - I cut the tulle at Ben's gymnastics class, and then put it together one night, along with assembling the crown, which I prepped another evening. Skipped the slippers for now.

4) sew a stocking for Adam - This one is the shocker. I did it all in one night. Well, one night after I had to re-cut out the whole thing. The first time I ended up cutting it out so that it would either face the wrong direction or have the wrong side out. Anyway - the baby has a stocking that won't throw him into therapy down the line.

5) sew some baby booties for gifts (of which I have made NONE - we'll see how that goes) - It went pretty well! After I figured out that the pattern didn't include the seam allowance, so instead of the first pair being for Adam, they are for the next baby boy to be born to a friend or family.

6) Made an anniversary album for Aaron. Oh yeah! Couldn't put that one on there earlier, but we celebrated our 10th anniversary this past weekend, and I made a special little scrapbook for him. Thankfully he worked the weekend before. That and one morning while Leah was at school was all it took. I LOVE scrapbooking kits.

So there you have it. Now you can all hate me if you want, but I am sitting on the couch on December 21st enjoying some television and Internet. I'm even taking on some extra projects, like baking some Cranberry Orange bread for Aaron's work folks.

What did you get accomplished that you didn't expect? Let's not be too demanding of ourselves, here - shoveling the sidewalk or changing the bedsheets totally counts.

And the winner is....

I just realized that a very important part of having a giveaway is actually determining a winner. So I put all the names into a mixing bowl and had Leah choose one...and it was Melissa! So lovely, since she was the first to participate. See, folks, the early bird really DOES get the worm. In a completely random way, of course.

If you are completely devastated, you could always purchase your own necklace from Lindsay. She has a stockpile at her home available for purchase.

Congratulations, Melissa! I hope you enjoy your necklace!

What? You want to turn the TV off early?

Last night the kids were eating their bedtime snack, and we heard this (familiar) cry: from Ben of course, "Weah! Weah! WEAH!" Each time louder and more insistent. Then, "Mommy! Weah's ignowing me!"

from "Weah" - "I'm not ignoring him, I just don't feel like talking!"

But no, I did not suggest that she might be sick. Here's why:

Earlier this fall, the kids were having their bedtime snack of cherries. Usually they gobbled up as many as they could, but this particular night Leah said she was done with several still on her plate. Offhandedly, and from another room, I said, "What? Are you sick or something?"

Then there was silence, followed shortly by a wail.

"What's wrong!?!"
"I think I'm siiiick!"
"Why would you think that?"
"'Cause I don't want to eat the rest of my cherries!"

Oh goodness. I tried to tell her that she wasn't, but the wailing continued, so I got out the thermometer to prove it to her. Then she got carried up to her room and some extra babying from Mommy (to make up for her poor suggestion).

From now on, I will ONLY be suggesting things like, "What? You feel like eating your entire dinner?" or "What? You want to play nicely with your little brother?" or "What? You're tired of singing the months of the year song?" (I'm serious. She has got those months DOWN FLAT!)

Graduation may be a close second.

There are milestones in the life of a family.

- First baby
- First holidays as a real family, not just a couple.
- Potty training.
- Giving up of naps.
- First dentist appointment.
- First ER trip.
- First day of school.
- First Christmas program.

And then there is the REALLY meaningful milestone: When the kids "helping" actually becomes helpful.

Ya feel me, mommas?

(I am sooo unbearably white. I know it.)

Sir Six Months

Hey, don't forget about the necklace giveaway! Just a couple days left!

Our little guy is 6 months old this week. In honor of the occasion, we treated him to his first taste of gourmet (or Gerber) rice cereal.

This picture really doesn't even do his reaction justice. You can't hear the gagging, and his eyes aren't watering yet. Yes, the cereal is very thin. Yes, we tried adding something "sweet" - peaches. I've tried to get it into his mouth every day for 6 days now, and just yesterday and today did the gagging stop. In order to get him to actually swallow it, I've started sticking his pacifier in his mouth as a chaser, watching until he swallows, and then try it again.

I know it's sick and twisted, but I figure eventually he'll learn to eat with having the nuk between every bite, and his way he at least gets used the sensation of cereal on the back of his throat, which seems to be the problem - the texture, not the flavor.

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Last night Adam slept through the night without nursing! From 7pm - 7:30am! I did go in at 1:30 and put his nuk back in his mouth, but this is a definite improvement. Our pediatrician friend sarcastically said that it MUST be due to the fact that he started cereal...that whole one bite that he swallowed the day before. Yep, that HAD to be it.

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Mr. No Solids also officially has two teeth, the bottom fronts, and I think he's working on the top two also. This is just another family baby standard that he's destroying, along with being under average size and having brown eyes. My other two kids didn't get teeth until 8 months, and Leah only had two at one year!

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No rolling over yet. This isn't shocking, as the other two were a bit slow on this milestone, also. (Actually, the fact that he's following the established pattern maybe SHOULD shock us!) Besides, the kid's thighs probably weigh a couple pounds themselves, so hauling them over is quite the job.

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A big improvement in Adam's photogeneticness is that the camera flash doesn't make him open his eyes wide in shock anymore! So it seems that the deer-in-the-headlights photos may be on their way out. Shucks. The kids, they grow up so fast.

June weddings are so overdone.

Leah says to me today, out of nowhere: "Caleb (a boy in her class) knows who he's going to marry!"

Me: "Oh yeah? Who is he going to marry?

Her: "Me!" I should add that she had a huge grin on her face, too.

I'm not too upset. Caleb is a nice boy - but he had better not honk for her from the driveway.

The line also includes rears.

Hey, before I get going, don't forget about my very first giveaway going on this week! Details here!
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The other evening, we were all headed out to the van when Ben tripped and fell flat on his face. Of course he started wailing. I got Leah into the van while doing the triage questions on the boy: Are you okay? Where did you get hurt? And then proceeded to put him into his carseat and buckle him in, while he was still expressing his pain.

Aaron said, "Gee, I admire your sympathy!"
I said, "Look, my sympathy ran out about 3 cryings ago."
"Ha - boy who cries wolf."
"No - he really honestly is crying about 20 times a day."

Remember the other day when I told you how this same child nearly broke my nose while giving me a hug? Well, I'm not the only one he injures on a regular basis. There is a reason why his (and most boys of his age, let's be honest) shins are covered with bruises.

So he gets hurt a lot - falling down, falling over, trying to jump UP steps, and of course, being attacked by Leah. Most of the time it's accidental - like the time she kicked him down the stairs. Yes. You see, he was hanging on her legs while she was going up, and as she tried to shake him off, he got a little too close - and down he went. Oops.

I can handle the lack of self-control. It's the overabundance of tears that gets me.

The boy cries about everything. Today he started crying because Leah made a scary face at him. I can't even remember everything that starts the water works - it's just that if anything upsets him, that's the way he expresses himself. Fortunately, he still very much believes in the power of mommy's kisses. Although I do draw the line - no kissing the feet. I compromise by kissing my fingers and then touching the owie.

It's that sweetness that makes me smother that child with kisses even when he's NOT injured.

You know you want it.

This weekend I hosted an open house for a friend of mine, Lindsay, who is passionate about the plight of orphans in Africa. So passionate, that she and her husband (and two boys) are hoping to move to Kenya next year to be house parents at an infant home! I can't even fathom this, honestly.

Lindsay was helping another organization, Children's HopeChest, to raise money to build a kitchen for a community of orphans in Uganda. Brandi and Vince, from CHC, were selling aprons and paper-bead necklaces. The necklaces were handmade by women in Uganda, and every single one of them is gorgeous.

See? Even in this weirdly sideways photo you can tell that these things are great. And, well, I hinted at a possible giveaway earlier last week, so I thought I'd carry through. (Despite Aaron's plea not to "become one of those blogs that always gives away stuff!" He sometimes has objections to odd things...like bumper stickers, or any outward personalization of a vehicle. Okay, maybe I get that one.) But, I'm going to make you work for this freebie.

What's nice about this particular style of necklace (and there are shorter ones, as well as longer multicolor ropes) is that you can wear it doubled, like so:

or long, like thus:

This style sells for $15 from the HopeChest folks as a fundraiser.

For your chance to win it, follow this link to Children's HopeChest's website. Then leave a comment and tell me one of the services that a ministry center provides to the orphans.

This giveaway will close at midnight on Friday! So spread the word, and you could add a new pretty to your jewelry box...or someone special's!

ps - one entry per person, please! Thanks!

Newbie

Aaron and I finally watched the new Star Trek movie. You know, the one with Sylar from Heroes as Spock? That took a bit to get over, let me tell you.

I have never really been interested in Star Trek. Occasionally, I would see a few seconds of an episode while flipping channels, and it always seemed like a foreign language to me. I never could keep track of who was good and who was bad, and what the heck was going on in the first place.

But my loving, wonderful husband is a fan from way back. Not necessarily a Trekkie, per say, but a fan. Spock is his favorite character, and if you know Aaron, that probably won't surprise you too much. There's no end to the number of romantic comedies and straight-up romances Aaron has sat through with me, (Let me qualify this right here. He HAS flat out refused to watch two Netflix movies with me, making me resort to watching them while scrapbooking because I DO NOT watch movies well by myself. And what were those movies? The Queen with Helen Mirren, and Dreamgirls. So you may or may not sympathize with me.) so I figured the least I could do was sit through this ONE movie with him. He even delayed seeing it in the theater until we could watch it at home together. Mostly because he couldn't find anyone to go with him at the time, I think.

So we are sitting on the couch, and I find myself getting actually involved with this movie! The plot is at least five times that of Transformers 2. And then the Enterprise starts to go into warp speed for the first time. It's one heck of an experience, mostly because it caused our DVD player to shut down completely. Twice.

After Aaron got it working, we continued on, enjoying the sparring between Kirk and Spock, and the funny mixed with the action and tension. I wasn't even bored enough to go look for goodies - of course, I had brought a selection of about four things out before we got started.

Then the Romulan drill got so powerful that it AGAIN shut down our DVD player.

Another recovery. And another blow out, this time, permanent. Accompanied by a popping sound.

After tearing the DVD player apart to retrieve Netflix's disc, we resorted to the much smaller TV in the living room. Some of the impressiveness of universal drama was diminished, but the story was still compelling. Aaron was opposed to the romance between Spock and Uhura, which we never in the "older" stories, but you know me. Any spark of sweetness makes a movie more interesting to me!

I could actually get into this Trekkie stuff. Maybe. Especially if the boys are cute and funny.

The pain, it's real.

Having kids is painful. And I'm not just talking about the childbirth and labor part, or the emotional "I hate you!" part. I'm talking REAL pain. On a regular basis.

Maybe it's just little boys with their lack of impulse control. A few months ago Ben nearly broke my nose trying to give me a hug.

Oh yeah, he was running at me from across the room, and happened to connect with my schnoz. I literally saw stars. Fortunately, my nose wasn't broken and there wasn't any bruising, but it was tender for a few days. Ben apologized and gave me a hug, and then a couple days later asked if it still hurt, and said sorry again. How can you be upset with such a sweetheart?

Today we had lunch at church, and while I was sitting on a folding chair, Ben was standing between my knees. All of a sudden he boosted himself up on my knees, to get onto my lap presumably. Unfortunately he connected with my jaw. Hard. Saw stars again.

And really, I spent a few moments checking for pain. He must have hit me in just the right spot - I really didn't have any major owies, other than the initial shock of contact.

I was relating this to friend H, and she showed me a quarter-sized peeling mark on her forearm. Apparently, her 7 year old son held a knife between the glass and door of a toaster oven, with the knife against the heating element. He touched it very quickly to his own skin and it "didn't hurt", so he tried it on his mom. (Of course, right? That would be MY logical next step!) And he branded her! Again, a few days later he asked her if it still hurt, and she honestly said that it did. "Sorry, Mom!"

Oy. I'll be stocking up on ointment and bandages now.

Buy an Accessory, Be an Accessory.

An accessory to helping African orphans, that is. I posted here about an open house that I'm having this coming Saturday (9-11am), offering for sale necklaces and aprons. Money raised will go to build a kitchen for 250 orphans. A friend is having an open house Friday from 3-6pm if that time works better for you, and this lovely photographer is also helping out Lindsay and Rachel. Ria Lee is a friend of Lindsay's, and since she visited the village for whom the funds go to, she explains the need much better.

If you'd like to attend either my open house or the one on Friday, please leave a comment or email me.

Here is Lindsay's interview in On the Minds of Moms (and photos including an example of the necklaces - all unique).

Making my list, checking it twice.

Thanks to our slow holiday weekend, I got to pull out all the Christmas stuff a bit earlier than I usually do. And boy! did I have helpers. Leah and Ben were totally thrilled to join me in decking the halls. So thrilled, in fact, that Leah couldn't stop asking, "When are we going to put up more Christmas decorations?" every couple minutes. ALL AFTERNOON. However, they sure were handy to have around when I needed things handed up to me, or ornaments taken out of boxes. They actually WERE helping, doncha know it.

I've had my heart set on filling the house with snowflakes, and thought that it would be a great craft to do with Leah. I did one to show her, and then tried to cut a few more. Tried. They kept turning out more like flowers. No matter what I did, they were not circles. So where did I turn? After my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living failed me (I swear I thought I saw something about snowflakes in there), I went to the mighty Internet. This site proved very helpful! Also helpful, making the snowflakes out of tissue paper. Not helpful? Leah's Type A personality kicking in. She decided to cut all her snowflakes exactly the same. Kind of defeats the purpose, but she would not be swayed.

Most of the decor is up - except for the two tubs of stuff that I bought too much of last year at Target. The after-holiday sales are my nemesis. I have two boxes of ornaments that haven't even been touched.

But I still have many things to accomplish this holiday season. And I'm also Type A. So of course, I made a list.

But I also took it a step further. I made a holiday schedule. For the first two weeks (so far!) of December, I used my weekly calendar to map out mornings, afternoons, evenings and the menu plan for the week. After the necessary stuff like laundry, cleaning bathrooms, and kids' activities, I fill in the fun stuff:

1) cookies - and I make about 5 different types, so that's 5 afternoons right there
2) Ben's gift, and ABC album
3) Leah's gift, a tutu/crown/wand and maybe slipper set (that's at least 2 evenings)
4) sew a stocking for Adam
5) sew some baby booties for gifts (of which I have made NONE - we'll see how that goes)
6) make this cute handprint tree craft which I've had the supplies for for about 3 years

Looking at this list makes me hyperventilate. Looking at my schedule makes me think that maybe I could get it all done. Maybe.

Parenting has its rewards. Mostly, laughing at the kids.

Ben is sick again. Very, in fact. Unfortunately, there is no medication known to man for his disease. Not only that, but it's fairly contagious, especially to children. What is his tragic diagnosis, you ask? The bane of all parents - the whineovirus. (Credit to his dad for coming up with that one!)

Leah also has a medical condition. Today the whole family was camped out on the couch watching the Vikings (finally! A season that is so far rewarding fans for their dedication!). Both the boys were on me, and Leah was desperately trying to cuddle with Aaron on the other side. I say "trying" because as much as she really, really WANTS to cuddle, apparently the ants in her pants make it impossible for her to sit still for more than two seconds. We know, because we've timed her. At about one and a half seconds, she has to shift her body, or scratch an itch, or something.

This time, she kept throwing her arms into the air, the very same air occupying Aaron's line of vision. After about the third time, Aaron finally said that Leah had attention deficit disorder. I started laughing right away, but she is pretty much the OPPOSITE of ADD usually - the kid can listen to books on CD for THREE HOURS.

Leah immediately responded, "I DON'T get enough attention!" And Aaron and I proceeded to double over laughing. In fact, I can't think about it without giggling.

By the way, whoever taught Leah that older kids miss out on attention once a baby shows up...thanks. Thanks a lot!

Look pretty and do some good.

You know what I hate? I hate it when friends move away. One friend left earlier this year, another is leaving next summer, and now my friend Lindsay is heading to Africa. It's not a total surprise, since she and her husband have been talking the whole time I've known them about their desire to care for orphans. But it's a little bit more upsetting when they start talking fundraising and departure times. That means they may actually DO it. Yikes.

Lindsay was interviewed by a local magazine, On the Minds of Moms, about her dream. She was even featured on the cover! By the way, you may notice that her younger son Colin is close to being my Ben's twin. We have both mistaken the other boy for our own son.

I finally decided to support them in this endeavor. Kind of. I mean, it's still helping African children, but not the same ones that Lindsay and TJ will be working with. I'm having an open house this coming Saturday, December 5th from 9-11am (kids welcome!). Lindsay and a friend will be selling paper-bead necklaces handmade by Ugandan women and also homemade aprons. The necklaces are $10, every one unique, and the proceeds will go to build a kitchen for the community of Bukedea, which is made up of 250 "double" orphans. Double as in they are orphans caring for other orphans. Lindsay is wearing one of the necklaces in photos in On the Minds of Moms.

These necklaces and aprons would make wonderful holiday gifts! If you'd like to join us for some goodies and shopping Saturday morning, please send me an email or leave a comment, and I'll email you back with my address. If you are out of town or can't make it that day, contact Lindsay via her blog, and I'm sure she'd love to help you out.

Hm, there may be a giveaway involved here soon...

Turkey Leftovers

Thanksgiving was pretty low-key around these parts. Last year we had about 20 or so of Aaron's family here, but this time, it was just my dad and Grandma Gigi. Mom had to work until 7pm, and thankfully, even though Aaron had to work the whole weekend, he was home by 10am on Thursday.

A quieter holiday does have it's benefits - I felt fairly relaxed the whole weekend, and have had time the last couple of days to get the Christmas decor out. However, I am NOT someone who enjoys cooking just for the heck of it. If I'm actually going to make 3-4 dishes for a meal, I'd prefer there to be more entertaining involved than just 2 other people. As much as I may love those people.

I got off easy, though. Mom made her wonderful dressing and an amazing apple cobbler, and brought it down before heading to work. So basically everything else was just one thing - squash, potatoes, turkey, green beans (no casserole - can't bring myself to eat the stuff). And some gravy that only showed up by contractual obligation. Everything was done at the same time, and at 12:30pm on the dot we were eating. And using my beautiful newly purchased antique dishes! I KNEW I needed them!

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The day before Thanksgiving, friend Tara and her boys helped my gang clean out our pumpkins. They'd been decorating our buffet, but I knew they would be outdated by the Day After Thanksgiving. After gutting them, the seeds were cleaned and soaked in salt water for a day and a half and then roasted to perfection, if I do say so myself. And both the kids like them, which really stinks. That means that I won't get to eat them all myself.

After dinner on Thursday, the kids took turns opening their Thanksgiving presents. Both got a few new books, Leah got a couple puzzles (100 pieces!) and Ben is loving his new animals and dinos.

I realized that my kids are totally going to be messed up - carving pumpkins AND getting presents at Thanksgiving. Their spouses are going to be SOOO confused.

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Thanks to Aaron working the holiday, my self-control was assisted by not being able to get to the stores for Black Friday. I DID check out Old Navy online, but waited. Thankfully. Because hours after contemplating getting Adam some pants that don't make his legs look like sausages, I was in the storage space downstairs pulling out Christmas bins. Then I turned around, and saw an ENTIRE BIN OF BABY CLOTHES. And guess what? They were exactly the size that Adam needs! Now he has a bigger wardrobe than I do, and I'm afraid he won't be able to wear them all before he outgrows them. But at least his circulation isn't being cut off.

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In addition to Mom's cobbler, I also made a pumpkin flan. The recipe came from Martha Stewart's magazine, but is from a cookbook called Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys, and it has the unique distinction of being the first dish I've made that actually ended up looking like the photo. It was a lot like pumpkin pie without the crust -and easier to make, since you don't have to make the crust! I think it would make a wonderful breakfast. Or bedtime snack. Or whatever.

Ben Sez

When I first started blogging, Leah was the only kid talking, and boy! Did she say some funny things. (The other day I was getting sad, thinking that the age of funny quotes had passed. And then she said something else hilarious.:) At the time, Ben was just a baby, and we were sure that he would start talking at about a year and progress verbally much as his sister had.

We were wrong.

Benjamin didn't start talking until he was about 2 years old. And even then, the language was halting and fairly incoherent. But now, things are a bit different. The child is a genuine chatterbox. In fact, he even makes Leah look quiet on occasion.

Tonight at the table, he took a break from scarfing dinner to exclaim, "My head huwts!" Did I mention that he may talk alot, but that it's not all clear? That just adds another element of entertainment.

He kept saying, "It huwts!" And then he started pounding it with his fist. We asked why? WHY? was he hitting his head? He said, "Twying to make it go away!" And then, "It's pwobably from my big bwain!" Yep, probably, buddy.

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And then, later on I was trying to convince him that he needed to put chapstick on his upper lip. He has decided, for some reason, that he does NOT like chapstick. At my suggestion, he shook his head, no way.
"Ben, if you don't put chapstick on your lip, it's just going to be a big owie. Do you want that?"
Immediately, he nodded his head yes.
And then he rethought it. "Actwually, no."

Actually. God bless that child. A year ago, I never thought I'd hear him use adult words in context. And now that he is, but still with that adowable lisp, it just makes me so happy.

Genetic Modification

When you become a mom, along with growing eyes in the back of your head and being able to smell poo from two rooms away, you should also become impervious to germs and bacteria. So that you NEVER GET SICK.

As every mom knows, you just don't get sick days in this gig. Dads are great and all, but if they get sick, they call in to work, take a vacation day, and hang out on the couch for a while. As they should. We need them back at work paying for the groceries and Target dollar aisle.

But I've been sick going on four days. And Aaron goes to work all day. So SOMEONE has to make the meals, change diapers, and generally keep the house going. Fortunately, although I have "the fever", other than a severely congested head, I've been feeling alright. Just mediocrely miserable.

It really should be impossible for the children's primary caregiver to feel under the weather in any way. No colds, no coughs, no headaches...can you IMAGINE that world with me? A world where the tissues are only for the kids, where no matter WHAT time you wake up, your head always feels like...nothing. NOTHING. Moms shouldn't have to go to any extra effort to breathe. Or eat, for goodness sake. If we find the time to sit down between requests for napkins and ketchup, just let us eat! With our mouths closed, not gasping for breath.

You know who else suffers when Mom suffers? Those poor sweet kids! Especially the littlest ones, who can't escape. Leah gets to go to school at least half the day, but Ben is stuck with me. He's relying on me to get him out to do "fun stuff". Every day he asks, "What are you, and me, and Adam goin' to do for fun?" Bless his heart, usually going to the grocery store (where he gets a sucker) is enough of an answer. As long as I can promise a playdate at some point in the week. So you can imagine how he feels about THIS week.

Adam is also suffering, and not only because he was cutting that tooth we didn't know he was getting. I am trying to prevent him from getting sick too, so he's been doing a lot of sitting in a bouncy seat. Or in the exersaucer. Or on the floor. You know, for variety.

A question: How come I can still smell the poopy diapers, but not the yummy products in Aaron's hair after his haircut? That is a classic lose-lose situation.

A recommendation: Enjoy a cough drop WHILE in a hot shower. You will experience some first-class breathing. Too bad it's only temporary.

Don't worry about me, though. I'm planning on getting well tomorrow. But since I'm stuck here, I want to scrapbook all day, with breaks to read New Moon.

Yeah, we'll see how that plan goes.

Biological Warfare

On the plus side, Adam is much recovered from his bronchiolitis. Not completely, but the coughing is fairly infrequent, and he doesn't wheeze when he breathes now. In fact, we moved his bed back into our closet (which is a converted bedroom, folks - hang up with social services) several days ago, when we weren't so concerned about him catching a breath and the whining at night was driving us nuts again.

But still. He's back to nursing at least once during the night, and wakes up 3 or so more times and cries until his pacifier is put back in his mouth.

I know. I KNOW! He's got us right where he wants us.

But with the whole cough/wheeze thing going on, I didn't feel comfortable letting him "cry it out" - you try laying in bed listening to a baby cry until he starts gagging. It ain't easy.

This whole process means that I've been operating on two or so consecutive hours of sleep, which served to beat down my normally robust immune system. And now I'm sick. Like, fever for three days (and counting), headache, congestion, sore throat, oink-oink sick. I really wish I'd have gotten this the week that Leah and Ben were sick, so I wouldn't have to miss out on activities AGAIN. Thank goodness Aaron is willing to pitch in, even if it means rearranging his work calendar a bit. And thank goodness my mom (still) lives in town - she came and entertained the kids yesterday afternoon, until they drove her crazy and she fled with the shreds of her sanity that were still intact.

I told our pediatrician that if Adam doesn't get this flu it'll be a miracle, since he'll rarely let me put him down, much less walk out of his sight and Hello! have you seen those cheeks? I cannot stop myself from kissing them! She said, after giving me a prescription for tamiflu, "Why? You're nursing, so he's getting the antibodies from you - as your body fights it off, he gets some of that, too." Good to know. Vaccination the old-fashioned way.

Today at lunch, friend Tara was dropping of some new tea for me (what a sweetheart! Thanks!) and observed Adam trying to fit just one more! finger into his mouth. She asked if he was teething, and both Aaron and I quickly poo-poohed that idea - neither Ben or Leah had any teeth before 8 months. Leah only had two at a year! And they were both drool monsters for about 5 months beforehand.

After she left, Aaron said, "I don't know, maybe he IS teething?"

I said yeah maybe - his cheeks are red, but he doesn't have a temp...

So this afternoon, I decided that hey! Maybe I should check it out! I washed my hands well and dug in there. AND THERE WAS A TOOTH. On the bottom, when I've been watching the top.

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. No wonder the little bugger's been fussy, clingy and generally onery. Now, let's see if this improves his night-time sleeping. I CANNOT allow the baby to win this battle! ONWARD!

Okay, but not okay.

Apparently I am completely oblivious when it comes to my baby's health.

Adam (5 mo. old) started coughing about a month ago, right before his 4 mo. appointment. The doc at the time said he had bronciolitis, but his oxygen levels were fine, so all we could do was keep on eye on him and wait for him to get better.

A month later, the cough seemed to get better and he slept through the night for four nights! It was awesome!
And then it was over.

The cough came back with a vengence, along with some phemy sounds coming from the general vicinity of his head. Only I didn't really notice that he had gotten sick again, until Aaron pointed that out. We headed off to church last night as usual, with a little more concern over Adam's status - he felt a little warm, seemed a little irritated.

Periodically during the last month, he would cough so hard that he would throw up his last meal, usually just after it had been ingested. Last night, however, he decided to break with routine, and pulled an Exorcist move on me in the middle of the Fellowship Hall, about an hour after last eating. I know it always seems like kids throw up more than they actually do (I mean, I have known seriously chubby babies who appear to puke up their whole meal every meal), but when I saw that stream of white liquid fly out of his mouth straight at me, it seemed like 2 cups. It was probably more like four ounces, but still plenty enough to cover my entire left shoulder and upper chest, part of his chest and leg, and some bonus! for the floor and chair next to me. Fortunately I blocked the puke from hitting the two guys behind me.

At that point, Aaron decided that OBVIOUSLY he had gotten worse and exactly how long had he been like this? Clearly we should be doing something. I took off my outer shirt (I had a tank underneath), found someone (thanks Val!) to cover my group of girls for the evening, got Leah and Ben off to their Awana classes, and then Aaron and I headed off for a date.

Except we kind of broke that date rule about not talking about your kids.

Dr. Miller at the children's walk-in clinic saw Adam, who by that time had perked up a bit and was grinning, and said he had....bronchiolitis. He had no fever, was nursing fine, and was still in a fairly good mood, so again, all there is for us to do is watch and make sure his breathing doesn't get more distressed.

And move him back next to our bed, and wake up every hour or two to listen to his coughing and make sure he doesn't puke all over himself, and hold him a lot to help our poor sick baby feel better.

Will someone please let me know if my kid gets sick again? I may or may not notice and act accordingly.

Negotiations: Part II

Last week there was a big milestone for me. Thursday was the day I finally faced my fears and took Ben for his first dentist appointment. I've been putting it off because I was anticipating a fuss like the kind I've been faced with at gymnastics. And guess what? There was no fuss!

Well, almost no fuss, anyway.

We happen to go to an excellent dentist who knows the value of a good solid bribe. At their first teeth cleaning, kids not only get to pick out a cool toothbrush and Sponge-Bob toothpaste, but they also get 3 prizes: one from the vending machine, one from a treasure chest, and a Beanie Baby. Granted, they don't have the full 1,000 or so critters to choose from, but still.

Also helping the situation is the fact that Leah loves going to the dentist and gets really excited about it. I mentioned about a month ago that Ben would be going soon, and she didn't need any prompting to encourage him. She may have even called him "lucky"! Ben was again prepped for the upcoming appointment about a week before, and then a day or so before, but I didn't dwell on it - just said, "Ben, you get to go to the dentist!" No arguments allowed.

I billed it as a kind of a date with Mom, since Ben has a bit of an Oedipus complex happening right now - only Mommy can change his diaper, get him dressed, put his coat on, tuck him into bed, etc. (Some of these things just need to be taken over by Ben himself. Working on it.)

Ben first watched me get my teeth cleaned. Side note here: I finally got my wisdom teeth removed last summer, and my dental appointments have been sooo much easier since then. If you are putting it off, just go and get those buggers taken care of, already! The hygienist chatted with Mr. Ben the entire time, about dinosaurs and his favorite animals. It was fun to listen to his chatter, when a year and half ago he was getting by with grunts and whines.

When I was done, we convinced Ben to sit in the chair with me and let the hygienist count his teeth, and after a bit more convincing, the dentist was able to do the same thing and brief exam. But the cleaning was completely rejected. Miss Hygienist told Ben he could pick out the toothbrush and paste, but I suggested that the 3 prizes would have to wait until he actually had a cleaning.

I reminded him that he could have cookie-dough toothpaste (!!!), and then that fabulous hygienist showed him the polisher - while he was standing on the ground, not cornered on the chair. Then she touched it to his fingernail, and then just the front tooth...and then Ben said, "O-kay..." and the rest of the appointment proceeded without objection! He even had a fluoride treatment - banana-split flavored (!!!).

I was so proud of my little man. Really, I mostly anticipated a tantrum and very little attention to the actual teeth. This was a case of some well-placed bribes/rewards, and also maybe some modeling of how "easy" it is.

Now, if only these tactics were working for potty-training.

Some people use their time in weird ways.

I have been on a buying rampage tonight, grabbing a bunch of books on Ebay for a fraction of their new prices. Most of these new purchases are destined to be Thanksgiving gifts for Leah and Ben - they include a fairy tale collection, a book about dinosaurs, and a couple of joke books - so I don't have to listen to their made-up jokes, which frankly are pretty lame, rarely make any sense, and sometimes include non-English words.

While researching different drawing books on Amazon, I found this review for the book How to Draw 101 Animals. I am equally curious about how many people thought this was a real review and chose NOT to purchase the book (the comments are entertaining, too!), and how bored the reviewer must have been to go to the effort. I'm hoping, at least, that they had washed all the clothes and dishes in their house first.

Negotiations: Part 1

My oldest son is enhancing my negotiation skills. Just this week he's given me two training sessions, and I think I'm learning. Because I'm winning (I think).

You may remember Ben and the great gymnastics stand-off. I was prepared for a reenactment since buddy Isaac was again home sick. Unfortunately, the stalling started before we even got out of the van. I stood my ground and said that we WERE going inside, and he WAS going to get dressed for class, and we were NOT going to sit in the balcony with the other parents. We sat in our usual spot under the balcony and watched the rest of the class play in the foam pit and warm-up.

We tried leaving him with the coach while I left, and he had a total breakdown.

I pointed out how much fun everyone was having.

How much fun he has had in the class before.

That I would not cuddle him or let him touch me while we were sitting there.

I showed him that there were other boys in the class. "But I no know their names!"

One boy, who the coach called Cooper, had his turn on the trampoline directly in front of us. That child must be a prodigy trampoliner or something, cause I have never seen tuck jumps so tucked, or piked, or straddled...it was truly impressive. I kept admiring his jumping, "Ben, look at Cooper jump!"

He finally looked interested, and took up the coach's invitation and went to jump, too! While he was bouncing away, I asked Cooper if he would be Ben's friend. And that sweet, sweet boy shyly nodded, "Yes!"

From that point on, Ben and Cooper were buddies, and Ben participated in class willingly and with a smile on his face. And another good thing? As much as we love Isaac, Cooper has never missed class!

One of Those Weeks

Ever had one of those weeks? This is how it happened to me.

About a month ago, the only thing on the schedule for this week was Leah's Fun Fair for Saturday afternoon. So why not host a "Dinner for Nine" at our house Friday night? I wouldn't have to cook, and we'd meet some new people from church...Aaron said sure and like that! we were committed.

And then I may or may not have said "sure!" to one or two or ten more things. Oops.

Here's what the week ended up looking like:

Monday: Tastefully Simple show
Tuesday: bible study all morning, Aaron working that night
Wednesday: gymnastics for Ben (more cajoling required), classmate of Leah's over for the afternoon, then Awana at church
Thursday: dentist appointments for me and Ben (his first!), Leah's gymnastics, then dinner with an interviewee at Aaron's work (out! no cooking!)
Friday: playgroup at our house in the morning, Dinner for Nine (or seven)
Saturday: MOMS club garage sale/showcase, meet & greet with possible new pastor, then Fun Fair

What I really can't believe is that I didn't forget anything. Although we were running late for a few things, including the meet & greet - Yes, I was the loser mom who came in late, thinking it would be a casual visiting time, only to find out that everyone was seated and listening to Q& A. Also, I brought Leah, the only child present, while Aaron stayed in the van with the sleeping boys. Then I realized that everyone there was on the worship (music) team, and that Aaron should probably be there since he's a part of it, not me.

So I skeddaled out and sent him in. Then I had the distinct pleasure of dealing with Ben waking up and crying/whining for 10 minutes. With both boys now awake, I thought I could maybe sneak in at the end and at least shake hands with our potential new pastor. Ben had other ideas, and nearly had an emotional breakdown at the suggestion of leaving the van. Fortunately, Aaron and Leah were headed back at that point. Blurg.

Sunday is coming! Praise the Lord! Sunday is a day of rest.