Random things....

P got her first skinned knee on Monday. She was playing while I worked on weeding the front of the house and she ran to show me something and fell. It is kind of strange how children can just fall without any type of hole or something random laying on the ground in their way. Their bodies get ahead of their thought process or something. Anyhow, we took her inside and cleaned out the wound and put a Dora band-aid on it. She like the idea of having a band-aid on - as if it was an accessorie to her outift or something.

Ethan continues to be a little sweet dollbaby. He loves to be fussed with - I think that is one of my favorite things about him. I think it is because he is getting a bit of the limelight for a change instead of his big sister. It seems he is always the one just hanging out while I tend to or play with P. She is pretty demanding most of the time, and he just hangs out and watches. When he gets attention he just beams and you just want to eat him up.
He is fun to play with...

P and I have been picking from the garden lately. Just peas and green beans. We have a plethora of green beans, but the peas aren't doing so well because they don't like TGBT or the soil or something. A few peas came on and we pick and eat them right out of the shell. We pretend we are going on a treasure hunt to find fresh green booty. P like to pick the green beans with me. It is super cute to watch her find one and then pull it, almost pulling the whole plant out of the ground. yikes! She also helps me snap the ends off...well, her interpretation of snapping, which is just breaking apart the bean.
My dad mentioned he and mom had already been eating tomatoes off their plants and how good they are this year. I went over to their house and their tomato plants are unreal - totally loaded with fruit. My tomato plants are georgous to look at, but they don't have many tomatoes on them. They look like they should be dripping with juicy red goodness, but it seems the plant has been feeding itself and not its fruit. So, I had three big billowy tomato plants that needed to be cut back in order for the fruit to come on and grow. My dad said to cut the branches and leaves around where the fruit is growing or where you see the little yellow flowers. I went out with my Fiskars and cut away. I can't believe how much excess girth those plants had! I should have done it a while ago. Oh well, I am still learning this gardening business.
I love that tv show The Office. My friend Jocelyn sent me a message:
"So, do people tell you that you look just like that girl from the office...not Pam...the other one that used to be Jim Halpert's girlfriend. Now she's on another show. Anyway, whenever I see her I think of you...and some of the things that she does in the Office remind me of you especially! What do you think?" That girl is Rashida Jones. Maybe a bit? She is adorable, so if Joc thinks I look like her I'll take it in a minute.

Oh....and not to forget....I finally found her Tinker Bell toothbrush....

Mood

I wish we were all able to have little circular indicators of our mood posted on our foreheads. This parenting thing has had me on a few forums for help from fellow parents who breastfeed, cloth diaper, make babyfood, kids with allergies, and I have even joined movie and book forums to discuss my other interests, too. The thing that I find comical is the mood indicator. That little circle or even just a few short phrases or a word that says so and so is happy or sad or in a crunchy mood. Like really, why do I care? But, I do care. I guess it is a way of putting some warmth behind the writer/poster so we can all remember life isn't black and white typed letters. That when we post on a forum we are actually "talking" to another human, not just a computer screen. I guess that is why flaming is so easy to do - you don't know the person you are corresponding with nor are you going to see the person, and I am pretty sure finding the identity out of the person you are writing rude things (or flaming) to would be a rather difficult and lengthy endeavor. The more I think about it the more I realize the mood indicator is actually a really, really good thing, and why hasn't anyone invented one that we can all carry around with us?

The device would make my life so much easier because then I wouldn't have to have my husband *guess* at what I am feeling. As a woman it is my right to have the opposite or same sex have to guess when I am irritated with them - I should not have to say anything or address the situation passive aggressively - it should just be recognizable. Since I can't just live in Kristin reality, the next best thing is I could simply have a little indicator that senses my mood and phrase pops up to let everyone know why I am acting the way I am acting. I like the idea of a phrase, especially if you could customize it. For instance, you are having a conversation with your husband about not leaving his socks around. If you had an indicator that read "don't f with me today" he may respond kindly "whatever you say dear" and proceed to pick up his socks and put them in the laundry. But, if your indicator said "hoopdi doo, hoopdi doo today just rocks" then husband may know he has a bit of leeway and respond with "I'll try, but I can't guarantee I'll pick them up. That is just how I roll." He knows you'll be more apt to smile, maybe laugh and agree to the fact that he can be a slob sometimes. But, if he responded like that when the indicator said "don't f with me" then there'd be some trouble brewing.

The device could work well with co-workers and friends too. You know, people who you care if you piss off. Ha! (we all know that there is an unsaid rule about hurting the closest to you and saying sorry later if never....well, there should be) This way when you show up to your friend's house with a red alert "don't f with me today" they know to kind of steer clear of any topics that may anger you. Like, your husband. ha! Really, my hubby is great, I just love to use him as an example because it is just too easy.

Problems? Sure - as in having to be honest about how you are feeling. Or not honest so people just stay away from you so you can do whatever it is you want to do. This device, as I think more about it, could have some serious downfalls. What if your waiter was already big and scary and then to top it off had a "dfwm" mood indicator on....and your hamburger had a big bug in it. What would you do then? OOOhhh....this could be pretty awful. You may not say anything and just eat the bug to stay away from impending doom, or you could say something and risk the chance of eating the bug anyhow. I was a waiter once, I know the horrible things people do to food.

Well, so much for my really, really bad invention - besides, can't we still buy mood rings? For now I suppose the forums' mood indicators will suffice.

Little Things

I haven't written about this for a while...but, there are things (as mommy Heather reminded me) that your children do that are so small and special that you never want to forget them. But, it seems life takes the lead and you don't always have the time to cherish them once the moment is gone. I wanted to write a few of these things down about my children so I don't forget - or if I do forget I can read this entry and smile, laugh or cry when I reflect upon the little moments, little things...things that made mommy melt.

PEYTON

• She was running out of my mom's bedroom and into the hall. She had on pink pants and a cream long-sleeved shirt. Just watching her run with her little legs, diapered butt and her straight blonde hair bouncing made me cry. I looked at my mom and told her that I just loved watching P run. My mom cried too and said she had that same "moment" in the grocery store when I was little. I ran ahead/away from her and she stopped and just watched me and cried right there.
• When she cracks herself up. She is usually singing a song and will stop and just look at me and giggle. She tilts her head sideways, looks me right in the eyes and smiles her sweet semi-toothless grin and laughs. Then she says "mommy, you do it." This generally happens during the 3 squares which is why I have so many pics of her eating.
• How she loves books. She likes to "read" to me now and it is so cute to hear her little voice repeating some of the phrases from the book or some of the phrases or sounds I make up while reading the book to her. I am amazed at what she remembers. Just last night she read a book to me that we got from the library - we only read it through twice a week ago and that little thing was telling me what the book said. It was amazing to me. I can tell from a reading standpoint that she is using picture cues to help her.
• When she says "he's looking at me" in reference to baby brother.
• How when she gets excited over something she runs to give me a hug first and foremost. It is so cool.
• Putting her shoes on and then getting back into bed. Even though we don't allow shoes in the bed....oh well. :)
• Painting her tiny toenails and how she loves her "pink toes"
• Wanna watch Caws
• Pirates Booty
• When she lays her head on my shoulder.
• Hearing her little footsteps in her room. I know she's up!
• She's not necessarily into naming things yet, but she loves to nickname them. Ex. Loki dokie - she made that up all by herself.
• How she calls me mama because many of the books we read the babies refer to their mothers as mama. Such as: I Love You Stinky Face
  

ETHAN

• Smiles. That baby smiles all the time. When he catches my eye he just beams. It is almost like he just sits and waits for me to look at him so he can smile.
• How he puts his arms around me like he is giving me a hug. I think he is. He just cuddles into me when I pick him up.
• His pudge.
  
• How cute he looks in cloth diapers, and how he doesn't seem to care. He likes to be fussed with.
• He loves the Jumparoo. He bounces so roughly on my lap like he is trying to get somewhere, but that chubby baby body is hindering his chance to just fly off like a Super Hero.
• When P watches TV he will turn his body and watch it like he is totally engrossed in the show. Luckily, we don't have the TV on all the time or he'd certainly be brain scrambled.
• He is very curious - always checking out the world - kind of like Pinky. With P, she just stared and looked around like she was The Brain and was making plans to rule the world, baby bro in tow.
  
• Just how smitten I am with having him. He rocks...
  

Today's cloth diapering update

P took a huge poo in the bg during her nap (and I forgot to put the disposable insert on her) and now is crying because her diaper rash hurts so bad. I know it is because she probably slept two hours in dirty pants. Then when I finished changing her she wanted to help put the poo in the toilet...uhm...I didn't even want to put the poo in the toilet.

The diapers are here!

I received my cloth diapers in the mail yesterday! I was so excited when I got home and saw the two fluffy packages laying on my doorstep. I opened them up and then thought "$h!t, the reality is here!" haha! Seriously, I was very happy to have all the stuff I needed to get started. Today I have been doing nothing but prepping them, except for the BumGenius 3.0 - those are so EASY! I washed the BG twice and then dried them. The first wash was with a bit of Purex to get out any impurities and the second was to get out any leftover soap before I put them on my kids' butts. However, the Indian prefolds and the Kissaluvs contour diaper need to be washed 3 - 5 times. It seems like it has taken all day because they need to be thoroughly dried after each wash as well. BUT, once I am done they will be ready to go and I can diaper away.

I mentioned kidS...yes, kidS. Peyton was actually okay with wearing one of the BG diapers. She wanted to be like baby brother and wear a blue one, so I put it on her. She did not complain and I kept asking if she was comfortable and she said yes. So, I left it on her and she ended up only wanting the diaper on and her shirt. It seems she just wanted to show it off, or look at it...who knows. As long as she has something on that helps trap the poo I don't care, but running around nude is not such a good idea. Last time she ran around all naked she squatted and peed on her floor. But from stories I have heard from other parents, squatting and peeing on the floor is nothing compared to the artwork some children have left for mommy and daddy to clean up. Maybe it is a matter of time, and maybe I just jinxed myself. It'd be great, though, if P would let me cloth diaper her - I'd save even more money! She is getting close to being potty trained, but we are talking a few months - I still need diapers. Luckily, too, P and E wear the same size as far as the BG goes because it is one size fits all. Uhmm...how easy could this get?

It is kind of crazy to see the diapers in their virgin form. The prefolds are flat pieces of rectangle cloth. When you wash them they quilt up and shrink a bit looking like they need ironed. I guess what happens when you do the initial washing you strip the oils out of the cloth to make them absorbant. From one site I visited the BG and prefolds are the winners in regards to absorbancy...BUT, I think it depends on your baby and I also think it depends on how you fold the prefold. Luckily there are sites that explain how to fold them so you can avoid as much leakage as possible, such as this one: http://www.thediaperhyena.com/diaper_folding101.htm. It is a 101 on diaper folding...hey, I took a 101 to learn how to sew, why not fold diapers?

One of my favorite celebrities cloth (and still possibly does) diapers her daughter: Maggie Gyllenhaal. She has also been "spotted" breastfeeding her daughter in public. OH NO! She breastfeeds and cloth diapers? Of course, I am sure little Ramona has super cute bumpster hiders that I could only hope to look at without going into debt. But, I really didn't like the way the media portrayed MG like she was a bit on the weird side for taking care of her child in the most natural way possible. It was quite annoying to see the tabloids exploiting the big M nursing her wee one in a park - Big Deal! Let the woman feed her child. The best food for baby, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is breastmilk .

If I did not feed Ethan mommy's milk he'd be on a hypo-allergenic formula like Alimintum (of course, some women can't breastfeed...and it is what it is). Check out the ingredients, many of which I don't even know what they are...and I'd have to feed it to my baby....:

Water 87% , Sugar 4.4% - Sucrose , Casein Hydrolysate 2.3% - Derived from Milk , Modified Tapioca Starch 2.2% , Safflower Oil 1.4% , Medium Chain Triglycerides 1.3% , Soy Oil 1.1% , C. Cohnii Oil Less than 0.5% of - Source of Docosahexaenoic Acid - DHA , M. Alpina Oil Less than 0.5% of - Source of Arachidonic Acid - ARA , Calcium Citrate Less than 0.5% of , Calcium Phosphate Less than 0.5% of , Carrageenan Less than 0.5% of , Potassium Phosphate Less than 0.5% of , Ascorbic Acid Less than 0.5% of , Magnesium Chloride Less than 0.5% of , Calcium Hydroxide Less than 0.5% of , Potassium Citrate Less than 0.5% of , Sodium Chloride Less than 0.5% of , L-Cystine Dihydrochloride Less than 0.5% of , Potassium Chloride Less than 0.5% of , L-Tyrosine Less than 0.5% of , Choline Chloride Less than 0.5% of , L-Tryptophan Less than 0.5% of , Ferrous Sulfate Less than 0.5% of , Taurine Less than 0.5% of , M-Inositol Less than 0.5% of , Zinc Sulfate Less than 0.5% of , DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate Less than 0.5% of , L-Carnitine Less than 0.5% of , Niacinamide Less than 0.5% of , Calcium Pantothenate Less than 0.5% of , Cupric Sulfate Less than 0.5% of , Riboflavin Less than 0.5% of , Vitamin A Palmitate Less than 0.5% of , Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride Less than 0.5% of , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride Less than 0.5% of , Folic Acid Less than 0.5% of , Potassium Iodide Less than 0.5% of , Potassium Hydroxide Less than 0.5% of , Phylloquinone Less than 0.5% of , Biotin Less than 0.5% of , Sodium Selenate Less than 0.5% of , Vitamin D3 Less than 0.5% of , Cyanocobalamin Less than 0.5% of

My poor friend

Mary is going through surgery today. I am so sad. She was supposed to go under at 2p, but I called and she is either still in surgery or is being prepped because she is not in a room, yet. I am so nervous and anxious to hear how everything went. I am planning to send up flowers to her room. This really, really sucks...and I cannot imagine how she and her family are feeling right now.

Dear friends,

By now you may have heard that I have invasive adenosquamous carcinoma cervical cancer. I had a chest x-ray and CT abdominal scan which did not detect any metastasis. Last night we met with the gyn/oncologyst to discuss my options. Upon my exam she found some suspicious areas in my uterus which are probably nothing more then benign fibriods. Wednesday at 2pm I am scheduled to have a radical hysterectomy. The doctor will however need to biopsy these suspicious spots prior to doing the surgery. If the biopsies prove to be negative then she will proceed with the surgery. If they are malignant then the cancer has in fact metastasized and then she will close me up and we will begin a regimen of chemo and radiation. Unfortunately I will not know what the course of action will be until I wake up from anesthesia because she will make this decision while I am under. I am sorry to be doing this via email but just do not have the strength to call everyone. I will do my best to return phone calls and emails but if I do not get to them then please know I appreciate the support and the prayers.

Love,
Mary

Cut it OFF!

Post-pregnancy = wanting to get rid of excess.

Excess weight
Excess clutter
Excess clothing
Excess bloating
Excess eating

AND

Excess HAIR

Now, those of you who have been pregnant have experienced the dreaded hair fall-out. It happens around 3 - 5 months and lasts for about 2 months. OR you experience just a touch of fall-out and then a full-on deforestation after you stop breastfeeding. For me, it has been a gradual 2 - 3 months of hair clogging the drain post-pregnancy - hair landing in my food, hair in my kids' diapers, hair down my shirt and tickling me, hair, hair and more hair EVERYwhere. So, my decision was to cut it off. I was tired of constantly having long strands of dead cells plagueing everywhere I went and everything I touched. It is really gross when you freeze food and then defrost it and there is a HAIR in it. yuck.

Anyhow, I just needed a change, too. I mean, it will always grow, right? So, I did the ole' crop and chop. It took two times and two different hairstylists to get it right. I didn't go to my tride and true girl because I am STUPID, but I also was trying to save a bit of cash, and maybe try someone different who is closer to my home to help with drive time. The cut is cute, but it isn't what I wanted and it is too short. But, oh well, it'll grow and it looks okay and is easy to do, which is key with two very young children.

Big Girl Bed

Well, P is officially in a "big girl bed." In our world that is taking down the front sliding side of our 3-in-1 crib. Yesterday she was climbing out of her crib and hubby happened to see her maneuvering herself over the top of the rail like a little squirrel, and totally freaked out. She was about to fall about 4 feet onto her hardwood floor. I was out and came back to hubby wide-eyed and kind of shaking. What he saw he said made him really scared and immediately put him into protection of his girl mode. When I got in the door P was running down the stairs all excited telling mommy that she has a big girl bed. I was a bit shocked. I was left out of the taking down of the rail ceremony? I live for these types of moments. So, I was a bit peeved - mainly because it didn't happen like I wanted it to happen. I am so selfish sometimes! :) I admit it. We knew it was coming, we just wanted the transition to be on our timeline, not our darling daughter's. My plan was to talk to her about it for a few weeks, shop for a new pillow or something to celebrate, explain what it meant, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh well, best laid plans never really work out when you have kids. We actually did go looking for a bed a few weeks ago. We found an adorable single that could have a princess "castle" type thingy added on, stilts to create an under-the-bed hideaway, a slide and a stairs for her to climb. We definitely would put the bed on the ground first...mommy would have to wait a few years for the loft part to go into effect...if at all. But, P loved the bed when we were at the showroom, and we really liked it for her.

So, how did the whole thing go? Well, it didn't go well yesterday. I tried to put her down for her afternoon nap and you would have thought I was driving stakes into her eyes. She was screaming bloody murder. She DID NOT want to go into the bed. I eventually had to leave the room and let her bang on the door, scream, throw things, cry and cry and cry some more, and then she went to sleep. It was HORRIBLE. I hated not being able to make whatever she was feeling so upset about go away. I couldn't put her in danger by putting the rail back up. Then putting her to bed last night was the same thing, but it didn't last as long, and she slept in it all night long! hooray! The picture above is me sneaking into her room this morning to see where she slept, and low and behold it was where I was hoping she'd be. I put E's crib mattress next to her bed in case she fell out during the night to hopefully lessen the chance of injury or fear.

So, this morning I decided that when she woke up we'd have "You slept in your big girl bed party." I happened to have a Real Monsters party kit from a while ago and a present I was going to give her on the plane when I was supposed to go to Oregon in May (trip never happened). I put party hats on Ethan and myself and came into her room celebrating that she slept in her big girl bed. I gave her the present and hung out in the bed (well, I was on the floor because the bed is only supposed to hold 50 pounds...uhmmm...). We read books, we sang "Happy Big Girl Bed Day" song to the tune of "Happy Birthday" and listend to a little U2, Beck and Sara Trevares. It was so much fun.


I hope that the party and the getting over the first night sleeping in her bed hurdle will make it easier for her today. I am already dreading putting her down for her nap. I really hope it isn't another mushroom cloud. For now it is all grins and giggles!

Gear for baby

They always *say* that babies are expensive. Well, I am trying to cut down on the cost of raising baby by doing things like breastfeeding, making my own babyfood, borrowing clothes and gear, and now cloth diapering. It is truly an addiction to research baby items and then once you find them, researching the best deal on what you like. My last addiction was baby shoes...oh goodness. I researched Robeez and little moccasin-type baby shoes until I was so sick of it that I didn't even buy one pair!

My newest addiction, and one that makes sense because it can save us essentially close to two thousand dollars (if I did my math correctly) is: cloth diapering. I have to say, I have spent more time researching cloth diapering than I have on my studies all summer. egads! It is easy to do, mainly because I needed to get over the hurdle of deciding how to cloth diaper and then to decide what kind of cloth diapering to do. Sites like Wildflower Babies and Cotton Babies are chalked full of information to help in purchasing the dreaded...cloth diaper. They also offer tons of adorable CDs to choose from...and accessories that you *absolutely* need, of course. :) People already think I am out of my mind to cloth diaper...but, I have friends who do it and LOVE it. And, according to Babble it is freakishly cool. Well, finally I am freakishly cool. I have been waiting to be put into that category my whole life...well, I guess, at least what I am doing for my little E is freakishly cool, and fun! There's just something about washing out a dirty nappy that gives me warm fuzzies....hahaha!

Anyhow, cloth diapering isn't the big deal I have been making it out to be. It is really rather simple. You just need to find what works for you...and I am in the middle of that, so I have no advice. What I can write is that I recieved my bumGenius 3.0 in the mail the other day and tried it out this morning. I love it. It is now in the laundry and I can't wait to try it again. I only have the one cloth diaper, so E is naked until I get the thing washed. No, really, I just want to use it again today, so I had to wash it right away so I could use it. Now I am kicking myself for not ordering a few more so I could really test out the system by keeping baby in CDs all day. But, I had to dip my toe in the pool first. Plus, I wanted to wash it to see if it was really going to be easy to launder. I did the two wash thing - rinse on cold to get the nasties out and then on warm with a little Purex to get it clean. These little buggers are certainly sensitive. You are not supposed to use detergent that has any type of additive - so you need something basic like Purex or Sun (which is probably better for all of us with allergies anyhow). Dreft is a big fat no-no. Dreft has a ton of additives to make babies clothes soft and could leave a build up on the diaper. build-up = trapped nasties. Who knew!? And, it is easy and it is not gross.

I feel silly being so consumed with where my baby's pees and poos go, but it is important. I want to tread lightly on the earth while I am here, I want my baby to have comfortable nappies to wear, and I want him to look cute, too. I know I'd certainly like to look cute in my nappies...oh, that is a far off desire...especially since I just ate a handful of chocolate chips while writing.

Today I ordered a bunch of different types of diapers so I could try them out. I ordered prefolds, fitted, wraps and I have the one pocket bG. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of having a diaper and then a wrap, not an AIO (all in one diaper - no stuffing, no folding, just like a disposable). And, it is much less expensive to buy them that way. I have spent $110 and the diapers will last until potty-training (hopefully). I will probably spend $50 - $100 more, but that is essentially it. So, all together I will have spent about $250 - $300, which includes a travel bag for the stinkies when I am out on the town and those little biodegradeable inserts for poos (you just take them right out of the diaper and flush them down the toilet...how easy can it get...jeesh.).

In a year I'll look back at this post and laugh because I am so new to all of this, and the lingo, quite frankly, is making me laugh. I feel like I am in a cool new club, though.

Live Virus Immunizations

I think I have written before about our concern over immunizations for our children. Most pediatricians give thimerosal-free vaccinations now, anyhow, but I always ask to be sure. The only shot that may contain thimerosal is the flu shot, but generally our doc's office will have a slew on hand for those parents (such as us) that will call to reserve a thimerosal-free shot for our child. This year I'll have to be on top of the flu shot since I have two that need to get it. The baby gets the series of two since he is so young, but P only gets one. There is still a ton of controversy surrounding the link of autism to thimerosal, but as far as I know, nothing has been proven, or even concretely linked together. BUT, I would rather be safe than sorry. I know that parents want to put the blame somewhere if their child suffers from some form of autism, and that could be where all the controversy stems from. The spectrum of autism is so huge, now, that I think everyone I know falls into some area of it. haha! That's for another day.

Hubby's newest concern is giving the baby more than one live virus immunization at a time. Well, the MMR - measles, mumps and rubella - comes altogether in one shot. At E's four month check-up I inquired about the shot and that is when I found out the pediatrician's office does not separate the shot - nor will they carry it broken down into three different live virus vaccinations. My pediatrician said he would be more than happy to give E one live virus vaccination at a time, but I would have to supply the M, the second M and the R myself. The doc said to call the health department and they could get it for me. So, I did. The information I was given was very helpful.

What I was told was that if I was to order the MMR separated it would be very expensive and that each come in groups of ten. So, essentially, I would have to pay for thirty shots because there aren't enough people asking for it to be given separately. I was also told that the CDC recommends that the live virus shots be given at one time (between 12 - 18 months) because of how the body reacts to them. In layman's terms: a live virus vaccination is a weakened state of the actual virus, but mimics the virus enough that the body believes it needs to give the virus a full-on fight. In the weakened state, the viruses go to the sinus cavity and the body's antigen fighters come out in full force to fight against these intruders before the virus has a chance to go into the lungs. Now, the vaccination the child receives is so weakened that they will not actually get the virus (they could still feel sick, but not to the point of getting the actual virus/sickness), and that is how the body builds immunity. The body fights a full-on fight, wins and is now stronger to fight again if need be. The nurse at the health department also said that is why the MMR is typically given at the same time as the varicella (chicken pox) because the body fights the M, the other M, the R and varicella with separate little armies. So, essentially, it can be a good thing to get the MMR and the varicella at one time.

But, here's a kicker - why do we have to do it all within the first two years of a baby's life? My belief is that you cannot control what other people do with their children, but you can control what you do with your child. You just never know in a world as populated as it is today where your child could get infected. All she/he would need to do is put their hand on the shopping cart at Target and then put their fingers in their mouth. It could be that simple. I am almost positive that is how P got one of her nasty colds. Now, for those people that live in a bubble or never leave the house, they don't have to worry like I do. I take my kids everywhere - and I don't always *sanitize* after leaving the grocery or the playground - who has time for that? Also, sometimes your kid needs to get sick, even though it breaks your heart. Of course, if I can keep my kids from getting the horrible things by immunizing, that's what I will do! But, I am just not sure how I will do it. I am still deciding if I want to follow the CDC recommended immunization schedule for E, or if I want to create my own. I totally trust my doc's office - P did great with all of her immunizations (t-free, of course) and E seems to be doing well. We are just concerned b/c if his body is also fighting with his food allergies, do we want it to fight a whole big group of viruses as well? I think he'll be fine, but I need to reassure hubby so he feels good about it, too.

When your friend tells you they have cancer....

One of my best college friends called me this morning at 7:35am. She was crying. She said she had to tell me something...and getting a call from her that early I knew something was up. I was hopeful, though, and thought JUST maybe she was on her way somewhere after dropping her 23 month old off and had a few minutes to chat. That is typically when we talk - in the car where we don't have to constantly interrupt our conversations with the "no, honies" or the "put that down, honies" or the "I gotta go, our honies are no longer honies." Her name is Mary and she has been one of my very best friends since the winter of 1990. We met at my boyfriend's house at the time. She was hanging out with his roomate, Stinky Chad (yes, as in body odor because he didn't believe in anything but natural products...and, obviously didn't even try those out either). We immediately hit it off, dumped the boys and toys, and were instant BFFs. I even remember that the first time we hung out was to see a movie. It was The Commitments at the dollar theater. She picked me up in her blue Honda Accord, we both had on our leathers and we smoked Marlboro Lights all the way to the theater. I really don't know how we even took a drag off a smoke because we were too busy chattering away like little birds. We had a connection, a real connection that if you are lucky you get to experience a few times in your life. Well, I am lucky. Damn lucky to have met my wonderful friend.

I just love her dearly, which is why I can barely write what she said to me this morning..."I have cancer." What? What do you mean? You are only 36, you aren't supposed to have cancer. You are in grad school, you aren't supposed to be sick. You are getting close to trying for your second child, you are NOT supposed to have cancer. The reality is she does. She does have it and is dealing with right now, this very moment, this very Tuesday in this very month of July. dammit. She has an aggressive type of cervical cancer, that is yes, caused by the HPV virus. It is a rare strain that was dorment for years. She had a papsmear last year and there wasn't a trace. So, in one year it spread that quickly, so quickly that they have to remove her entire cervix and potentially give her a hysterectomy. She has already had the walls scraped and that is when the doctor realized there wasn't an end to the abnormal cells. The abnormal cells had spread...and they don't really know how far at this point. She had a catscan and hopefully that will give her some indication as to where the cancer has made an intrusion. Once she has the surgery she has to go through chemotherapy. WTF??!! She is still in shock from the news, I think.

When I spoke with her she was handling the news in a stoic manner, as typical Mary. She gets $hit done and worries later...or not at all. "You do what you gotta do" is a very favorite Maryism of mine. She has always makes me feel better about my worries, and I hope I can do the same for her. I plan to have her around for a long time - and I am sure she plans on that too.

This whole thing makes me really think about my daughter and how important it will be to talk about sex and protection. And, how important that new HPV immunization will be when she comes of age...and hopefully not sooner. oh lordy, I can't even bear to think about it. And, the thing that I am so ashamed of is that I have been worrying about my hair and how I want to get it cut. That has been one of my main focuses recently for myself....I need a life evaluation. Especially since I haven't seen my dermatologist or family doc to get evaluated for my skin cancer in 2 years. But, oh goodness, have mercy on my non-trendy, too conservative haircut that is driving me batty...whatever, I'm a loser sometimes.

Smell

So, the skunk smell is still strong in the house even after all the work we put into de-stinkifying everything. Yesterday pretty much sucked. I washed Loki 4 times and Piper 10 times. Piper still stinks. My house: we deoderized all of the carpets, baked spices, boiled Wassail all day, make cookies, put out baking soda, coffee grounds and Renuzits, and washed all the couch cushion covers and sprayed down the couches with Febreeze and hubby got the expensive air filters for the house that are supposed to keep odor out...and it STILL stinks! I was reintroduced to the odor when I returned from the library this morning. I didn't think it was bad until I walked into it again. My nephew is spending the day with us and when Becky dropped him off I asked them if it smelled. They both looked at me like they were sorry that it smelled so bad! ugh.

Loki and Piper were washed in a bath of baking soda, vinegar, peroxide, soap and I added NoMos (no more odor, no more stains - can't find a website to link to) to the mix. Left it on for 10 minutes, rinsed and then washed with a deoderant dog soap. Poor Piper was washed with a ton of vinegar and is probably not feeling so well today. Vinegar is supposed to really help pull out the stink.

From what I have been told over and over again is the skunk smell stays in the house for a few weeks...some say even a month. I guess skunk oils are pretty potent and need to be neutralized (?). The smelly enzymes or whatever the heck they are don't just dissolve and go away. WTF?! This is such crap, but what am I supposed to do? Have a smelly house, I guess. It is so awful, and I hope P, E and I don't smell when we go out. :)

Cloth diapering update:

I bought a bumGenius 3.0 diaper from Wildflower Diapers. They offer a money back guarantee within 14 days. I figure by then I will know if I like it, have washed it and hopefully experience pees and poos in it to see how it performs. It will be a good indication, as well, as to my dedication to doing laundry every day/every 2 days. I should be doing laundry that frequently anyhow...and maybe this will help me get used to doing laundry more often...or at least not loathing it. I think once we have the basement done I will actually like doing laundry and ironing because I'll have a nice new laundry room to do it in. Right now I think it is drudgery because it is just exposed drywall and cement floors.

I am super syked to start CDing and am probably driving my friends who do it nuts with questions. But, from what I read, people who CD love to talk about it. Hopefully that is true!

Skunk?!

Last night Piper killed a skunk. It was HORRIBLE, and still is HORRIBLE. The smell is stuck in our house, mainly because the smell is in the air and is coming through our vents and also because I let Loki in and didn't know she had been sprayed. UGH!!!

We went to my parent's house for some 4th left-overs and were both really tired. P has been up for the passed three nights in the middle of the night crying and then the baby is still up, so we were just plain tired. We thought oh, get the kiddos in their pj's at Gammies' house and then come home, put them to bed and then crash. Well...it didn't quite work out that way. I let the dogs out, as usual, when we got home. Well, when I went outside to let Loki in Piper wouldn't come to me. My gut feeling was that he was killing an animal. I was right. Last time it was a baby raccoon, and this time worse, a stinkin' skunk. It was pitch black so all I could do was hear Piper making these weird sounds which made me think it might not have been him that won the battle. I ran in and grabbed the flashlight, I wasn't about to go out there without being able to see my enemy. As I got closer I could hear Piper and see him. He was savage. It was foul.

I ran in and grabbed hubby from putting P down and asked him to go out there. He came back in and told me that Piper had killed a skunk and that the dog was making sure it was dead. That was the noise: Piper's death dance. YUCK.

So, we got back inside and determined that Piper had to sleep outside. He smelled worse than anything I have ever smelled before. It was like a mixture of sewage, super strong onions and that putrid hit-by-a-car skunk smell. Hubby put on gloves and grabbed bags to get the skunk - we dumped him in the dumpster at the school....shame on us, but we couldn't have that revolting stentch in our garage trash can. Besides, the kids are out for the summer. While hubby was disposing of the carcus, I was frantically in search of ways to clean the dogs and get the smell out of the house. All I wanted to do was scream obscentities at the situation, but I couldn't wake the kids. :)

Well, when hubby got back from his little errand, we came to the conclusion Loki was the reason the house smelled so bad...and, she was laying on the couch downstairs. I swore I couldn't smell it on her. I think because it was so potent that she just blended in with the eminating stentch. I immediately took her upstairs for a bath in a mixture I found on a forum and then washed her down with deoderizing shampoo, baby shampoo and then used my Aveda Rosemary Mint on her. We put her crate together and she is still in it. I am afraid to let her out - what if that smell is laying in the grass and she rolls in it. But, I don't want to stand outside because it smells horrible out there.

This makes for such a lovely day. I had thoughts of getting rid of Piper when E was born for the ease of having just one dog to take care of, plus Piper had a hard time adjusting to the new baby and I was annoyed with his weird dogginess...now I really want to get rid of him. Hubby thinks I am mean, but now I have to take care of his mess instead of my kids' messes and that just makes me angry.

Disposable or not to disposable...that is the question

I was talking to Beth and Heather about cloth diapering at mommies group this week. I seem to be more and more interested in this diapering method as the hours pass. I never really thought too much about it until now...two years after changing diapers for one and now of two little tykes. I never researched it because I know myself: I'd ruin the cloth diapers because I'd forget to change the washer load to the dryer load, and besides that, the thought of cloth diapering when P was little grossed me out. But, after having baby #2 I realize how easy it was to take care of baby #1 and think I could quite possibly handle the idea of scraping poo into the toilet. hmmm...did I really write that?! and, do I really mean that?! I think...perhaps...I do.

B and H gave me a ton of helpful advice. Beth brought up an excellent point - you don't have to cloth diaper ALL of the time. She said I said a similar thing to her about breastfeeding (basically, if you need a break you can give a bottle of formula and your baby will be JUST fine...and some mommies need that break if they have one or two or more little ones running around when your baby is cluster feeding). I think this is great. I know I would be a bit overwhelmed having so much pee and poo soaked laundry to do at first, and it'd be great to just ease into it to see if I like it. From what they told me, it is better for butts and for the environment, and a very important point...the pocketbook. You can buy the "gear" you'll need up front for about $300 and that can last you for a year or two (if you take care of your "gear"). I did the math on my only diaper of choice, Pampers, and I probably spend over $1700 a year in diapers. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but I'd really have to earn my poop and pee stripes if I decide to cloth diaper...it doesn't seem as easy.

I spoke to hubby about it last night and he totally supports whatever I choose to do. He made the very good point that is it I (meaning me) that changes all of the diapers (pretty much), anyhow, so it truly is my decision. hmmmmm....I hate having to make-up my mind, but I think I have. Now, I remember buying a Kushies bathing suit for P when she started swim lessons at 9 months. It seemed like an easy thing...and no buying of disposable swim diapers. BUT, if she would happen to poo in her suit, I would have had to have a new suit on hand depending on the timing of the poo. I couldn't just dump the poo and then put the poo stained suit back on her...ewwwe...So, I can see where it would get pricey. Another great piece of advice was to sell the stuff when I am through using it. Beth sold her used "gear" to a lady in France. Beth is using Kushies and Heather is using BumGenius. I am going to do a little research on cloth diapering and "gear" to see if I truly can dedicate myself to this little butt covering challenge.

The Zoo

We went to the zoo on Tuesday with Gammies and Papa because Tuesdays are Papa's day off and Gammies is out of school for the summer. It was a beautiful day and there were a ton of people there for a weekday. I think it was because the water park opened up and is attracking a whole new crowd of people who can ride the rides and then come over and see the animals. Not so sure how I feel about it. I kind of liked the zoo being the zoo and then the water park being separate similar to how it was when Wyandot Lake was open. But, I wasn't consulted first, so I need to just deal with it. haha!

Anyhow, we had so much fun. It was relaxing to go with my parents too. They didn't mind just stopping and sitting when Ethan needed a rest. One of them was able to take P and entertain her while I took care of the baby - it was great. I wish I always had an extra hand when I went on outings like that so P wouldn't have to miss anything, and I wouldn't have to listen to her complain and cry while I took care of E. Her complaining isn't a big deal because I expect it, but it can grate on your nerves when it is 20 minutes of constant whining.

The best part was reminiscing. I grew up on the Scioto River directly across from the zoo in an area called Shawnee Hills. I would fall asleep every night to the lions roaring and every now and then a concert in the zoo's amphitheater. It was really cool. It wasn't cool, though, when people would tease me for living there. Shawnee Hills wasn't the sought after place on the water that it is now. The houses that were originally built along the river on Shawnee Trail were built as summer homes, so they were all pretty small and had no air conditioning and some had no heat. Our house had no heat or air. We depended on a wood burning stove during the cold months and fans during the warm; but, we were kids and we didn't care. We loved having the river to swim and raft on, the yacht club to sneak into, the boats to sail and ski from and the frozen river in the winter to ice skate on. We had a big backyard to run in and we played back there from morning to night. We had a PO box for our mail because we didn't have home delivery for some reason. Our PO box was at a place call Tags, which is now Walgreens. It has grown up so much there, and now the houses on the water side can run upwards to $300K easy. Our house sold for five times what my parents paid for it in 1989. Of course, my dad being the hyper handyman he is left a pretty good piece of property for the next owners.

I remember the zoo had a riverboat ride that went up and down the Scioto. It isn't there any longer. Paxton and I used to get excited to wave at everyone if we were swimming or boating, the riverboat always packed with zoo goers. Now you can only enjoy a little water ride that is more like an amusement park ride that costs a $1 a person. Mom, dad the kids and I all took a little walk down to the area where the riverboat entrance used to be and looked across to where our dock stood at one time, talked a bit about how awesome it was to live on the water for so many years, and I talked a bit about how I wanted to take my friend Susan who works for Ghosts of Ohio down to Leatherlips Yacht Club so she could "feel" the spirits. The Shawnee Indians had settled in the area for a bit and I believe that is how Shawnee Hills got its name...but don't quote me on that. Leatherlips was one of the Shawnee Indian cheifs who had a park on the Riverside Drive dedicated to him. They say if you go to where Leatherlips is buried on Halloween at midnight you can see his yellow eyes and hear a war cry...yeah, right. We tried, it isn't true...but, there are some other things that happened at the yacht club that are true...and scary. Some of the photos on my wedding invitations were taken at the yacht club - Shane and I went one day and shot them.

Anyhow, it was a great day and it was nice to remember my younger days. Just to the right of the sailboats it the background of the picture was where I lived.

Gardening

I am thoroughly enjoying my garden. I never knew how peaceful and stress relieveing it could be to pull weeds, water, and watch vegetable plants grow. P and I get excited to go out everyday and look at the fruits of our labor...and fruits are indeed starting to grow from all of our loving care! We have peas on the vine, green bean flowers that are really pretty to just look at, crazy tall tomato plants, baby banana peppers poking their way out and some full herb plants (they'd be more full if I didn't keep picking from them!).

The peas are so much fun. They are viney plants that grow quickly from seed, and once they start growing they vine out on the ground and start twining their tendrils around neighboring plants or whatever they can reach. I should have built the pea trellis when the plants first came out of the ground so they had something to help support them as they grew. But, since I waited until they were vining out in the garden, they were unwanted houseguests to the pepper and green bean plants, wrapping their little spiney arms around them hoping to stay for good. But, I came in and broke their little grasps and managed to train them to stay in their OWN part of the garden and grow up their little home I like to call the "TGBT" or The Great Bamboo Trellis. The flowers which are turning into the peapods came out a couple of weeks ago and some have turned into full on vegetables! I can't wait to pick them!


The green beans are doing well, too. There are a ton of little pretty purple and white flowers in AREA GB. We should have some nice martian spears (Is that what Lola calls them?). Take a look at the pretty flowers....awwee...



Even though those recent thunderstorms scared the bejeezees out of us and I was *this* close to getting the babies up and going downstairs, the rain was good to my garden. Obviously, the plants loved the sky water and I looked out on the garden at 2am (when the tornado sirens were going off for the 100th time - it was stuck, so I heard) and the plants were reaching to the sky. It was cool to see. I really don't know how much longer I can keep my tomato plants caged in before they start rebelling and having little red and yellow babies, and it would be the banana peppers' faults because, well, you can get my drift when you look at the phalicness of the budding banana.

Tomatoes:


B Peppers:


My next step is to figure out how to keep critters out of the garden. I have seen the dread pirate OWL and hubby keeps trying to talk me into putting down blood meal. I can't go there, though, especially with dogs. One, I just don't like the name of it "blood meal," like who makes a meal out of blood...I shouldn't ask that question openly. Two, from others' experiences, if you have dogs they dig and dig and dig some more to try to find what is making the blood so they can have a meal. gross. So, I am looking to other solutions. If you have some, please post them, or agree with some of these so I know what to do. Here are some ideas I read about:

-Vinegar soaked rags on sticks placed around the garden. Supposed to deter small critters (squirrels, chipmunks, rats - if you have rats you may want to just clean up your garbage first) and I believe racoons, too.
-A crazy owl-type-scarecrow thing
-Human hair
-coffee grounds
-cayenne pepper mix (really don't want to go there b/c of child prodding at the leaves and potential for hurt eyes and mouth)
-moth balls? but won't that be toxic to the food you eat?
-blood meal.....but as I mentioned, waayyyy last resort if even a resort at all.
-

Wise words

Over the passed few weeks I have been given good advice, suggestions and pointers. Some of it made me cry, some made me laugh, and some enlightened me. I have been searching for things to help me with parenting P: how to discipline, understanding her age, what type of play is good for her at her age, age appropriate behavoir, activities that seem fun but may be too old, etc. etc. There are some fantastic books out there, and I bought one I really like called "The Happiest Toddler on the Block." It is really funny and I am enjoy the read, but it is taking me forever to read it because once the babes go down for nappy nu-nus or nigh nighs I don't have time or don't feel like reading. I should probably cut out posting, but I love having this online diary...and, I love taking this well-needed time for JUST me. And, eat chocolate in peace.

Anyhow, here are a few things I have learned that may be the same things eating at you....or not. Take a gander:

-Remember that you have never been a mommy of a toddler or a baby, so cut yourself some slack. But, also remember that your child has never been a baby or a toddler, either, so be sure to cut them slack, too.

-Sometimes MOMMY is the one who needs a time-out. Mommies should never really yell at their children...even though sometimes we can't help it. When you feel yourself getting angry and ready to burst, calmly say to toddler "you know what? Mommy needs a time-out. I'll be back when I am not angry (substitute whatever you are feeling here)." Take yourself into the bathroom, shut the door and repeat "I am so angry, but she's only 2. I am so angry, but she is only 2" until you are calm and can deal with your child again. By the time you get back she has already moved onto something else...hopefully, or she'll need to be the one in time-out.

-When referring to bad things the toddler is doing always say that you don't like the ACTION, never say you don't like them. Such as: "I really don't like it when you yell and roll on the ground. It makes me mad and frustrated when you yell (not mad and frustrated at YOU.) and then roll on the ground."

-Put words simply. Example: it is not "Do you want a graham cracker?" It is "Want cookie?"

-If a child is expressing frustration (crying or screaming for something), repeat their words with sympathy so they know you understand them. Don't just say "it's okay." Example: child screams because they want out of their carseat and you are driving. Simply saying "we are almost home" makes them feel ignored. The child cares that they want out of their carseat, not that you are almost home. Say "oh honey, you want down, you want down now. Mommy can't get you down, she's driving." And say it sympathetically, not as if you want her to just be quiet and listen to music in the backseat until you reach your destination...even though that is probably what you're feeling after they have been screaming "WANT DOWN" for the passed 5 minutes.

-A pack-n-play is a good thing to use for time-outs (thanks to Beth). You don't have to worry about a safe place to put them because they'll be in a netted prison (ha!) and you won't have to train them to sit on a specific chair. And, importantly for me, you won't have to say the dreaded "go to your room." I really don't want to put P or E in their rooms for punishment unless it absolutely has to be done that way. I remember hating my room because it was a place for punishment rather than comfort - I don't want my kids to feel the same way. I also got to the point where I was scared of my room...not sure if an over-active imagination had something to do with it, though.

-The re-introduction to "1-2-3 Magic" from memory and then Susan told me her pediatrician recommended it. My sis-in-law Denise used it and it really worked! I started it a bit with P and it seems to be going well.

-Pick a few things that are rules of the house, but don't be overwhelming. Around three is good...and, you'll realize just how good of a parent you are! For me, eating her 3 squares at home happens at the table (and can be at the picnic table if I am asked before the food comes out to the table), no hitting baby brother or the dogs, and we are working on #3. Right now it is that she has to treat her books with respect and not rip the pages. She has destroyed around 5 of her books and I don't like that.

-Brushing her teeth and baths are not negotiable.

-And, last but not least, here are some words from George Carlin just because he has always made me laugh...just ask me what PF means....

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Forgot to mention

We totally ruled the kickball game on Tuesday...if you consider losing 14 to 3 ruling.

A note from one of our fearless leaders:

"another stellar performance.
final score.
somethin' like 17-3.
3!!! - amazing.

there were some great pegs.
especially a bullet fired at tiny blonde woman.
she almost cried. ha!
and some great attempts/failures. lasik.
even some hot, cross-team, same sex molesting at 3rd.
buff played almost every position at once.
but next time it better be ALL positions, ALL the time.
and some guy pegged me in the back of the head.
as I tried to turn a single into a triple.
I fell and ate grass.
he will be hearing from my lawyer.
we also need to practice the "human shield" technique.
pioneered by pete. very funny.

statues = also funny.

next game we want to incorporate something new.
shanes idea. the "all play".
when the other team kicks it in field.
EVERYONE runs to it.
we let it hit the ground.
and then just kick it back and forth to eachother.
like little kids playing soccer.
it'd be best if we moved like a cluster of morons.

good game.
ask kristin what "pegging" really means.
j."

I would like to mention Susan's stellar performance. The ball was kicked in her general direction an abundance of times and her ability to miss catching the actual ball, but running after it, did not faulter. She was an outfield guru for a girl and the MVP in Nitwits team standards. I can only be jealous of what she can do to a red rubber ball. I mean kicking it, you perves.

What's for dinner...or not....

I am so happy to have my mommies group - a group of women who understand exactly what I am going through, understand what I complain about and all around just "get it" because we all have one HUGE thing in common: our children. We are all at the same place in the most major, life-changing, whirlwind, exciting, strenuous, stressful, fearful time of our lives. A time when, at least for me, I need more support than ever. And, I don't mean someone to watch my kids, I mean someone who cares how my morning was, what books I am reading, how I am choosing to discipline my children...without passing judgement, and someone who just is there to make me smile. All of the girls in my group do just that, and I hope I do that for them, too.

I am also learning about food...one of my very favorite things. Susan and Heather gave me pointers on some great peanut butter pasta and bean dip. Easy, good for you food that I won't feel guilty feeding my child. Beth, who was pondering culinary school (I am pretty sure I remember that correctly), made this incredible banana cake that I need to get the recipe for. Also, she had some of us over last year for a Mary Kay party and made some sort of delicious french toast casserole. We were all going back for seconds because it was awesome and low-fat to boot. I ask for recipes or how-tos all the time, but who better to ask than women like myself who have similar taste in food and need to feed a family.

I recently bought a vegan cookbook and am looking forward to trying a few dishes from it. The best part is that I won't have to look for substitutions for dairy because vegans don't eat dairy. yeah! The book has some great information written up front that explains why vegan, what vegan and things that seem vegan and are not. After reading it, I certainly could never be vegan because I enjoy some of the foods not included in a vegan diet. They don't eat such things as honey or even wine! What? It kind of grossed me out to read that wine could be fined using blood, bone, chitin, egg, albumin, fish oil, gelatine, isinglass, marrow or milk. Now, if you are like me you are wondering what the heck chitin and isinglass are. Be ready with your own version of an airplane barf bag....

Chitin: rigid part of insects and crustacea (I think I have read that on a label before, not sure, but it sure sounds revolting)

Isinglass: pure form of gelatin, obtained from the air bladder of freshwater fish.

Oh, and here is one for fun:

Rennet: extract of CALF stomach, yes, baby cow...wtf? I guess, though, this substance may be non-animal derived, just check with the manufacturer.

Groddy to the max!! Fer sure.

Now, even though I do eat meat and meat by-products, I do not agree with inhumane treatment of animals. And, if it wasn't so gosh darn expensive I would only by free-range meat. Just like it is suppose to be. Not pinned up animals that can't move or walk because they have no room to live. Their poor little existance is to feed the machines...and think of all the meat we waste, too. I recently just threw out turkey we didn't finish up! That was some little bird's breast. Okay, I won't go there...

Anyhow, I am super excited to try to make new, healthy things. I really want my little babes to grow up making smart food choices and having an understanding of all the great foods and recipes out there. Yeah, sure, chicken nuggets and fries are also on my list at times. :)

Baby Mine

Ethan turned 5 months old today. I had so many lovely words written about him and a silly story about how he hit himself in the head with a rattle and cried, but alas, darling daughter made a sneak attack on me and grabbed the mouse before I even realized what happened. My whole entry was deleted. So, here are some pictures:



One thing I do want to mention is that the swing above can't swing him anymore. It can hold him because of his length, but he is too heavy (at 5 months old) for it to actually sway him back and forth. I have tried different positions, different speeds...my baby is too heavy for a baby swing! ha! He's just a big boy.

And, here is the little shit - can't you just see it in her face? Trouble I tell ya, trouble....

Oh, darling daughter

I was on the phone with my mom this morning to tell her George Carlin died. My parents were on the road home from their Florida vacation, and I felt this information was worthy of an immediate phone call due to the fact my dad was a fan and we had seen the George a couple of times. As I was giving the information to my mother, P decided it was time to scream bloody murder about not having any juice. I think in P's little head she believes I cannot hear her when I am on the phone. Hence, the need to scream at the top of her lungs. My mom just laughed on the other end and asked if that was "her." No, it was me. I studied a bit of vantrilaquism while you were on vaca...what? Yes, that was her. Her in her glory as of late. P doesn't seem to do too much nowadays without her accomplice: loud, obnoxious, sometimes can launch a surprise attack scream. She even did it to me at the library during storytime. She wanted me to jump on the carpet with all of the other pint-sized humans who I could have crushed with one wrong landing. I kept mouthing "no, no, watch the teacher. The carpet is for kids, not mommies." As I tried to reason with her, a mommy sat right down on the carpet I said was "No Mommies Allowed" and just smiled and cooed at her daughter. I wanted to smack her for ruining the little facade of a rule I created to keep my darling angel from erupting into something louder than the Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture.

Well, it happened, as I anticipated "MOMMY, SIT HERE, NOW!" wtf? I was so embarressed and so, just, well, pissed. But, I just smiled and sweetly told my spicy pumpkin muffin that mommy was staying put, in so many words. The other mommies just looked at me with smiles as if they understood my plight, and if I was at a Blackjack table I would have bet it all because I knew they did. P just ended up smiling at me and turned around to wait for the next story or poem the librarian had in store to entertain her. The wee ones around her did the same and acted as if what P did was perfectly acceptable behavoir...probably because they just did the same thing to their mommy or daddy and were planning to do it again real soon.

Currently, I am cringing because my volcano is about to erupt in her nursery. She has been throwing a fit because I want her to nap and she wants me to rock her more or give her more water. No. End of story. Just lay your peanut head down and rest for an hour...or four...and give mommy some much needed time to recoup from your morning frenziness that about put her over the edge - and is keeping your baby brother from getting a good nap because he cannot sleep through your yelly yelliness.

I've got the music in me

Last night we went to friend Daryl's for a cookout. John and Geni and D's friends Doug and Dorothy were there with their two boys. One of the boys is 2 and P got along with him famously. I watched the two of them play together and was in super awe of how much P has changed since turning 2. She has blossomed into this little girl with imagination, daring, love of music and laughter, and bossiness. I don't really think she is trying to be bossy, she just knows what she wants and what she wants to do. She'll either do it on her own or try to get you to do it for her. I noticed she loved having little J (Dorothy's boy) do what she said. Of course, he is so young and she is so young that they really should only be parallel playing, and they were, but I noticed P kind of bossing him around...just a touch. :)

Peyton grabbed bamboo sticks from the yard that D put there to mark where the mole holes were so little ankles wouldn't get broken. P immediately made them her musical instruments and began singing the Jack and Jill song with Little J that she learned at We Joy Sing. She kept interchanging the sticks - sometimes J was allowed to have one stick, sometimes two, but she had to be the one singing and starting the song. It was not at all obnoxious...to me it was really cute and showed me some leadership qualities on P's part.

I have had her going to music class since she was 9 months old. She has primarily gone to We Joy Sing, but I just finished up Music Together with her about 3 weeks ago. From what I have read, music is an excellent way to help brain development in children. It enhances their memory, helps them learn how to count, recognize rhythm and melody, gets them interested in music and musical instruments, creates a sense of commoradory with their fellow students, teaches them patience and social skills. I am so impressed with these music classes and the things P has learned - not just songs, but abilities as in sitting still and being patient, listening to me when I tell her something, appreciating sounds and songs and the funnest part - listening to her bust out in song or sing along to music at home or in the car. She can sing a lot of songs from start to finish. And, some of them aren't just repetitive verses or nursery rhymes. I know this is from her classes and from me singing to her and keeping music in her life.

I love music and have always loved singing. I told hubby the other day that I wished I had someone push me harder when I was younger. I had a professor say I should go on with vocal lessons, but I didn't take her seriously...probably because I never had anyone really help me realize the opportunities I could have had as a singer. Now, I am not talking American Idol crap, or pop singing, but maybe Opera or a great chorale group or something. I am not expecting P to make music a career or anything. I just want her to appreciate it, be interested in it and maybe take that interest further than just listening to the radio or her iPod.

Princess? Awe

Last night hubby and I went out to dinner for our *gulp* 6 year anniversary. Six years, 2 dogs and 2 kids later, wow? Well, we made it over the 5 year slump...even with all my neurosis. I can be quite difficult, a slob, over-eater and have a firey temper, and when you wrap all of that into one package you have a challenge. Luckily, my hubby thinks my good qualities far outweigh my bad, and for that I know why we have made it this far. I remember when we told my parents we were getting married. My dad asked hubby if he knew what he was getting into. Hubby politely said "yes," but he really didn't...whew, he really, really didn't. Our first year of marriage was like the stormy seas - the waters start churning, the skies get dark, the water gets rough and then enormous rolling waves come toppling over one another. Your chance of survival on this type of water is slim. Think of that last breath-taking scene in The Perfect Storm...how scary was that when the ship sank? Now, imagine me as the stormy sea. I have gotten so much better and would now consider myself a minor tropical storm.

I have been complaining about customer service lately, and I told hubby last night that if our service was poor I was going to say something. He said, "please don't, and please don't fight with me tonight." awwe. I felt so bad and made it a point to behave myself. Of course, complaining at the restaurant we went to last night probably doesn't happen often. We went to The Refectory. It was awesome. The service was impeccable, the food was phenominal and the wine pairing was perfect. Our server was very knowlegeable about all of the dishes and sympathetic towards my (son's) allergy to dairy and was on top of recommending dishes that were dairy-free. He brought a few glasses of wine from the restaurant's earlier wine tasting for us try. It was so funny to see hubby's face after he took a sip. He HATES the taste of wine, beer, and alcohol - it has to be highly diluted by bloody mary mix or hidden in a good margharita. That makes me sad because my tour of the Nappa Valley one day will not be with him...unless they do a green tea tour as well.

We made our reservations for 8:30p so Ethan would already be asleep and Peyton would be shortly to slumber thereafter. Daryl watched her and put her bed. When I came downstairs all dressed up Peyton said "Mommy is a princess." It was so freakin' cute. I asked hubby if he told her to say that and he said he did not, that she said that on her own. I can't believe my two year old is saying things like that! And, I need to dress up more often to get those lovely compliments. :) I am starting to feel better about myself because I like my new haircut, have dropped a few pounds and am getting more active again. Only 15 more pounds to go. I am taking it slow so it stays off. I really want to get back into my smaller sized Lucky jeans again.

When we got home Daryl happily told us everything went well. Ethan didn't make a peep and P didn't cry for long after we left. Daryl said she got her a tissue for her tears and wiped her face. P, I guess, held out her finger and told Daryl to wipe the tear off of her finger and then wanted to keep the tissue...but, we don't know where that tissue went. I think the dogs probably ate it.

Teeth!?

I was letting Ethan chew on my hand yesterday and felt something hard. I thought he had a piece of plastic in his mouth or something from a toy he had been chewing on...or possibly, but thought NOWAY, a tooth. Well, I put my finger in there and fished around his bottom gums and low and behold there is was: a razor sharp, hard, forcing its way out of his gums tooth! I looked in and saw it in all its glory, along with #2 right beside it racing to get out first. WHAT?! My darling is only 4 months (well, almost 5 month) old! Is this possible? P didn't get her first tooth until she was 9 months old. She was mastering all her brain skills first and the physical development came later...which, I suspect, will be the opposite with Ethan.

I should have known because he started biting me when he nursed a few weeks ago and has been drooling and putting things in his mouth constantly. But, from what I read, babies aren't necessarily teething when they begin doing all of those things...it is merely developmental. I thought the constant jamming of fists and fingers into his pie hole meant he was learning to sooth himself. I figured no paci = fingers or fist or blanket or whatever was around that was safe and could be chewed on and drooled on to death. Well, I was wrong. And, I was wrong to assume that he would do things similarly to how P did things. Wrong, Wrong, wring my neck for thinking so.

Ethan is his own unique baby self that will do what he is ready to do when he is ready to do it. I need to remember he is not the same baby P was...we were smacked in the face with that when he was born with a penis and a full head of dark brown hair. I like to call he and P my yin and yang babies. Figuring out which child is the yin and which child is the yang will take some time, but I have my suspicions.

Mom's Night Out

Mom's Night Out was a great idea, proposed by Jo, that the girls in my mommies group latched onto. One night out a month for us, as women, as adults, as something other than just a mom, was eaten up by everyone in the group. It seems to be a time when we really connect and enjoy each other's conversations uninterrupted by "I want snacks" or "get me down" or some sort of crying or demanding from a person 1/4 our size. We get to talk about our ideas, thoughts, dreams and just get to know each other...and, of course, laugh and be silly. Hence "Best Time Ever" photo #1:


This was taken at the Happy Greek in the Short North. I believe Ethan was two months old when I braved leaving him alone for the first time. It was kind of scary for me and I was concerned the whole time about hubby and if he could handle the responsibility of two children by himself...one being a newborn at that. I had a lot of fun with the girls and laughed most of the night. We never have a loss of laughter in our group...cuz we are all just that cool and funny.

Our night out is the third Wednesday of each month. A week out we start the email banter writing about where we want to go or do. Typically we are all in for trying a new place for dinner. I think having a low key night with a cocktail, good food and good company is the ticket for all of us to have a good time. Last night was proof of that. We went to Black Creek Bistro on Parsons. It is a fairly new place where the owner serves food that his family grows and slaughters on their farm in Pataskala. They had a nice selection of wines and cocktails, and the menu had a decent variety of dishes to suite each individual taste. I, of course, was very limited due to the fact I cannot eat dairy. We were able to celebrate Susan's birthday, which is actually today, and send off Amanda as she and Vincent are moving to Indiana this weekend. We'll miss them.

Beth was CRAcking me UP. Two martinis made that girl a stand-up routine. She was so darn funny...and I am not sure if she was trying to be the whole time or if I was a little tipsy myself. "Best Time Ever" #2:


Birthday girl was mad at me because I took this one with her mouth full of Lamb Lollipop (does that also come in Johnny Depp?)...


Ethan gave her a present at mommies group that morning. Let's just say if he was a super hero his name would be Spit-Up Man and where he spit up clearly shows us he will not be gay.

And, last, but not least, our special send off picture to always remember Amanda by...I think this is a really good picture of her, but she just laughed at it because she was giving the camera cooky...

Attack of the baby!!!

I laid out the blanket and put Ethan on it to roll around and play. P came in and plopped down beside him because she likes to tickle him and be silly. Well, today Ethan played back with her. It was like a baby attack and P loved it, but didn't quite know what to do when he rolled over. I thought he may be trying to roll onto his belly, but I think he was genuinely playing. I had to get a video of it. Ethan is 4 and 1/2 months old and P is 2 years old.

Of course, then P got too rough and kept pushing him in the head. He laughed, but I could see her getting rougher and rougher. It was a little too much for an over-protective mother to handle.

The blanket they are laying on was Shane's when he was a baby. His Aunt Mimi or Nana knitted it for him, and I can't remember which one. Unfortunately since Sheilah is gone, I don't know who would have that information. Maybe Aunt Ronnie or Judy, but they were busy with their own kids at the time. hmmmmmm.....

Kickball

We had our first game of kickball last night. I really suck. Wow, I really, really suck....but, so does everyone else for the most part which makes me feel not so bad. ha! Our team name is The Nitwits. Our color is pink, we peg for outs, our aim is to lose, and when we get in the outfield I think we make sarcastic comments more than actually play the game. Our time in the outfield is surely a show because there is always something going on, whether it be Big Jilm yelling obscure coaching strategies, Geni doing the ball dance or John and Shane picking on everyone...we have it all. It is a circus...where's the tent. Of course, I can't help to get involved with all the antics. That is just my personality. I am as ridiculous as the next person - it is just hidden under a mommy costume and a calloused wall created by the horrible tortures of a job I quit long ago.

A few of the funny things that happened last night:

-an easy fly came my way. I freaked out, let it fall between my hands, closed my knees to stop it as it bounced right through my legs and further outfield.
-Leigh went to catch the ball and did a move the Globtrotters would be proud of. The ball went right around her neck and down her arm. Priceless.
-Bridgette fell off the wall and ran into traffic trying to get the ball. This was funny to watch, but not funny at all because she hurt her wrist.

My, my. We are surely a circus act. ha! I need to get some of this on video.

P and E went with me. P had a hard time when I went out to play. She cried and cried and didn't understand why she couldn't come. It made my heart melt - especially seeing her sit there with her stuffed Big Bird that is as big as she is. Daryl was watching her,E and the Hazelett girls.

This is what makes the game so fun...from one our fearless leaders: JohnnyLung writes:

"great.
game.
all.

things we did awesome:
peg'd fools.
kick'd balls hard.
kept'd running.
lost'd fantastically.

things we need to improve:
less doubleplays.
more sliding, buff.
not keep the game so close. (we lost 17-2)
less stealing catches from teenagers, kaleb.
more yelling and tomfoolery.
pay more for parking.

am I missing anything?

just a thought.
we did this one game.
maybe for the first kick of the other team.
during the first inning.
of every game.
no one moves.
we all stand still.
and let the ball drop.
and they just run.
confused."