Boohoo at the Zoo

This year, we named our visit to the Halloween event at the zoo "Boohoo at the Zoo." Take a look:

Poor K - her mommy wouldn't wait in an obnoxiously long line for a Tootsie Roll midget.

Then we all cried....

Doggie doo doo

My son and I have such fun conversations...about poo....

We just dropped P off at preschool and had to go pick up our eggs (we get them farm fresh from a friend). This is the conversation we had on the way there:

bubbies out of nowhere: "Mom, there is dog poop on the road."

Some of his speech is still indiscernable, and I generally have to repeat what he says to see if I got it right.

I respond: "Did you see dog poop on the road?"

bubbies: "Yes, over dere" "Loki put it dere"

Loki is our dog.

I respond: "Oh, do you think she ran all the way down here to poo?"

bubbies: "yes!"

silence for a bit

bubbies: "so did daddy"

Keep Our Library Strong

The Columbus Metropolitan Library needs our votes this year. Their 10 year levy has come up, and if it doesn't pass it means the library loses a ridiculous amount of funding. Ridiculous amount of funding meaning almost 40% of what the library is currently operating with (and they are still experiencing cutbacks!):

Some branches will close.
Employees will lose their jobs.
A decrease in services (job search, homework help, internet access, and most importantly BOOKS)

Let's vote "YES" on Issue 4....if not for us, for our children. For more information, go here: http://www.keepcmlstrong.org/

Leg pain

My darling P was up last night with leg pain. This is probably the 4th time it has happened, and it was far worse than any time before. She goes to bed just fine and then about one in the morning is crying and saying her legs hurt. It breaks my heart. Last night she just kept saying "mommy, mommy! Mommy, make it go away! It hurts! It hurts!" Generally she falls back asleep within 10 minutes, but last night it took her 45 minutes.

I kept massaging her legs and applying pressure hoping it would help the pain go away; we tried offering a heating pad, but NOWAY was she putting it on her legs; and, I tried to get her to take Motrin. She was scared and in pain, and didn't want anything but for me to hold her. It was so sad and I felt so helpless.

When I took P in for her preschool check-up I spoke with her pediatrician about it (again). This is the third time I have spoken with him or a nurse, and they keep telling me it is what is referred to as "growing pains" and nothing more. I was scared it was arthritis or some other form of disease that has similar symptoms, but it isn't. She doesn't have warm joints, redness, or rashes - just pain. Hubby said he had leg pain all through childhood and remembers it. He said his mom would just rub his legs until he fell back asleep - which is just how it happened in our house.

I am finding correlations as to what happened during the day and the leg pain at night, as follows:

1. She doesn't drink enough water during the day. My pediatrician said it is very important for growing children to stay well hydrated.

2. Lots of activity that requires her to be on her feet. Yesterday we went to the park and she ran around with her buddy on the soccer field for a long time. The day before she was at a park with her friend and they were climbing on everything for a few hours and I took them on a hike. I am thinking that the day after all the climbing and hiking, I should have let her rest instead of running around...but, who knows? The leg pain happens too randomly for me to tell at this point.

3. She complains during the day that her legs are tired and she wants me to carry her. I really need to listen to those complaints - they may be indicators that the leg pain will happen.

For right now, I am just going to do my best to keep her hydrated and to let her rest when she needs it. I need to listen when she says she is tired, and give her the benefit of the doubt that she isn't just being "P." :)

Leeds Farm - an October Tradition

Hubby, Papa, and I took the kids to Leeds Farm and I did a write-up for Kidslinked this year, and in 2009 on my cBus mom blog highlighting our experience. Hubby and I have decided to make visiting Leeds an October tradition - we have so much fun and the kids love it. It is a great fun family day on the farm (say that 10 times fast)...

I want my diaper

My son will never go in the potty. I am at that point of distress over the situation. He cried this morning for five minutes to have a diaper put on instead of his Diego pull ups. Sure, he'll wear underwear...and then pee in them and not even care. If I don't notice the pee, he could probably go all day with wet stinky clothes and never say a word about it.

He sits on the potty before bath time and usually does a good job, but I have to make him sit there. He'd much rather sit in the tub and pee, and then drink the water. I know, gross, and it is almost as if bath water full of pee and soap is a delicacy the way he slurps it down.

He is 2 and 1/2 years old, and I need to keep telling myself that it took P until she was 3 and 1/2 to not go in her pants. If he follows suit with his sister it will be one more year of torture, but then it'll be smooth sailing. What I mean by that is: rarely any accidents and no overnight accidents. P has only wet the bed twice since diapers...hopefully bubbies won't be a bed wetter, either. I guess I'll deal with the extra time if it means no middle of the night wake up calls to clean up pee. Just trying to look at the bright side....ergh.

Queen Anne's Lace

Painting with the Whip

We painted with cool whip this weekend. Talk about fun! My gorgie friend over at Travels with Pirates hosted a birthday lunch for her hubby's 40th. The kids were instructed to make portraits of the "Cap'n," and this is the way it went:

Peeing in privacy is overrated

Ever since I've had children I don't do much alone, that includes going to the bathroom. I haven't peed without an audience in four years. When they were young babies I had found a way to either hold them or have them in their walker right outside the door - I guess it is my fault.

Now, when I go to the bathroom and try to shut the door this is what I hear:

-the knob turning as my 2 year tries to figure out how to open the door
-knocking
-endless questions: "Mommy, what are you doing in there?;" "Mommy, can I come in?;" "Mommy, are you pooping?;" "Mommy, I want a snack!"

My response to all of this: "Mommy needs a little privacy. I'll be out in just a sec." Then it starts all over again: the knocking, the trying to open the door, and the endless questions. I am really popular at home - they just can't live without me. Perhaps I should start wearing diapers so I never have to take a break to pee. I'd be able to grab them a snack and juice box and never visit the toilet.

Well, the latest had me in stitches. I was in the potty, and I hear them playing nicely. They had moved the train track to right outside the bathroom door, obviously the beautiful Thomas the Train train table that my husband got for them should have been installed in the shitter.

Bug Bites! Ack!

My darling P gets gigantic, swollen, almost-boil-like bite marks from mosquitoes. The first time I saw the area where a bug bit her I freaked out. I thought she had the mumps or the bubonic plague. Luckily, that same day I noticed the big bumps we had an appointment for E at the pediatrician's office. I was going to see if the doc noticed her bumps when he saw her, because if he did then I would know it was a problem. I was trying really hard not to be *that* mom who overreacts and makes a second appointment to have her seen too...I mean, over swollen bug bites, it seemed shameful. Well, I didn't have to wait until he noticed because P immediately said "Dr. F look at my HEEEUUUUGGGGe butt bites." I chuckled to myself. Our doc is always so lovely with the kiddies, he just responded "Oh my, those are big bites." Not at all concerned, so I am not concerned....well, I was and still get the iggle jiggles when she gets them, but I feel comfortable with just smearing on some over-the-counter medication to sooth her itchiness.

Today, however, I think I may give her some Benedryl before bed as suggested by my friend Heather. I took some pics (below) of my sweetie to show why Heather and I discussed Benedryl. Her eyelid above her right eye is really swollen, under her left eye on her cheek is swollen, her neck has a huge red inflamed area, and the bites all over her arms are totally swollen.

She brought the swollen bumps home from her visit to Michigan with my parents and my brother's family. She, E, and my niece were jumping on the trampoline later in the day when the squeeties come out. P said Aunt Niecie sprayed her down with bug spray, obviously Denise didn't want to spray her face - and that is where she is most swollen. P also commented on how Grammies kept complaining about getting butt bites. hahahaha!

Anyhow - here are some pics to prove I am not overreacting:

I told her to look serious into the camera. Not her fave thing to do. She'd rather pose.

That is NOT her elbow. It is so swollen it looks like a bend in her arm here!

Cute - even when swollen with a boxer's eye.

First Kid-Free Weekend

I have never been away from both of my kids for more than a few hours at a time. A whole weekend without the both of them is pure insanity. Did I think I'd really be okay with this? I know, I know, it is only two days, but that is a long time. The thing is, I need this weekend to myself. I need a reset and there is a ton of stuff on my list that needs to be crossed off.

So, cheers to being productive.

This pic was taken in Honolulu, Hawaii - why can't my weekend away from the kids be here? ha! ha!

Selling Bras

I have been cracking up at my kids lately. They keep doing and saying the funniest things! My latest example:

I pulled out a white wash from the dryer and took it upstairs to fold. Generally, the biggest things such as shirts or pants get folded first and everything else gets put in the basket until its turn. Well, I thought I was pulling out a shirt -it was actually one of my big ol' nursing bras. I announced that I needed to get rid of it because I stopped nursing a year ago, handed the bra to P and said "throw this in the trash." Then I realized that someone may benefit from the big ol' nursing bra and asked her to just to put it down, that I'd put in a pile for donation. (I don't like donating unders, but nursing bras are so essential and can be expensive).

P put it down and then announced the following:

"I know! We can have a sale for your bra. We can sell your boobies!"

I laughed so hard and replied that it was a great idea, but who'd buy it?

"well...ladies that need boobies!"

My little sales woman needed a pitch, so I asked her what her sales pitch would be and she said "what's a sales pitch?" I explained it to her and asked her to come up with something that'd make me want to buy that bra from her.

She put "my boobies" on, held her yarn dolly up as if it was her partner in the sale, and said:

"Please buy these boobies." (with a hair twist)

To Irish Dance Or NOT To Irish Dance

I enrolled P in Irish Dance camp this summer in hopes that she would love it. She seems to have the desire to dance, and when she makes up her own "moves" they always remind me of what I have seen in Irish or Scottish Ceili dances. Well, she didn't like it so much. She said it was too "tappy." Whatever that means. Maybe next year we'll revisit it.

I do have to mention that she went everyday and did not complain. The camp was Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30a - 11:30a. They learned to dance a reel and a light jig for a type of Ceili dancing (Ceili means group dancing) and a bridge dance. She did a craft each day and had a snack which I packed for her. I thought she was enjoying it, but the last day when I mentioned we could register for more classes, she vehemently said "noway."

E and I both got to come into the dance room to watch what the children had learned. Experienced Irish dancers enter the stage flat-footed, but the children wanted their moms, dads, and grandmas to see that they could walk on their tippy toes, and so they did. They walked out and then lined up in a straight line facing us. P was so serious and I could tell she really wanted to show mama and brother what she had learned. She was definitely one of the youngest in the group and some of the children had been taking lessons, so I didn't expect her to dance similarly to the rest of the dancers. She did her counts well and her body posture was terrific. When the music started she got a huge smile across her face and just beamed like the sun. Luckily, I videotaped it because I cried the whole time (I am a boob) and couldn't really watch her. Plus I had a two year old climbing in and out of my lap.

She informed me the stance in that picture was "Heel to toe. Shoulders back."

Hubby texts me.

I received a text from hubby that read:

P: E got his slippers wet. Dammit

E: Dammit

I replied "What?" and hubby wrote That is what your kids just said. P is 4 and E is 2.

I think they are sharing that word with their buddies. A couple of my friends have said their children use that word, and they always have to turn their heads to laugh when it happens. I'll admit it, I laughed when I read through that text message.

Reversible Change

Hubby was taking my kids to run errands. They were walking out from the house to the car and hubby asks P "Why is it colder in the house than it is outside?" He asked for no reason - that is what my husband does, just talks about stuff. Interesting stuff, ideas and such.

My P answers "reversible change!" out of nowhere. Hubby laughed in surprise and told her she was correct. She is 4 and already smarter than her mom. I had to ask what reversible change was, and then had to look it up to be sure I understood it (really isn't that difficult). In case you do not know what reversible change is and would like to teach your child, here is a fun site: BBC KS2 Bitesize.

And back to my husband and all his "idea talk." He says that there are 3 types of people:

1. People who talk about people.
2. People who talk about things.
3. People who talk about ideas.

He says he wants to be a person who talks about ideas...and he is. He is pretty cool - and let's me have it when I complain about people. He'll tell me I am being catty or gossipy or just won't listen. Or this is the best question he asks me "why don't you just tell them instead of complaining about it?!" I say, "you don't know women very well, do you?"

A Happy Meal and a Costume?

Favorite words

I have compiled a list of words that my children currently love to use. Now, I certainly *never* say such things, well, uhm...yeah (uncomfortable silence). Well, if I do use these words it is only because they are fun to say, which is why I am never too hard on the silly experimental words (the ones your kids test out to see how you'll react?). But, I do have soap and vinegar on hand for the words that cannot be named.

The word "poopy" makes a debut at least twice a day, which is better than it was. My daughter was using "poopy" as an adjective for just about everything about three weeks ago. I actually wrote a post about it on the late Ohio Moms Blog - go HERE if you want to read it.
Here are some of the silly experimental words (of course, all used in name-calling or adjectives for each other or cars):

• booty butt
• poopy
• poopy butt
• booty
• stinky
• stupid

I am adding "dammit" to the list. It is quickly becoming popular! ugh.

Am I pretty?

Latest quarrel between P and one of her good friends was about who was prettiest. P said to me "I am at LEAST as pretty as Becca is! She said I was just kind of pretty!" They are 4 and why are they bothering me with this silly fight? Well, I am glad they did because any chance I can jump on the beauty comes from the inside train, I am on it.

I sat them both down and explained that they were both beautiful and pretty to me, but what really makes a girl pretty is how kind and loving she is to people around her. I went on to say that pretty girls treat their friends with respect and love and that they share their toys with them and say nice things. Then I put the ball in their court and asked what else they thought made someone pretty, and they really astounded me. P said being nice to friends and giving them a hug would make her feel pretty. Becca said sharing her toys would make her feel pretty. Both pretty awesome responses for four year olds. I don't know if they are really "getting it," but I am trying to build a strong foundation of self confidence, for they are both sensitive souls and will feel heartache when they go to school.

My mom was a kindergarten teacher for over 30 years and can tell you some doozies. Girls can be mean even at 5 and 6 - I say let's try to nip it in the bud now. Not so much their actions towards individual children because that is more about right and wrong, but how they will process what someone says to them or if they are treated poorly. That worries me. Mommy won't be there to say "chin up." No one should have the power to make another person feel unworthy, and kids do it all the time. I felt unworthy much of my young life because I was fat. I got teased, pushed, punched, and it sucked ass. Once I got into high school I lost a ton of weight and became a cheerleader. I don't think I did the cheerleading thing for myself, though, I think it was more of a kiss my ass maneuver to all the buttholes that teased me throughout middle school.

I know I never felt right about fighting back. I did *once* and got in trouble. I stuck my middle finger up at a girl who kept calling me "fatso." The bus driver saw me and I got pulled into the principal's office. heehee - I still love my middle finger. Lots of drivers see it all the time.

Anyhow, I just hope I am setting a good example about beauty for my daughter and I don't want her to be obsessed with looks. That's all. Yes, and that easy. AS IF. I *am* a woman (I have my own vanity to deal with).

Franklin County Fair

Since P was 8 months old, one day a week has been reserved for "Buddy Day." I was originally invited by my friend Beth to join her mommies group, which was just starting out and consisted mainly of the women she went to church with and a couple of girls she met online (I think). I feel so smart to having said yes when she invited me to be a part of the group, because that mommies group has become a major part of my life. I am so fortunate to have such a bounty of love and support from women who I never knew existed pre-babies. I have found friendships that are incredibly honest and sincere - lucky me! That old quote "friends are the family you get to choose" is not cliche to me.

Anyhow, we meet up each Friday for Friday Fun Day. Our latest was an outing to the Franklin County Fair. It was a small fair, which happens to be the type of fair I prefer. I don't feel as if I missed seeing anything and got out spending less than $50 for the day (fair food, games, rides - it adds up!). We watched the turkeys pant in the heat, saw some 4-H members show llamas, pat the bunnies, smelled the pigs, and saw a chicken lay an egg. After that we got lemonades and let the kids play a little game hosted by a woman who called herself "Walmart of the Fair." It was hotter than Satan's breath that day and we grabbed a picnic table in the shade to have lunch. The kids were acting crazy which spawned a conversation between the moms about sneaking vodka in by way of water bottles to add to a freshly squeezed lemon shake-up. Oh the sweet tantalizing day dream of a cocktail (or liquid patience as I like to call it) on a hot summer day to help mommy smile while she gets her kids in line. Then the squeal of reality set in as we realized it was time to move on to another activity before the kids got themselves into consecutive timeouts.

We excitedly found the ticket booth for rides and bought enough tickets for our little thrill seekers to ride each one once. Timing was perfect for seeing a show directly after the last ride - a silly magician/juggler guy who had to do his bit in direct sun. You think it is hard to get someone to laugh in air conditioning? This poor guy was probably wearing SPF 70 and barely got a nod from the adults. Then time to go home! Here's our day in pictures....

Griffin being kissed by a bunny.

I didn't know turkeys panted to cool themselves!

Kendall and bubbies loving a baby goat.

I should have gotten a picture of our girl "Walmart at the Fair."

Oh yeah. Lemon Shake Up.

Giving a nice carnie their tickets.

Tom is a race car driver. (Think Primus)

The wave runner of doom. My kids loved it.

My favorite color and favorite berry

Blueberry season! Hubby and I were so excited to read that blueberries were ready to be picked and that we could go and pick the berries ourselves. My hubby and kids love berries: blue, rasp, straw, black, service - you name it, they'll eat it. Me - I get most excited over blueberries. Those little dark blue buttons of sweet and sometimes tart juicy goodness are wickedly habit-forming.
Hubby and I went blueberry picking with my SIL in Michigan a few years ago. We thought that Michigan was blueberry central, and yes, their blueberries are terrific, but Ohio has some great berry farms as well. My family and friends are the perfect example of just how delicious Ohio blueberries are - we went picking twice in one week. I don't think I've ever eaten so many berries in my life and felt as if I was turning into a regular Violet Beauregarde. The Blueberry Patch was our blueberry bush vineyard of choice because the farm was close and easy to get to. We had also seen their blueberries offered frozen at the Worthington Farmer's Market after blueberry season commenced and also at various gourmet food markets, such as The Hills Market.
We picked over 12 pounds of berries this year and I turned most of the berries into jam. Since learning how to make jam from my buddy Rachel over at Hounds in the Kitchen, I can't stop. Forget the bread! Homemade jam made from fresh blueberries can be eaten with a spoon. I barely saved some blueberries to eat or freeze for winter months because I was busy boiling jars, boiling fruit, and canning. Trust me, no blueberry or blueberry piece was left...I took my finger and scraped the sides of the jam pan to be certain of it. My mouth loved me.

The most enjoyable part about the blueberry experience was that we spent time together as a family. Hubby and I are so lucky (right now) to have children that are easy to take places and enjoy being with us. I am dreading the days when they will vehemently pass on going blueberry picking because it isn't cool anymore...hopefully that won't happen. And, hopefully they will continue to love my jam...because there is lots of it!

Miss P helped me not only pick and eat the berries, she mashed, stirred, added sugar and smiled the whole time. It was so stinkin' cute, and I believe the jam tastes better because it was made with a little love and adolescence thrown in (Yes. I am a "Like Water for Chocolate" fan).

Some recent pics I like

My heart is full....

My client and good friend AmyD is too much....

Via her blog at: http://madebyamyd.wordpress.com/

Busy Days in the Sweatshop!
June 23, 2010 · 2 Comments

Ready to go!

Yesterday, we shipped out what, in the industry, is called “an assload” of aprons and coffee sleeves to Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton, Ohio. Tell your friends to check them out! The lovely Kristin Marks of @cbusmom fame hooked us up. She’s the official AmyD matchmaker.

Kristin has a way of talking to folks about my stuff that seriously must have some voodoo attached to it. They listen. They check it out. Best business investment I have made to date. PLUS, she’s super nice and foxy and so now I get to see her more.

We (my fantastic team includes Kara Cronley and Heather Gilbert) are making some great new clothes for you to try on and take home this weekend at Comfest! Hopefully, I’ll be next to Open Heart Art Studio again. They have so much fun and really helped me last year as I was a Comfest newbie. Heidi’s dad even went and got change for me in the middle of the day on Saturday! Really, a saint.

My friends are having a baby too! It’s a banner week. I almost feel guilty.

See you this weekend at Comfest!

Sprinkler

Lately I have felt as if my life is running through a sprinkler. No control, mind everywhere, can't focus, trying to find meaning, trying to find a path. I've been pouring over my thoughts, daydreams, and desires in search of a direction. Mostly, though, just getting frustrated because I have so many interests and wants that my mind was spitting out exactly what I was putting in, and nothing was bonding together. It was similar to water going through a sprinkler - feeling the need to get everything done at once and not getting one solid stream of thought - everything flying everywhere. All my thoughts, daydreams, and desires have been sprinkling out all over the place.

I feel as if I can help other people get direction. I feel as if I am supportive and nurturing to others' desires, but what about my own? Where do I fall into the mix? I have put myself on the backburner because I have trouble forming a solid path and direction for myself. I have been trying to play catch up with my blogs, my book idea (that has been sitting in my mind for wayyyy tooo long), my education, and it is so frustrating to me. Well, not anymore. I have finally put my thoughts in one place, organized and filed in my brain (which is a rarity for me, because I am far from being an organized person), and am focusing. I've started writing down my goals to make them a permanent part of my daily thoughts, I've started reflecting on what matters most to me, and most of all, I am getting back to me. It is just a start - and each day I'll get more focused...at least I hope.

Admitting that I need to focus is not a bad thing. I think it is the first step towards my personal growth and eventual success.

Saturday afternoons and birthdays

Susan, Heather and I celebrating Susan's 29th birthday

Saturday afternoons are most enjoyable when spent with wonderful friends drinking *adult* strawberry punch and eating birthday cake.

Raspberries! The berry kind.

I was apprehensive about planting raspberries in our backyard. The bushes have thorns, the birds could possibly eat all the berries, and raspberries really aren't my favorite fruit. Hubby was persistent. He told me that he loved hunting for berries when he was growing up in Rhode Island. He said hunting for raspberries and finding a ripe sweet one was a real treat, and that our children would love them.
Well, that sealed the deal. He is much better at knowing the things my children will love when it comes to entertainment or tomfoolery. It also helped that since I did a ton of work for the Three Sisters Garden, the landscape designer ordered extra organic bushes for me and only charged me half price. I received two summer bearing and two fall bearing bushes, two are reds and two are goldens. I had never seen a golden raspberry before and was excited for the fruit to come on.

The bushes were small, but grew quickly. We even got a number of berries the first year (last year), and this year - whoa!! We have at least 20 ripened berries a day. The kids absolutely love picking them off the bush and eating them. They are allowed to pick ripened berries whenever they want, and it is super cute to watch them search for a good mouth popping candidate. I love that they don't fight with each other over the berries (knocking on wood at this moment), both just get mad at Loki when she eats them first. Yes, my dog loves raspberries as well.
I love how excited hubby gets over picking a handful of berries. He'll come in from outside as if he is ten years old all over again with the plump little fruits in his hand. "You wanna try?" he excitedly asks me. Makes me imagine him as a boy wide-eyed finding his first sweet bounty of the season. I see that same wide-eyed look in my kids' eyes when they pick - and it is a really special moment to me. Guess I am glad hubby was so persistent about those raspberries.