The Year of the Sick

Does the Year of the Sick exist? I know the year of the dog and the year of the rabbit do, but what about a year for all of us who are sick constantly? My children and I have been sick so much that if I worked out of the house I would have used up all of my sick days...and it isn't even the end of February! Coughing, hacking, runny noses, fevers - some high, some low - does it really matter when you feel like crap?, and lots of crankiness have plagued my house for at least 6 out of the 8 weeks of the new year. Suck a duck.

I blame my current illness symptoms on running out of my prenatal vitamin, because I have to blame SOMEONE or SOMETHING, you know. When I finally get around to picking the expensive little purple pills up I am told they have been recalled. What? Then I ask the pharmacist why and she doesn't know. She said it could be packaging, it could be a complaint, it could freaking be anything. Now, that is not cool. I am hyper-sensitive to recalls because we think a hormone that ended up being recalled is reason my MIL got cancer. She was taking one of the hormones in early stages of menopause that ended up being linked to causing ovarian cancer. I haven't done research on this, and I do not remember the name of what she was taking except for the fact that it started with a "P." It was pulled years ago.

Anyhow, the prenatal I was/am taking (I am still nursing my son) is called Primacare. It was the only prenate I could take when I was pregnant with my kids because it didn't make me sick. You can view the recall letters and press releases on their site here: http://www.ther-rx.com/recallInfo.aspx.

Nice, right? I am feeling rather punchy if you can't tell. I am supposed to go to Disney on Ice with "just the girls" - my mom, aunts and cousies - and I am feeling worse than I did when I woke up. Maybe I will just medicate myself so I can go. I really want to see P's face when the show starts.

Curried Peas

The main reason for this post is because my friend Susan asked me to post my recipe for curried peas. I took dinner for bubbies to her house when she had the V-day party, and it seems the curried peas made some mouths water. I am thinking if Susan wants the recipe others may too. I don't know how to put tabs up on my blog, so I am posting the recipe at the end of this entry. You quite possibly have everything in your home to make this delish side dish...and hopefully if you have kids they will like them as much as mine do.

Okay - seriously? Curried peas? Yes, curried peas. I have become addicted to frozen veggies this winter merely because they are cheaper, they don't spoil quickly, they are easy, and most of all - the baby will inhale them. It is an awesome site to see my baby pick broccoli over a cracker. When P was eating table foods as a baby I thought I HAD to feed her fresh veggies only. I went overboard with the whole natural, organic thing and would let food rot in my fridge that she didn't eat because I was worried frozen veggies lost their nutritional value. Well, not so. Actually, frozen veggies are flash frozen to KEEP their nutrition and stay as close to fresh when defrosted as possible. What was I thinking??? I could kick myself because I bet P would be a GREAT veggie eater if I would have given her more of a variety to choose from; and, I can't imagine how much money I would have saved.

I struggle with making the same meals over and over again. If I see my kids eat a meal heartily I will make that meal more than once, twice, sometimes three times a week because "they like it!" Well, as other mommies know, kids are fickle. They may LOVE applesauce for a week and then not touch again for months. Then I am back as square one: trying to figure out good nutritious dishes for the babes that they will eat, I will eat, and possibly the hubby will eat. I try to mix up how I fix meat, eggs or potatoes so the kids will keep stuffing their little faces... even if it is just out of curiousity. I do secret hoorays in my head when P eats two peas. I feel I accomplished "vitamin input."

When P was a baby I bought The Petit Appetite Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler by Lisa Barnes. It is chocked full of delicious, easy dishes that I would never in a million years thought to make. For instance: the curried peas. bubbies not only loves this side dish, he adores it. He even shares them with friends...take a look:

bubbies feeding his buddy Becca

Here's the recipe:

Curry and Herb Peas

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used minced from a jar)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup water
16 ounces fresh or frozen organic peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional - I never use it)

Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat. When foam subsides, add garlic to pan and quickly saute until light brown. Stir in curry powder, cumin, water and peas and simmer until peas are tender and heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, if desired.

Still making me giggle.

Hubby is really a funny guy. He is very sweet and doesn't have a mean bone in his body...unless it involves waking the children or doing something he thinks is stupid...then he can be quite scary.

For instance, a stupid thing AND a waking the children thing:

It is 9 at night and sweet silence is about to enter our home. Hubby and I are getting excited for the last child to lay their head down for the night so we can finally relax and unwind. I am upstairs getting the babies off to dreamland. bubbies has drifted into REMs and P is slowly ready to lay in her bed when the doorbell rings. Mind you, we are not expecting anyone. The doorbell is loud. What is even louder is that the dogs start barking, and if you know anything about mini-schnauzers the one thing you do know is that their bark is shrill and could break glass. I was startled. I kind of just sat in P's rocking chair completely stiff for about 30 seconds wondering if she was going to start crying and need more beddy beddytime attention. She did not. The boy didn't wake up, either. By the grace of the gods, my children didn't nudge.

I put P in bed and just listened before I came down the stairs wondering if I should have a mad face or a happy face (totally depended on who the visitor was). Hubby was in the kitchen shaking his head. I asked him who was at the door. He said:

"Save the children was at the door. I told the guy he JUST WOKE THE CHILDREN and asked him if he realized it was 9 at night in the winter. What the heck are you doing ringing doorbells so late?"

I started laughing. Hubby was genuinely PO'd. I giggled. Hubby finally smiled. It was quite funny. I asked what the guy did. Hubby said he just slumbered off and made the "I dunno" shrug of his shoulders. Quite strange.

For the love of breathing

We are just now getting over being the House of Sick (even though you can't tell by our punchy moods). It has been three weeks of congestion, sniffles, coughing, headaches, sore throats and fevers. We were all full of some sort of cold relief cocktail: Tylenol or Motrin, sinus medication and cough drops. Hubby even stayed home from work because his head was swimming and his throat was on fire.

The children were coughing incessantly (P still is hacking away) and had fevers on and off. They are still dealing with runny noses, but I can totally handle that. The hardest part to handle, besides the moody moodieness and crawling into my bed at 2am, was bubbies began wheezing and laboring for his breath. I am all too familiar with how painful and scary not being able to catch your breath can be because I have had allergy induced asthma since I was a child. The feeling of being suffocated is horrific. I do not want my children going through that, and when I saw bubbies having a hard time breathing I was getting panniky. His little appetite dwindled from the cold, but even with a 105 degree fever he was eating. It wasn't until he started wheezing and laboring for air did he stop eating. He would just take a bite of food and cough, take a bite of food and cough. And, it wasn't a productive cough. That is when I decided to call my pediatrician.

I was literally scared to death that he was going to suffocate in his sleep. The doctor assured me that he would be fine and to just bring him in the next morning if he was still having problems. The next morning happened to be the morning that we got dumped on with snow and even Big Lots! corporate offices were closed...luckily, not my pediatrician's office. bubbies was still having a hard time breathing and I had to take him in. While in the office they did a breathing treatment, which thankfully helped him out. The breathing treatment consisted of using a nebulizer and a face mask. I had to hold the face mask over his nose and mouth for ten minutes and allow him to breath in the albuterol treatment. The medicine comes out in a fine mist the baby had to breath in. It was not fun; it was taxing. The baby cried and screamed, tried to wiggle out of my arms, and tried to take the mask off the whole time. ugh. At home it was MUCH better.

The doc told me some children wheeze when they get colds and it doesn't mean they have or will get asthma. Their wheezing is similar, though, to an asthma attack in that the airways are swollen and air has a hard time passing through. It is not mucus, it is inflammation. Okay, well, okay. Yeah.

They sent me home with a nebulizer and prescription for albuterol to use with it. I administered treatments for two days and was able to stop. I do need to keep the machine and a supply of medication on hand just in case it happens again. Seems like just one more thing with this baby, I swear! God love him.

One thing I didn't consider, and should have...bad mommy...was that I had given the treatments for a full day when P wasn't around. The second day in the morning P came down the stairs and saw bubbies getting a treatment for the first time. She freaked out a little bit. I was very calm and explained it to her. She asked if she would have to do it too and then wanted to wear the fishy mask. I let her decorate the machine for her baby brother with stickers.

Just for fun

I had to do a creative writing exercise for my language arts class. I was surprised when I started doing my assignment because it seemed like the ideas just flowed. I became so "programmed" to think in certain ways at my old PR job or to regurgitate material from textbooks for class that I kind of lost my creative juices. I seriously had a hard time even coming up something to write in a birthday card that was meaningful...it was very, very strange. I guess because business creative is far from creating characters and stories. In business you are given your subject and then you think about your angles and press releases. Free writing is so much harder because you have to create everything yourself.

Anyhow, I wrote a cute little story that I thought I'd share.

Love Potion?

I was so stupid to think I could order love potion online that actually worked. What was I thinking? Three payments of $19.95 was supposed to reward me with the kind of love affair “you only see in movies such as Ghost, Romeo and Juliet, and Titanic.” I completely fell for the worse infomercial that had ever been on late night cable TV. My love life had really been in the gutter, and I had been trying to catch the eye of the bank teller who cashed my check every Friday. He looked just like Johnny Depp and smelled like a mixture of sandlewood and crisp mountain air in the winter. The problem was, he never knew I existed. He never looked up from his desk after he called “next” to the person waiting for a bank transaction. Why did I torture myself? I used to make up excuses to stay in line, which got time consuming and ridiculous. I was late for work twice because I kept taking fake urgent work calls just so I could have him deposit my check. Love potion seemed to make sense, or at least make him look up. I hoped.

The third Wednesday in March the package arrived at my doorstep. My precious vial of what I thought was going to help award me the man of my dreams was packaged in a plain brown box. The label was handwritten and looked as if the person who wrote it certainly had been receiving the AARP magazine for quite some time. The clear packaging tape was sloppily holding the flaps of the box together which made the tape easy to pull off the box. I loathe trying to open packages taped up like Fort Knox, and having my package show up easy to open seemed like foreshadowing that things would work out in my favor.

I stood in my tiny white kitchen, took a deep breath and slowly pulled the tape off the top of my package. White packing peanuts fell promptly onto my counter and I had to keep swatting Betty, my black Persian cat, away from eating them. After fishing around for a few seconds in the sea of Styrofoam I placed my fingers around the smooth glass vial. The vial was blue and shimmered in the light reflecting beautiful rainbow colors. I could see the liquid inside was thick and tar-like. The sound of Betty’s playful meows broke my concentration on the vial and I looked in the box to see if there were instructions. From the box I pulled a sheet of roughly torn notebook paper that had written on it “Drink after breakfast. See the person you want. Prick your finger to draw blood and then touch his/her top right hand with the finger that is bleeding. Be sure to do exactly this or you’ll be sorry. No refunds.” Seemed easy enough, kind of gross, but I thought I could manage it.

Getting through the rest of Wednesday and Thursday seemed to be an eternity. Friday morning came and I woke up smiling. Anticipation and excitement filled my body. I felt warm and giddy. My shower was long and hot with all the at-home spa treatments I could squeeze into an hour. I pulled my hair up and slid into my hippest pair of Lucky blue jeans and Jimmy Choo heels. I felt like a million bucks, and I looked like it too. Looking in the mirror at myself after a nice swipe of red lipstick, I wondered why he never paid attention to me, or any other girl for that matter. Well, not anymore. Hopefully this potion would work and he’d be mine!

I skipped down the hall from my bedroom to the kitchen, kissed Betty and then carefully placed the vial in my purse. Heading to work I hummed a little tune my mom used to sing to me when I was young and let out a little giggle because I couldn’t wait to cash my check. 11:00 AM came quickly that morning. I snatched my check from the boss and ran to the bank. I pricked my finger, got in line. There he was in all of his glory. I started to shake. How on earth was I going to pull this off? But, no way was I going to have second thoughts.

I waited in line, he called my name, I slipped him my check and looked down at my hand to be sure my finger was still bleeding. Calmly I raised my finger as he handed my check back to me and swiped his LEFT hand. Oh no! Oh No! I was scared to see what on earth was going to happen. The note said I would be sorry if I didn’t follow the directions exactly.

I don’t need to tell you what happens to a woman who goes into a bank with a bloody finger and tries to grab a teller.

But, while my new accommodations are cold and I don’t really like the bars I stare at everyday, the good news is: there is this guard. He is so adorable. Looks just like Johnny Depp and smells like a mixture of sandlewood and crisp mountain air in the winter. And, for just three payments of $19.95 I could make him fall in love with me and maybe get out of this rat trap…

Ballet

P started ballet lessons four weeks ago. I love getting her dressed for class and talking about dancing. We discuss the different exercises and she "practices" at home. In class she is very shy sitting close to mommy and bubbies, venturing out now and again to join the other dancers. I am thinking next time I sign her up I won't sit in class. I thought it would make her more comfortable, but I don't think it helps get her out of her shell. She certainly participates in her own way, and generally by the end of class she is running around with the rest of them. She just takes a while to warm up I guess. I shouldn't be surprised, she has been this way her whole little life. Even in playgroup she gets shy with the other mommies and she has known them for two years.

Mrs. Dana, the ballet teacher, told P she was very proud of her today because she did a lot of participating. I made sure to give P tons of kudos and we talked about how much fun today was in class. I don't want to be a pushy mother but I do want her to at least try new things. We'll do ballet again - she seems to really like it when she does it, and I see the potential in her. She understands direction well and can switch from foot to foot with little effort with tandus - I can see that can be difficult for young ones. I definitely get that "mother's joy" when I see her leaping and twirling about.

36 and Cancer.

One of my very best friends from college was diagnosed with cancer last summer and had a radical hysterectomy. Her bio below will be published soon. She continues to get the word out about the Digene HPV Test to hopefully help with early detection. Here is her story in her words:

"I never thought at 36 years old that my life would be affected by cancer. In May 2008, I went to the OB/GYN for my annual Pap test as I do every year. My doctor had recently started administering the Digene HPV test in his practice and his Nurse Practitioner decided to perform this test along with my regular Pap test to screen for cervical cancer at this visit. She explained to me that the HPV test was approved for women aged 30 and over to detect high-risk strains of HPV. Since the sample is collected at the same time as the Pap and requires no additional procedures at the office, I agreed to have it run.

My Pap test came back normal, but the HPV test came back "high-risk." I have always had normal annual Pap results and have been in a monogamous relationship for 9 years so, to have the test results return positive for "high-risk" HPV was a shock. Because the HPV results came back "high-risk", the pathologist took a second and closer look at the Pap test and discovered that what was originally passed off as a "normal" Pap was in fact abnormal and had slipped through the cracks as a false negative. The correct diagnosis for my abnormal Pap test reported High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions.

What happened next was a big blur. My doctor suggested a Colposcopy and then a LEEP. My LEEP came back showing full-thickness invasive adenosquamous carcinoma. I was immediately sent to have a CT and a chest xray and then to an oncologist for a consultation.
A few days later I was being prepped for a radical hysterectomy. After the surgery I learned that the cancer was stage 1B and the final pathology report from the surgery showed no signs of metastasis. I can’t help but think how my life would be different if the high-risk HPV had not been identified. Would they have been able to find the cancer before it had spread? Would I have had to go through radiation and chemo? Would I be able to watch my son grow up? Would I still be alive today? Everyday I thank my doctor and nurse practitioner for performing the test that saved my life.

I am currently in my last quarter of the Family Nurse Practitioner program and have chosen to write my masters thesis on the Digene HPV Test. I hope that this information will encourage other providers to include the Digene HPV test in their routine Pap exams. Due to this technology I am alive to see my life unfold and to share my story with others."

Happy Birthday One Year Old!!

Wow! This year FLEW by! For the record, this is what he is up to:

• walking
• climbing stairs
• communicating through babbling
• drinking rice milk from a sippy
• is a really good eater. loves beans.
• smiles all the time
• loves to play
• can self-entertain
• loves to take baths
• wears 12 - 18 month clothes
• travels well
  

Road Trippin' to the Rooster

P and bubbies ready to ROAD TRIP baby!!

We recently got home from a family vacation in Rhode Island, hubby's home state. It was a wonderful trip because not only was it great seeing family, but we learned our kids are easily transportable. The car ride was almost 14 hours on the way out and 11 on the way back...can you say "that peepee diaper just has to wait until we get home...I can't bear the thought of changing my child on the car seat one more time or go out in the frigid air to change them in a dirty rest stop bathroom?" once really time fast? Anyhooo, the kids were great on the way out and the way back. I highly suggest a DVD player and lots of movie choices or heck just one movie. My darling P watched the Aristocats probably 4 times out and 4 times back and didn't complain once.

Once we got to RI we were welcomed with open arms by our Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob. They had the house kid pimped because they have 5 grandchildren of their own that are 3 and under. Can we say the kids had a great time? Yes, and then some. They got to see their cousies who they adore, their Papa, their aunts and uncles and second cousies. Hubby is very close with his cousies, so it was almost like seeing brothers and sisters rather than cousies. I understand that because I am that close to my lovely cousin Candyce. We shopped, we ate, we hung out at the ocean and watched the fishing boats come in, we went to the Providence Children's Museum, but most of all we visited with family and caught up with each other. I also got to see one of my best friends who rocks my world. I miss her so much and she would be a huge facet in the decision of us moving out east.

I cannot write enough how awesome my kids were. I am/was so darn proud of how respectful, mannerly and loving they were with family they barely even know. It was darling. I need to document that when we stayed with Bill P CHOSE to sleep out on his couch all by her wee little self. I think she found that sleeping in bed with mommy and daddy kind of sucks...because daddy farts (I hope he doesn't read this because he'll tell the truth about who REALLY farts in bed.) But, her choosing to sleep out there all by herself was stinkin' cute and so mature. God love her.

Here are some pics:

This is Shane's house in Wakefield where he grew up.

Bob, Mary, Papa Bill and P. Mary and P put chocolate frosting on a cupcake topped with P's favorite food: strawberries. Only on vacation can you eat cupcakes before bed. YUMMY!

Papa Bill and Shane. Bill is Shane's step-father; Shane's bioligical father died when Shane
was young.

Lady of the Flowers at Providence Children's Museum. That place is a barrel of fun....COSI should take some notes.

High-fivin' after "chowda and clam cakes."

My darling P at Darcy's. Playing the piano and singing...give that girl a round of applause.

P and I get our picture taken at this very spot each time we go back to RI. It started when P was in utero. I want to post the other two I have....yes, only three pics so far...I love the
start of traditions.

One of my BFFs Kristine. She rocks my world.

bubbies has his first haircut at "Curls and Crewcuts" in Mystic, CT.

Nicole, kids, Papa Bill, and our family acting like we normally do.

2009?!

Wow....2009, eh? I remember thinking that 2000 was SOOO far away. I actually couldn't even comprehend the two thousands. And now look, we are almost a decade into them! We spent the evening with our dear friends at Daryl's abode. We had finger foods, wine, beer, games and good times.

Happy New Year!! (Big, hubby, D, Bridgette, Peaches, johnnyLung)
The girls and bubbies off on the right getting into EVERYthing.
The girls made D's bed a play area. We couldn't find them at first and when we did they were just hanging out on D's bed in the dark. It was really funny. They proceed to play in her room for the majority of the evening.

Onto the stuff I need to get down, but am hesitant to write. I am really proud of what I have accomplished so far in my life, and am FARRR from finished. I have many things on my TO DO list and I believe once you throw them out in the universe they are just hanging there, waiting for you to do them. I am calling the lists below my "Tens." I have a list for the spiritual and soul nurturing things I want to do, and a list for the actual things I want to do, such as hobbies, extra-curricular activities or finishing up the foundation for my new career. Of course, stuff gets added to my lists everyday, but I think the following "Tens" are a great start and are the forefront of my mind at this moment.

The spiritual and soul nurturing Tens (in no certain order, but the mommy and wife goals stay in the first three):
1. Be a good...great mommy.
2. Help my kids find their way through life at their current stage with enthusiasm, love and patience.
3. Be a better wife. My hubby needs more attention.
4. Be more patient.
5. Be more loving.
6. Be less angry.
7. Be more organized.
8. Be a good friend.
9. Keep the focus.
10. Be more understanding and less expecting.
Hobbies, interests and career foundation Tens (in no certain order):
1. Play guitar. I bought an acoustic Fender 3 years ago and still can only play a few chords. (Granted I have had two kids in that time, so I do have an excuse)
2. Get better at crocheting.
3. Start making softies.
4. Finish my masters...I am on the way!!
5. Get published. (I have been published in the paper, but I want it to be my own original work, not PR)
6. Start research for my book. (already have the idea, just need to tackle it)
7. Finish Edgar Sawtelle.
8. Start my "city and kids" blog.
9. Run a 5 K and possibly a half marathon.
10. Be a better cook. (all all that goes with it - shopping organically, shopping smartly, creating menues for the week, not burning and overcooking perfectly good food to the point of pig slop)

Christmas

Christmas morning (yeah, I'd been up since 2am sick as a dog!)

Christmas has been full of good cheer, family, friends...and sickness. Hubby and I were discussing the past Christmases and realized that we haven't had a "normal" Christmas since we moved in together. Sickness has plagued us since 2001: Shane had food poisoning; my dad had two heart attacks; P had horrible colds for two years in a row; Sheilah passed; and this year I had a stomach virus that zapped the life out of me. BUT, given all that cruddy crud crud, we had a great time...and that includes all the years prior.

A lot of the fun actually happened even before Christmas began. We had a Secret Santa gift exchange/party for the kiddies in my mommies group, a friend's Christmas, an ornament making party and a "cheer" dinner at Sumeno's. On Christmas Eve Daryl came over with her son and we played Guitar Hero....my goodness was that fun. I really am not a gamer....hubby games enough for the both of us...but, seriously, that game could convert me...well may not, but I do like to play. As soon as Daryl left we became little elves and got paper cuts, tape burns and scissor slices wrapping the gifts for the kids from Santa. It is really cool to start our own little traditions....things that my kids will look forward to every year that will be special to them. P was especially excited leaving carrots for the reindeer and looking out her window at "Santa's sleigh" (a brightly shining star that will hopefully fool her until she is a non-believer). very cute.

Another tradition, that P started and probably doesn't even realize it, is there will be a pink present under the tree each year for her. All P wanted from Santa was a PINK present. I am stocking up on pink wrapping paper because that color isn't exactly the easiest thing to find during the winter holidays! Hubby looked at Target, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, numerous grocery stores, Walmart, JoAnne's, and I finally found it at a Paper Party Outlet Store and paid almost $4 for barely enough paper to wrap one present. What a rip off. BUT, in the holiday spirit, which I usually do not have and am trying to get, I shelled out the $4 and $2.50 for a pretty pink ribbon to put on it. We seriously wrapped only one present with it and ran out. Luckily she said A pink PRESENT and not MANY pink presentS. :)

Of course I documented everything in photos, so here are a few fun shots for remembrance sake:

P and bubbies and their buddies Secret Santa Gift Exchange

Loop Christmas at The Hazelett's

Ornament making at J-n-G's

P and Mila watching the Grinch. I wish I had a better picture of J-n-G's tree. It is the most awesome Christmas tree EVER. All of the ornaments are handmade by our friends. John has been hosting an ornament making party for over 15 years. Yes - the tree displays immense talent...as well as the craziness that comes with talented people...like one ornament is a chip with a googly eye glued on.

Dancing to Guitar Hero on Christmas Eve...does it get better? (Black Magic Woman, I think...)

Grammies, Papa and Cousies Christmas Day (yay! Annie made the pic!)

Christmas cards? uhmmm...

I send out Christmas cards every year...I mean every stinkin' year. When I met Shane we started sending out funny cards we designed ourselves (nice thing about having a CRAAAAZY, imaginative artsy-fartsy husband - he comes up with it and I just nod and act like it was my idea). But, this year I don't really feel like it and I don't know why! It isn't that I am not in the Christmas spirit, quite the contrary, I actually am into Christmas this year like no other year. If you ask hubby you'll find out I don't typically enjoy all the green and red, bells, sleighs, lights and what have you...but, since having children I have become more and more excited over the holiday season. This year my gifts were thought out, planned for. Some even have themes or contain an inkling of something from a conversation I shared with a friend or family member...but, the thought of doing Christmas cards seems daunting.

Part of me thinks it is because the USPS is such a nightmare. It is kind of a pain in the ass to get two kids together to run errands, especially in the cold, and to "run" into the postie is seriously an extra special nightmare. Babies are cute, so people don't get all up in arms if the baby lets out a yelp, but if P screams or laughs too loudly I get dirty looks. Looks that tell me to "quiet that kid down" or "can't you get control of your own kid?"...of course, this could all be in my head...I mean, I never have done well in places where I need to be quiet. By nature, I am loud.

I dread going to the post office. I dread trying to keep my kids quiet in the post office. I dread the fact that P thinks it is funny to run down the aisles and aisles of PO Box homes and not listen to me. I dread that she steals the baby and pushes the stroller down the aisles and aisles of PO Box homes not listening to me.

Now, give all of that dread, I have found out that I can go to the postie after hours. I can buy stamps and mail off letters AND packages on MY time. Really, I have NO excuse to not send out Christmas cards. Guess I am just lazy.

About Blogging

I have spoken to many friends and family members about blogging. Much of the time I get "oh, you have a blog?" or "oh you do that?" as if it is a nasty word...b-l-o-g. Well, I have to admit, it has been an incredible outlet for me. I mean, I pretty much have a FREE online diary that I will be able to look over in 20 years that includes: pictures, thoughts, and my children's milestones. In addition to that, if I just kept a scrapbook I'd never have the silly comments or comments of support that my friends and family members have posted. And, added bonus, I don't have to come and bombard people with pictures and videos - my readers can read when they feel like it...or not at all (which I find is the case for many..."you STILL do THAt?").

I also think it is a great way to keep people updated on our lives. As social as I am, I still am not half as social as I was before children. I can't just get out whenever I feel like it and meet up for drinks, dinner or dancing. It just isn't my life any longer. So, I figure, I tell my six degrees about my blog and they can see what we are up to, how much the kids have grown and maybe even get a giggle from something silly I have posted.

Now, in addition to those people who think blogging is weird or a waste of time, I have other people in my life who wish to start their own blog. I would LOVE it if certain people I know would take the plunge because I get such a kick out of them in real life, it'd be great to read where their minds go when they can write what they want when they want to write it.

For those who are looking to start a blog, take a gander at this...some helpful ideas: (Citing and thanking: advergirl: http://leighhouse.typepad.com/advergirl/):

Questions people always ask me: How do I get started blogging?

"I don't know" seems to be an unsatisfying answer to this common Q; so, I chatted with a few friends about what's worked for us and what seems to be working for bloggers infinitely more successful than us.

Here are the seven big ideas:

1. Make a plan: Think of it as strategy-lite. A little guiding framework that sets expectations for you and your readers.

• Define your audience: Knowing who you're writing for helps determine what you'll write about.
• Choose your specialty: Great blogs have a tight focus (writing about world politics one day and your cat the next tends to limit your readership to your mom and your arch-enemy from summer camp).
• Select a “repeatable” URL: People talk about blogs online and in real life. Make it easy for them to tell someone about you - go to advergirl.com (that will redirect you to the URL mess you see above).

2. Prioritize content. It all comes down to what you write. Design, frequency, platform, syndication - all that stuff is good, but you win or lose audience based on how intriguing your perspective, how hot your finds, how smart your commentary.

• Invest in memorable pieces: Once a month, blow it out of the water. Use images, charts, original pictures, interesting frameworks.
• Share new ideas: Most of the social Web is collecting and trading. Adding new cards to the stack puts you ahead.
• Involve others: Can't think of anything good? Ask an expert. Post interviews, roundtables, content from conferences, guest blogs, etc.

3. Write the way people like to read.

• Have a big voice: Make your style of writing work as hard as the content of your writing
• Use lists and bullets: Blogs are the cud of media. People come to them for easily digestible ideas.
• Integrate multimedia: Because 20-somethings swear podcasting is fun

4. Build networks. Your best blogger friends are also your best syndication network. If you're an advocate of theirs, they'll be an advocate of yours.

• Link, link, link: Share the link love. Reference source material, link to similar content.
• Read and interact: Yeah, Twitter is easier, but you've got to dive into your overflowing RSS reader and see what other people are talking about if you want to be relevant and read.
• Respond to comments and ideas. Bloggers win loyal readers and ambassadors by being part of the conversation they start. (Yes, I know, I am terrible at this)

5. Make it easy.

• Prioritize subscription options: Let people subscribe in any reader, via any medium.
• Tweet the latest: Feeds can pile up. Tweet what you're blogging about for instant clicks. (Just make sure you tweet about more than self promotion, or followers will wander off).
• Work in series: It makes reference easy and gets your community involved in idea generation.

6. Tell people about it. Yeah, your mom will tell a few people about your blog, but mostly it's up to you. Go ahead, don't be embarrassed. Blogging isn't just for geeks anymore.

• Create anticipation: Let people know what's coming.
  
• Get podiums, bylines: Get your marketing department to pimp you.
• Add your blog address to your email signature

7. Understand the tools: Sometimes success is in the software.

• Pick a powerful engine: Servers like Typepad and Blogger are so chock full of interlinked content and reference that they're basically like steroids for search engine optimization.
• Use titles for search terms: Google loves the title field on blogs. Use it wisely.
• Track readership: Free reporting tools like Google Analytics and Feedburner make it easy to see which posts people loved.

10 months old

P at 10 months

bubbies at 10 months

They definitely look like brother and sister, but I don't think they look *just* alike. P favors me now, but when she was a baby she looked more like hubby's side. I think my son looks like me - especially me as a baby. I need to get some of my baby pictures scanned in to show our similarities.

A new found talent?

The photographer...she is learning that if she is taking the pics, the only way you get one of yourself is the turn the camera around.

It seems as though P has a talent for photography! Hubby and I went through a little tutorial with our digital camera (the little Canon PowerShot) and she took some great pics! I seriously was so impressed that she not only had an "eye" for a shot, but that she was patient enough to line it up and press the shoot button. This makes me very happy because I am a photog junkie myself...let's just say there are 13,720 in my iPhoto files of the kids. Anyhow, my 2 year old never ceases to amaze me with her determination and patience...and, hopefully this photography talent will be something we can nurture.

A few of her masterpieces:

The funny part about this shot is that bubbies was actually posing for her.

She asked me to pose for her.

Piper and fatty-boom-batty - easy camera prey.

One of favorite things of the moment: her dino.

Daddy is always a good shot.

This is my favorite...there is noway I could have gotten this myself. It makes ME want to look in the toilet.

Poor baby

I took the babes to the pediatrician today. bubbies starting oozing googledy goo from his eyes at Grammies' house last night, and mom and I agreed a trip to the doc's office was necessary. I have been wanting to get this rashy-rashness checked out on his bum too, so I figure why not hit two birds...well, three because P has these crazy bumps on her face...with three stones. Two birds with one, I mean three birds with one, or two birds three stones...whatever.

The trip to the pediatrician's office always begins with good intentions of leaving early...of course, we always leave with JUST enough time to get there. I hate it. But, what can I do? P pooed her pants, the baby kept taking his shoes off, I couldn't find their coats (which I so conveniently left in the car and were now like ice cubes, so had to find other coats) and I forgot to even brush my hair. I was scary. Then I was even scarier because I was stressed and getting angry. P said "mommy don't yell! you are being mean!" OH NO She diNT!!! Yes, I was clearly being cross with her...but mean? You ain't seen mean sister. haha! just joking. I just shut up and realized I should not be angry with my 2 year old for not wanting to wear her coat...I mean, that is an every day occurance, why should it push my buttons today? Well, because we were going to be LATE! LATE like I am to everything anymore. Luckily my kids are cute or I'd keep yelling.

Well, as soon as we got in the car everything went smoothly. We even got a good parking space: meaning close enough so I wouldn't freak out that the kids were getting too cold in this darn Ohio weather. The nurse led us to our room and I got kids settled to only receive a highlight to my day. P asks if she can sit on the stool in the room "Sure," I tell her, "but don't stand on it." Believe it or not, she actually listened to me! But, that is not the highlight. The highlight was when she put the stool against the wall and clear as a bell yells "DON'T KEEP THE QUEEN WAITING" about four times...and the doctor walks in. I was laughing so hard I almost wet myself. Then I thought that my doc probably thinks I tell her to say that. I haven't even heard that phrase before much less tell her to say such things. However, I have to admit, I hope she says it again. Maybe I'll get better customer service.

So, our diagnosis was this: the Queen didn't have to wait long, bubbies has eczema on his butt and legs and conjunctivitis in both his eyes, and P just has bumps from the old "wipe and smear."

Baby's 1st Thanksgiving

Happy 1st Thanksgiving, bubbies!

Aunt Niecey & bubbies

Darling boy

My darling boy is almost walking on his own. We went to COSI last Thursday and he was all over the place crawling, playing and "walking" those little push cars. It was so amazing to see him GO! It was amazing to see my daughter as well. She played with her "s"riends and ran all over the place without mommy in site...which, I have to admit hurt my ego a bit; but, to see her pretend play and make new friends truly fills my heart with adoration. She'll just go up to another child and say "hello, what's your name?" Can she do that? Really?! Really?! Guess I can't be the center of her universe forever...*tear* *sigh* *tear*.

The baby is sleeping well in his own room. I thought that transition would be really hard on me, but I think I mourned for about 5 minutes and then was over it. As much as I put a roadblock up to change and am incredibly nostalgic, I am also very understanding to the fact that my children need to grow and I can't keep them as babies forever. On the flip side, I don't want to treat my children as if they are older than they are. Sometimes hubby does things that I really don't find appropriate for a 2 year old, maybe a 4 year old, but not a 2 year old. BUT, my 2 year responds well to whatever it is - for instance, going to the movies. Hubby took P to see Wall-E a few months ago. I was abhorrent to the idea, but I let it happen because I had to let hubby "do his thing" even if I didn't agree with it. That was REALLY hard considering I can be such a control freak. She had a great time...she can't remember her middle name, but she remembers Wall-E. ha! Now Madagascar 2 is coming and hubby promised P I was going to take her. We are movie lovers in this family, so I guess it is natural for her to love them too.

Do you mean ALONE?

Drink the juice Shelby

I actually had a ton of adult time this passed weekend, and it was niiiiiice. :) Granted, I missed my kids because they are generally attached to me, but I also enjoyed hanging out with my good friends and family. I actually felt back to the "old" me...if that makes any sense. It seems that since I have had kids I lost some of who I really am...and not the bad parts - the good parts. My friend Jocelyn posted some old pictures on FB and I had the light in my eyes that I have been clamoring to switch back on. Having kids made my controlling side out of control and my nervous side twitch...well, I am over it. I just want to have fun (now, I don't want to sound like I don't have fun, because I do, but I want the feeling of guilt to go away if I take time for me!) I told hubby I need to just change my mind on some of the ways I look at things and I need to focus on the goals I set for myself. Oh, it is much more complex than black and white...it always is.

Anyhow - I had a great weekend. Friday was my friend Geni's birthday and we went to the Cultural Arts Center to celebrate. It really only took one glass of wine for me to get the giggles and then it was over. My group of friends are so damn funny. Let's just say Seymore Luckoff will be resurrected. And, Daryl knows it is her fault. And, it was Daryl's fault that we were so obnoxious at the baby shower. She like a drug to me because when I am around her all I do is laugh.

Sunday we went up to Michigan with my Aunt and my cousin's family. P rode in the van with the girls and Auntie Carol, Candyce and Mitch. She had a great time. She was touching the ceiling of the van and telling Candyce how strong she was - hahaha! But, then she did something that is like her, but unlike her. She twirls her hair either on the side or the back - well, she twirled it so much that she twirled a chunk of hair out of her head. It didn't hurt her - it just came out. Early alopecia or just a hair twirlin' fool? I'll take the hair twirlin' fool one for a 1,000, Alex.

We got up to Michigan in plenty of time to drop the kids off with my sister-in-law and hit the auditorium to see my starlette niece as Shelby in Steel Magnolias. I choked back a few tears when I saw her walk on. The stage just lit up with her presence. It was awesome. Blush and bashful - enough pepto bismol pink to coat my house. :) I got a nice dose of reality for my birthday - the little girl taking tickets asked if I was Amanda's mom because "you look just like her." Amanda is 15 - YES, I know it is possible...but...I AM vain...sometimes. Lucky for Amanda she doesn't look like a troll or I'd be really pissed. haha! Carol, Candyce and I made menaces of ourselves during intermission...as per usual. Candyce and I have the same sense of humor and love to laugh at obsurdities...so does my Aunt, of course. And we decided that making funny, obnoxious faces during intermission and taking pictures of them was fun. I'll leave this post with a few fun weekend shots so my kids can see them later and say "gawd mom, you are such a dork" when they are old enough. My nephew said to hubby "I didn't know adults acted like this." Should I be embarressed? awwe, no. :)

Me, Candyce, fly-by Colby, Carol and my beautiful Amanda

The Wonder trio

B-day girl Peaches La Rue and pal Michelle

Buff, Me and johnnyLung

bubbies is 9 months old!

My baby boy is 9 months old! We had our check-up at the pediatrician's office yesterday and he is in good health - no more evil ear pain. Can I just say, yet again, that I love my pediatrician? They do such a great job with information, they make me feel like my choices for my children are the right ones (because every parenting style is different, and what makes it unique is it is your own! I love being my own unique mommy to my wonderful children), they have articles posted from our local papers that highlight children seen in the office (I love seeing that "Allison" got third place in swimming or what not), and they are just plain nice. One thing I DO wish, though, is that I got a comment from someone there like my mom got when I was born..."boy, that girl is built like a brick shithouse." no joke.

Stats:

Weight: 21 pounds 13 ounces (75th percentile)
Height: 30 inches (95th percentile)

Just this morning P said, "I luz him a lot." awwwe.

**I need to mention this because I keep forgetting: Papa calls bubbies Big E. Big E because he was/is such a big baby. I don't know...he is losing his running in weight to 25% of babies his age and 5% in height! Maybe he won't be a giant afterall...shucks.