I had lunch today with Paige. She's 18 and heading off to A&M in the Fall. I hadn't seen her in years. That's because I was her babysitter from the time she was 5 til about 10 yrs old. :)
Nothing like lunch with someone you used to babysit--who is now an adult-- to make you feel old.
It was so great to see her. She was always cute, and she looks just the way I remember her at 5... only taller.
It was a fun way to spend an hour.
(I feel like so far this summer I've done a good job of reconnecting with people that I haven't seen in a LONG time. It makes me happy.)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
As a result of blog hopping...
I feel like I know people that I've never met. Erin is one of those people. I comment on her blog and have even emailed her once.... (I had a question. She encourages emails. What? I'm not a stalker. Really.) Anyway, I've never met her.
But she posted this on her blog...
I wanted to share something very special with all of you. Megan’s friends and some other bloggers have gotten together to ask the blogging community to have a moment of silence for Baby Cohen. I’ve posted the details below.
What: Moment of Silence for Cohen
When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.
How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.
Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.
Participating bloggers can Link Up on July 1st at Send Love To Cohen. Will you join me and help spread the word?
I went to Megan's blog and read all about her sweet baby who was born with heart defects and was being treated at Children's in downtown Dallas. (I thought of you, Jennie. I don't know how you do what you do.) Megan's from Tulsa (I thought of you, Holly.) and her baby's been cared for here in Dallas.
On June 18, at just 12 days old, Cohen went to be with Jesus. He was their first baby.
Such a heartbreaking story and a great reminder to thank God for our healthy children. It may all change tomorrow, and I know that. But today God has blessed me and my family with good health. And for that, I am unbelievably grateful!
But she posted this on her blog...
I wanted to share something very special with all of you. Megan’s friends and some other bloggers have gotten together to ask the blogging community to have a moment of silence for Baby Cohen. I’ve posted the details below.
What: Moment of Silence for Cohen
When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.
How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.
Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.
Participating bloggers can Link Up on July 1st at Send Love To Cohen. Will you join me and help spread the word?
I went to Megan's blog and read all about her sweet baby who was born with heart defects and was being treated at Children's in downtown Dallas. (I thought of you, Jennie. I don't know how you do what you do.) Megan's from Tulsa (I thought of you, Holly.) and her baby's been cared for here in Dallas.
On June 18, at just 12 days old, Cohen went to be with Jesus. He was their first baby.
Such a heartbreaking story and a great reminder to thank God for our healthy children. It may all change tomorrow, and I know that. But today God has blessed me and my family with good health. And for that, I am unbelievably grateful!
Break Up the Serious with Some Fun
As I said, I went to a wedding this weekend. My parents were there too. My dad said to me that night, "It's good seeing you and Jason out having fun. You've gotta do that more often. It's important to break up the serious with some fun."
Wise words.
Marriage is hard.
And one of the things that I find challenging about it is how much I've changed in the last 8 years. My interests have changed. The way I see life has changed. The way I react to things, my list of priorities, my pet peeves, my weaknesses, my strengths... are all different than what they were at 22 when I met Jason. My values are the same. The core of who I am is the same. But lots of other things are different.
Kids have changed me, without a doubt. But I've also grown up.
The tricky part is growing up and changing and allowing Jason to change (or not...and I'll talk about that more in a minute) and still having that connection.
We had kids right away. So our conversations have always been about the kids, finances, schedules, doctors' appointments, work... problem-solving and trouble shooting. It really can't be avoided. You have to talk about those things to keep communication lines open. You have to talk about those things to resolve them. But we've learned (and are constantly needing to remind ourselves) that you MUST break up the serious with some fun. EVERY conversation can't be about work and budgets and discipline strategies or nap schedules. We have to change it up. We have to get away and have a good time.
But we've been caught in "survival mode" far too long. We need to work on that.
I run into a problem of just seeing Jason as a co-worker and as a father, but I forget sometimes that I'm married to him and that I'm supposed to like him and have fun with him. (I say that in a joking way, but you know what I mean.)
I also have this streak in me that wants to be independent. Not single. Didn't say that. But I don't want to need anybody. I can do things by myself. I'm proud of not needing my husband to get home at 5:00 to help me with the kids. He doesn't get home until 7:00ish, and sometimes I've already fed and bathed the kids by then and am cooking our dinner when he gets home. I like knowing that I can do it alone. But then that can be a slippery slope. The more I prove that I can handle things, the more he seems to "check out" and leave things up to me.
And while I don't NEED help, I would appreciate help. So the more that things are left up to me, the more frustrated I become. It's such a contradiction. I'm proud of myself that I can handle things on my own, but I'm resentful that I have to handle things on my own. Make sense?
So I talk to Jason about all of that. But when I talk to him about it, sometimes I feel like he's just there to lend an ear. :) Nothing really needs to change, in his mind. He thinks I just need to vent. But if I say it in a frustrated way, then he writes it off to my being hormonal or that I'm just tired. It couldn't be that I'm making a valid point. Nope. Julie's just hormonal. ;)
Can anyone relate?
And Jason has changed too since we first got together. His past times that really allow him to relax and be the person that is so carefree and fun have fallen by the wayside. I try to give him time to do the things he loves, but there's only so much time in a day.
We both see this crazy frantic life as just a season of time. Each year that the kids get older, we reach a new level of freedom from constant interaction with them.
For now, when we're trying to be supportive of each other, we give each other time away. I keep the kids so that Jason can do something he enjoys. He'll watch the kids so that I can go for a run. But then when it comes time to hire a babysitter and go out to eat as a couple, neither of us really wants to spend $100 on that. We have a list a mile long of other wishes or necessities that we'd rather spend our money on.
And we've been together long enough now, where I realize that there are things about Jason that are most likely not going to change and I just need to get over it. Whether habits or views or whatever, things that I've thought would change over time, haven't changed. Things that I never thought would change, have. I'm sure he would say the EXACT same thing about me.
Relationships are always evolving. It really is a miracle that 2 very different people can come together.
And I think Dad's right. Part of making it last, other than sheer determination and refusing to quit, is as simple as breaking up the serious with some fun.
I wonder if that means Dad will watch the kids one night so we can go out? :) Nah. Probably not.
Wise words.
Marriage is hard.
And one of the things that I find challenging about it is how much I've changed in the last 8 years. My interests have changed. The way I see life has changed. The way I react to things, my list of priorities, my pet peeves, my weaknesses, my strengths... are all different than what they were at 22 when I met Jason. My values are the same. The core of who I am is the same. But lots of other things are different.
Kids have changed me, without a doubt. But I've also grown up.
The tricky part is growing up and changing and allowing Jason to change (or not...and I'll talk about that more in a minute) and still having that connection.
We had kids right away. So our conversations have always been about the kids, finances, schedules, doctors' appointments, work... problem-solving and trouble shooting. It really can't be avoided. You have to talk about those things to keep communication lines open. You have to talk about those things to resolve them. But we've learned (and are constantly needing to remind ourselves) that you MUST break up the serious with some fun. EVERY conversation can't be about work and budgets and discipline strategies or nap schedules. We have to change it up. We have to get away and have a good time.
But we've been caught in "survival mode" far too long. We need to work on that.
I run into a problem of just seeing Jason as a co-worker and as a father, but I forget sometimes that I'm married to him and that I'm supposed to like him and have fun with him. (I say that in a joking way, but you know what I mean.)
I also have this streak in me that wants to be independent. Not single. Didn't say that. But I don't want to need anybody. I can do things by myself. I'm proud of not needing my husband to get home at 5:00 to help me with the kids. He doesn't get home until 7:00ish, and sometimes I've already fed and bathed the kids by then and am cooking our dinner when he gets home. I like knowing that I can do it alone. But then that can be a slippery slope. The more I prove that I can handle things, the more he seems to "check out" and leave things up to me.
And while I don't NEED help, I would appreciate help. So the more that things are left up to me, the more frustrated I become. It's such a contradiction. I'm proud of myself that I can handle things on my own, but I'm resentful that I have to handle things on my own. Make sense?
So I talk to Jason about all of that. But when I talk to him about it, sometimes I feel like he's just there to lend an ear. :) Nothing really needs to change, in his mind. He thinks I just need to vent. But if I say it in a frustrated way, then he writes it off to my being hormonal or that I'm just tired. It couldn't be that I'm making a valid point. Nope. Julie's just hormonal. ;)
Can anyone relate?
And Jason has changed too since we first got together. His past times that really allow him to relax and be the person that is so carefree and fun have fallen by the wayside. I try to give him time to do the things he loves, but there's only so much time in a day.
We both see this crazy frantic life as just a season of time. Each year that the kids get older, we reach a new level of freedom from constant interaction with them.
For now, when we're trying to be supportive of each other, we give each other time away. I keep the kids so that Jason can do something he enjoys. He'll watch the kids so that I can go for a run. But then when it comes time to hire a babysitter and go out to eat as a couple, neither of us really wants to spend $100 on that. We have a list a mile long of other wishes or necessities that we'd rather spend our money on.
And we've been together long enough now, where I realize that there are things about Jason that are most likely not going to change and I just need to get over it. Whether habits or views or whatever, things that I've thought would change over time, haven't changed. Things that I never thought would change, have. I'm sure he would say the EXACT same thing about me.
Relationships are always evolving. It really is a miracle that 2 very different people can come together.
And I think Dad's right. Part of making it last, other than sheer determination and refusing to quit, is as simple as breaking up the serious with some fun.
I wonder if that means Dad will watch the kids one night so we can go out? :) Nah. Probably not.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Bad parenting
If you want to see an example of bad parenting, then look no further than the bang-up job I did taking care of my kids this weekend.
Exhibit A:
Sunscreen? Who needs sunscreen? We were out for over 2 hours. Sunscreen didn't even cross my mind. (The white line across his back is where the strap from the puddle jumper was. Didn't want you to think I put him in a bikini or something.)
Exhibit B:
You can't see from this picture at all, but Caroline has a rash ALL OVER her belly this afternoon. Not raised. Doesn't seem to bother her.
This makes me a bad parent for so very many reasons:
1. I don't know where or how or why she has this rash.
2. I'm not concerned.
3. If I had to guess, I bet it's from the whole milk I gave her this morning.
Giving her whole milk this morning makes me a bad parent because:
1. My pediatrician said no whole milk before a year old. Other moms said they did it at eleven months. I listened to other moms and not the doctor.
2. The only reason I gave her whole milk is because I'm that eager to start the weaning process.
And what did my selfishness get me? A baby with a rash. (If that is, in fact, how she got the rash... but like I said, I don't know.)
Exhibit C:
This is our sandbox. Our sandbox full of giant holes.
Where did the sand go that belongs in these giant holes?
In the playhouse
And (in this picture) there was sand in that sink to the left, at least four buckets full of sand in the baby pool on the right, all over our patio.
Who was on duty when this happened? Yours truly.
Who didn't even know what was happening? Me again.
Jason has this rule that sand should stay in the sandbox. So when I found the mess, I felt like I was going to be in trouble. After all, 50% of my job is enforcing all of his crazy rules that he makes on the weekends. :)
I cleaned as best I could. But at some point the sand stopped washing away. So there's a thin coating of sand all over our patio. Ooops.
And then of course, looking back at the picture of our patio, Yes... This is how our backyard looks. A mess. A mess that I don't really care about. A mess that I don't think to send the kids out to clean up.
Sorry, Jason. I know it's so hard to find good help these days. : )
Exhibit A:
Sunscreen? Who needs sunscreen? We were out for over 2 hours. Sunscreen didn't even cross my mind. (The white line across his back is where the strap from the puddle jumper was. Didn't want you to think I put him in a bikini or something.)
Exhibit B:
You can't see from this picture at all, but Caroline has a rash ALL OVER her belly this afternoon. Not raised. Doesn't seem to bother her.
This makes me a bad parent for so very many reasons:
1. I don't know where or how or why she has this rash.
2. I'm not concerned.
3. If I had to guess, I bet it's from the whole milk I gave her this morning.
Giving her whole milk this morning makes me a bad parent because:
1. My pediatrician said no whole milk before a year old. Other moms said they did it at eleven months. I listened to other moms and not the doctor.
2. The only reason I gave her whole milk is because I'm that eager to start the weaning process.
And what did my selfishness get me? A baby with a rash. (If that is, in fact, how she got the rash... but like I said, I don't know.)
Exhibit C:
This is our sandbox. Our sandbox full of giant holes.
Where did the sand go that belongs in these giant holes?
In the playhouse
And (in this picture) there was sand in that sink to the left, at least four buckets full of sand in the baby pool on the right, all over our patio.
Who was on duty when this happened? Yours truly.
Who didn't even know what was happening? Me again.
Jason has this rule that sand should stay in the sandbox. So when I found the mess, I felt like I was going to be in trouble. After all, 50% of my job is enforcing all of his crazy rules that he makes on the weekends. :)
I cleaned as best I could. But at some point the sand stopped washing away. So there's a thin coating of sand all over our patio. Ooops.
And then of course, looking back at the picture of our patio, Yes... This is how our backyard looks. A mess. A mess that I don't really care about. A mess that I don't think to send the kids out to clean up.
Sorry, Jason. I know it's so hard to find good help these days. : )
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wedding Tonight
My cousin got married tonight in Highland Park. Beautiful wedding. Great reception. We danced the night away. Jason's so funny. We were kinda getting on each other's nerves all day today, but all was forgiven because he's a really fun dancer. I know that's shocking to most. :) 70s Disco or Country Two-Steppin'. Those are his specialties.
When the band played "Play that Funky Music", his coat came off, the tie was loosened. It was a PAR-TAY. Too funny!
Hope y'all had a great Saturday night too.
Puddle Jumpers are the BEST
For the first time EVER today I was able to get in the pool with the kids and not have to hang onto all 3 of them.
I got Puddle Jumpers for Sarah and Jack and they were swimming all over the place. THANK YOU, GOD! I needed that break. Do you know how hard it's been getting in the pool until this afternoon? Nightmare!
They used to only wear life jackets, but you can't really swim very well in life jackets. You just kinda float. So we'd take them off, but they can't swim period. So then I'd try to balance one on my knee while holding on to the other who's holding on to the side while holding Caroline on my hip.
Freakin' disaster.
Until now.
Ah, today is a good day.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
No Internet Access on my phone
Am I the only one in the world who doesn't have internet access on my cell phone? I have a VERY basic phone. So if I'm on FB or blogging or checking email, it's because I'm sitting at a computer.
This is probably also the reason that I never have my phone with me. I can't do anything other than get calls or texts on it. So I leave it in my purse in the car most of the time.
Am I a loser?
Don't answer that.
It doesn't usually bother me, unless I'm waiting at a doctor's office or something and am bored to death. There are only so many times you can read thru old text messages or reorganize the people in your "Contacts" folder.
When I went out for sushi last week with my friend, I realized how many people at the bar were messing with their phones. Nobody was talking... unless they were talking about "apps". Which the conversation doesn't even apply to me because I don't have an iPhone.
My friend is single and it was really weird to step into part of her world for a night and realize that people don't talk as much as they used to. They're in social settings (ie. a bar) and playing "Words with Friends" or something with someone who's not even there.
I kinda want to have the internet on my phone (It has the capability. We just don't pay for the service.) but I also don't want to turn into a zoned out freak that never maintains eye contact because I'm checking my phone while you're trying to have a conversation with me. And I'm pretty sure I'd be that girl who was always on my phone.
This is probably also the reason that I never have my phone with me. I can't do anything other than get calls or texts on it. So I leave it in my purse in the car most of the time.
Am I a loser?
Don't answer that.
It doesn't usually bother me, unless I'm waiting at a doctor's office or something and am bored to death. There are only so many times you can read thru old text messages or reorganize the people in your "Contacts" folder.
When I went out for sushi last week with my friend, I realized how many people at the bar were messing with their phones. Nobody was talking... unless they were talking about "apps". Which the conversation doesn't even apply to me because I don't have an iPhone.
My friend is single and it was really weird to step into part of her world for a night and realize that people don't talk as much as they used to. They're in social settings (ie. a bar) and playing "Words with Friends" or something with someone who's not even there.
I kinda want to have the internet on my phone (It has the capability. We just don't pay for the service.) but I also don't want to turn into a zoned out freak that never maintains eye contact because I'm checking my phone while you're trying to have a conversation with me. And I'm pretty sure I'd be that girl who was always on my phone.
Will my body ever be normal again?
Kids will do a number on ya. They just will. And I want to have a little talk/ gripe session with my girl friends.
I'll take you through my complaints:
1. Stretched out skin EVERYWHERE... but specifically, of course, my abs. This drives me bananas and is the reason I will never EVER be in a bikini again. And it's frustrating to me too because I work out faithfully. I run, do crunches, weights. I count calories.
(It bugs me when people say that I'm lucky that I've lost the weight after having 3 babies. Lucky??? Um, yeah. It's lucky how I work out and haven't eaten what I really want to eat since I don't know when. I guess the universe is just smiling on me. haha. C'mon, people. I had 40 lbs to lose every time. You really think I got lucky and just wished it off?)
Anyway, I work too dang hard to then be too embarrassed to sit down if I'm in a bikini because I know that my skin is going to roll. And that's what it is: skin. I'm willing to do the work to lose fat. How in the world do you fix skin other than nipping and tucking?
2. My hair is still falling out. I hate that. And of course, I have all the baby hairs/ fly aways around my hair line. Not that I've ever had thick hair, but enough already. I'm gonna be bald soon.
3. My monthly "friend" is beyond irregular. Is that ever going to be ok or am I gonna have to get back on the pill to be every 28 days? TMI, I know... but we're all girls here... sooo... Started May 12. Lasted a week. Haven't had another. Waiting. Miserable. Bloated. It's day 43. Nothing. Moody. Irritable. Just want regularity in the cycle. Maybe once I completely wean Caroline. ??? I don't know.
4. I'm cringing at the thought of what I'm going to look like when Caroline is no longer breastfeeding. I remember how shriveled and ridiculous "the girls" looked after the other 2 and I only nursed them for a fraction of the time.
I don't mean to sound vain. Which I know I do.
The standard of beauty changes in a really wonderful way when you have a baby. People will say, "You look good for having had 3 kids." It's like people don't expect too much from moms. It's like they expect you to totally let yourself go and as long as you don't, then you're a good lookin' mom. Crazy.
And, for me, I felt like the standard changed again once I hit 30. At 30, I'm not trying to compete with some 21 yr old girl in a magazine. At 25, I felt like I "should" look like her. But now I tell myself, I'm in my 30s. Those are kids. Darn straight she should look good, she's in her 20s, for crying out loud. :)
Anyway, I'm happy with the way I look for the most part. I'm satisfied that I'm doing all I can do to have pre-pregnancy health and energy. The things that are out of my control are the things that are making me nuts.
I'll take you through my complaints:
1. Stretched out skin EVERYWHERE... but specifically, of course, my abs. This drives me bananas and is the reason I will never EVER be in a bikini again. And it's frustrating to me too because I work out faithfully. I run, do crunches, weights. I count calories.
(It bugs me when people say that I'm lucky that I've lost the weight after having 3 babies. Lucky??? Um, yeah. It's lucky how I work out and haven't eaten what I really want to eat since I don't know when. I guess the universe is just smiling on me. haha. C'mon, people. I had 40 lbs to lose every time. You really think I got lucky and just wished it off?)
Anyway, I work too dang hard to then be too embarrassed to sit down if I'm in a bikini because I know that my skin is going to roll. And that's what it is: skin. I'm willing to do the work to lose fat. How in the world do you fix skin other than nipping and tucking?
2. My hair is still falling out. I hate that. And of course, I have all the baby hairs/ fly aways around my hair line. Not that I've ever had thick hair, but enough already. I'm gonna be bald soon.
3. My monthly "friend" is beyond irregular. Is that ever going to be ok or am I gonna have to get back on the pill to be every 28 days? TMI, I know... but we're all girls here... sooo... Started May 12. Lasted a week. Haven't had another. Waiting. Miserable. Bloated. It's day 43. Nothing. Moody. Irritable. Just want regularity in the cycle. Maybe once I completely wean Caroline. ??? I don't know.
4. I'm cringing at the thought of what I'm going to look like when Caroline is no longer breastfeeding. I remember how shriveled and ridiculous "the girls" looked after the other 2 and I only nursed them for a fraction of the time.
I don't mean to sound vain. Which I know I do.
The standard of beauty changes in a really wonderful way when you have a baby. People will say, "You look good for having had 3 kids." It's like people don't expect too much from moms. It's like they expect you to totally let yourself go and as long as you don't, then you're a good lookin' mom. Crazy.
And, for me, I felt like the standard changed again once I hit 30. At 30, I'm not trying to compete with some 21 yr old girl in a magazine. At 25, I felt like I "should" look like her. But now I tell myself, I'm in my 30s. Those are kids. Darn straight she should look good, she's in her 20s, for crying out loud. :)
Anyway, I'm happy with the way I look for the most part. I'm satisfied that I'm doing all I can do to have pre-pregnancy health and energy. The things that are out of my control are the things that are making me nuts.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Blech, Chicken.
I like chicken. I respect it as "THE" white meat. But handling raw chicken turns my stomach.
I developed this aversion when I was pregnant with Sarah and it has NOT gone away.
It doesn't matter how trimmed they say the breasts are, they gross me out. They're unnaturally big... (I know, I know I should buy organic. Maybe that would help.) They have those white things... You know those rubbery white things that look like casings that they probably pulled the chicken's arteries out of... Does anyone know what those are? Whatever they are... They're so gross. I spend most of my time trimming these supposedly trimmed pieces of chicken every time I cook.
Then.. how gross is boiled chicken? I like Chicken Spaghetti. I like casseroles with chicken. I'm an easy eater. Not picky. So I'm not talking about the taste of boiled chicken. I'm talking more about the things that float in the water once the chicken's cooked. So disgusting.
And while we're on the subject of chicken, it bugs me that Rachael Ray doesn't wash her hands more thoroughly after handling raw chicken. I mean, it's maybe 10 seconds and the soap doesn't even lather up. I get that she's trying to make a meal in under 30 minutes, but a little hygiene please.
Alright, that's my random rant of the day.
:)
I developed this aversion when I was pregnant with Sarah and it has NOT gone away.
It doesn't matter how trimmed they say the breasts are, they gross me out. They're unnaturally big... (I know, I know I should buy organic. Maybe that would help.) They have those white things... You know those rubbery white things that look like casings that they probably pulled the chicken's arteries out of... Does anyone know what those are? Whatever they are... They're so gross. I spend most of my time trimming these supposedly trimmed pieces of chicken every time I cook.
Then.. how gross is boiled chicken? I like Chicken Spaghetti. I like casseroles with chicken. I'm an easy eater. Not picky. So I'm not talking about the taste of boiled chicken. I'm talking more about the things that float in the water once the chicken's cooked. So disgusting.
And while we're on the subject of chicken, it bugs me that Rachael Ray doesn't wash her hands more thoroughly after handling raw chicken. I mean, it's maybe 10 seconds and the soap doesn't even lather up. I get that she's trying to make a meal in under 30 minutes, but a little hygiene please.
Alright, that's my random rant of the day.
:)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Care Calendar
www.carecalendar.org
My sister has a bunch of friends from different circles (church, community, neighborhood, work, etc) that all offered to bring her meals since she just had a baby.
So one person (I think it was a neighbor) got on www.carecalendar.org and set up a schedule of meals.
I don't know a lot of the details, but here's what I can tell you...
Hilary gave her neighbor a list of email addresses for everyone who said that they wanted to bring her dinner at some point.
This neighbor got on the site... I don't really know exactly how she set up the schedule, but I'm sure the site walks you through the process... and then emailed it to everyone on Hilary's master list.
When I received the email, it basically said that I had volunteered to bring a meal and I was asked to log in and sign up on the care calendar. I was given a password to log in.
Then a calendar popped up with days needing to be filled in red and days that were already covered in green. When I signed up for a day to bring dinner, I also had to enter what I was bringing. This ensures that you don't have a lot of repeat casseroles.
I can see what other families are bringing. Hilary can log on and see what nights she can expect a meal and what the meal will be.
I will get a reminder email the day that I am supposed to bring her dinner.
It's such a neat thing. I may be really late hearing about this. Maybe everyone knows about this site. But it sure beats the heck out of trying to coordinate a bunch of people with a million back-and-forth emails trying to decide who's bringing what and when.
This was very handy. And it bridged the gap between all of Hilary's friends that don't necessarily know each other but wanted to do something nice for her.
My sister has a bunch of friends from different circles (church, community, neighborhood, work, etc) that all offered to bring her meals since she just had a baby.
So one person (I think it was a neighbor) got on www.carecalendar.org and set up a schedule of meals.
I don't know a lot of the details, but here's what I can tell you...
Hilary gave her neighbor a list of email addresses for everyone who said that they wanted to bring her dinner at some point.
This neighbor got on the site... I don't really know exactly how she set up the schedule, but I'm sure the site walks you through the process... and then emailed it to everyone on Hilary's master list.
When I received the email, it basically said that I had volunteered to bring a meal and I was asked to log in and sign up on the care calendar. I was given a password to log in.
Then a calendar popped up with days needing to be filled in red and days that were already covered in green. When I signed up for a day to bring dinner, I also had to enter what I was bringing. This ensures that you don't have a lot of repeat casseroles.
I can see what other families are bringing. Hilary can log on and see what nights she can expect a meal and what the meal will be.
I will get a reminder email the day that I am supposed to bring her dinner.
It's such a neat thing. I may be really late hearing about this. Maybe everyone knows about this site. But it sure beats the heck out of trying to coordinate a bunch of people with a million back-and-forth emails trying to decide who's bringing what and when.
This was very handy. And it bridged the gap between all of Hilary's friends that don't necessarily know each other but wanted to do something nice for her.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
I'm an AUNT.... again.
Friday around 6:00 pm, my sister, Hilary, went to the hospital to have her 3rd baby. She didn't find out the sex of the baby this time, but we were all betting it would be a boy. The heart rate, the way she was carrying, it all pointed to a boy.
BOY... were we wrong. :)
At about 4:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, Kathryn Anne was born. 6 lbs 12 oz. TONS of hair (which is a given for these half-Italian babies).
I got to hold her and love on her. Just a tiny little thing.
I'm smiling thinking, "This is so sweet. And I love that if she cries, I can hand her to her mommy." :)
Hilary's babies got smaller each time. Lucky her. :) Rachel was 8 lbs 1 oz. Alex was 7 1/2 lbs. Kathryn is the smallest yet.
Hil seems so happy. It was a long night for her. A few complications... the epidural didn't fully work and her blood pressure dropped to 60 over 20. (Unrelated to each other). Her leg which has had horrible vein issues this pregnancy went completely numb and still was this afternoon.
But that didn't change the way Hilary looked. She was just glowing. On that high from just having had a baby.
The older kids came to meet their new little sister, and I think the reality set in that when she goes home it is not going to be like when she brought home her first baby.
I think she had forgotten a little bit.
Hilary is a "baby person". She has the patience for them. She loves every minute of the first year. I think, in just the 15 mins the kids spent at the hospital, she already got a taste of what it will be like to try to juggle 3. She told me she's going to soak up her one-on-one time at the hospital with Kathryn. Smart!!
Baby #1 falls asleep on your chest, and you have Husband get out the camera. Baby #2 falls asleep on your chest, and you try to soak up that moment but it's interrupted by whining now-Toddler #1. Baby #3 never has a chance to fall asleep on your chest because you don't have time to lay down when you're taking care of now-Child #1 and now-Preschooler #2. :)
I'm excited that our kids are so evenly matched... in ages, in sexes. It's fun to have babies around the same time as your brothers or sisters. I know a lot of you can relate to that.
I'm excited and hopeful to see how Hilary and I will bond and become better friends through this. It's been a happy day. A LONG happy day.
BOY... were we wrong. :)
At about 4:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, Kathryn Anne was born. 6 lbs 12 oz. TONS of hair (which is a given for these half-Italian babies).
I got to hold her and love on her. Just a tiny little thing.
I'm smiling thinking, "This is so sweet. And I love that if she cries, I can hand her to her mommy." :)
Hilary's babies got smaller each time. Lucky her. :) Rachel was 8 lbs 1 oz. Alex was 7 1/2 lbs. Kathryn is the smallest yet.
Hil seems so happy. It was a long night for her. A few complications... the epidural didn't fully work and her blood pressure dropped to 60 over 20. (Unrelated to each other). Her leg which has had horrible vein issues this pregnancy went completely numb and still was this afternoon.
But that didn't change the way Hilary looked. She was just glowing. On that high from just having had a baby.
The older kids came to meet their new little sister, and I think the reality set in that when she goes home it is not going to be like when she brought home her first baby.
I think she had forgotten a little bit.
Hilary is a "baby person". She has the patience for them. She loves every minute of the first year. I think, in just the 15 mins the kids spent at the hospital, she already got a taste of what it will be like to try to juggle 3. She told me she's going to soak up her one-on-one time at the hospital with Kathryn. Smart!!
Baby #1 falls asleep on your chest, and you have Husband get out the camera. Baby #2 falls asleep on your chest, and you try to soak up that moment but it's interrupted by whining now-Toddler #1. Baby #3 never has a chance to fall asleep on your chest because you don't have time to lay down when you're taking care of now-Child #1 and now-Preschooler #2. :)
I'm excited that our kids are so evenly matched... in ages, in sexes. It's fun to have babies around the same time as your brothers or sisters. I know a lot of you can relate to that.
I'm excited and hopeful to see how Hilary and I will bond and become better friends through this. It's been a happy day. A LONG happy day.
Friday, June 18, 2010
We have soccer practice
I've always wanted to say that. :) Hey, I've got the van... Might as well be a soccer mom.
Ok, the truth is... it's not really practice. It's this joke of a class that Sarah and Jack will be taking for 4 Saturdays this summer. 45 minutes each time. What are they really gonna learn? Nothing.
But it's exciting because it's our first sport. Sarah does dance, which I LOVE and I'm into. I've never really considered putting her in anything else. Then I blinked, it seems at times, and I have a 3 1/2 yr old son who does nothing. And he NEEDS to do something. That kid has some energy that needs to be channeled.
It's fun to think about getting into sports. Maybe he'll like soccer and we'll sign him up. It's also kinda neat that he's at the age where we can start to see what he's interested in and might possibly be semi-good at.
I'm telling you... I know people love babies but I think it gets SOOOO much more fun around 3 yrs old. ;)
Speaking of sports... That makes me think of swimming... Which reminded me that we did go to the pool party today, and it became very obvious very quickly that my kids should have been doing swimming lessons when they were babies. These other kids today could S-W-I-M. They were good! Mine were not. :)
I honestly don't feel like I had the time to do it any sooner. Last summer I had a baby. The summer before that I had a 2 and 3 yr old and the thought seemed overwhelming. Should've done it.
My survival technique for having my kids back-to-back was to just keep them on the same level. I kept them babies for as long as I could. Strapped into strollers and high chairs. Each confined to their cribs until they were 3 yrs old. Treat them like twins.
I'm realizing that they may have been a mistake in some instances. I should have focused more on getting them to master skills so that they could be more independent at a younger age, instead of holding them back so that I could be in control longer.
Oh well. Live and learn. They can take it up with their therapist one day. :)
Ok, the truth is... it's not really practice. It's this joke of a class that Sarah and Jack will be taking for 4 Saturdays this summer. 45 minutes each time. What are they really gonna learn? Nothing.
But it's exciting because it's our first sport. Sarah does dance, which I LOVE and I'm into. I've never really considered putting her in anything else. Then I blinked, it seems at times, and I have a 3 1/2 yr old son who does nothing. And he NEEDS to do something. That kid has some energy that needs to be channeled.
It's fun to think about getting into sports. Maybe he'll like soccer and we'll sign him up. It's also kinda neat that he's at the age where we can start to see what he's interested in and might possibly be semi-good at.
I'm telling you... I know people love babies but I think it gets SOOOO much more fun around 3 yrs old. ;)
Speaking of sports... That makes me think of swimming... Which reminded me that we did go to the pool party today, and it became very obvious very quickly that my kids should have been doing swimming lessons when they were babies. These other kids today could S-W-I-M. They were good! Mine were not. :)
I honestly don't feel like I had the time to do it any sooner. Last summer I had a baby. The summer before that I had a 2 and 3 yr old and the thought seemed overwhelming. Should've done it.
My survival technique for having my kids back-to-back was to just keep them on the same level. I kept them babies for as long as I could. Strapped into strollers and high chairs. Each confined to their cribs until they were 3 yrs old. Treat them like twins.
I'm realizing that they may have been a mistake in some instances. I should have focused more on getting them to master skills so that they could be more independent at a younger age, instead of holding them back so that I could be in control longer.
Oh well. Live and learn. They can take it up with their therapist one day. :)
A busy day
Tubes this morning for Caroline. (Jason didn't go, which was fine with me. Otherwise we would have had to get a babysitter to come stay with Jack and Sarah. That only complicates things.)
Caroline had a good nap when we got home, but now I'm sorta up-in-the-air about how the rest of the day is going to go. She normally only takes one nap around lunch time. But now I wonder if she'll want one this afternoon too. *sigh* I wish she was a little more scheduled.
We're heading to Sarah's friend, Molly's house. The kids and I were invited for a pool party. Not sure how that's going to work either, now that I type this. Caroline just got tubes so she can't get splashed or get any water in her ears. (Obviously I can put plugs in I guess.) But if I'm holding Caroline, how am I going to help Sarah and Jack in the pool? They can't swim well, even with floaties. Hmmm... Thinking aloud while I type. Sorry.
Then I talked to my sister around 10:00 this morning, and she's in labor. :) Not to the point where she's at the hospital yet, but I think we'll have a baby in the next 24 hours. So I'll need to find a time to run up there and see my new niece/nephew whenever she/he gets here. (My bet is that it's a boy. We'll see.)
Caroline had a good nap when we got home, but now I'm sorta up-in-the-air about how the rest of the day is going to go. She normally only takes one nap around lunch time. But now I wonder if she'll want one this afternoon too. *sigh* I wish she was a little more scheduled.
We're heading to Sarah's friend, Molly's house. The kids and I were invited for a pool party. Not sure how that's going to work either, now that I type this. Caroline just got tubes so she can't get splashed or get any water in her ears. (Obviously I can put plugs in I guess.) But if I'm holding Caroline, how am I going to help Sarah and Jack in the pool? They can't swim well, even with floaties. Hmmm... Thinking aloud while I type. Sorry.
Then I talked to my sister around 10:00 this morning, and she's in labor. :) Not to the point where she's at the hospital yet, but I think we'll have a baby in the next 24 hours. So I'll need to find a time to run up there and see my new niece/nephew whenever she/he gets here. (My bet is that it's a boy. We'll see.)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Out for Sushi
Heading out tonight! A big THANK YOU to Jason for allowing me to leave him with 3 kids and all that putting them to bed entails. I'll be sure to tell him too as I'm sprinting out the door! ;)
I'm having dinner with a friend I used to teach with. I haven't seen Jennifer in years. She's my sushi pal. I may have more sushi pals without realizing it. Anyone? Sushi lovers?
You have to have a sushi pal when you're married to someone who won't do the sushi thing. Plus, Jenn does it enough that she helps me remember what to order... although I'll try anything. She's good at making recommendations.
I need tonight in the worst way. I'm so looking forward to it. I miss my friends. Ya hear that? All of you reading right now? I MISS YOU!
I'm just not great at balancing the home life and the social life. And I don't like for Jason to come thru the door and for me to hand him the kids and leave right away. I feel like that's kinda mean. But every once in a while, it feels good to be a little selfish and say, "They're all yours, buddy." :)
Plus Jason's a home body. So he never wants to go out. I thought I was too, but I definitely enjoy time away more than he does. He loves weekends at home. I love to get out. So we're constantly trying to compromise.
All that's to say... I'm so glad that I have friends that know that when I have a baby, I'm MIA for a while. And then as I start to reappear in the social scene, my friends are always so kind to welcome me back. No grudges held. No lectures. We pick up right where we left off.
I'm just trying to figure out how to give everyone what they need and still get what I need too.
And tonight, I need SUSHI!! :)
Have a great night!
I'm having dinner with a friend I used to teach with. I haven't seen Jennifer in years. She's my sushi pal. I may have more sushi pals without realizing it. Anyone? Sushi lovers?
You have to have a sushi pal when you're married to someone who won't do the sushi thing. Plus, Jenn does it enough that she helps me remember what to order... although I'll try anything. She's good at making recommendations.
I need tonight in the worst way. I'm so looking forward to it. I miss my friends. Ya hear that? All of you reading right now? I MISS YOU!
I'm just not great at balancing the home life and the social life. And I don't like for Jason to come thru the door and for me to hand him the kids and leave right away. I feel like that's kinda mean. But every once in a while, it feels good to be a little selfish and say, "They're all yours, buddy." :)
Plus Jason's a home body. So he never wants to go out. I thought I was too, but I definitely enjoy time away more than he does. He loves weekends at home. I love to get out. So we're constantly trying to compromise.
All that's to say... I'm so glad that I have friends that know that when I have a baby, I'm MIA for a while. And then as I start to reappear in the social scene, my friends are always so kind to welcome me back. No grudges held. No lectures. We pick up right where we left off.
I'm just trying to figure out how to give everyone what they need and still get what I need too.
And tonight, I need SUSHI!! :)
Have a great night!
Cute
Today at the dentist (yes I went back AGAIN. Cavities to be filled. Just this one quick mention of the visit and then I'll move on to my point...) they mentioned how the nitrous mask they give me is a pediatric mask. They also realized (after they bruised me up on Tuesday) that they need to use pediatric needles when giving me injections. They also recallibrated the amount of numbing stuff they give me when they found out my weight.
Their comment to me was, "Treating our little friend, Julie, here is like treating an 11 year old. No offense."
None taken.
Really.
I have always said I'm built like a kid. I'm never going to be curvy. I would love to be, but it's not going to happen. Pants have to be altered sometimes just so that they're not saggy in the butt. That's how buttless I am. I'm ok with it.
I have little bird legs. I get them from my dad. So I run to get them as toned as possible but they're never gonna be big. That's fine.
Same with my arms.
This morning, they went on to say,"Petite is cute."
Which made me think of a girl I went to high school with. She HATED when people told her she was cute. She wanted to be grown up, I guess. She said that cute is for babies and puppy dogs.
I tried to explain to her that "cute" is not a bad thing. It speaks to, not just the way she looks, but also her personality. She disagreed. I guess she wanted to be beautiful or sexy or something. Which is hilarious.. because she was 15.
I'm all grown up and still those are words that will never be used to describe me. Does not bother me AT ALL. I like "cute".
The way I see it-- "Cute" is better than "ugly", right? :)
Their comment to me was, "Treating our little friend, Julie, here is like treating an 11 year old. No offense."
None taken.
Really.
I have always said I'm built like a kid. I'm never going to be curvy. I would love to be, but it's not going to happen. Pants have to be altered sometimes just so that they're not saggy in the butt. That's how buttless I am. I'm ok with it.
I have little bird legs. I get them from my dad. So I run to get them as toned as possible but they're never gonna be big. That's fine.
Same with my arms.
This morning, they went on to say,"Petite is cute."
Which made me think of a girl I went to high school with. She HATED when people told her she was cute. She wanted to be grown up, I guess. She said that cute is for babies and puppy dogs.
I tried to explain to her that "cute" is not a bad thing. It speaks to, not just the way she looks, but also her personality. She disagreed. I guess she wanted to be beautiful or sexy or something. Which is hilarious.. because she was 15.
I'm all grown up and still those are words that will never be used to describe me. Does not bother me AT ALL. I like "cute".
The way I see it-- "Cute" is better than "ugly", right? :)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Another first
Sarah has a friend from school over right now. This is her first friend to come play where the friend's mom dropped her off and will be back in a few hours to pick her up. Every other time we've had friends over, they've basically been play dates where the mom and I sit and talk while the kids play. This seems very grown up and so much fun!!!
But I have learned, watching them play together, that we have a couple of things to work on. Just basic "do what your guest wants to do" manners and things.
The girls are super cute playing together, and they've been sweet to include Jack in everything. Even when it comes to playing dress up. :-)
But I have learned, watching them play together, that we have a couple of things to work on. Just basic "do what your guest wants to do" manners and things.
The girls are super cute playing together, and they've been sweet to include Jack in everything. Even when it comes to playing dress up. :-)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
N2O
I did half of my recommended deep cleaning gum therapy today. (I know I've had a lot of oral hygiene posts lately... and for that, I apologize. My mouth will soon no longer be a topic of conversation, I promise!) They numbed the left side of my mouth. So even now, I am unable to move the left side of my face. I'm a drooly mess. Soooo cute. ;)
I got some laughing gas before the numbing injections and wore the mask throughout the procedure. Ahhh... nice. That's some GOOD stuff.
Can I just buy a mask and a tank and keep them at the house so I can take a little nitrous oxide break when I need a pick-me-up?
I had a million different ideas of things to blog about... Most of which I've decided are inappropriate now that I'm breathing oxygen again.
I got some laughing gas before the numbing injections and wore the mask throughout the procedure. Ahhh... nice. That's some GOOD stuff.
Can I just buy a mask and a tank and keep them at the house so I can take a little nitrous oxide break when I need a pick-me-up?
I had a million different ideas of things to blog about... Most of which I've decided are inappropriate now that I'm breathing oxygen again.
Weight loss injections?
I spoke with a lady who dropped 50 lbs in 3 months. She went to a weight loss doctor who injected her with the pregnancy hormone, hCG. This lady is not pregnant but says that hCG tells your fat cells to release fat to the baby.
So the weight loss plan is: Get hCG injections. Her body releases fat to a non-existent baby. So the fat is simply eliminated when she goes to the bathroom.
50 pounds in 3 months is pretty amazing.
She's dropping a lot of money on these frequent injections. Soon she'll switch to an hCG cream that she'll rub on her wrists. She swears by this stuff.
I asked her if there was anything else she was doing? Working out? Dieting?
She said, "Well, along with the injections, the doctor put me on a 500 calorie/day diet. And I haven't had a carb since January."
500 calories a day???
Save your money. It's not the hCG that's working.
So the weight loss plan is: Get hCG injections. Her body releases fat to a non-existent baby. So the fat is simply eliminated when she goes to the bathroom.
50 pounds in 3 months is pretty amazing.
She's dropping a lot of money on these frequent injections. Soon she'll switch to an hCG cream that she'll rub on her wrists. She swears by this stuff.
I asked her if there was anything else she was doing? Working out? Dieting?
She said, "Well, along with the injections, the doctor put me on a 500 calorie/day diet. And I haven't had a carb since January."
500 calories a day???
Save your money. It's not the hCG that's working.
God gets you ready when it's time
Like labor pains and sleepless nights right before you have a baby, I think it's kinda cool how God gets you ready for things.
In an almost non-sensical way, I was READY to have my babies by the end of each pregnancy because I was so uncomfortable. I hadn't slept well in weeks. And somehow I almost thought I'd sleep better if I could just have that baby. (Never mind the whole feeding-every-3-hours part.)
I loved being pregnant, but I was always ready to be done when it was time.
I love everything about Sarah. From her sweet personality and helpfulness to the way she's matured and I can carry on much deeper conversations with her now. Jack and she are the best of friends. Pals since Day 1.
But, in the last 2 weeks, they have been fighting like cats and dogs. Getting on each other's nerves intentionally. Teasing and pushing. Behavior I have NEVER seen from either of them.
And I think it's God's way of getting this house ready for Sarah to go to Kindergarten. Listening to her argue with Jack takes a way a little bit of my sadness to see her leave. It makes watching her grow up and move on to bigger and better things seem a little more fitting.
She's not on the same level as Jack anymore. They're not into the same things like they used to be. Right now their age difference seems astounding. (It'll even out again someday, I know.)
And funnier still.. Jack has really started to enjoy Caroline. Out of the blue. And she prefers him, even over Sarah. She wants to wrestle and laugh and play with her big brother. I think that's so fun to see because they will be the buddies hanging out together once Sarah is at school.
The unimaginable... like sending Sarah to school... seems possible when these labor pains of change start happening. I kinda like it.
I like knowing that my heart is being prepared now to make the transition in August.
In an almost non-sensical way, I was READY to have my babies by the end of each pregnancy because I was so uncomfortable. I hadn't slept well in weeks. And somehow I almost thought I'd sleep better if I could just have that baby. (Never mind the whole feeding-every-3-hours part.)
I loved being pregnant, but I was always ready to be done when it was time.
I love everything about Sarah. From her sweet personality and helpfulness to the way she's matured and I can carry on much deeper conversations with her now. Jack and she are the best of friends. Pals since Day 1.
But, in the last 2 weeks, they have been fighting like cats and dogs. Getting on each other's nerves intentionally. Teasing and pushing. Behavior I have NEVER seen from either of them.
And I think it's God's way of getting this house ready for Sarah to go to Kindergarten. Listening to her argue with Jack takes a way a little bit of my sadness to see her leave. It makes watching her grow up and move on to bigger and better things seem a little more fitting.
She's not on the same level as Jack anymore. They're not into the same things like they used to be. Right now their age difference seems astounding. (It'll even out again someday, I know.)
And funnier still.. Jack has really started to enjoy Caroline. Out of the blue. And she prefers him, even over Sarah. She wants to wrestle and laugh and play with her big brother. I think that's so fun to see because they will be the buddies hanging out together once Sarah is at school.
The unimaginable... like sending Sarah to school... seems possible when these labor pains of change start happening. I kinda like it.
I like knowing that my heart is being prepared now to make the transition in August.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Dentist Part 2
I asked the dentist about whitening my teeth and straightening my lower teeth. They've sorta shifted out of alignment over the years since I've gotten my braces off. He told me he'd basically do a mock-up of what he would propose we do to make my smile look good.
His mock-up was $19,000 in proposed dental work.
Ummmmm. Ok.
$16,000 of that is veneers all across my upper teeth.
I just wanted my teeth whitened and the lower ones straightened.
The professional thinks I need a used car's worth of dental work done.
Do you have any idea how that screws with your head?
I've seriously been bummed all day today. Every time I walk past a mirror, I smile and am disgusted because I now have a mindset that my teeth are so hideous that they need a total overhaul.
They told me, "Don't worry. We can finance it." (Yeah, I bet you'd be more than willing to.) "We finance $40,000 worth of cosmetic dentistry all the time."
Really????
Wow.
I'm not doing all that. I just want them whitened and the lower ones straight.
But the suggestion that I need more is still in the back of my mind. It's nuts how something can make you feel so ugly. It's nuts how quickly I can become severly self-conscious.
All day long, it's like I've needed to be in a dark-ish room with a glass of wine, crying and belting out the words to Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful".
:)
Anyway, I hope you had a good day...
His mock-up was $19,000 in proposed dental work.
Ummmmm. Ok.
$16,000 of that is veneers all across my upper teeth.
I just wanted my teeth whitened and the lower ones straightened.
The professional thinks I need a used car's worth of dental work done.
Do you have any idea how that screws with your head?
I've seriously been bummed all day today. Every time I walk past a mirror, I smile and am disgusted because I now have a mindset that my teeth are so hideous that they need a total overhaul.
They told me, "Don't worry. We can finance it." (Yeah, I bet you'd be more than willing to.) "We finance $40,000 worth of cosmetic dentistry all the time."
Really????
Wow.
I'm not doing all that. I just want them whitened and the lower ones straight.
But the suggestion that I need more is still in the back of my mind. It's nuts how something can make you feel so ugly. It's nuts how quickly I can become severly self-conscious.
All day long, it's like I've needed to be in a dark-ish room with a glass of wine, crying and belting out the words to Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful".
:)
Anyway, I hope you had a good day...
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The end is in sight... Safety is near
Pictures are coming soon...
Wow. Alright. You must understand the tone and intent behind this post.
I am not making fun of Jason. I tease him good-naturedly.
And I am honestly, sincerely impressed that he can get an idea in his head of something he wants to build, and then make it happen. He loves building stuff. It does for him what running does for me. It calms him down. It is an enjoyable past time. And he's good at it... Or at least I think he is.
..........................................................
Let me remind you what took us on this project path...
We needed to put a gate at the bottom of the stairs. A tension-mounted swing gate wasn't working for us. So we need to screw the gate into the wall and to the stairs.
We don't want to drill holes and screw stuff into our stair post and wall. So Jason had an idea to build basically a case that would fit around the post at the foot of our stairs.
It would go all the way to the floor. We could then screw holes into the casing and mount one side of the gate there and the other side of the gate to the door frame that leads to our den/kitchen area.
This will all make much more sense once I show you pictures.
(I'm only explaining it now so that I don't have to have paragraphs written under every picture later.)
I said, "Go for it. Sounds great."
..............................................................
Let me just tell you that he basically built his own butcher block. There are 6 or 7 boards all glued together, each perfectly notched out to exactly match the line of the stairs. He didn't have bolts long enough... (Yes, there are bolts involved in this project)... So he bought All Threadz (Sp?) and basically made his own bolts... Or if they're threaded would they be screws? I don't know. He has meticulously sanded every surface and rounded every corner so that the kids don't get splinters and if Caroline falls into it, she won't catch a sharp corner. He bought felt that will fit between this casing that he built and the newel post, to further ensure that it isn't damaged. He's gonna stain it to match our stairs....
I mean, can you say, "overkill"??? :)
It's so well done. He dreamed it up. He made it happen. (It took a while, but he made it happen.) He paid so much attention to detail. I'm honestly impressed. He did a great job. (Well, he's doing a great job. It's still not quite finished. He wants to stain it.)
But...
I just wanted to put a gate up on the stairs. That's all. Just a gate.
More than $100 later, I got a 50 - 75 lb case that still isn't finished, and Caroline is climbing.
Hopefully it will get stained tonight or tomorrow and be ready to install by Wednesday.
Sheesh...
Wow. Alright. You must understand the tone and intent behind this post.
I am not making fun of Jason. I tease him good-naturedly.
And I am honestly, sincerely impressed that he can get an idea in his head of something he wants to build, and then make it happen. He loves building stuff. It does for him what running does for me. It calms him down. It is an enjoyable past time. And he's good at it... Or at least I think he is.
..........................................................
Let me remind you what took us on this project path...
We needed to put a gate at the bottom of the stairs. A tension-mounted swing gate wasn't working for us. So we need to screw the gate into the wall and to the stairs.
We don't want to drill holes and screw stuff into our stair post and wall. So Jason had an idea to build basically a case that would fit around the post at the foot of our stairs.
It would go all the way to the floor. We could then screw holes into the casing and mount one side of the gate there and the other side of the gate to the door frame that leads to our den/kitchen area.
This will all make much more sense once I show you pictures.
(I'm only explaining it now so that I don't have to have paragraphs written under every picture later.)
I said, "Go for it. Sounds great."
..............................................................
Let me just tell you that he basically built his own butcher block. There are 6 or 7 boards all glued together, each perfectly notched out to exactly match the line of the stairs. He didn't have bolts long enough... (Yes, there are bolts involved in this project)... So he bought All Threadz (Sp?) and basically made his own bolts... Or if they're threaded would they be screws? I don't know. He has meticulously sanded every surface and rounded every corner so that the kids don't get splinters and if Caroline falls into it, she won't catch a sharp corner. He bought felt that will fit between this casing that he built and the newel post, to further ensure that it isn't damaged. He's gonna stain it to match our stairs....
I mean, can you say, "overkill"??? :)
It's so well done. He dreamed it up. He made it happen. (It took a while, but he made it happen.) He paid so much attention to detail. I'm honestly impressed. He did a great job. (Well, he's doing a great job. It's still not quite finished. He wants to stain it.)
But...
I just wanted to put a gate up on the stairs. That's all. Just a gate.
More than $100 later, I got a 50 - 75 lb case that still isn't finished, and Caroline is climbing.
Hopefully it will get stained tonight or tomorrow and be ready to install by Wednesday.
Sheesh...
I talk too much
This past week of VBS is the first time in years that I've been around friends every day for a week. I had forgotten how much I enjoy chatting. I like to talk. I like little one-liners that aren't worth blogging about or posting on Facebook. (Ya know, some humor and conversations are best in person.)
I had a great time with my peers this past week, but the general consensus among them is that I talk a lot.
They said I cracked them up. They said they had fun with me. But I think that's just a compliment sandwich.
Definition of "A compliment sandwich": When needing to constructively criticize someone, compliment them first, then criticize them, then end on a positive note. The criticism should be sandwiched between 2 compliments.
"You're so funny, Julie. You talk a lot. I had a great time teaching with you." = compliment sandwich
:-)
I'm going to try to work on it, but it's who I am. In fact, that's how you know I'm comfortable with you. I'm quiet when I'm intimidated, tired, or flat-out dislike a person. I'm a blabbermouth if I like you.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure everyone appreciates my gift of gab.
"Less is more." I'm going to try to make that my motto when it comes to conversation. But I can't make any promises.
I had a great time with my peers this past week, but the general consensus among them is that I talk a lot.
They said I cracked them up. They said they had fun with me. But I think that's just a compliment sandwich.
Definition of "A compliment sandwich": When needing to constructively criticize someone, compliment them first, then criticize them, then end on a positive note. The criticism should be sandwiched between 2 compliments.
"You're so funny, Julie. You talk a lot. I had a great time teaching with you." = compliment sandwich
:-)
I'm going to try to work on it, but it's who I am. In fact, that's how you know I'm comfortable with you. I'm quiet when I'm intimidated, tired, or flat-out dislike a person. I'm a blabbermouth if I like you.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure everyone appreciates my gift of gab.
"Less is more." I'm going to try to make that my motto when it comes to conversation. But I can't make any promises.
Money-saving tip
Orange juice and dark rum is an acceptable substitute for orange juice and vodka.
We've been out of vodka for 2 weeks, and, instead of buying more, I've been drinking through our other liquors.
I am so good at saving money.
;-)
We've been out of vodka for 2 weeks, and, instead of buying more, I've been drinking through our other liquors.
I am so good at saving money.
;-)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The babyproofing clock is ticking... LOUDER
Caroline is now climbing stairs. Do we have a gate up? Nope. In fact... This project is no closer to completion. I yelled at strongly encouraged Jason to finish so that we can babyproof the stairs the way he wants.
I try to indulge him in these projects that he finds so fun, but at this point, I'm stressing a little bit that I feel a sense of urgency and I think he's just enjoying building something.
I try to indulge him in these projects that he finds so fun, but at this point, I'm stressing a little bit that I feel a sense of urgency and I think he's just enjoying building something.
I propose early morning summer hours
I think that when it gets hot outside, and I know "hot" is subjective, but let's say... once temps start hitting the lower 90s in the afternoons... stores should open by at least 9:00 AM. (Preferably earlier than that)
It is WAY too hot to be getting kids out when it's 97 degrees. It's not safe. The car heats up super fast once you've left it in a parking lot, and even when you vent the windows, the car seat buckles get hot (if you're like me and forget to cover the metal with a towel).
I would like to knock things out first thing in the morning. It drives me bonkers that stores don't open until 10. 10:00 is when I need to be back home to start the winding down process for Caroline's nap.
In an ideal world, I could shower and have my coffee and be ready to go by 8:00. The kids could be dressed and have had breakfast and ready to go by 8:30. We could run our errands and be back home by 10:00.
Stores in the South/Southwest should have summer hours. It's a safety thing.
And then maybe they'd see how much business they would have if they opened a little earlier. Because, truth be told, even during the school year, it'd be nice if things opened before 10. Sarah will start school at 7:30. Jack will be at school at 9:00. It'd be nice if, while I was already out at 9:00, I could get some things done... instead of coming back home for an hour and waiting for stores to open.
If only there were suggestion boxes outside my favorite stores....
I'm sure they'd love to hear from me. :-)
It is WAY too hot to be getting kids out when it's 97 degrees. It's not safe. The car heats up super fast once you've left it in a parking lot, and even when you vent the windows, the car seat buckles get hot (if you're like me and forget to cover the metal with a towel).
I would like to knock things out first thing in the morning. It drives me bonkers that stores don't open until 10. 10:00 is when I need to be back home to start the winding down process for Caroline's nap.
In an ideal world, I could shower and have my coffee and be ready to go by 8:00. The kids could be dressed and have had breakfast and ready to go by 8:30. We could run our errands and be back home by 10:00.
Stores in the South/Southwest should have summer hours. It's a safety thing.
And then maybe they'd see how much business they would have if they opened a little earlier. Because, truth be told, even during the school year, it'd be nice if things opened before 10. Sarah will start school at 7:30. Jack will be at school at 9:00. It'd be nice if, while I was already out at 9:00, I could get some things done... instead of coming back home for an hour and waiting for stores to open.
If only there were suggestion boxes outside my favorite stores....
I'm sure they'd love to hear from me. :-)
Friday, June 11, 2010
What a Week...
Vacation Bible School is OVER! Yippee!!
It was fun working with the other teachers, but I do the Pre-K thing all day, all year. I was pretty worn out, using up all my patience and smiles on other people's kids. :) It was rough coming home after such full mornings and knowing that I, then, had to deal with my kids for another 7 hours before Jason comes home.
You know how kids are in a classroom setting...
They listen the first day.
The second day they're a little more comfortable.
By Wednesday, their real personalities (for better or worse) are in full effect.
Thursday is the day where you always have to get on to them... They're tired from the week. They push more. They fall down more. They interrupt more.
By Friday, they're even worse than on Thursday, but as a teacher, you don't care... because it's FRIDAY! :)
It's a LONG week.
But I think I'll be teaching this age group again next year... well, as long as the same teachers are back next year. The people you teach with make a HUGE difference on whether or not the week is fun.
I was adding up all the years that my kids will go to VBS and that I'll be expected to teach [plus] all the years that I have spent "volunteering" in the nursery on Sundays[plus] the year that I taught 3rd grade Sunday School [plus] they're recruiting me to teach Sunday School again next year (I am saying "NO"... A girl's gotta have a little time with other adults) and I was EXHAUSTED just thinking about it. I'm telling you... I don't know what churches would do without volunteers.
I did get a can of trail mix today as a thank you.
I tried really hard to feel appreciated as I ate it.
:-)
It was fun working with the other teachers, but I do the Pre-K thing all day, all year. I was pretty worn out, using up all my patience and smiles on other people's kids. :) It was rough coming home after such full mornings and knowing that I, then, had to deal with my kids for another 7 hours before Jason comes home.
You know how kids are in a classroom setting...
They listen the first day.
The second day they're a little more comfortable.
By Wednesday, their real personalities (for better or worse) are in full effect.
Thursday is the day where you always have to get on to them... They're tired from the week. They push more. They fall down more. They interrupt more.
By Friday, they're even worse than on Thursday, but as a teacher, you don't care... because it's FRIDAY! :)
It's a LONG week.
But I think I'll be teaching this age group again next year... well, as long as the same teachers are back next year. The people you teach with make a HUGE difference on whether or not the week is fun.
I was adding up all the years that my kids will go to VBS and that I'll be expected to teach [plus] all the years that I have spent "volunteering" in the nursery on Sundays[plus] the year that I taught 3rd grade Sunday School [plus] they're recruiting me to teach Sunday School again next year (I am saying "NO"... A girl's gotta have a little time with other adults) and I was EXHAUSTED just thinking about it. I'm telling you... I don't know what churches would do without volunteers.
I did get a can of trail mix today as a thank you.
I tried really hard to feel appreciated as I ate it.
:-)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ask Questions and Argue A Little
Jason just saved us $178. Sarah had to have an X-Ray done a few weeks ago to see if her tonsils needed to come out. Today we received a bill from them in the amount of $178. That's not right. She's met her deductible. It doesn't matter whether they're "in network" or not. Her doctor that ordered the X-Ray is "in" and that's all that matters. Our level of healthcare insurance that we have should've covered it. So on and so forth.
Jason called the Radiology office, asked a few questions, was armed with a few facts and now we owe nothing. We were right. They billed us and shouldn't have.
Jason saved us $500 when he realized that his doctor overbilled us for the procedure he had done in November.
So often we get the bills that say, "Your insurance paid "x". Patient responsibility is "y"."
Amazing what you can do if you'll just ask some questions and argue. We're talking almost $700 we saved. That's not like, "Crap. I paid $20 for this at Target, and I could've gotten it for $13 at Walmart." That's a lot of money that they are wrongfully charging, hoping that you don't know your insurance policy well enough and that you're not going to catch it.
I guess that makes it sound like it's an intentional thing on the part of the billing office. It's probably an oversight. But it happens more often than you would think. So check your bills, and don't hesitate to call and get some clarification on some things if you think you've been billed in error.
I'm not the one who can argue things like that. I would be horrible at buying a car. I'd pay sticker price every time. But this is one of those things where Jason is good. He has the personality for it. It's almost like a sport for him. ;)
Oh.... By the way...
One of the trickier things that I've seen is when I had Caroline. Everyone in our family has a $500 deductible. Once that's been met, insurance should pay the rest. I met my deductible pretty quickly when I had Caroline. Some of the charges for her newborn care were charged to her so that she had to meet a $500 deductible as well, just for being born. We were like, "Um. Don't think so. Yes, she will be on our insurance plan, but you're not going to put bills in her name just so that we have to meet another $500 deductible."
Sneaky.
Jason called the Radiology office, asked a few questions, was armed with a few facts and now we owe nothing. We were right. They billed us and shouldn't have.
Jason saved us $500 when he realized that his doctor overbilled us for the procedure he had done in November.
So often we get the bills that say, "Your insurance paid "x". Patient responsibility is "y"."
Amazing what you can do if you'll just ask some questions and argue. We're talking almost $700 we saved. That's not like, "Crap. I paid $20 for this at Target, and I could've gotten it for $13 at Walmart." That's a lot of money that they are wrongfully charging, hoping that you don't know your insurance policy well enough and that you're not going to catch it.
I guess that makes it sound like it's an intentional thing on the part of the billing office. It's probably an oversight. But it happens more often than you would think. So check your bills, and don't hesitate to call and get some clarification on some things if you think you've been billed in error.
I'm not the one who can argue things like that. I would be horrible at buying a car. I'd pay sticker price every time. But this is one of those things where Jason is good. He has the personality for it. It's almost like a sport for him. ;)
Oh.... By the way...
One of the trickier things that I've seen is when I had Caroline. Everyone in our family has a $500 deductible. Once that's been met, insurance should pay the rest. I met my deductible pretty quickly when I had Caroline. Some of the charges for her newborn care were charged to her so that she had to meet a $500 deductible as well, just for being born. We were like, "Um. Don't think so. Yes, she will be on our insurance plan, but you're not going to put bills in her name just so that we have to meet another $500 deductible."
Sneaky.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Trip to the dentist
I've mentioned that I haven't been to the dentist since 2007. Today I went. I wasn't looking forward to going. Over the years, I've had root canals, wisdom teeth extracted, tissue from the roof of my mouth cut out and sewn to my lower gums, 4 bicuspids pulled, and I still say that the routine cleaning that the hygienist does is the worst.
No matter who the dental hygienist is my gums always bleed when she does her hook-lookin' poky thing on my gums. And then I get yelled at for having bleeding gums.
"You know, healthy gums should never bleed. 'No bleeding gums ever' that's our philosophy here."
Really? No bleeding gums... ever? How about when someone pricks your gums again and again with a sharp hook-looking thing? Still not supposed to bleed?
In the words of Mr. Shakespeare, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
Since it had been 3 years since I had sat in a dentist's chair, I knew the pain was coming. And I knew I was going to get a pretty good lecture. The flossing lecture.
I confess, I floss when (a) something is stuck in my teeth, (b) I'm about to go to the dentist because somehow I think one good floss is going to fool him, or (c) I'm going through a weird maintenance phase. If I'm flossing regularly, I'm probably also using Crest Whitestrips, using a Pedi-Egg daily, and shaving my legs regularly too (and THAT is rare!).
I deserved the lecture.
My gums for the most part were good. (I'm sure you all really care to know that.) But she did show me how to brush my teeth with the brush angled more... not so much the circular motion I had been doing, but more of a side-to-side. (BTW, always fun to be taught how to brush your teeth when you're 30. Thanks. I'm an idiot, I guess.)
And she, as predicted, told me that, while she knows I have three kids under the age of 5, it's clear I had let flossing "fall by the wayside".
I wanted to laugh. I had let flossing fall by the wayside?? *Gasp* Little does she know that I have laundry piled up, a house that looks like Toys 'r Us exploded inside, and I found Caroline splashing her hands in Jack's potty that I last scrubbed a week ago.. (and I'm not sure what's been done in there from the time I scrubbed it to the time she splashed in it). But go on... tell me how I've let flossing fall off my list of priorities.
Well she did. And it went on. And on. The talk of how your mouth's health is not separate from your body's health. I shouldn't separate the 2 in my head. I heard that regular flossing could boost my immune system and that people are finally starting to connect the dots that your oral health is directly related to your overall health. In fact, Dr. Oz's #1 to live longer in his book "YOU: The Owner's Manual" is to floss daily. (I got the lecture, but--see?--I was listening.)
Thankfully I went in with my Flossing Lecture Armor on and was able to not get defensive about my flossing negligence and instead took in all of the information she preached.
And I think she made some interesting points. I do want to take better care of my pearly off-whites. (Soon to be white though. I'm going to have them whitened.) And I am going to make more of an effort to take care of my teeth and gums. It really isn't that big of a deal to make some changes, buy a Sonicare toothbrush, and floss more often. And the results would be worth it.
So thank you, Mrs. Dental Hygienist. If it weren't for your nagging, I wouldn't sit here a changed woman.
No matter who the dental hygienist is my gums always bleed when she does her hook-lookin' poky thing on my gums. And then I get yelled at for having bleeding gums.
"You know, healthy gums should never bleed. 'No bleeding gums ever' that's our philosophy here."
Really? No bleeding gums... ever? How about when someone pricks your gums again and again with a sharp hook-looking thing? Still not supposed to bleed?
In the words of Mr. Shakespeare, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
Since it had been 3 years since I had sat in a dentist's chair, I knew the pain was coming. And I knew I was going to get a pretty good lecture. The flossing lecture.
I confess, I floss when (a) something is stuck in my teeth, (b) I'm about to go to the dentist because somehow I think one good floss is going to fool him, or (c) I'm going through a weird maintenance phase. If I'm flossing regularly, I'm probably also using Crest Whitestrips, using a Pedi-Egg daily, and shaving my legs regularly too (and THAT is rare!).
I deserved the lecture.
My gums for the most part were good. (I'm sure you all really care to know that.) But she did show me how to brush my teeth with the brush angled more... not so much the circular motion I had been doing, but more of a side-to-side. (BTW, always fun to be taught how to brush your teeth when you're 30. Thanks. I'm an idiot, I guess.)
And she, as predicted, told me that, while she knows I have three kids under the age of 5, it's clear I had let flossing "fall by the wayside".
I wanted to laugh. I had let flossing fall by the wayside?? *Gasp* Little does she know that I have laundry piled up, a house that looks like Toys 'r Us exploded inside, and I found Caroline splashing her hands in Jack's potty that I last scrubbed a week ago.. (and I'm not sure what's been done in there from the time I scrubbed it to the time she splashed in it). But go on... tell me how I've let flossing fall off my list of priorities.
Well she did. And it went on. And on. The talk of how your mouth's health is not separate from your body's health. I shouldn't separate the 2 in my head. I heard that regular flossing could boost my immune system and that people are finally starting to connect the dots that your oral health is directly related to your overall health. In fact, Dr. Oz's #1 to live longer in his book "YOU: The Owner's Manual" is to floss daily. (I got the lecture, but--see?--I was listening.)
Thankfully I went in with my Flossing Lecture Armor on and was able to not get defensive about my flossing negligence and instead took in all of the information she preached.
And I think she made some interesting points. I do want to take better care of my pearly off-whites. (Soon to be white though. I'm going to have them whitened.) And I am going to make more of an effort to take care of my teeth and gums. It really isn't that big of a deal to make some changes, buy a Sonicare toothbrush, and floss more often. And the results would be worth it.
So thank you, Mrs. Dental Hygienist. If it weren't for your nagging, I wouldn't sit here a changed woman.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Party Planning Has Begun
Sarah's birthday is more than a month away, but I've already started the prep for the party. Do a little at a time. Keeps the stress down. Plus, you quickly learn when you have kids that you can never count on getting something done tomorrow or next week. If you can get it done now, DO IT.
I've got stuff coming together for the crafts and the actual tea party itself.
I drew some of the characters from the book. I looked at the picture as I drew them so it's not like I did any of these from memory. But I didn't trace either, so I was happy that they look halfway decent.
Drawing decorations on posterboard. That's gotta save money, right? I hope Jason's proud of me. :)
Here they are so far. Of course, I have comments that go with each of them.
Mad Hatter and the Rabbit. The rabbit is too brown. I realized as I started coloring him in with marker that he should've been done in crayon but by then, I was committed to the marker. What can you do? I wasn't going to draw him again.
The Dormouse. He still needs to be cut out.
The card soldier. Sorry I should've turned this pic the right way. Going to attach his head and have arms and legs coming soon.
Sarah's coloring in one of the card's gloves now.
The cheshire cat needs to be cut out. He's going to be on the front door, along with these signs...
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I drew them. Sarah colored them for me. When she asked if she could, I told her no...without even thinking, I said, "No sweetie. I don't want you to mess them up." Her face fell. I couldn't believe I said that to her. It's HER party. So I very quickly said, "Of course, you can help me. I would love it if you colored them." I think they look better than the ones I colored. :)
And of course the white rabbit... Late for his very important date.
My plan is to set them up, sort of collage style but in different depths, in front of our fireplace in the living room. They'll serve as a backdrop for pictures that Sarah (dressed as Alice) will take with each of her friends.
We'll see if it turns out. It's all in my head. And sometimes I can't make the things in my head translate to reality.
I've got stuff coming together for the crafts and the actual tea party itself.
I drew some of the characters from the book. I looked at the picture as I drew them so it's not like I did any of these from memory. But I didn't trace either, so I was happy that they look halfway decent.
Drawing decorations on posterboard. That's gotta save money, right? I hope Jason's proud of me. :)
Here they are so far. Of course, I have comments that go with each of them.
Mad Hatter and the Rabbit. The rabbit is too brown. I realized as I started coloring him in with marker that he should've been done in crayon but by then, I was committed to the marker. What can you do? I wasn't going to draw him again.
The Dormouse. He still needs to be cut out.
The card soldier. Sorry I should've turned this pic the right way. Going to attach his head and have arms and legs coming soon.
Sarah's coloring in one of the card's gloves now.
The cheshire cat needs to be cut out. He's going to be on the front door, along with these signs...
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I drew them. Sarah colored them for me. When she asked if she could, I told her no...without even thinking, I said, "No sweetie. I don't want you to mess them up." Her face fell. I couldn't believe I said that to her. It's HER party. So I very quickly said, "Of course, you can help me. I would love it if you colored them." I think they look better than the ones I colored. :)
And of course the white rabbit... Late for his very important date.
My plan is to set them up, sort of collage style but in different depths, in front of our fireplace in the living room. They'll serve as a backdrop for pictures that Sarah (dressed as Alice) will take with each of her friends.
We'll see if it turns out. It's all in my head. And sometimes I can't make the things in my head translate to reality.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Getting happier...
I'm getting more and more pictures with her smiling. :) Hooray!!
Still a serious little thing. But smiling more and more...
(That's a cami under my shirt. No worries. Not flashing anyone. Not that anyone would get much of a show, if I did. hehe)
Still a serious little thing. But smiling more and more...
(That's a cami under my shirt. No worries. Not flashing anyone. Not that anyone would get much of a show, if I did. hehe)
On my birthday wish list...
My birthday isn't until October. But Mother's Day has passed and so has our anniversary. My birthday is the next big day where I feel like I can make a list of things I would like.
Only 2 things on the list so far:
Steam mop: I've talked to people who have a steam mop and they love it. It cleans so much better and sanitizes better. We have a lot of tile in our house, and with the kids, things get messy. I didn't realize just how messy until Caroline has junk stuck to her knees and the palms of her hands from crawling all over my floors.
Sonicare Toothbrush: Again, I've heard great things about this. I've also read reports that it really does clean a ton better than a manual toothbrush. And since I'm self-conscious about my smile, I think I'd love it. (But man is it expensive for a toothbrush.)
I know these are sort of sad little things to have on a birthday wish list. It's all part of a strategy. :) I'm kinda hoping that Jason will see that I'm asking for a mop and a toothbrush for my birthday that's still 4 months away, and he'll find it sweet and endearing. And he'll say, "Baby, just go ahead and get it. You don't have to wait 4 months. And I don't want to buy you a mop for your birthday. Thank you for trying to save money, but you don't have to be that frugal."
:D
Only 2 things on the list so far:
Steam mop: I've talked to people who have a steam mop and they love it. It cleans so much better and sanitizes better. We have a lot of tile in our house, and with the kids, things get messy. I didn't realize just how messy until Caroline has junk stuck to her knees and the palms of her hands from crawling all over my floors.
Sonicare Toothbrush: Again, I've heard great things about this. I've also read reports that it really does clean a ton better than a manual toothbrush. And since I'm self-conscious about my smile, I think I'd love it. (But man is it expensive for a toothbrush.)
I know these are sort of sad little things to have on a birthday wish list. It's all part of a strategy. :) I'm kinda hoping that Jason will see that I'm asking for a mop and a toothbrush for my birthday that's still 4 months away, and he'll find it sweet and endearing. And he'll say, "Baby, just go ahead and get it. You don't have to wait 4 months. And I don't want to buy you a mop for your birthday. Thank you for trying to save money, but you don't have to be that frugal."
:D
Thursday, June 3, 2010
"She's a chunk"
Chunk. Is that ever a nice word? I mean, when I hear "chunk" I think of something grossly big. Even if it's of something good... like a chunk of chocolate cake. That sounds like an obscene amount of chocolate cake. A chunk.
Caroline has been called a chunk more than a few times.
If you are a mom or a friend and have ever grabbed her thigh and talked about her chunky little legs, you're off the hook. ;) That doesn't bother me in the least. There's a little sing-songy tone to your voice and you mean it complimentary. I know. I've done it to your babies. haha
I've called her a chunk, which I stopped doing because Sarah started calling her a chunk. And that's not ok with me. I say it lovingly. I don't want for it to become a name-calling thing when Sarah does it.
---------------------------
Three weeks ago, Caroline was flat out called "fat" by a man at a restaurant. It was all I could do to not smack him. I just looked at him, dumbfounded. Before I could think of a way to appropriately react, he was gone.
Today at the park... Old man walking his dog. I'm carrying Caroline back to the car. Sarah and Jack are skipping behind me.
I smile at the old man. And he says, "That baby's a chunk." And not in a grandfatherly sweet way. Almost in a judgmental, disgusted way.
I said, "She's a good eater so far." I kept walking.
"What is she? Like 20 pounds?" Again, I wish you could've heard his tone. It was rude. I'm not hormonal right now either, and I still say it was rude. ;)
"Yes sir. She's perfect."
"Well, I can't believe you can hold her. She's going to be bigger than your other girl for sure. I can tell from the shoulders. She's not going to be a little thing."
*UGH* Maybe I'm overly sensitive but that really pissed me off. He didn't make a single comment about Jack's size, but he talked about my girls. It's such an unfair thing. And to imply that one is a more favorable size than another. Jerk.
And BY THE WAY, C was 8 1/2 lbs when she was born. I was over 8 lbs too. You really think you can tell by her shoulders that she's not gonna be a little thing? Gimme a break.
I turned and looked at him and said again, "She's perfect."
Caroline has been called a chunk more than a few times.
If you are a mom or a friend and have ever grabbed her thigh and talked about her chunky little legs, you're off the hook. ;) That doesn't bother me in the least. There's a little sing-songy tone to your voice and you mean it complimentary. I know. I've done it to your babies. haha
I've called her a chunk, which I stopped doing because Sarah started calling her a chunk. And that's not ok with me. I say it lovingly. I don't want for it to become a name-calling thing when Sarah does it.
---------------------------
Three weeks ago, Caroline was flat out called "fat" by a man at a restaurant. It was all I could do to not smack him. I just looked at him, dumbfounded. Before I could think of a way to appropriately react, he was gone.
Today at the park... Old man walking his dog. I'm carrying Caroline back to the car. Sarah and Jack are skipping behind me.
I smile at the old man. And he says, "That baby's a chunk." And not in a grandfatherly sweet way. Almost in a judgmental, disgusted way.
I said, "She's a good eater so far." I kept walking.
"What is she? Like 20 pounds?" Again, I wish you could've heard his tone. It was rude. I'm not hormonal right now either, and I still say it was rude. ;)
"Yes sir. She's perfect."
"Well, I can't believe you can hold her. She's going to be bigger than your other girl for sure. I can tell from the shoulders. She's not going to be a little thing."
*UGH* Maybe I'm overly sensitive but that really pissed me off. He didn't make a single comment about Jack's size, but he talked about my girls. It's such an unfair thing. And to imply that one is a more favorable size than another. Jerk.
And BY THE WAY, C was 8 1/2 lbs when she was born. I was over 8 lbs too. You really think you can tell by her shoulders that she's not gonna be a little thing? Gimme a break.
I turned and looked at him and said again, "She's perfect."
Alright, so here's the Bday plan
I ran the idea past Jason... I would've normally called my mom, but my parents are on a cruise of the Mediterranean... Not their first time, I might add. Retirement sounds GREAT! :) Anyway, when Mom is gone, I realize that she's one of the only people I ever talk to on the phone. Weird. So, even though Jason wasn't my first choice of idea-thumbs-up-giver, he gave me the "thumbs up" so all of a sudden I feel like his opinion is on point. :)
I'm going to take you on my long thought process... If you get bored and stop reading, I understand...
So Sarah's girly... Into dress up... Into tea parties.
I thought "Tea Party" That's the way to go. We have a dining room table that seats 6. She would be allowed to invite 5 friends. That's a manageable size for me, my stress levels, AND MY BUDGET. (I am NOT hosting a party over here for her 25 nearest and dearest pals.) She's turning 5. Let's keep it in perspective.
Well then, I had seen people who have thrown "Fancy Nancy" parties. We have a book of hers. We have a couple of puzzles, but I'm not soooo into her that I could really get into a Fancy Nancy theme. I wouldn't really know what to do.
When Sarah was lying around all last week, she must have watched "Alice in Wonderland" 10 times. So "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" is where we're going with this party.
I think it'll be great because it's all about not matching. And whimsy. And sort of the more non-sensical, the better. I can do that.
Sarah is going to dress up as Alice.
I think I'm going do little white rabbit footprints (whatever a rabbit footprint looks like) in chalk up the sidewalk. I may do (or have Jason do) something at the front door that's like the kids are entering the rabbit hole.
Decorating should be really simple. Bright colors. Mismatched tea sets. Mismatched chairs. There are so many directions you could go... pocket watches and clocks, playing cards, gardens, Cheshire cat, rabbit, signs that are pointing in all directions that say "This Way", "That Way", "Other way" etc.
Crafts:
I found a teapot photo frame that comes with self-adhesive decorations at Oriental Trading. I thought the kids could decorate it and I'm going to have Sarah take a picture with each of her guests individually. The photo will go in the frame. The kids can take it home.
Then another idea I found online was to have the girls decorate a little handheld mirror with jewels or stickers or glitter glue. (The tie-in to Alice is the idea of "Alice through the Looking Glass".) The tie-in will go over the girls' heads, I know. But Sarah decorated a mirror while she was in bed last week and had a blast. She carries it around everywhere, like she's a queen with her royal mirror.
Food:
Millions of ideas.
Sandwiches cut out with teapot cookie cutters. Cakes with "Eat Me" written in icing. There are really a lot of things that we can do.
I'm planning on having the movie going throughout the party so any down time or transition time, the girls can watch the movie.
I figure I'll let Sarah open her presents and be done.
I found little "Alice in Wonderland" books at the Dollar Store. I also found little playing cards, and I'm thinking of a couple of other things as party favors. Plus they'll be taking home their crafts.
Those are my ideas. I can't say it's original. But I think I can do it on a budget. I think it'll be fun. And it's a character and a story I'm familiar with... much more so than Fancy Nancy. And it's a little bit of a variation from a princess party... but Sarah will still get to dress up.
I know people who are FAR more creative than me read my blog, so if you have any ideas or tips, PLEASE send them my way!!
I'm going to take you on my long thought process... If you get bored and stop reading, I understand...
So Sarah's girly... Into dress up... Into tea parties.
I thought "Tea Party" That's the way to go. We have a dining room table that seats 6. She would be allowed to invite 5 friends. That's a manageable size for me, my stress levels, AND MY BUDGET. (I am NOT hosting a party over here for her 25 nearest and dearest pals.) She's turning 5. Let's keep it in perspective.
Well then, I had seen people who have thrown "Fancy Nancy" parties. We have a book of hers. We have a couple of puzzles, but I'm not soooo into her that I could really get into a Fancy Nancy theme. I wouldn't really know what to do.
When Sarah was lying around all last week, she must have watched "Alice in Wonderland" 10 times. So "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" is where we're going with this party.
I think it'll be great because it's all about not matching. And whimsy. And sort of the more non-sensical, the better. I can do that.
Sarah is going to dress up as Alice.
I think I'm going do little white rabbit footprints (whatever a rabbit footprint looks like) in chalk up the sidewalk. I may do (or have Jason do) something at the front door that's like the kids are entering the rabbit hole.
Decorating should be really simple. Bright colors. Mismatched tea sets. Mismatched chairs. There are so many directions you could go... pocket watches and clocks, playing cards, gardens, Cheshire cat, rabbit, signs that are pointing in all directions that say "This Way", "That Way", "Other way" etc.
Crafts:
I found a teapot photo frame that comes with self-adhesive decorations at Oriental Trading. I thought the kids could decorate it and I'm going to have Sarah take a picture with each of her guests individually. The photo will go in the frame. The kids can take it home.
Then another idea I found online was to have the girls decorate a little handheld mirror with jewels or stickers or glitter glue. (The tie-in to Alice is the idea of "Alice through the Looking Glass".) The tie-in will go over the girls' heads, I know. But Sarah decorated a mirror while she was in bed last week and had a blast. She carries it around everywhere, like she's a queen with her royal mirror.
Food:
Millions of ideas.
Sandwiches cut out with teapot cookie cutters. Cakes with "Eat Me" written in icing. There are really a lot of things that we can do.
I'm planning on having the movie going throughout the party so any down time or transition time, the girls can watch the movie.
I figure I'll let Sarah open her presents and be done.
I found little "Alice in Wonderland" books at the Dollar Store. I also found little playing cards, and I'm thinking of a couple of other things as party favors. Plus they'll be taking home their crafts.
Those are my ideas. I can't say it's original. But I think I can do it on a budget. I think it'll be fun. And it's a character and a story I'm familiar with... much more so than Fancy Nancy. And it's a little bit of a variation from a princess party... but Sarah will still get to dress up.
I know people who are FAR more creative than me read my blog, so if you have any ideas or tips, PLEASE send them my way!!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sorry
Ok, so I deleted my post about needing to have two incomes. I ended up adding these 2 notes:
OK... So I kinda make it sound like we're struggling to eat or something. That's not true. We're fine. I think I just get frustrated when every purchase needs to be discussed and every option needs to be weighed because we can't mindlessly spend money. And I guess sometimes I get the impression (and maybe I'm wrong) that families with more than one income can spend money without thinking so much.
Also.. just to be clear... and in the spirit of honesty... Most of the things in our house are hand-me-downs. I'm very thankful to receive secondhand clothes and toys. At least 90% of our furniture came from my parents when they downsized and sold their lakehouse. I also received some pieces from my grandmother when she sold her condo. So in case you read this post and thought, "Well, I have an idea. Don't buy so much stuff." We don't buy a lot of stuff. We're very blessed to be given things.
But then still felt bad. I think I sounded like a brat who was ungrateful and completely oblivious to the fact that others have far less than I do. I wasn't meaning to sound like a jerk by complaining about finances.
Sorry.
(See, I told you I censor myself. Sometimes I'm just a little late in doing it.)
OK... So I kinda make it sound like we're struggling to eat or something. That's not true. We're fine. I think I just get frustrated when every purchase needs to be discussed and every option needs to be weighed because we can't mindlessly spend money. And I guess sometimes I get the impression (and maybe I'm wrong) that families with more than one income can spend money without thinking so much.
Also.. just to be clear... and in the spirit of honesty... Most of the things in our house are hand-me-downs. I'm very thankful to receive secondhand clothes and toys. At least 90% of our furniture came from my parents when they downsized and sold their lakehouse. I also received some pieces from my grandmother when she sold her condo. So in case you read this post and thought, "Well, I have an idea. Don't buy so much stuff." We don't buy a lot of stuff. We're very blessed to be given things.
But then still felt bad. I think I sounded like a brat who was ungrateful and completely oblivious to the fact that others have far less than I do. I wasn't meaning to sound like a jerk by complaining about finances.
Sorry.
(See, I told you I censor myself. Sometimes I'm just a little late in doing it.)
Sarah's Birthday Party Ideas
I'm getting excited. Sarah will turn 5 at the end of July. So, the wheels in my brain are already turning... What to do for the party???
Last year was the first year we ever had a party for Sarah where she could invite friends. We've always just had family parties. But, because Caroline had just arrived and I didn't feel like throwing a party, we went to the Wiggly Play Center. It was great to just write a check to rent out a party room and let someone else deal with the hassle of the party.
This year Jason says, "Uh uh." It's a no-go. We are tightening the belt. (Although I would argue that we got a heck of a deal for a party room, pizza, utensils, cake, and a guy to do all the work for us.) But my vote doesn't count. ; ) We are having a party at the house. So my mission is to throw a party on a TIGHT budget.
And let's just talk about how I don't like to host things because I'm no good at it. All of my friends who live around here: Raise your hand if you've ever come over for dinner. Anyone? Anyone? And if you have, leave your hand up if we've ever had anything other than pizza. Yep, didn't think so.
I can't cook. My house is a mess. And I get super intimidated to throw parties. Especially birthday parties when you know the moms are going to be hanging around.
But I'm a big girl. I can do it. I'm up for the challenge.
I've got my theme picked out. I'm researching supplies at both Oriental Trading and Dollar Tree. I think it's gonna be cute.
I'll fill you in on the details once I have them firmed up in my mind. I need to say them out loud to someone first. (Someone other than Jason, who is no help planning a birthday party.) And then once someone says, "Yeah, that's a cute idea," then I'll share on the blog.
: )
Last year was the first year we ever had a party for Sarah where she could invite friends. We've always just had family parties. But, because Caroline had just arrived and I didn't feel like throwing a party, we went to the Wiggly Play Center. It was great to just write a check to rent out a party room and let someone else deal with the hassle of the party.
This year Jason says, "Uh uh." It's a no-go. We are tightening the belt. (Although I would argue that we got a heck of a deal for a party room, pizza, utensils, cake, and a guy to do all the work for us.) But my vote doesn't count. ; ) We are having a party at the house. So my mission is to throw a party on a TIGHT budget.
And let's just talk about how I don't like to host things because I'm no good at it. All of my friends who live around here: Raise your hand if you've ever come over for dinner. Anyone? Anyone? And if you have, leave your hand up if we've ever had anything other than pizza. Yep, didn't think so.
I can't cook. My house is a mess. And I get super intimidated to throw parties. Especially birthday parties when you know the moms are going to be hanging around.
But I'm a big girl. I can do it. I'm up for the challenge.
I've got my theme picked out. I'm researching supplies at both Oriental Trading and Dollar Tree. I think it's gonna be cute.
I'll fill you in on the details once I have them firmed up in my mind. I need to say them out loud to someone first. (Someone other than Jason, who is no help planning a birthday party.) And then once someone says, "Yeah, that's a cute idea," then I'll share on the blog.
: )
No A/C
Our ENTIRE tax refund went to replacing our downstairs air conditioning unit. The brand new unit is now not working. The guy had to go to McKinney to get the part...Let me clarify, he'll pick up the part we need, right after he finishes a job in McKinney. So until he gets around to getting the part and getting back here, we're without A/C.
Sweating inside. Yuck.
Time to load up and go on a field trip. Anywhere with central air.
Sweating inside. Yuck.
Time to load up and go on a field trip. Anywhere with central air.
Babyproofing
Caroline is everywhere! Into everything! A little scary. A lot of work!
We need to get a baby gate for the stairs since it's part of the mother lode that we got rid of because we just knew we were done having babies.
We've redone our stairs and our entryway in the last year. Our entryway is plaster now and I'm not super thrilled about the idea of drilling a hole in it to secure a gate. I also don't want to mess up our new posts on our new stairs.
A tension-mounted gate wouldn't be secure enough to support Caroline pulling up on it and the kids opening and closing it. (It really needs to be a swing gate so that the kids can use it.
Soooo... Jason is building something that will fit around the post at the base of the stairs so that we can drill into it and secure a gate without damaging the railing.
He's great at this kind of stuff. He's very handy. And I'm learning to appreciate his attention to detail.
But wow. I'm really trying to be patient, as this is taking some time.
I really don't think he could be moving any faster. It's just that he'll probably need another 2 or 3 weekends to finish it. He has limited time that he can work on it.
I'll take pictures and show you what it is. It's going to be great... when it's finished.
It's just that my personality is more: "Good enough. Will do just fine." And his is more: "It needs to be right. It needs to look good."
Time is of the essence here. She's getting closer and closer to climbing the stairs every day. I'm just praying he gets this thing built before she's 2.
We need to get a baby gate for the stairs since it's part of the mother lode that we got rid of because we just knew we were done having babies.
We've redone our stairs and our entryway in the last year. Our entryway is plaster now and I'm not super thrilled about the idea of drilling a hole in it to secure a gate. I also don't want to mess up our new posts on our new stairs.
A tension-mounted gate wouldn't be secure enough to support Caroline pulling up on it and the kids opening and closing it. (It really needs to be a swing gate so that the kids can use it.
Soooo... Jason is building something that will fit around the post at the base of the stairs so that we can drill into it and secure a gate without damaging the railing.
He's great at this kind of stuff. He's very handy. And I'm learning to appreciate his attention to detail.
But wow. I'm really trying to be patient, as this is taking some time.
I really don't think he could be moving any faster. It's just that he'll probably need another 2 or 3 weekends to finish it. He has limited time that he can work on it.
I'll take pictures and show you what it is. It's going to be great... when it's finished.
It's just that my personality is more: "Good enough. Will do just fine." And his is more: "It needs to be right. It needs to look good."
Time is of the essence here. She's getting closer and closer to climbing the stairs every day. I'm just praying he gets this thing built before she's 2.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Major Decision. Lacking Logic.
I love English. Favorite subject. Hands down.
My love for all things grammatical has been mentioned so many times it's not even worth mentioning again. (Except that I just did. hehe) And I love to write. (Again... mentioned a bazillion times in previous posts.) I'm not great at it, but it's fun.
So I thought about majoring in English in college. Of course I was at Texas A&M (whoop! and all that) and, although it was great, a Liberal Arts school, it is not. (A liberal anything school, it is not.)
But my main reason that I didn't major in English is because I thought, "What can you do with a degree in English? Teach? I don't want to major in something where my only option is teaching."
Four years later, I graduated with my degree in Elementary Education.
:)
My love for all things grammatical has been mentioned so many times it's not even worth mentioning again. (Except that I just did. hehe) And I love to write. (Again... mentioned a bazillion times in previous posts.) I'm not great at it, but it's fun.
So I thought about majoring in English in college. Of course I was at Texas A&M (whoop! and all that) and, although it was great, a Liberal Arts school, it is not. (A liberal anything school, it is not.)
But my main reason that I didn't major in English is because I thought, "What can you do with a degree in English? Teach? I don't want to major in something where my only option is teaching."
Four years later, I graduated with my degree in Elementary Education.
:)
Another week...
Not a lot going on this week. (I say that... Watch something crazy and unexpected pop
up.)
Jason's back at work today. We had a really great long weekend. We both mentioned it a couple of different times. Really relaxing. But I'm one that likes to have things back to normal. A little routine, if you please. And part of "normal" is for Jason to be back at work.
I don't know about you, but when my husband is home, I feel like I have to be constantly doing something productive. I don't want him to think that I check email and *ahem* blog all day. So, ironically, when he's here, I don't allow myself as much down time as I do when he's gone.
And truth be told, he likes getting away during the work week as well. So I'm sure he wasn't completely dreading going to the office today.
Sarah had a post-op appointment this morning. She's looking good. The doctor predicts she'll be back to normal by the weekend.
Sunday I have to work the nursery and spend the afternoon up at church prepping the room for VBS. And even though there are parts of VBS I'm not looking forward to, I am glad to have something to do every morning next week.
I hope you have a great short week too.
To my teacher friends: 4 more days!! Hang in there. Let the week of long days spent babysitting your students begin. :)
up.)
Jason's back at work today. We had a really great long weekend. We both mentioned it a couple of different times. Really relaxing. But I'm one that likes to have things back to normal. A little routine, if you please. And part of "normal" is for Jason to be back at work.
I don't know about you, but when my husband is home, I feel like I have to be constantly doing something productive. I don't want him to think that I check email and *ahem* blog all day. So, ironically, when he's here, I don't allow myself as much down time as I do when he's gone.
And truth be told, he likes getting away during the work week as well. So I'm sure he wasn't completely dreading going to the office today.
Sarah had a post-op appointment this morning. She's looking good. The doctor predicts she'll be back to normal by the weekend.
Sunday I have to work the nursery and spend the afternoon up at church prepping the room for VBS. And even though there are parts of VBS I'm not looking forward to, I am glad to have something to do every morning next week.
I hope you have a great short week too.
To my teacher friends: 4 more days!! Hang in there. Let the week of long days spent babysitting your students begin. :)
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