I'm always surprised at how much a storage room can hold. Unfortunately, it's filling with boxes we havn't even opened in several months. After the rooms get switched I'll have to go through one box a week and get rid of more stuff. Those boxes are following me like bad memories. Time to send those boxes to therapy... I mean, the dump.
So, with room switching and gender segregation, I'm starting to think of how to help the kids individualize their rooms. We got a largish yellow car out of someone's chuck pile last week (lots of moves lately) and I'm thinking of turning it into a toy box for Tag. Also, I think Princess needs a net in the corner of her room to store all of her various, colorful ponchos. She has at least 4-5 of them, they are hard to hang, and they don't have a real home. PB also wants flowers and butterflies on her walls, and she is definitely going to need a pretty strong night light. Poor kid gets nightmares all the time just like her old mom used to.
Recent movie: Something's Gotta Give. Get an edited version (brief, semi-silhouetted anterior female nudity) but a great movie. Jack Nicholson gives a stellar performance.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
What to do with the first zucchini of the season?
Grill it, of course!!
Folks, can I tell you how great this tasted? Diagonal sliced zucchini tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a bit of fresh ground black pepper and seasalt, throw it on the grill, baste with the marinade. It's a good thing Man doesn't like summer squash. My plants aren't bearing in earnest yet and I'm impatient. The tomatoes just keep getting bigger and stay green, the peas have modest output but I guess the kids, Pebbles especially, love going out there and snacking on any that are ripe. That right there is worth the effort of growing and staking them.
Gardening things I've learned later in the season: always stake the peas early and don't underestimate how tall they like to get. Also, learn how to pinch herbs back before seeds are an issue. Can pea plants be pinched back? How do you prevent blossom end rot on squash? Some of my tomato plants have rot on the leaves and braches. -sigh- So much to learn.
Folks, can I tell you how great this tasted? Diagonal sliced zucchini tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a bit of fresh ground black pepper and seasalt, throw it on the grill, baste with the marinade. It's a good thing Man doesn't like summer squash. My plants aren't bearing in earnest yet and I'm impatient. The tomatoes just keep getting bigger and stay green, the peas have modest output but I guess the kids, Pebbles especially, love going out there and snacking on any that are ripe. That right there is worth the effort of growing and staking them.
Gardening things I've learned later in the season: always stake the peas early and don't underestimate how tall they like to get. Also, learn how to pinch herbs back before seeds are an issue. Can pea plants be pinched back? How do you prevent blossom end rot on squash? Some of my tomato plants have rot on the leaves and braches. -sigh- So much to learn.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
morning routine
I wake up with the kids, get everyone breakfast, then I sit at the computer and read the comics. I have tabbed browsing so I just go to my comics bookmark folder, have them all open at once, then read at leisure. After that I open my blogs bookmark folder to check and see if anyone has made any updates. I'm always disappointed when no one has made a post recently. We all go through dry spells. So, since no one else is blogging lately (you know who you are) I thought I'd post even if it's a meandering and largely pointless post (so what else is new?).
My first zucchini is almost ready to harvest. I have dozens of little green tomatoes that are getting larger and larger but aren't changing color yet. AFTB this week was fun. After chatting with the Garrison Commander, she wants everyone in our area to know that all of those boarded up houses around here belong to the city, not the military. She's working to get those houses back so she can tear them down and make more new housing for enlisted. Too bad we won't be here long enough to see the fruits of that vision. So, anyway, I've graduated from each level of AFTB, including the level that is valid for college credit. Nice to not have homework for that college credit, I must say.
I did get those cinnamon rolls made but had the temp up just very slightly and burned all of them and made the smoke alarm go off after all the kids were asleep. ::forehead smack::
Man is finally reading Harry Potter which is cool because I've been waiting to talk to him about various parts for a week now. I also finished the third Mitford book last night and am set to dive into the books from my birthday box (thanks, family!!) which includes a Terry Prachett book that I like (Men at Arms) as well as several from Robin McKinnley and Patricia A. McKillip.
I woke up this morning to Man having let me sleep in while he did all of the dishes. Yep, I like this Man. :)
Plans for the day: baby shower and ducking a church Pioneer Day activity. Dutch oven cooking and activities... or precious time with family. Hm. Time to go put in an appearance at the baby shower and ooh and aah over little girl clothes and the fact that the lady of honor will be having twins next week. Better her than me!!
And lasy but not least, a pic. We were outside the other day when Pebbles decided to eat some mud. It was hard to get her pic so this is the only one that turned out decently.
My first zucchini is almost ready to harvest. I have dozens of little green tomatoes that are getting larger and larger but aren't changing color yet. AFTB this week was fun. After chatting with the Garrison Commander, she wants everyone in our area to know that all of those boarded up houses around here belong to the city, not the military. She's working to get those houses back so she can tear them down and make more new housing for enlisted. Too bad we won't be here long enough to see the fruits of that vision. So, anyway, I've graduated from each level of AFTB, including the level that is valid for college credit. Nice to not have homework for that college credit, I must say.
I did get those cinnamon rolls made but had the temp up just very slightly and burned all of them and made the smoke alarm go off after all the kids were asleep. ::forehead smack::
Man is finally reading Harry Potter which is cool because I've been waiting to talk to him about various parts for a week now. I also finished the third Mitford book last night and am set to dive into the books from my birthday box (thanks, family!!) which includes a Terry Prachett book that I like (Men at Arms) as well as several from Robin McKinnley and Patricia A. McKillip.
I woke up this morning to Man having let me sleep in while he did all of the dishes. Yep, I like this Man. :)
Plans for the day: baby shower and ducking a church Pioneer Day activity. Dutch oven cooking and activities... or precious time with family. Hm. Time to go put in an appearance at the baby shower and ooh and aah over little girl clothes and the fact that the lady of honor will be having twins next week. Better her than me!!
And lasy but not least, a pic. We were outside the other day when Pebbles decided to eat some mud. It was hard to get her pic so this is the only one that turned out decently.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Organizing (again :sigh:)
In my continued quest for organization in my home, I've been salivating over some organization books over at Borders. M and I went a while ago and I've been thinking about them ever since. Last night I went again and have a few titles in mind and have been sorting through possibilities on Amazon from reviews and any glimpses of the inside of the book I can get.
Why am I not doing this on my own? Good question. I think I have a block. One review for a book I'm considering says that the author makes a point that really made sense to her: that perfectionists who like to keep things neat and tidy may have disorganized and cluttered homes, but are waiting for the perfect way to arrange their homes. That's me!! Yes, I'm a perfectionist and I get anxious and depressed when I know it won't be perfect. The result of that is that every day I fight my baser tendencies in order to try to pull things together and fight my misguided higher tendencies to not feel bad about my efforts.
I guess if kids learn by example then it time to get off my rear and do something about it.
Why am I not doing this on my own? Good question. I think I have a block. One review for a book I'm considering says that the author makes a point that really made sense to her: that perfectionists who like to keep things neat and tidy may have disorganized and cluttered homes, but are waiting for the perfect way to arrange their homes. That's me!! Yes, I'm a perfectionist and I get anxious and depressed when I know it won't be perfect. The result of that is that every day I fight my baser tendencies in order to try to pull things together and fight my misguided higher tendencies to not feel bad about my efforts.
I guess if kids learn by example then it time to get off my rear and do something about it.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Coming up for air
Wow, what a weekend.
Tag ended up in the ER again on Friday night. I called some of you to see what could be done about his condition. Two funny things: The same doc who saw him for his splint attended him again on Friday, and he got the bead out of his nose the very same way I suggested before taking Tag to ER. After trying all kinds of tweezers and things, scooping it out with something that looked remarkably like a blackhead remover is what finally dug that little sucker out. The only thing the hospital had on me was the nitrous we gave him so it wouldn't bother him so much. As it was he was all tied up in a blanket and I had to hold his head while a nurse held his feet. Good times. We were in and out in a measly 2.5 hours. The kid had nothing to do the whole time so he amused himself by getting tons of drinks from the waiting room drinking fountain. Yeah. Made being in the pottyless exam room kinda fun.
Saturday was alright. We bummed around, cleaned up, then went to a baptism for one of the kids we teach. That was a lot of fun. Afterward we went out for some Korean food. I was surprised at how good it was. Man and I were a bit dubious while looking through the menu but it was different, yummy, and filling. I had some sort of rice pot. The rice had been cooked right in the pot they set in front of me. An egg had been cracked into the rice, then various veggies and grilled beef had been arranged on top of that. I stirred the egg in to cook it in the still extremely hot pot and rice and was surprised at the creamy texture of the result. I'll have to try that at home some time. In a way the food was more "real" and interesting than Chinese. I liked also how they had at least a dozen small side dishes that came with the main dishes. A variety of pickled veggies (green onion, daikon, large bean sprouts, etc) and some lightly stewed things (potatoes, some other veggie I couldn't recognize) and kimchee. And this weird jellied stuff in tangy sauce. It looked like raw fish but was really just savory jello.
Anyway, I read the second book in the Mitford series and cried my eyes out for the joy of it. I also read Harry Potter this weekend (don't worry, no spoilers) and cried my eyes out all over again. Great book. It's worth reading all 7 of them. So many answers, and so very satisfying. Like a big sigh at the end of a good cry.
This coming week is going to be a bit of a nightmare. Classes for three days, dr appt, FRG for which I need to get the calendar done again, a baby shower and a ward activity, and meetings at Princess' school to meet the teachers, get her tested, and get a supplies list. There are also several families moving out of the ward over the next few weeks. (I will not cry, but I WILL make your cinnamon rolls, M!!)
Tag ended up in the ER again on Friday night. I called some of you to see what could be done about his condition. Two funny things: The same doc who saw him for his splint attended him again on Friday, and he got the bead out of his nose the very same way I suggested before taking Tag to ER. After trying all kinds of tweezers and things, scooping it out with something that looked remarkably like a blackhead remover is what finally dug that little sucker out. The only thing the hospital had on me was the nitrous we gave him so it wouldn't bother him so much. As it was he was all tied up in a blanket and I had to hold his head while a nurse held his feet. Good times. We were in and out in a measly 2.5 hours. The kid had nothing to do the whole time so he amused himself by getting tons of drinks from the waiting room drinking fountain. Yeah. Made being in the pottyless exam room kinda fun.
Saturday was alright. We bummed around, cleaned up, then went to a baptism for one of the kids we teach. That was a lot of fun. Afterward we went out for some Korean food. I was surprised at how good it was. Man and I were a bit dubious while looking through the menu but it was different, yummy, and filling. I had some sort of rice pot. The rice had been cooked right in the pot they set in front of me. An egg had been cracked into the rice, then various veggies and grilled beef had been arranged on top of that. I stirred the egg in to cook it in the still extremely hot pot and rice and was surprised at the creamy texture of the result. I'll have to try that at home some time. In a way the food was more "real" and interesting than Chinese. I liked also how they had at least a dozen small side dishes that came with the main dishes. A variety of pickled veggies (green onion, daikon, large bean sprouts, etc) and some lightly stewed things (potatoes, some other veggie I couldn't recognize) and kimchee. And this weird jellied stuff in tangy sauce. It looked like raw fish but was really just savory jello.
Anyway, I read the second book in the Mitford series and cried my eyes out for the joy of it. I also read Harry Potter this weekend (don't worry, no spoilers) and cried my eyes out all over again. Great book. It's worth reading all 7 of them. So many answers, and so very satisfying. Like a big sigh at the end of a good cry.
This coming week is going to be a bit of a nightmare. Classes for three days, dr appt, FRG for which I need to get the calendar done again, a baby shower and a ward activity, and meetings at Princess' school to meet the teachers, get her tested, and get a supplies list. There are also several families moving out of the ward over the next few weeks. (I will not cry, but I WILL make your cinnamon rolls, M!!)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Obesity -- drastic measures
I was reading about a product one man was trying to sell to public schools as a healthy alternative (hummus and pita chips), but it wasn't looking like it would go over well for one reason that has stumped parents for years: the kids don't like it.
Well, you know what? They can bloody suck it up. They are telling us that the reason they can't make things more healthy is that kids don't like the way it looks, or smells, or other people in the room aren't eating it. I remember that garbage myself, and in my not so humble opinion, kids need to suck it up. What happens to my son when he won't try the stir fry? Eat it or not. Whatever. They're so worried about childhood obesity, so make the foods healthier, don't give them garbage options, and the little porkers might not like it but who cares? If they miss a meal because they don't like it, it might actually do them good. Parents have been doing things to their kids that the little darlings don't like but will help them keep or acquire good health for years (think prescription meds or immunizations) but they're afraid to take away pizza and chicken nuggets because... they don't like carrots? We're willing to spend billions on the repercussions of eating poorly, willing to suffer from eating poorly, willing to have surgeries, and shots, and several daily medications from eating poorly but we're unwilling to make the little sweetums' a little uncomfortable while they're young enough to really learn good health habits and WHY??
I don't claim to be a paragon of healthy eating. Far from. But there are a few things we do that keep the kids from getting obese and lazy:
1. We only have soda in the house about 1-2 times per year. Other than that, 100% juice (which I only pull out every few weeks) or water. Milk is served with meals or as a complement to a snack.
2. Snacks are reasonable. They are allowed to eat as much fruit or veggies as they want at any time of the day (except for within an hour before meals) and I don't serve dips with them. Fruit dips are considered a treat and if served, come after a meal. If you get good fruit, it's good enough on its own to not need that sort of treatment.
3. I kick them outside for a few hours each day. A lot of days I have a total ban on tv or computer. They get bored and I tell them to get over it. They find things to do, usually outside running around or on bikes. Mean mommy? Sure.
4. If they don't want to eat it, fine. Be hungry. No alternatives. Period. I can't force them to eat, and they can't force me to give them something they want. In defense of my cooking, Tag will never eat anything I cook until he takes that first bite. After that he'll eat a full serving. He just have to get over these silly refusal habits.
5. A sweet does not have to follow every meal. We have something maybe once or twice a week, but we don't depend on it to "complete" our dining experience.
6. We eat out fairly rarely. I think we average 1-2 times per month. When we do go out, we encourage the kids to eat only until they are full since we can take the rest home. We never get dessert at restaurants.
7. Eating is never a punishment or reward. I don't send them to bed without supper, or dangle sweet carrots for behavior. Well... I think I have once or twice in my whole career as a parent (once when potty training, once when not thinking clearly and needing to cut some little fingernails without a fight) but it certainly is not a habit.
They bark and wail about giving kids a choice when it comes to eating well in schools, but in reality we are still responsible for helping them make those good choices until they're old enough to do it on their own. My mom used to tell us that we could only have chocolate milk with our school lunches if we promised to run around at recess afterward. My honest little heart wouldn't let me do otherwise, but truly how many of our youth do that? High schools don't have a run around time after chocolate milk. Tons of kids don't bother to run and play at recess. Lots of schools don't have gym programs.
Even if we can't force schools to reinstate PE we can certainly help our children make good nutritional decisions. We can set them up for success by realizing that kids in elementary school are still young enough that their capacity to make good decisions in the face of peer pressure or pure self indulgence is largely still under development and give them a variety of good choices rather than a choice between good and evil. They still get choice, but they are choices I can accept.
Well, you know what? They can bloody suck it up. They are telling us that the reason they can't make things more healthy is that kids don't like the way it looks, or smells, or other people in the room aren't eating it. I remember that garbage myself, and in my not so humble opinion, kids need to suck it up. What happens to my son when he won't try the stir fry? Eat it or not. Whatever. They're so worried about childhood obesity, so make the foods healthier, don't give them garbage options, and the little porkers might not like it but who cares? If they miss a meal because they don't like it, it might actually do them good. Parents have been doing things to their kids that the little darlings don't like but will help them keep or acquire good health for years (think prescription meds or immunizations) but they're afraid to take away pizza and chicken nuggets because... they don't like carrots? We're willing to spend billions on the repercussions of eating poorly, willing to suffer from eating poorly, willing to have surgeries, and shots, and several daily medications from eating poorly but we're unwilling to make the little sweetums' a little uncomfortable while they're young enough to really learn good health habits and WHY??
I don't claim to be a paragon of healthy eating. Far from. But there are a few things we do that keep the kids from getting obese and lazy:
1. We only have soda in the house about 1-2 times per year. Other than that, 100% juice (which I only pull out every few weeks) or water. Milk is served with meals or as a complement to a snack.
2. Snacks are reasonable. They are allowed to eat as much fruit or veggies as they want at any time of the day (except for within an hour before meals) and I don't serve dips with them. Fruit dips are considered a treat and if served, come after a meal. If you get good fruit, it's good enough on its own to not need that sort of treatment.
3. I kick them outside for a few hours each day. A lot of days I have a total ban on tv or computer. They get bored and I tell them to get over it. They find things to do, usually outside running around or on bikes. Mean mommy? Sure.
4. If they don't want to eat it, fine. Be hungry. No alternatives. Period. I can't force them to eat, and they can't force me to give them something they want. In defense of my cooking, Tag will never eat anything I cook until he takes that first bite. After that he'll eat a full serving. He just have to get over these silly refusal habits.
5. A sweet does not have to follow every meal. We have something maybe once or twice a week, but we don't depend on it to "complete" our dining experience.
6. We eat out fairly rarely. I think we average 1-2 times per month. When we do go out, we encourage the kids to eat only until they are full since we can take the rest home. We never get dessert at restaurants.
7. Eating is never a punishment or reward. I don't send them to bed without supper, or dangle sweet carrots for behavior. Well... I think I have once or twice in my whole career as a parent (once when potty training, once when not thinking clearly and needing to cut some little fingernails without a fight) but it certainly is not a habit.
They bark and wail about giving kids a choice when it comes to eating well in schools, but in reality we are still responsible for helping them make those good choices until they're old enough to do it on their own. My mom used to tell us that we could only have chocolate milk with our school lunches if we promised to run around at recess afterward. My honest little heart wouldn't let me do otherwise, but truly how many of our youth do that? High schools don't have a run around time after chocolate milk. Tons of kids don't bother to run and play at recess. Lots of schools don't have gym programs.
Even if we can't force schools to reinstate PE we can certainly help our children make good nutritional decisions. We can set them up for success by realizing that kids in elementary school are still young enough that their capacity to make good decisions in the face of peer pressure or pure self indulgence is largely still under development and give them a variety of good choices rather than a choice between good and evil. They still get choice, but they are choices I can accept.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Today
Today's music: Duran Duran -- Ordinary World
Today's errands: Make sure that with today and tomorrow, I do everything needed before the weekend so we can just crash (especially Man). On Sat I plan to take us to the park when we wake up so he can actually sleep in. Maybe walk down to BK and feed the little 'uns with some transfat, licensed, under-nutritioned, pseudo-food. Yum!!
How I feel: Pretty good. Got some decent sleep last night and woke up to three little people asking for waffles. We all cuddled for a while which no mom can completely ever get enough of from the little ones. I had a decent cry last night and then remembered everything I need to be grateful for. Even if it's hard to find all the time, I have been able to get good medical and dental care for the kids, we're still alive and fed even if cooking really stinks to me right now, we have a roof over our heads, and I have friends who have helped me so very much over the past several weeks. Oddly, out of all of the gems and jewels of people reaching out to me, the most surprising and touching was when my brother called me on my birthday. I'm in tears again, thinking about it. Folks, this man is wonderful. Just that simple phone call to say hi, and even if he didn't say it in so many words there was a definite “I care about you” in there somewhere. Thanks, Romeo. You're a huge part of the reason I'm hoping we're having another boy, because everyone should have a brother.
What I'm looking forward to:
I ordered some things from Penzey's and I'm on pins and needles of anticipation. Good curry!! Cardamom pods!! Real, amazing cinnamon! Oh, folks, it doesn't get a whole lot better than some good Penzey's cinnamon on your French toast or in some gooey, yeasty, cinnamon rolls. ::drools:: M, when I get my cinnamon, I'll bring you some cinnamon rolls and you can put on 5 pounds with me. What are friends for?
Romeo said he's sending a late birthday box. I'm trying to not get excited about it. But it isn't working. ::peeks out the window:: The mail hasn't come yet. ::peeks again:: Nope. ::pretends to not peek:: ... ::sigh::
The weekend. We have a baptism to go to in the evening and I think we'll be taking our kids little friends with us. We'll probably set them up in the cultural hall at church with a little picnic while Man conducts music and I give a talk. It'll actually keep my kids pretty sane to have little friends with them. Other than that, we have church and vegging to look forward to.
Living another day. Learning to smile and leap over high stepping stones.
Today's inspiring song lyrics:
My life flows on in endless song
Above earths lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes, the clouds grow thin.
I see the blue above them.
And day by day this pathway smooths
Since first I learned to love Him
The peace of God makes fresh my heart
A fountain ever springing
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?
Today's errands: Make sure that with today and tomorrow, I do everything needed before the weekend so we can just crash (especially Man). On Sat I plan to take us to the park when we wake up so he can actually sleep in. Maybe walk down to BK and feed the little 'uns with some transfat, licensed, under-nutritioned, pseudo-food. Yum!!
How I feel: Pretty good. Got some decent sleep last night and woke up to three little people asking for waffles. We all cuddled for a while which no mom can completely ever get enough of from the little ones. I had a decent cry last night and then remembered everything I need to be grateful for. Even if it's hard to find all the time, I have been able to get good medical and dental care for the kids, we're still alive and fed even if cooking really stinks to me right now, we have a roof over our heads, and I have friends who have helped me so very much over the past several weeks. Oddly, out of all of the gems and jewels of people reaching out to me, the most surprising and touching was when my brother called me on my birthday. I'm in tears again, thinking about it. Folks, this man is wonderful. Just that simple phone call to say hi, and even if he didn't say it in so many words there was a definite “I care about you” in there somewhere. Thanks, Romeo. You're a huge part of the reason I'm hoping we're having another boy, because everyone should have a brother.
What I'm looking forward to:
I ordered some things from Penzey's and I'm on pins and needles of anticipation. Good curry!! Cardamom pods!! Real, amazing cinnamon! Oh, folks, it doesn't get a whole lot better than some good Penzey's cinnamon on your French toast or in some gooey, yeasty, cinnamon rolls. ::drools:: M, when I get my cinnamon, I'll bring you some cinnamon rolls and you can put on 5 pounds with me. What are friends for?
Romeo said he's sending a late birthday box. I'm trying to not get excited about it. But it isn't working. ::peeks out the window:: The mail hasn't come yet. ::peeks again:: Nope. ::pretends to not peek:: ... ::sigh::
The weekend. We have a baptism to go to in the evening and I think we'll be taking our kids little friends with us. We'll probably set them up in the cultural hall at church with a little picnic while Man conducts music and I give a talk. It'll actually keep my kids pretty sane to have little friends with them. Other than that, we have church and vegging to look forward to.
Living another day. Learning to smile and leap over high stepping stones.
Today's inspiring song lyrics:
My life flows on in endless song
Above earths lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes, the clouds grow thin.
I see the blue above them.
And day by day this pathway smooths
Since first I learned to love Him
The peace of God makes fresh my heart
A fountain ever springing
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Can't call him splinty any more
Believe it or or not, this picture does not do the color of his cast justice. It is blinding! Construction, hunter orange. Fluorescent tangerine. He kept showing it to people while we were buying diapers and they kept saying "yes, I couldn't help but notice it..." He could flag down airplanes with this thing.
And he loves it.
I like that I don't have to worry about him trying to take his sling off anymore. He was pretty good about leaving the splint alone.
edited to add: I forgot to mention how the actual appt went. Dr said that the fracture is above the growth plate and there's <1% chance of it being a problem. I couldn't even see the fracture at all on the xray, but the dr explained that they could tell more from the slight curve of the bone (which shouldn't be there) rather than any lines at all. The official diagnosis is a Right Supracondylar Humerus Fracture. The person at the ER misspelled "supracondylar" but heck, who am I to judge another's spelling? Halfway down this page, they explain it a tiny bit. Dr said that what happened is that Tag is young enough that his joints are still relatively flexible, so he hyperextended his elbow joint and the pokey-outy bit shoved into his humerus, causing a very slight fracture. Don't I sound all technical?
Just breathe
Here's a fair use paragraph, and then the rest as a link so I don't get sued. :)
(link)
:sigh: Just what I needed to hear today. So, I'm getting off of this machine and enjoying some little people. But here are some pics first:
Here's my little man watching as I try to take pictures of my plants. Half of them turned out blurry so will try again today. I was pointing out a single huge blossom on my crookneck squash plant when I realized that I have fully mature peas on my pea plants!! We harvested about half a dozen little guys and ate them on the spot. Man told a story of when he was a child and he'd go eat peas right off his mom's plants and she never could tell because they bear so much fruit. Besides, regular harvest extends the bearing.
This doesn't quite do my cilantro plant justice. (where's my Uncle G's expertise when I really really want it??) It's huge! Those tomato cages are 54" tall. It's mostly flowering right now and it's a glorious thing to see. You can kind of see the tomatoes in the back which are flowering in earnest. My dill is about 2' tall. That squash flower mentioned above has a cute little baby squash growing behind it. I'm surprised that the plant itself stayed relatively tiny, but Man hates summer squash so it's probably better that way.
Here's Splinty with his new camera smile and all.
And the lot of them ready for bed. Tag got to wear street clothes since his arm wouldn't fit in his pajama shirt. Hopefully the cast will be a lot smaller. Pebbles was really tired at this point, so no smiles from her.
All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves.
(link)
:sigh: Just what I needed to hear today. So, I'm getting off of this machine and enjoying some little people. But here are some pics first:
Here's my little man watching as I try to take pictures of my plants. Half of them turned out blurry so will try again today. I was pointing out a single huge blossom on my crookneck squash plant when I realized that I have fully mature peas on my pea plants!! We harvested about half a dozen little guys and ate them on the spot. Man told a story of when he was a child and he'd go eat peas right off his mom's plants and she never could tell because they bear so much fruit. Besides, regular harvest extends the bearing.
This doesn't quite do my cilantro plant justice. (where's my Uncle G's expertise when I really really want it??) It's huge! Those tomato cages are 54" tall. It's mostly flowering right now and it's a glorious thing to see. You can kind of see the tomatoes in the back which are flowering in earnest. My dill is about 2' tall. That squash flower mentioned above has a cute little baby squash growing behind it. I'm surprised that the plant itself stayed relatively tiny, but Man hates summer squash so it's probably better that way.
Here's Splinty with his new camera smile and all.
And the lot of them ready for bed. Tag got to wear street clothes since his arm wouldn't fit in his pajama shirt. Hopefully the cast will be a lot smaller. Pebbles was really tired at this point, so no smiles from her.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hurdles
It's funny how an army of ants can eat a cow. It's also funny how just a couple of errands can consume my whole day. Don't pet the sweaty? Sweat the petty?
At any rate, Princess is finally registered for school and, can you believe it, it starts in just three weeks!! What do I buy? What supplies does she need? How can I quickly get on her teachers' good side? Bus or no bus? What about the lunch program? Ack!! My oldest baby is going to go to school! Not only that, but it's full day kindergarten! We'll have to see how this whole monster works.
I also have been calling the dr's office trying to get someone to cast this poor child's arm. I finally got the lady who is taking care of my "issue" and she asked if I didn't want to see this dr afterall. I said, well, I'd love to, only I couldn't get through to his office. She said that he's the premier pediatric orthopedic dr in the area and since this is a special case that he would be a great choice. Me: um, wow, er, sure, sounds great... wait, special case? Yeah, since Tag is so young, and the placement of the break, he would just be a great choice. Alright, I said. She offered to call and see what she could do about getting through, and called back within 2 mintues to let me know I have an appt tomorrow morning. Amazing what can be done when you're super nice over the phone and pretend to know what you're talking about. Ha! I'll have to take my dr's office a present one of these days. Doughnuts? Flowers?
I also have another series of AFTB classes next week. Maybe that'll be a nice break from reality.
Oh, and I need to work on the FRG calendar, prepare a talk for a baptism, prepare a lesson for Sunday, prepare to sub Primary singing time, get Pebbles to go through the same medical screening gamut the other two have recently gone through, an OB appt next week when we'll decide when to have an ultrasound (I'm 15 weeks!)... Wait, did you need to know all that? :sigh: Thanks for letting me dump a little.
Who else is excited that Harry Potter is coming out? :raises hand: The PX has it for $18! Sweet deal and just a walk up the road. I might have to wait to read it until Man can as well. I won't be able to contain all of the details and he hates having books or movies ruined.
Today's music: Sheila Chandra, for a bit of pretend meditation. :)
At any rate, Princess is finally registered for school and, can you believe it, it starts in just three weeks!! What do I buy? What supplies does she need? How can I quickly get on her teachers' good side? Bus or no bus? What about the lunch program? Ack!! My oldest baby is going to go to school! Not only that, but it's full day kindergarten! We'll have to see how this whole monster works.
I also have been calling the dr's office trying to get someone to cast this poor child's arm. I finally got the lady who is taking care of my "issue" and she asked if I didn't want to see this dr afterall. I said, well, I'd love to, only I couldn't get through to his office. She said that he's the premier pediatric orthopedic dr in the area and since this is a special case that he would be a great choice. Me: um, wow, er, sure, sounds great... wait, special case? Yeah, since Tag is so young, and the placement of the break, he would just be a great choice. Alright, I said. She offered to call and see what she could do about getting through, and called back within 2 mintues to let me know I have an appt tomorrow morning. Amazing what can be done when you're super nice over the phone and pretend to know what you're talking about. Ha! I'll have to take my dr's office a present one of these days. Doughnuts? Flowers?
I also have another series of AFTB classes next week. Maybe that'll be a nice break from reality.
Oh, and I need to work on the FRG calendar, prepare a talk for a baptism, prepare a lesson for Sunday, prepare to sub Primary singing time, get Pebbles to go through the same medical screening gamut the other two have recently gone through, an OB appt next week when we'll decide when to have an ultrasound (I'm 15 weeks!)... Wait, did you need to know all that? :sigh: Thanks for letting me dump a little.
Who else is excited that Harry Potter is coming out? :raises hand: The PX has it for $18! Sweet deal and just a walk up the road. I might have to wait to read it until Man can as well. I won't be able to contain all of the details and he hates having books or movies ruined.
Today's music: Sheila Chandra, for a bit of pretend meditation. :)
Drumroll for my 200th post
And it's about broken arms!!
So, Tag hurt his arm on Saturday. He jumped off of a slide and landed with all his weight on a locked elbow. We thought it was a sprain. I didn't say I told you so to Man, but I really wanted to take him in on Saturday but Man said there weren't any breaks.
It wasn't better on Sunday, and it wasn't better on Monday morning, so I called the dr. That led to an appt, an exam, an xray at the hospital, and splinting it at the express care next to the ER.
I tried getting a hold of the orthopedic dr that we were assigned at the hospital, but after spending several minutes negotiating his automated phone menu only to have to hang up twice and try again, I got ahold of a real person who put me on hold and never came back. However, the dr's office also isn't calling me back after I've called twice to try and get a different referal not only to someone who might make an appt with me, but someone who isn't quite so far of a drive. I'll call again this afternoon. I'm so tired of getting run around about all of the different garbage I need to take care of just to get these kids through the system with health intact and getting Princess into school. "Just" getting her immunization record updated has been a 3 month ordeal. I'm considering leaving Tag's arm in the splint for a couple of weeks and calling it good if I have to go through a whole additional gauntlet just to get that taken care of.
:frustrated:
I feel like I'm swimming uphill all the time lately. Is nothing a one-stop, simple experience? Nothing at all?
So, Tag hurt his arm on Saturday. He jumped off of a slide and landed with all his weight on a locked elbow. We thought it was a sprain. I didn't say I told you so to Man, but I really wanted to take him in on Saturday but Man said there weren't any breaks.
It wasn't better on Sunday, and it wasn't better on Monday morning, so I called the dr. That led to an appt, an exam, an xray at the hospital, and splinting it at the express care next to the ER.
I tried getting a hold of the orthopedic dr that we were assigned at the hospital, but after spending several minutes negotiating his automated phone menu only to have to hang up twice and try again, I got ahold of a real person who put me on hold and never came back. However, the dr's office also isn't calling me back after I've called twice to try and get a different referal not only to someone who might make an appt with me, but someone who isn't quite so far of a drive. I'll call again this afternoon. I'm so tired of getting run around about all of the different garbage I need to take care of just to get these kids through the system with health intact and getting Princess into school. "Just" getting her immunization record updated has been a 3 month ordeal. I'm considering leaving Tag's arm in the splint for a couple of weeks and calling it good if I have to go through a whole additional gauntlet just to get that taken care of.
:frustrated:
I feel like I'm swimming uphill all the time lately. Is nothing a one-stop, simple experience? Nothing at all?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
The "it must mean something" club
I think we can all agree that knowledge is powerful. Ask any general who has led an army's efforts in battle, or any teacher who just wants the best for his/her students, a parent who has eyes in the back of their head, or a stock broker.
All of these people desire a certain outcome and know that the single edge that can tip the balance is one piece of information that can change lives.
Information is important to us. We spend billions of dollars on media of all kinds, on education, hiring specialists, consultants, advice columns, horoscopes, and Dr. Phil. I know that I personally pay for high speed internet because accessing or generally enjoying information is an essential part of my day.
So why is it that we buy into information that isn't true? What makes us so secure in the old wives' tales, psychics, and other crap that people are so fascinated with? We all have little signs and symptoms that we look for or otherwise notice that tell us a logically following conclusion. Tell me if any of these are familiar:
- White spots on the fingernails means a zinc deficiency.
- Frustration with a project means some sort of mental/emotional block.
- A woman getting snippy means she's hormonal for one reason or another.
- A red dawn means murder happened in the night.
- Thinning hair means [stress, eating disorder, lack of appropriate protein in diet]
- Great misfortune means someone has bad karma, wasn't religious enough, etc.
With all of the information available to us, wouldn't it make sense to only believe what is true? Wait, wait, no. That's hard to do. Since there is so much, it's almost impossible to sift through it all, research it, and make sure that everything that comes out of our mouths or every bit of advice and wisdom we live by is the “correct” way to be. There are sources that we sort of trust by default, sources who we know “must know” because that source has either been right in the past or has a demonstrated store of sense that we agree with. Some people are great salespersons who are great at sounding credible. Still others are just so tired of lies that they just stick with the ones that sounds the best.
But why? Why must everything have an opinion or judgment attached? Because prejudice is just easier. It feels safer. We gotta have knowledge so we either make it up or accept it semi-blindly. We feel important when we feel like we have knowledge. We feel that when someone asks us if we've heard of anything, we can say yes. If they ask for help, of course we can. But how, oh how can we do that? I don't know about you, but there are enough decisions to be made in this life that researching and deciding on a city vote is just about beneath my notice nowadays. It's easier to decide to be Conservative and then just vote Conservative on issues rather than understanding the truth of each decision. (I'm a registered Independent – don't haze me)
We've been sign seekers as a people for eons. Here are two examples that might be, and might not: A long time ago I asked God to help me overcome my addiction to reading on the internet. The next day, my computer broke. Then (years later) I told Him that the only thing really keeping me from having a fourth child was that our car wasn't large enough. About a month later it was totaled and we bought a van. Both of them are Signs!! Man said that I needed to quit praying for things to break.
Assumptions are one of my worst pet peeves. When people think they know me based on this or that behavior or physical trait, I get irritated. Prejudices bug me. I'm a 25 year old white female who lugs around 3 kids and their various accessories, I'm pregnant and my husband's in the Army. I'm Christian. What kind of person do you think I would be? Dubya supporter all the way? Nope. I respect the chair if not the man sitting on it.
I met a lady the other day from church who happened to be at our park. We got to chatting. She's a youngish mom of two and her husband's Air Force. She also served a mission, served a contract with the Air Force herself, and actually graduated from one of the most prestigious language programs in the country. And she likes sky diving. Needless to say, she's fun to talk to and because of my own assumptions and prejudices I was completely taken off guard to hear about her adventures, especially with how young she is.
But she has red hair. That means she has quite the temper. Ha!! Sure didn't seem like it.
I sent a lady some (solicited) crockpot advice for her son who is currently serving a mission. She wrote back saying that I would be “extra blessed” for helping a missionary. I've heard a few things more silly than that in my life, but it was pretty funny.
Don't worry, if you happen to preform one of these pet peeves while you talk to me chances are I either won't notice or care unless it's just so silly of an “it must mean something” moment that I have to laugh.
I really believe that this sort of comfort in signs diminishes my ability to choose correctly. And that's uncomfortable enough for me that I take just about everything with a salt lick. It's nice to be old – I'm allowed to be a skeptic. ;)
Game of phone:
PB: Mom, what's this?
A: Shitaake mushroom.
PB: [to Man and Tag] Mom says it's a talkie mushroom.
T: A talking mushroom?
All of these people desire a certain outcome and know that the single edge that can tip the balance is one piece of information that can change lives.
Information is important to us. We spend billions of dollars on media of all kinds, on education, hiring specialists, consultants, advice columns, horoscopes, and Dr. Phil. I know that I personally pay for high speed internet because accessing or generally enjoying information is an essential part of my day.
So why is it that we buy into information that isn't true? What makes us so secure in the old wives' tales, psychics, and other crap that people are so fascinated with? We all have little signs and symptoms that we look for or otherwise notice that tell us a logically following conclusion. Tell me if any of these are familiar:
- White spots on the fingernails means a zinc deficiency.
- Frustration with a project means some sort of mental/emotional block.
- A woman getting snippy means she's hormonal for one reason or another.
- A red dawn means murder happened in the night.
- Thinning hair means [stress, eating disorder, lack of appropriate protein in diet]
- Great misfortune means someone has bad karma, wasn't religious enough, etc.
With all of the information available to us, wouldn't it make sense to only believe what is true? Wait, wait, no. That's hard to do. Since there is so much, it's almost impossible to sift through it all, research it, and make sure that everything that comes out of our mouths or every bit of advice and wisdom we live by is the “correct” way to be. There are sources that we sort of trust by default, sources who we know “must know” because that source has either been right in the past or has a demonstrated store of sense that we agree with. Some people are great salespersons who are great at sounding credible. Still others are just so tired of lies that they just stick with the ones that sounds the best.
But why? Why must everything have an opinion or judgment attached? Because prejudice is just easier. It feels safer. We gotta have knowledge so we either make it up or accept it semi-blindly. We feel important when we feel like we have knowledge. We feel that when someone asks us if we've heard of anything, we can say yes. If they ask for help, of course we can. But how, oh how can we do that? I don't know about you, but there are enough decisions to be made in this life that researching and deciding on a city vote is just about beneath my notice nowadays. It's easier to decide to be Conservative and then just vote Conservative on issues rather than understanding the truth of each decision. (I'm a registered Independent – don't haze me)
We've been sign seekers as a people for eons. Here are two examples that might be, and might not: A long time ago I asked God to help me overcome my addiction to reading on the internet. The next day, my computer broke. Then (years later) I told Him that the only thing really keeping me from having a fourth child was that our car wasn't large enough. About a month later it was totaled and we bought a van. Both of them are Signs!! Man said that I needed to quit praying for things to break.
Assumptions are one of my worst pet peeves. When people think they know me based on this or that behavior or physical trait, I get irritated. Prejudices bug me. I'm a 25 year old white female who lugs around 3 kids and their various accessories, I'm pregnant and my husband's in the Army. I'm Christian. What kind of person do you think I would be? Dubya supporter all the way? Nope. I respect the chair if not the man sitting on it.
I met a lady the other day from church who happened to be at our park. We got to chatting. She's a youngish mom of two and her husband's Air Force. She also served a mission, served a contract with the Air Force herself, and actually graduated from one of the most prestigious language programs in the country. And she likes sky diving. Needless to say, she's fun to talk to and because of my own assumptions and prejudices I was completely taken off guard to hear about her adventures, especially with how young she is.
But she has red hair. That means she has quite the temper. Ha!! Sure didn't seem like it.
I sent a lady some (solicited) crockpot advice for her son who is currently serving a mission. She wrote back saying that I would be “extra blessed” for helping a missionary. I've heard a few things more silly than that in my life, but it was pretty funny.
Don't worry, if you happen to preform one of these pet peeves while you talk to me chances are I either won't notice or care unless it's just so silly of an “it must mean something” moment that I have to laugh.
I really believe that this sort of comfort in signs diminishes my ability to choose correctly. And that's uncomfortable enough for me that I take just about everything with a salt lick. It's nice to be old – I'm allowed to be a skeptic. ;)
Game of phone:
PB: Mom, what's this?
A: Shitaake mushroom.
PB: [to Man and Tag] Mom says it's a talkie mushroom.
T: A talking mushroom?
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Church clothes
I have a couple of little kids who are growing out of their church clothes so we got to dig through the old stash and go shopping and this is what we found:
This is a dress my grandmother gave Princess after Tag was born. She likes it quite a bit.
Tag has outgrown all gifts and donations. He hurt his arm today and refused to go into the store so things are a bit larger than I thought they'd be. Oh, well. He'll have to live with it. It's also nice to catch Mervyn's on a clearance sale.
This is a dress my grandmother gave Princess after Tag was born. She likes it quite a bit.
Tag has outgrown all gifts and donations. He hurt his arm today and refused to go into the store so things are a bit larger than I thought they'd be. Oh, well. He'll have to live with it. It's also nice to catch Mervyn's on a clearance sale.
Recent music
It's kind of fun to go through the itunes archives, remembering some of the songs I fell in love with while listening to a radio station that played older stuff alongside the newer.
One of my favorite rediscoveries is The Moody Blues. I remembered Wildest Dreams and then started to look through some of their other work: Nights in White Satin, Gypsy, Legend of a Mind, etc. I think I'm in love. Why don't men sing like this any more? Justin Timberlake and like ilk, you are but a shadow of the great ones.
As I start to dig into non-mainstream music, it's fun to discover what it is about some songs that really influences feeling and thought. It seems that all of my maternal uncles are into all kinds of interesting music and now I understand where that passion comes from. Is it silly that I'm finally really appreciating stuff that isn't Top 40? Oh, well. At least it happened eventually.
One of my favorite rediscoveries is The Moody Blues. I remembered Wildest Dreams and then started to look through some of their other work: Nights in White Satin, Gypsy, Legend of a Mind, etc. I think I'm in love. Why don't men sing like this any more? Justin Timberlake and like ilk, you are but a shadow of the great ones.
As I start to dig into non-mainstream music, it's fun to discover what it is about some songs that really influences feeling and thought. It seems that all of my maternal uncles are into all kinds of interesting music and now I understand where that passion comes from. Is it silly that I'm finally really appreciating stuff that isn't Top 40? Oh, well. At least it happened eventually.
Is it in code?
When I was little my parents used to spell things so I wouldn't know what they were talking about. As I grew they'd throw in an "xyz" at the end just to throw off my budding spelling skills and my suspicions.
But Man and I are too arrogantly brainy for that sort of thing. Besides that, we don't spell too good. This morning's conversation with all three kids in the room: (I am A)
Princess has been requesting to go to a swimming pool for two weeks. We even went to get her a swimming suit that fits and she's been asking about it every day.
A: So, will you be engaging in aquatic recreation today?
M: Perhaps. Let's see how certain weather elements play out. (it was raining at the time)
A: If enjoyment of aforementioned recreation is imminent, will you be taking a brace or a single?
D: A brace, of course.
A: Good, because I'm guessing that the second party of the brace would have a meltdown.
M: Yes, undoubtedly there would be repercussions.
Gosh, we think we're so smart. Here's what I recall from one of these incidences a few weeks ago:
M: When we go to a certain club warehouse establishment, should we get a victual originating from Sicily?
A: The sort that includes all four food groups? Let's see... veggies, grains, dairy... [pause]
M: Yes, since it itself comprises the fourth food group.
PB: What are you guys talking about??
A: We're talking in code. We're using really big words and meanings that you don't understand yet so we can talk in front of you.
M: Don't tell her that!!
A: What? What greater motivation can a child have to learn all of this stuff so quickly? TELL her it's a secret and she'll never put in a greater effort to understand so quickly.
M: [frowns]
A: Trust me. [grins]
But Man and I are too arrogantly brainy for that sort of thing. Besides that, we don't spell too good. This morning's conversation with all three kids in the room: (I am A)
Princess has been requesting to go to a swimming pool for two weeks. We even went to get her a swimming suit that fits and she's been asking about it every day.
A: So, will you be engaging in aquatic recreation today?
M: Perhaps. Let's see how certain weather elements play out. (it was raining at the time)
A: If enjoyment of aforementioned recreation is imminent, will you be taking a brace or a single?
D: A brace, of course.
A: Good, because I'm guessing that the second party of the brace would have a meltdown.
M: Yes, undoubtedly there would be repercussions.
Gosh, we think we're so smart. Here's what I recall from one of these incidences a few weeks ago:
M: When we go to a certain club warehouse establishment, should we get a victual originating from Sicily?
A: The sort that includes all four food groups? Let's see... veggies, grains, dairy... [pause]
M: Yes, since it itself comprises the fourth food group.
PB: What are you guys talking about??
A: We're talking in code. We're using really big words and meanings that you don't understand yet so we can talk in front of you.
M: Don't tell her that!!
A: What? What greater motivation can a child have to learn all of this stuff so quickly? TELL her it's a secret and she'll never put in a greater effort to understand so quickly.
M: [frowns]
A: Trust me. [grins]
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Dentist
Well, things went very well. They didn't do a huge, thorough cleaning because they didn't need it. Isn't that wild? He looked at them very thoroughly, did some cleaning, did a fluoride treatment, and said they looked really great. The xrays turned out well, too. No cavities for which they gave me kudos for making them brush. Tag's teeth are doing well and still look healthy at this point. The chip out of his tooth is insignificant enough to not even worry about, the pushed up one doesn't have any root or nerve damage, and the one that was knocked wiggly looks very secure now. The nurse did explain that if we did notice any discoloring over the next 6 months or so to bring him back in since gradual erosion of the nerve as the result of trauma could make the tooth die.
And something surprising, Miss Princess has two loose teeth! The dr said to keep an eye on those as well as the permanent molars in the very back that will soon put in an appearance. It's hard to believe that my oldest baby will soon have a gappy, overly large toothed smile. And going to school soon!
We also talked briefly about Tag and how he doesn't have any space between his teeth at all. He said that there is the possibility that his palate could widen as he grows, making room for more teeth, but braces aren't such a bad thing, right? Sure. When he's 12 we'll have an interesting conversation: college or braces, kid.
And something surprising, Miss Princess has two loose teeth! The dr said to keep an eye on those as well as the permanent molars in the very back that will soon put in an appearance. It's hard to believe that my oldest baby will soon have a gappy, overly large toothed smile. And going to school soon!
We also talked briefly about Tag and how he doesn't have any space between his teeth at all. He said that there is the possibility that his palate could widen as he grows, making room for more teeth, but braces aren't such a bad thing, right? Sure. When he's 12 we'll have an interesting conversation: college or braces, kid.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Organizing revisited
Oy! It's either feast or famine with this blogging, isn't it?
Ok, so my friend mentioned something that I think is absolutely inspired that has never occurred to me. Zone cooking, is what she called it. A place in the kitchen where the cupboards and drawers contain things to assist with prep, another with food stowing supplies (paper products and tupperware), another with serving supplies (I'm guessing plates, bowls, silverware, etc)
The only thing is, I use a lot of the serving stuff with the prep stuff (forks, some plates, etc), so they'd have to be right next to each other.
Hm...
Do you have any storage secrets you havn't told me yet? Natural ways of organizing your home that make total and complete sense to you but I've never even imagined?
Ok, so my friend mentioned something that I think is absolutely inspired that has never occurred to me. Zone cooking, is what she called it. A place in the kitchen where the cupboards and drawers contain things to assist with prep, another with food stowing supplies (paper products and tupperware), another with serving supplies (I'm guessing plates, bowls, silverware, etc)
The only thing is, I use a lot of the serving stuff with the prep stuff (forks, some plates, etc), so they'd have to be right next to each other.
Hm...
Do you have any storage secrets you havn't told me yet? Natural ways of organizing your home that make total and complete sense to you but I've never even imagined?
Eggses, precious
We had some boiled eggs with our sandwiches for lunch and the kids were wondering what the yellow part was. I told them that it was what a baby chick eats until it's born. Man said that there were people in his classroom who were vehement that the yolk actually becomes the chick. I told him they were wrong. He said that one of them grew up on a farm and so therefore knows better. Ha!! I grew up in Kansas but that doesn't mean I know anything about the fine technicalities of tractor maintenance. Understanding chick development has as much to do with gathering eggs as genetic science has to do with changing diapers. I told him that even human eggs have yolks which he didn't think was true at all. After some searching through the internet, I found this great website that goes through human egg/embryo/fetal development step by step. It's just staggering how much development happens in that first trimester. And yes, there is a yolk sac.
Oh, and incidentally, the yolk is NOT a baby chick. The baby chick is nourished by the yolk but develops from within it. See here.
Please, fight ignorance. I don't like being ignorant, though I'm sure I am in some ways. Education is a happy thing.
Oh, and incidentally, the yolk is NOT a baby chick. The baby chick is nourished by the yolk but develops from within it. See here.
Please, fight ignorance. I don't like being ignorant, though I'm sure I am in some ways. Education is a happy thing.
What to call unborn babies
My Dad's tradition, as you all know now: Frodo. It saves us from creating a gender in our minds, and from taking an early-given name too seriously. And it sounds funny.
One I heard the other day: They gave each of their kids sort of pet names like frog, or dragonfly, and I forget the last one. Then when they were born, their accessories (towels, hats, etc) carried the theme of their "original" name.
I've considered calling this one Thing 4. Has everyone seen the new Cat in the Hat with Mike Meyers? If not, rent it and watch the scene where he introduces Thing 1 and Thing 2. As a result, I've thought about calling Princess Thing 1, Tag Thing A, Pebbles Thing Alpha, and this last one can just be Thing Uno.
I've heard of calling the unborn one simply Baby. But I've got this weird obsession with naming things. I once had a stuffed monkey whose name was Percival Who Looks Like Billy Corgan Who Once Was Julius. And my cat was Pink Christopher Lloyd Alexander Hamilton Duffy Yoda Oh My! III. I'd say my kids made off quite well in their real names, considering the alternatives.
Another friend calls them by what sort of fruit they approxamate in size. Peanut to begin with, then we eventually work through citrus fruits and melons of various sizes. We culminate with Watermelon until the wee thing is actually born, at which time they revert to being a Peanut.
What have you heard of people calling unborn children?
One I heard the other day: They gave each of their kids sort of pet names like frog, or dragonfly, and I forget the last one. Then when they were born, their accessories (towels, hats, etc) carried the theme of their "original" name.
I've considered calling this one Thing 4. Has everyone seen the new Cat in the Hat with Mike Meyers? If not, rent it and watch the scene where he introduces Thing 1 and Thing 2. As a result, I've thought about calling Princess Thing 1, Tag Thing A, Pebbles Thing Alpha, and this last one can just be Thing Uno.
I've heard of calling the unborn one simply Baby. But I've got this weird obsession with naming things. I once had a stuffed monkey whose name was Percival Who Looks Like Billy Corgan Who Once Was Julius. And my cat was Pink Christopher Lloyd Alexander Hamilton Duffy Yoda Oh My! III. I'd say my kids made off quite well in their real names, considering the alternatives.
Another friend calls them by what sort of fruit they approxamate in size. Peanut to begin with, then we eventually work through citrus fruits and melons of various sizes. We culminate with Watermelon until the wee thing is actually born, at which time they revert to being a Peanut.
What have you heard of people calling unborn children?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
dinner tonight
Dinner tonight was just sandwiches. The kids just had sort of normal turkey sandwiches, but here's my creation:
Fresh Italian bread
Deli turkey
mayo
horseradish mustard
extra sharp cheddar
chopped black olives
chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
Next time I'll use green olives and add some fresh dill from outside, and maybe some white onion.
Is that a total prego combination? Is it grossing anyone else out?
Fresh Italian bread
Deli turkey
mayo
horseradish mustard
extra sharp cheddar
chopped black olives
chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
Next time I'll use green olives and add some fresh dill from outside, and maybe some white onion.
Is that a total prego combination? Is it grossing anyone else out?
Enough kids, no matter how many I have
On my walk with friends yesterday, one of them brought up the subject of people who have too many kids. She said that it seemed that people who have more than 6 have a house that's always trashed, kids that slip through the consequence cracks all the time, and a general disregard for their space.
I think that this would be the case no matter how many kids you have, depending on the temperament of the children and parents, how much personal time those parents must have (even at the expense of the home or kids), how organized and consistent the parents are, and how much time and effort is invested in training each child to care for themselves and their space.
I love having two older kids (well, "older", you know) who can help me be consistent with the little one concerning the rules. In some ways they make better police than I do, which sometimes leads me to tell them to ease up on her.
I knew of at least two families growing up that had more than 6 kids that seemed to do alright in the "raising responsible, happy people" department. I don't know what one family did to make that happen, but the other family has shared their secrets over time since the sheer number of kids they have (10!) has led to a lot of incredulous "how do you do it?!?" type questions. They simply had to run things in slightly unorthodox ways. For instance, all of the laundry happened in the basement. Each person had a drawer (or set of drawers?) along with space on a hanger rod where their clothes were kept. They all changed clothes down there (not at the same time or without a curtain, I'm sure!!) so all of the clothes were kept in one place unless they were being worn. This allowed for greater ease of gathering and sorting, washing, folding, and immediately putting away all of the clothes. She also spent a lot of effort teaching each of them how to pull their weight so that all of the tasks that seem to grow exponentially with the addition of each child were not so breathtakingly burdensome to the parents themselves.
The dad was able to keep working, mom was able to stay home and care for kids, each was able to hold and preform well in church callings, and their kids are turning out alright.
Makes me tired just thinking about it.
There are days when three is so enough that I can't even express myself. Days when I put them to bed, close their door, and stand in the hall just shaking for a moment before I can get back to either some down time or pulling the house back together.
Then there are other days, like this past Sunday, when I put an old blanket on the grass outside the church and enjoy a picnic while Man sings in the choir. We all eat apples and sandwiches and walk around before heading inside for drinks and potty before the meeting starts. It's peaceful, they share, they all make sure that Pebbles doesn't toddle off to the parking lot, we laugh, Princess tells some of her outlandish stories, Tag talks about how he's going to grow up to be a boy grandma and his grandkids will call him Charlie, and it really feels like home. Even though we're not in the house we live in.
It's too easy to lose sight of my priorities now vs. the time I'll have later when they won't need quite so much.
I'm still overwhelmed by the prospect of having a fourth child. I've heard a heart beat and I've felt little Frodo move a bit, and then I think of another two loads of laundry a week, and another piece of chicken that needs to go into the pot, another little person to bash his teeth into the pavement, more nightmares to sooth at night. And more baby smiles, toddler kisses and hugs, temper tantrums, first teeth, words, and steps.
I feel like I'm struggling to make my heart larger to accommodate yet another precious person in my life, and I just need to remember that as soon as I plant eyes on that little person I'll find that extra room an effortless thing to make. Heck yeah we have a large family. I'll have four kids at the age of 25 and Princess won't be quite 6.
But here I've been typing when I really need to do just about everything. Thank goodness I have such great kids who are willing to help so much. And a husband who is also willing to help when he can and is always available for hugs for everyone in the house. I'm so very proud of him.
(the kids have suggested names for the new baby: Edo (eed-oh) and Bingohd. Um, yeah)
I think that this would be the case no matter how many kids you have, depending on the temperament of the children and parents, how much personal time those parents must have (even at the expense of the home or kids), how organized and consistent the parents are, and how much time and effort is invested in training each child to care for themselves and their space.
I love having two older kids (well, "older", you know) who can help me be consistent with the little one concerning the rules. In some ways they make better police than I do, which sometimes leads me to tell them to ease up on her.
I knew of at least two families growing up that had more than 6 kids that seemed to do alright in the "raising responsible, happy people" department. I don't know what one family did to make that happen, but the other family has shared their secrets over time since the sheer number of kids they have (10!) has led to a lot of incredulous "how do you do it?!?" type questions. They simply had to run things in slightly unorthodox ways. For instance, all of the laundry happened in the basement. Each person had a drawer (or set of drawers?) along with space on a hanger rod where their clothes were kept. They all changed clothes down there (not at the same time or without a curtain, I'm sure!!) so all of the clothes were kept in one place unless they were being worn. This allowed for greater ease of gathering and sorting, washing, folding, and immediately putting away all of the clothes. She also spent a lot of effort teaching each of them how to pull their weight so that all of the tasks that seem to grow exponentially with the addition of each child were not so breathtakingly burdensome to the parents themselves.
The dad was able to keep working, mom was able to stay home and care for kids, each was able to hold and preform well in church callings, and their kids are turning out alright.
Makes me tired just thinking about it.
There are days when three is so enough that I can't even express myself. Days when I put them to bed, close their door, and stand in the hall just shaking for a moment before I can get back to either some down time or pulling the house back together.
Then there are other days, like this past Sunday, when I put an old blanket on the grass outside the church and enjoy a picnic while Man sings in the choir. We all eat apples and sandwiches and walk around before heading inside for drinks and potty before the meeting starts. It's peaceful, they share, they all make sure that Pebbles doesn't toddle off to the parking lot, we laugh, Princess tells some of her outlandish stories, Tag talks about how he's going to grow up to be a boy grandma and his grandkids will call him Charlie, and it really feels like home. Even though we're not in the house we live in.
It's too easy to lose sight of my priorities now vs. the time I'll have later when they won't need quite so much.
I'm still overwhelmed by the prospect of having a fourth child. I've heard a heart beat and I've felt little Frodo move a bit, and then I think of another two loads of laundry a week, and another piece of chicken that needs to go into the pot, another little person to bash his teeth into the pavement, more nightmares to sooth at night. And more baby smiles, toddler kisses and hugs, temper tantrums, first teeth, words, and steps.
I feel like I'm struggling to make my heart larger to accommodate yet another precious person in my life, and I just need to remember that as soon as I plant eyes on that little person I'll find that extra room an effortless thing to make. Heck yeah we have a large family. I'll have four kids at the age of 25 and Princess won't be quite 6.
But here I've been typing when I really need to do just about everything. Thank goodness I have such great kids who are willing to help so much. And a husband who is also willing to help when he can and is always available for hugs for everyone in the house. I'm so very proud of him.
(the kids have suggested names for the new baby: Edo (eed-oh) and Bingohd. Um, yeah)
A couple pics
Last night I took a couple pics after the kids were ready for bed.
Miss Pebbles in her new sunhat. Her face has got neosporin on it, making it shiney. The worst part of the burn is on her cheek where a blister rubbed away and left a scab. It looks like the rest will just peel in a while.
And here's Snaggle Tooth. The other front incisor is the one that has a slight chip out of it. He has an appt on Thurs for a full exam.
And Miss Princess watching Clue. Those people are crazy but I'm not sure how seriously she takes it. I love that movie, especially when the butler starts explaining everything at the end.
Miss Pebbles in her new sunhat. Her face has got neosporin on it, making it shiney. The worst part of the burn is on her cheek where a blister rubbed away and left a scab. It looks like the rest will just peel in a while.
And here's Snaggle Tooth. The other front incisor is the one that has a slight chip out of it. He has an appt on Thurs for a full exam.
And Miss Princess watching Clue. Those people are crazy but I'm not sure how seriously she takes it. I love that movie, especially when the butler starts explaining everything at the end.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Dentist!!!
Hey guys, I found a nice dentist who is just down the road. Apparently I was looking on the wrong website (gosh, who knew that I'd have to go look at United/Concordia instead of Tricare/Triwest) and there are several in the area without having to go up on post.
Pebbles has a new dr now, and it turns out that there have been a lot of complaints about the dr I'm dropping. I have now changed all three kids over from him and am feeling pretty good about that decision. Adding to the list of stuff what's gotta happen when I move: ask real people in the community who they love and hate before just switching and taking a chance.
Pebbles has a new dr now, and it turns out that there have been a lot of complaints about the dr I'm dropping. I have now changed all three kids over from him and am feeling pretty good about that decision. Adding to the list of stuff what's gotta happen when I move: ask real people in the community who they love and hate before just switching and taking a chance.
When we left our heroes....
It was only Thursday. Ha! Well, On Thursday we went to visit Grandma B. That was fun. I drove there and back again, which gives me a whole new awe for the phrase "there and back again". Holiday traffic was really terrible and by the time I got into familiar waters on the way home my fingers were numb from griping the steering wheel.
Oh, we also found out why traffic was so awful on Wed. A car flipped on the highway toward the north end of town which of course is the direction everyone was trying to escape to. Thus, the closed on ramps and hundreds of cars milling about with no where to go for a few hours. Next year we may just catch some fireworks on Youtube. ;)
Which brings us to Friday. Man had a class BBQ for most of the day, starting at 10am. I got there a bit late since I was making sure we had everything we needed for such a long haul at the beach and then Man called to ask if I could bring all (8!!) of our folding chairs. So, out goes the extra seat in the van and I furiously clean chairs to get all of the jello off. By the time I got there I was already wondering if it was worth the effort. Man greets me with the information that we probably only needed 4 after all. After I cast a Baleful Look upon him, he meekly got Pebbles strapped onto him in the baby carrier and carried all four chairs. I was there long enough to get the kids fed before I had to run home because I forgot immunization records for the kids and had to run them over to a dr's appt to get shots. I was just walking into the office for our 1:30 appt when Man called me up to let me know that a mandatory meeting had been called for 3 and could I please try to get back to the beach by 2:30 so I could pick up Pebbles? Um, not likely. Two kids were getting new patient appts, updated shots, and I had to go downstairs to get my prenatal bloodwork battery. No problem, he says. He'll ask someone to watch her and he'll try to hurry.
Shots were going well until Tag actually got one. He cried but did a pretty good job. I should have made Princess go first. She saw him crying and got hysterical. I had to take Tag out to the waiting room and left him with a book while I went back to wrestle with PB. It took three of us to hold her down and a total of 40 mins for her to get her shots and calm down afterward. By the time I got out to the waiting room a whole bunch of nice strangers were giving Tag stickers, coloring pages, bandages, and generally fawning over him. Apparently he started to cry after I left him. After thank yous and I'm sorrys, I hustled them out of there, got my work done really quickly, got lost on the way back to the beach (thank you, downtown) and got there in time for Man to have been waiting for about an hour. Two sergeants from his class watched Pebbles and all three of these men didn't think to keep her in the shade that whole time so she has several 2nd degree burns on her face from being out in the sun for 4 hours. ARGH! Thank you, sergeants, though, for preventing Man from getting an Article 15.
Anyway, we got home and crashed. Movies, leftovers for dinner, much sleep.
Saturday, I was running late so Man took Tag to a birthday party at a place in town that has basically a bunch of bouncy castles. Tag decided to jump off of a 5 foot wall and face planted AGAIN with the SAME THREE TEETH and ended up a bloody mess again. Fortunately, the birthday boy's dad is an eye dr and had dr friends over with their kids for the party, and one of them happened to be the ENT that Man was working with a while ago. He took a look at Tag's mouth and said that he likely had a minor fracture in his upper jaw but that really a dentist wouldn't be able to do a whole lot with it since it's all baby teeth. Good to know. I'll still see if I can take them up on post though, just for a check up, you know.
While Man was gone I cleaned the whole house which had suffered from our comings and goings. We chilled the rest of the day.
Sunday, church and then a BBQ with friends! Thanks, M, for hosting. The food was good and plentiful, and it was nice to relax with some great friends. Friend K even brought me a birthday gift! A cookbook!! Who knows me? lol It's a great one with some classics revisited.
I watched Doom last night. Dude, not a whole lot of story line and tons of gore, but it's pretty cool if you've ever enjoyed a first person shooter video game or ever dreamed of being a Marine. Neither of which I've ever really done, but it was kinda geeky cool anyway.
In good news, Pebbles had another sore on her rear that looked very much MRSAish but after several days of close care it's almost gone with no antibiotics. I was very happy about that.
Which of course brings us to today. LOL I have a short list of errands to run, a walk to go on with friends, and my birthday dinner to prepare. I'm thinking a Costco tray of California rolls, a fruit salad, and mashed potatoes with corn. Yum! Time to go clean the house again before our walk.
Oh, we also found out why traffic was so awful on Wed. A car flipped on the highway toward the north end of town which of course is the direction everyone was trying to escape to. Thus, the closed on ramps and hundreds of cars milling about with no where to go for a few hours. Next year we may just catch some fireworks on Youtube. ;)
Which brings us to Friday. Man had a class BBQ for most of the day, starting at 10am. I got there a bit late since I was making sure we had everything we needed for such a long haul at the beach and then Man called to ask if I could bring all (8!!) of our folding chairs. So, out goes the extra seat in the van and I furiously clean chairs to get all of the jello off. By the time I got there I was already wondering if it was worth the effort. Man greets me with the information that we probably only needed 4 after all. After I cast a Baleful Look upon him, he meekly got Pebbles strapped onto him in the baby carrier and carried all four chairs. I was there long enough to get the kids fed before I had to run home because I forgot immunization records for the kids and had to run them over to a dr's appt to get shots. I was just walking into the office for our 1:30 appt when Man called me up to let me know that a mandatory meeting had been called for 3 and could I please try to get back to the beach by 2:30 so I could pick up Pebbles? Um, not likely. Two kids were getting new patient appts, updated shots, and I had to go downstairs to get my prenatal bloodwork battery. No problem, he says. He'll ask someone to watch her and he'll try to hurry.
Shots were going well until Tag actually got one. He cried but did a pretty good job. I should have made Princess go first. She saw him crying and got hysterical. I had to take Tag out to the waiting room and left him with a book while I went back to wrestle with PB. It took three of us to hold her down and a total of 40 mins for her to get her shots and calm down afterward. By the time I got out to the waiting room a whole bunch of nice strangers were giving Tag stickers, coloring pages, bandages, and generally fawning over him. Apparently he started to cry after I left him. After thank yous and I'm sorrys, I hustled them out of there, got my work done really quickly, got lost on the way back to the beach (thank you, downtown) and got there in time for Man to have been waiting for about an hour. Two sergeants from his class watched Pebbles and all three of these men didn't think to keep her in the shade that whole time so she has several 2nd degree burns on her face from being out in the sun for 4 hours. ARGH! Thank you, sergeants, though, for preventing Man from getting an Article 15.
Anyway, we got home and crashed. Movies, leftovers for dinner, much sleep.
Saturday, I was running late so Man took Tag to a birthday party at a place in town that has basically a bunch of bouncy castles. Tag decided to jump off of a 5 foot wall and face planted AGAIN with the SAME THREE TEETH and ended up a bloody mess again. Fortunately, the birthday boy's dad is an eye dr and had dr friends over with their kids for the party, and one of them happened to be the ENT that Man was working with a while ago. He took a look at Tag's mouth and said that he likely had a minor fracture in his upper jaw but that really a dentist wouldn't be able to do a whole lot with it since it's all baby teeth. Good to know. I'll still see if I can take them up on post though, just for a check up, you know.
While Man was gone I cleaned the whole house which had suffered from our comings and goings. We chilled the rest of the day.
Sunday, church and then a BBQ with friends! Thanks, M, for hosting. The food was good and plentiful, and it was nice to relax with some great friends. Friend K even brought me a birthday gift! A cookbook!! Who knows me? lol It's a great one with some classics revisited.
I watched Doom last night. Dude, not a whole lot of story line and tons of gore, but it's pretty cool if you've ever enjoyed a first person shooter video game or ever dreamed of being a Marine. Neither of which I've ever really done, but it was kinda geeky cool anyway.
In good news, Pebbles had another sore on her rear that looked very much MRSAish but after several days of close care it's almost gone with no antibiotics. I was very happy about that.
Which of course brings us to today. LOL I have a short list of errands to run, a walk to go on with friends, and my birthday dinner to prepare. I'm thinking a Costco tray of California rolls, a fruit salad, and mashed potatoes with corn. Yum! Time to go clean the house again before our walk.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Good tooth news
Now that we've had about 18 hours since the tooth incident, the loose one has stopped wiggling and feels pretty secure. The one that got pushed in a bit looks like it has migrated a bit toward its natural spot and the gums aren't swollen anymore, making the whole thing look a lot more friendly by daylight. He doesn't need painkiller today but he's still wanting soft, small foods. I'm not sure if it's the novelty of it or a sensitivity. Once the swelling in his lip goes down, I'm sure his smile won't look a whole lot different.
Fireworks!
So we had friends over and had a nice dinner. We left a bit late to go see fireworks but got a pretty good seat up on post. The kids enjoyed it. I was surprised at how short it was. I've seen more impressive displays in someone's backyard (Cheers, GR!) than what we witnessed tonight.
But I also got my first look at a real, honest to goodness, total traffic gridlock. A 15 mintue drive turned into 90 minutes of stop and go, but mostly stop. The major onramps to the highway were blocked which left people from our town anad some surrounding cities turning around and around in downtown trying to find a way to lever ourselves out of the madness.
Lesson learned: I like smaller cities, or at least ones that are laid out with greater efficiency. Also, no silly fireworks display is worth that sort of frustration.
My friend did make an excellent point, though: this is our first Independence Day as Army wives. Let freedom ring, baby! And with that, I'm hitting the hay.
But I also got my first look at a real, honest to goodness, total traffic gridlock. A 15 mintue drive turned into 90 minutes of stop and go, but mostly stop. The major onramps to the highway were blocked which left people from our town anad some surrounding cities turning around and around in downtown trying to find a way to lever ourselves out of the madness.
Lesson learned: I like smaller cities, or at least ones that are laid out with greater efficiency. Also, no silly fireworks display is worth that sort of frustration.
My friend did make an excellent point, though: this is our first Independence Day as Army wives. Let freedom ring, baby! And with that, I'm hitting the hay.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
First decently major tooth accident
Well, it finally happened. A few months ago Princess wiped out on the trampoline and ended up with a really fat lip but her teeth were spared.
Tag was not so lucky today.
He was trying to hide in an outdoor toybox at a neighbor's house when he slipped and caught his face on their cement step. Here is a tooth chart, just for reference. His #7 is knocked loose and his #8 is shoved up into his gum a tiny bit. I think I see a speck chip out of his #9 as well. I'm not sure whether to take him to a dentist only to be told that he's fine and lucky that it was baby teeth. Don't mouths heal pretty quickly? We're going to wait a bit a make sure that things are working out before freaking out. He already has a dr appt on Friday so I might have her take a peek as well.
::sigh:: It had to happen some time, right? Smoothies and pudding for the invalid until his teeth aren't so sensitive.
Other than that our 4th has been pretty nice. We've taken a few minutes here and there to pick up and do dishes but mostly we've hung out. We've played games, Man went out with Tag earlier so he could ride his bike somewhere besides right next to the house. We have friends coming over shortly but one of them had to make a detour to the ER on their way over here, so we're having a late dinner. We're not sure what we're going to do about fireworks but we might just call it a night. Tag fell asleep at the table drinking some juice and didn't even complain about being transferred to his bed. We're still planning on a visit to grandma's house tomorrow. That should be nice and relaxing. :)
After researching, I'm very upset to find that the closest dentist who will take our insurance is 62 miles away. What the heck?? (fuming) That is just ridiculous.
Tag was not so lucky today.
He was trying to hide in an outdoor toybox at a neighbor's house when he slipped and caught his face on their cement step. Here is a tooth chart, just for reference. His #7 is knocked loose and his #8 is shoved up into his gum a tiny bit. I think I see a speck chip out of his #9 as well. I'm not sure whether to take him to a dentist only to be told that he's fine and lucky that it was baby teeth. Don't mouths heal pretty quickly? We're going to wait a bit a make sure that things are working out before freaking out. He already has a dr appt on Friday so I might have her take a peek as well.
::sigh:: It had to happen some time, right? Smoothies and pudding for the invalid until his teeth aren't so sensitive.
Other than that our 4th has been pretty nice. We've taken a few minutes here and there to pick up and do dishes but mostly we've hung out. We've played games, Man went out with Tag earlier so he could ride his bike somewhere besides right next to the house. We have friends coming over shortly but one of them had to make a detour to the ER on their way over here, so we're having a late dinner. We're not sure what we're going to do about fireworks but we might just call it a night. Tag fell asleep at the table drinking some juice and didn't even complain about being transferred to his bed. We're still planning on a visit to grandma's house tomorrow. That should be nice and relaxing. :)
After researching, I'm very upset to find that the closest dentist who will take our insurance is 62 miles away. What the heck?? (fuming) That is just ridiculous.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
OB Appt
After 4-5 pages of paper work to fill out, I got in to see my OB.
He's a funny guy who's balding, wears a pink button up shirt under his white coat and a breast cancer lapel pin. Gay? Likely, but for some reason that makes me feel a lot better about him as this sort of dr. lol
Anyway, he had to fish around for the heartbeat but then found it front and center and poudning away at 164 beats per minute and strong as a hammer on anvil. He was very impressed at how strong the heart was and, after listening for a moment, declared that he could hear both valves functioning which meant that all four chambers were developed and functioning.
And, as far as he's concerned, I'm a picture of health. He told me that the results of this exam were precisely what he hopes for on a late afternoon.
Ha!! And to think I was nervous. You never know what you're going to hear with that first doppler, like that first ultrasound (which we're going to schedule for around 20 weeks) and I was relieved not only to be able to hear it, but to hear it vary as little Frodo kicked around (a sign of good nerve and brain development), to hear it so strong, and to get the good Dr's very positive assessment.
I go back in 3 weeks for a brief follow up. :) Things go smoothly! Due date is still Jan 4th.
He's a funny guy who's balding, wears a pink button up shirt under his white coat and a breast cancer lapel pin. Gay? Likely, but for some reason that makes me feel a lot better about him as this sort of dr. lol
Anyway, he had to fish around for the heartbeat but then found it front and center and poudning away at 164 beats per minute and strong as a hammer on anvil. He was very impressed at how strong the heart was and, after listening for a moment, declared that he could hear both valves functioning which meant that all four chambers were developed and functioning.
And, as far as he's concerned, I'm a picture of health. He told me that the results of this exam were precisely what he hopes for on a late afternoon.
Ha!! And to think I was nervous. You never know what you're going to hear with that first doppler, like that first ultrasound (which we're going to schedule for around 20 weeks) and I was relieved not only to be able to hear it, but to hear it vary as little Frodo kicked around (a sign of good nerve and brain development), to hear it so strong, and to get the good Dr's very positive assessment.
I go back in 3 weeks for a brief follow up. :) Things go smoothly! Due date is still Jan 4th.
Out of the mouths of babes
Princess lately has been getting into this really bossy, snotty, know-it-all phase. But hey, kids learn by example don't they? Sometimes there are great nuggets of wisdom in what she says and I have to swallow my pride and acknowledge that she's right.
This morning I was reading the comics online and she asked for some eggs for breakfast.
M: Wait just one minute, please.
P: Are those important?
M: Not really, why?
P: Well, shouldn't you be doing what's important? Like, feeding me so I don't starve and die?
M: Gee, when you put it that way I just can't argue.
The point is well-made except for the attitude behind it. Miss Smarty Pants. Did you ever notice that the initials for Miss Smarty Pants (MSP) are just a rearrangement of PMS?
But she was right, darn it.
This morning I was reading the comics online and she asked for some eggs for breakfast.
M: Wait just one minute, please.
P: Are those important?
M: Not really, why?
P: Well, shouldn't you be doing what's important? Like, feeding me so I don't starve and die?
M: Gee, when you put it that way I just can't argue.
The point is well-made except for the attitude behind it. Miss Smarty Pants. Did you ever notice that the initials for Miss Smarty Pants (MSP) are just a rearrangement of PMS?
But she was right, darn it.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Visiting family
This past weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy one of Man's sisters and her family. It sure was a full house but I sure enjoyed all of them. They have two teenage boys (excellent young men) and three little girls who all match my kids in their various ages. It was fun to see the strong family resemblance and behaviors that have got to be genetic. My SIL and I also got to sneak away to the store for a bit while the men watched the kids. That was such a nice opportunity to get out of the house for a while. Like that Coldplay song... "all that noise, all that sound."
Plans for the 4th of July: relax!!! Maybe take a picnic to the beach. Maybe I'll realize that a picnic at the beach would mean literal sandwiches. The day after we're going up to my grandma's house for the day.
I have my first real OB appointment tomorrow! I'm pretty excited and a little nervous. Princess and Tag have appts this week to FINALLY get caught up on immunizations and get Tag's asthma meds updated. We're going to see if we can drop the Zyrtec entirely since he did without before we moved. We may have to keep it up with all of the moving we'll be doing, and for now I think it's better to keep up the Zyrtec rather than risk having to put him on a course of prednisone. On the other hand, I prefer as little medicine as will keep him safe. Here's hoping. I also told them that they could pick any treat (stickers, gum, water gun) they wanted after they get shots especially since Princess is due for 4. After my monster shots a couple of weeks ago, I treated myself to some peanut butter M&M's and a couple of $7.50 movies at Target.
After shots get updated, I get to register Princess for her first year of public school. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. She has the personality to do well in that setting and I'm working hard now to make sure that she can take care of her own body before then. She's already really good at most things, but lately we've been trying to get her to turn on her own shower water. Why is that scary? Oh, well, it is, so motivating factors have to be added to the experience. I tell her "when you have turned the water on yourself, I will help you adjust the temperature. You get to shower yourself completely, get dressed in clothes you choose, and if you have time after your shower and before bed, we can read some books."
And then I walk away. Sometimes it takes a while for her to turn that first knob.
Man gets to turn older this week. On Sunday I got to stand in front of the Primary kids and get sung to for my birthday as well, but Man had a sleeping Pebbles in a different room. The poor guy didn't get his birthday sticker.
On Friday we have a bbq with some people from Man's work. Saturday, I'm going to work this week to make sure we have absolutely nothing but family time. And maybe some naps. :)
Plans for the 4th of July: relax!!! Maybe take a picnic to the beach. Maybe I'll realize that a picnic at the beach would mean literal sandwiches. The day after we're going up to my grandma's house for the day.
I have my first real OB appointment tomorrow! I'm pretty excited and a little nervous. Princess and Tag have appts this week to FINALLY get caught up on immunizations and get Tag's asthma meds updated. We're going to see if we can drop the Zyrtec entirely since he did without before we moved. We may have to keep it up with all of the moving we'll be doing, and for now I think it's better to keep up the Zyrtec rather than risk having to put him on a course of prednisone. On the other hand, I prefer as little medicine as will keep him safe. Here's hoping. I also told them that they could pick any treat (stickers, gum, water gun) they wanted after they get shots especially since Princess is due for 4. After my monster shots a couple of weeks ago, I treated myself to some peanut butter M&M's and a couple of $7.50 movies at Target.
After shots get updated, I get to register Princess for her first year of public school. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. She has the personality to do well in that setting and I'm working hard now to make sure that she can take care of her own body before then. She's already really good at most things, but lately we've been trying to get her to turn on her own shower water. Why is that scary? Oh, well, it is, so motivating factors have to be added to the experience. I tell her "when you have turned the water on yourself, I will help you adjust the temperature. You get to shower yourself completely, get dressed in clothes you choose, and if you have time after your shower and before bed, we can read some books."
And then I walk away. Sometimes it takes a while for her to turn that first knob.
Man gets to turn older this week. On Sunday I got to stand in front of the Primary kids and get sung to for my birthday as well, but Man had a sleeping Pebbles in a different room. The poor guy didn't get his birthday sticker.
On Friday we have a bbq with some people from Man's work. Saturday, I'm going to work this week to make sure we have absolutely nothing but family time. And maybe some naps. :)
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