I could be more productive than hiding in the kitchen behind the baby gate. I am sitting on the floor in front of the heater with my laptop, in my pajamas, and listening to the dishwasher hum and swish while I alternately type and stir the chex mix in the oven. I am not feeling very ambitious but I have a TON to do, including pick up the entire house, wash all the dishes that my sister left me when she came over and made a birthday cake at my house, and also at some point in time get dressed so I can get a haircut and pick up two prescriptions. I can barely breathe and I didn't sleep much as a result. I have been without allergy medicine for about three weeks now, and I had a few Zyrtec D around that I took once every three days for the past week so that I wouldn't die in my sleep. Those ran out a couple of days ago and I am SO relieved to hear that my insurance company finally processed the "annual pre approval" of allergy medicine. It would be logical for me to just see this coming and get it done in advance, like before I run out, but I take allergy meds only seasonally, which end up being spring and fall for me (and for the kids it seems) and therefore when fall hit I was unprepared and only had a few days of meds left. Well, what I didn't realize at the time was that my insurance requires paperwork and preapproval of all allergy meds not just once, but ANNUALLY (Grrrrr!) and therefore I had to go through the whole process again. Call the pharmacy, who told me to call the doctor, who then called in a script to the pharmacy, who then ran the script through insurance, who then declined it. The pharmacy calls the doctor, then me. The doctor must not have followed up so then a week later I am calling the doctor because the pharmacy is telling me the insurance still isn't approved. Fast forward another week and I call the insurance company and it is approved (this morning) and now I am hoping that I can pick up the meds this evening or tomorrow at the latest. I can barely breathe and it just makes me miserable. OTC meds just don't do it, and then there is the whole hassle of taking a D allergy med, so that when you want to GET the medicine you have to buy only 15 days at a time (in case you are trying to make meth you know) and how fun is it to stand in line every 15 days at the pharmacy with two toddlers to buy overpriced meds that you would rather just get monthly at the pharmacy anyway? Oy.
So by this point in time my nose is plugged solid and my head feels like it's a giant balloon and my ears are sore and feel all clogged. You all know the drill. And the poor kids are on Claritin D, and it isn't touching Marek's snot, which just proceeds to stream down his little face. Poor kid. he probably feels crappy too.
What else is new. Well, not a whole lot. Ardyn starts her first ever Violin lesson tomorrow. We found a very inexpensive used violin from Shar Music (online) which was recommended by our Music Teacher. It's a 1/10 scale violin and it is adorable. The Violin was about $50 and because she is young her teacher recommended a fiberglass bow (less chance of breaking, costs less) and so we have everything, including the Suzuki book one. I started reading a few books this week geared towards parents of Suzuki students. I started with "To Learn with Love, A Companion for Suzuki Parents" and although I enjoy it, it has many references to the other book I had wanted to read, so I thought I should pause the first book and start reading Dr Suzuki's Book and part biography, "Nurtured By Love, The Classic Approach to Talent Education." I am really enjoying Dr. Suzuki's book very much, and some things that he says give me "aha" moments.
My favorite so far has been regarding right handed people. Being left-handed, I can fully appreciate the need to adapt yourself to everyday life in a right-handed world. His approach to teaching everything, including music, is that Talent is not BORN or inherited. It is learned and taught. Every child has the ability to be talented and we should give each child that chance by beginning to teach them at a young age, when they are most able to learn and absorb new things. We don't give children a "choice" to learn their language. They learn their "mother tongue" or native language by repetitive exposure and immersion in the language. We expect that they will learn to talk and therefore we patiently and determinedly teach them. If we teach children music the same way, without asking if our child is "talented", we give each child and equal chance to excel in music, and in life.
Think about right handed people. Are they born right handed? Perhaps. I don't think Dr Suzuki believes that, but I have seen in my right handed child and my left handed child a preference very early on. However, I have learned through the years to do MANY things (the majority of things really) right handed, and some things with both hands. This isn't because I was BORN right handed, but because I was taught to do both, and immersed in a world that is essentially right handed. A right handed person doesn't usually exercise their left hand and practice using it, but anyone who has can tell you that practicing and regular use of your non-dominant hand will result in being able to use it, sometimes ambidextrously or interchangeably with your dominant hand. When I decorate a cake I switch hands continuously, depending on whether I want strength, control, or a different angle of approach on the cake... and I do the same thing with my artistic endeavors. I learned to play pool and sports right handed, cut with scissors right handed, but I still prefer to write and do certain things, like play guitar, with my left hand. I wasn't BORN right handed, but exercise and practice has enabled me to use it every single day.
So the point he makes is that talent and ability, especially when related to music, but when related to anything in life, can easily be learned. As long as you are taught at a young age and use practice and repetition.
Some people dislike all his methods, particularly the fact that he expected students to play their pieces without music. In the beginning, when teaching children that can't read, he teaches them by ear. For example, you may not be able to read music, but you can plunk out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano if you know it by ear. Same concept. But he DID teach children to read music later, when they were able to read... but he also expects them to play a piece so much that they can play it without looking at music in the future. He wants them to play and not look at their fingers. He wants them to KNOW what is right (fingering wise, tone wise, etc) and not just be reading it off paper. The theory behind this is that once your ability becomes second nature, you can focus on the emotion behind the music and not just fingering the notes. So there has been plenty of controversy surrounding his teaching method, but the book itself explains much and is interesting to read.
Showing posts with label Ardyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ardyn. Show all posts
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Kidspeak- A Conversation with Ardyn
walked to the bank this afternoon, and Ardyn insisted on walking while Marek rode in the stroller, so we took the umbrella stroller.It was nice, probably 82 degrees. Warm in the sun, but perfect in the shade. We walked to the bank, did our business and walked right home. We were probably three blocks from home when Ardyn says "Whew, I am so tired, I just can't even go one more step. I need a drink really badly." and I say "We are almost home, you can have a drink and then we can play outside for a bit before naptime."
Ardyn says "can we just find a house where someone we know lives and get a drink of water." Me, "um, no Ardyn. Most people we know are at work today, and we are only 3 blocks from home." Ardyn "I can't even SEE our house."
Pauses. "Mommy, who lives there?" I tell her and she says what are their full names, and I tell her and she says "see, we know them, let's stop for a break and some nice water to drink." Oy.
We are less than a block from home now. I explain that we are not stopping anywhere. We are two houses away, then about 20 feet from our driveway and she says "Mom, I can't do it, it's like a whole three miles."
Apparently she got my athletic ability and desire to exercise. You may laugh, but I am the kid who used to cry in Kindergarten when we did those "field-day" track meets because they told us we had to do one running event and one field event. I HATED running. I always have. Always. Everything in my body and mind is against running. In the end, I always did two field events. Not sure how it happened, but I was stubborn. I usually ended up throwing the frisbee, or doing the long jump or the softball throw. And when I was in Jr high I did track stats and even did track stats for the entire Indian Valley Conference meets.... anything to NOT have to run. :)
Ardyn says "can we just find a house where someone we know lives and get a drink of water." Me, "um, no Ardyn. Most people we know are at work today, and we are only 3 blocks from home." Ardyn "I can't even SEE our house."
Pauses. "Mommy, who lives there?" I tell her and she says what are their full names, and I tell her and she says "see, we know them, let's stop for a break and some nice water to drink." Oy.
We are less than a block from home now. I explain that we are not stopping anywhere. We are two houses away, then about 20 feet from our driveway and she says "Mom, I can't do it, it's like a whole three miles."
Apparently she got my athletic ability and desire to exercise. You may laugh, but I am the kid who used to cry in Kindergarten when we did those "field-day" track meets because they told us we had to do one running event and one field event. I HATED running. I always have. Always. Everything in my body and mind is against running. In the end, I always did two field events. Not sure how it happened, but I was stubborn. I usually ended up throwing the frisbee, or doing the long jump or the softball throw. And when I was in Jr high I did track stats and even did track stats for the entire Indian Valley Conference meets.... anything to NOT have to run. :)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday. I can't say I am thrilled. Sort of indifferent. Evan has a gig tonight. We have no plans. None. Nothing. Except cleaning house. Still. And Laundry. Cleaning ladies on vacation, so I really need to vacuum and mop, because that just can't wait four weeks. But I also really need to clean the kitchen up, pick up around this disaster zone, and also, maybe just maybe, put away the Christmas Decorations. And the Valentine Decorations. Oh, they have long since been taken down, but they are in a big pile in my dining room waiting to be packed up into their totes and taken to the attic. I am afraid I still don't care.
I woke up this morning to Ardyn screaming from her bed. Why? Because her nose was snotty. And I don't mean like it was running down her face. I mean the diva woke up with a snotty nose and therefore decided to lay in her bed and scream at me. While Marek was still sleeping right below her. I wanted to strangle her. Her behavior has been so bad lately... specifically screaming. She screams in Marek's face. She screams when she's playing. She screams when she doesn't gt her way, she screams when she is angry. Yesterday I thought I was gonna strangle her. I ended up implementing a new punishment for screaming. Random screaming, angry screaming, any kind of screaming that is not necessary. Yucky Spray in the mouth. She got yucky spray twice, spankings twice, two time outs in the time out chair and one in her bed. And then, this morning she woke up screaming. She was screaming at Marek in the tub and I reminded her that screaming was punishable with yucky spray.
The problem is a phase, but also that the weather got nice, and we got to spend several days outside, and not it's frigid cold again and we haven't gotten to be out. They are feeling cooped up and it's showing. Marek's evil is to smack, hit, kick or scratch you and then immediately hug you as tight as he can and say "I Love you too mommy." Oh he's good.
Another problem right now is the "I Can't" phase. The "I can't.... (wipe my own butt, put on my own coat/shoes/socks/pants/shirt/underwear/pajamas, turn on the light, open the door, clean up my toys)" and then "Help me mom! I can't do it without you!" Veteran parents, please give me tips on this. I can't stand it. I am forcing her to do things herself, but it always boils down to screaming and whining and crying. She's big into unbuckling her seatbelt without permission. In fact, on Thursday she did it so many times that The last time she did it, we were right by home and I drove into the driveway when we were supposed to be heading to dance class. Then she started her classic "I can't buckle myself" and I said "If you can't buckle, then you need to stop unbuckling without permission. We will not go to dance class until you buckle yourself up." We sat in the drive, until she went into full meltdown mode, then we parked in the garage and I took Marek in, then came back for her and she was in absolute panic that she was going to miss dance class. But still refused to even attempt to buckle herself up. It's infuriating. We ended up coming inside and laying down for an hour and then going to dance class.
We have had conversation after conversation about acting like a big girl and that if she isn't going to act like she's almost four, then I am not going to give her privileges like she is almost 4. No more big kid snacks, no more big kid books to read, no more littlest pet shop and zhu zhu pet toys to play with. Two naps a day, and she can sleep in a toddler bed instead of a bunk bed. This works well, temporarily, but it seems each day starts with this refusal to get dressed, or do anything. She conveniently forgets things like how to put on her pants, and she starts acting silly and puts her underwear on through the leg holes. She puts her shirts on backwards. It's like an intentional regression, considering she was almost completely dressing herself. Now suddenly she can't get up in bed, she can't wipe her butt. It is infuriating. Because it almost always results in a standoff that makes us late and makes me angry.
Well, this is being cut short, more tomorrow?
I woke up this morning to Ardyn screaming from her bed. Why? Because her nose was snotty. And I don't mean like it was running down her face. I mean the diva woke up with a snotty nose and therefore decided to lay in her bed and scream at me. While Marek was still sleeping right below her. I wanted to strangle her. Her behavior has been so bad lately... specifically screaming. She screams in Marek's face. She screams when she's playing. She screams when she doesn't gt her way, she screams when she is angry. Yesterday I thought I was gonna strangle her. I ended up implementing a new punishment for screaming. Random screaming, angry screaming, any kind of screaming that is not necessary. Yucky Spray in the mouth. She got yucky spray twice, spankings twice, two time outs in the time out chair and one in her bed. And then, this morning she woke up screaming. She was screaming at Marek in the tub and I reminded her that screaming was punishable with yucky spray.
The problem is a phase, but also that the weather got nice, and we got to spend several days outside, and not it's frigid cold again and we haven't gotten to be out. They are feeling cooped up and it's showing. Marek's evil is to smack, hit, kick or scratch you and then immediately hug you as tight as he can and say "I Love you too mommy." Oh he's good.
Another problem right now is the "I Can't" phase. The "I can't.... (wipe my own butt, put on my own coat/shoes/socks/pants/shirt/underwear/pajamas, turn on the light, open the door, clean up my toys)" and then "Help me mom! I can't do it without you!" Veteran parents, please give me tips on this. I can't stand it. I am forcing her to do things herself, but it always boils down to screaming and whining and crying. She's big into unbuckling her seatbelt without permission. In fact, on Thursday she did it so many times that The last time she did it, we were right by home and I drove into the driveway when we were supposed to be heading to dance class. Then she started her classic "I can't buckle myself" and I said "If you can't buckle, then you need to stop unbuckling without permission. We will not go to dance class until you buckle yourself up." We sat in the drive, until she went into full meltdown mode, then we parked in the garage and I took Marek in, then came back for her and she was in absolute panic that she was going to miss dance class. But still refused to even attempt to buckle herself up. It's infuriating. We ended up coming inside and laying down for an hour and then going to dance class.
We have had conversation after conversation about acting like a big girl and that if she isn't going to act like she's almost four, then I am not going to give her privileges like she is almost 4. No more big kid snacks, no more big kid books to read, no more littlest pet shop and zhu zhu pet toys to play with. Two naps a day, and she can sleep in a toddler bed instead of a bunk bed. This works well, temporarily, but it seems each day starts with this refusal to get dressed, or do anything. She conveniently forgets things like how to put on her pants, and she starts acting silly and puts her underwear on through the leg holes. She puts her shirts on backwards. It's like an intentional regression, considering she was almost completely dressing herself. Now suddenly she can't get up in bed, she can't wipe her butt. It is infuriating. Because it almost always results in a standoff that makes us late and makes me angry.
Well, this is being cut short, more tomorrow?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wonderful Day
What a wonderful beautiful day! Yay for spring weather! I am writing this post from MIL's iPad. She dropped it off and asked me to do a couple of things to it, and i am getting the feel of it. I love it of course, except the auto correct (which I would have to turn off. I am surprised that I am liking the on screen keyboard as much as I am. I can say, however, that I seriously miss the keypad on the righthand side.... I suppose there should be a way to choose a custom keyboard, right??? And what about shift lock?
Is there the ability to have more than one user? Oh the things to figure out.
So this vertigo is bothersome, but not yet completely kicking my ass. I have been doing the exercises when it becomes overwhelming, and am able to manage okay. I have a prescription for Dramamine II. I haven't taken any yet because I am pretty sure it is gonna knock my ass out. Today the kids and i worked in the yard. Basically ignoring the total chaos and turmoil that is inside the house! I spent the morning raking the yard, and then the rake (new last year) snapped in half. The wood handle just snapped clean through. Strange! So i proceeded to sweeping off the patio and sidewalks, clearing the garden off, putting the hose on the sink/reel, and then organizing. I assembled the wheeled deck box that Evan and I bought for our anniversary last August, and put it out front as well. I cleared off last year's growth from the perennials inside the fence and then was feeling worn out so we went to town to get a new rake and pick up my new dramamine prescription. Then we came home and took the cover off the sandbox and I finished raking and picking up the yard.
Grandpa and grandma came to take Ardyn to dance class and Marek and I went to stuff as many outside toys as we could into the back of the van. We got both cozy coupes, the hippo seesaw, one tricycle, the shopping cart, the bubble mower, and the toddler swing. Marek was thrilled! We came. Home again and Marek played with the toys outside while I picked up leaves into trash bags. Evan came home and helped and I was so relieved because I had been doing all this alone today and bending over to pick up leaves repeatedly and then standing. Up again was making me really dizzy and nauseous. We ran to town for supper with Marek. It was nice. He had a lot to say tonight without Ardyn around!
Yesterday when we were at the park swinging, Ardyn got a big smile and looked up at the sky and said "God is so happy to see me today mom! He's smiling down at me with the sunshine!" awwww. Then today she was peeling green moss off the ground in the yard, and sitting in on the seat of the swing. Then she would push the moss on the swing, really high, and it would fall off and she would do it all over again. I asked her what she was doing, and she said I am pushing this moss really high on the swing, trying to send it flying up to God!" wow. I said "but God made that moss here on earth for us, why do you ink he would want it back?" she pondered and decided to keep it here.
Then tonight, On the way home from supper, Marek was singing in the van to himself. This is the first time I have heard him sing. He was singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but he would sing "Twinkle twinkle little star of Jesus." lol. Tonight when i rocked him to sleep he. Said "sing Jesus mommy!" too cute that kid! Both of them actually.
Well, I am gonna catch some Z's and avoid vertigo tonight :) hope you enjoyed these past two days of great weather here in IL or elsewhere! The strawberries are already growing nicely here in the garden!
Is there the ability to have more than one user? Oh the things to figure out.
So this vertigo is bothersome, but not yet completely kicking my ass. I have been doing the exercises when it becomes overwhelming, and am able to manage okay. I have a prescription for Dramamine II. I haven't taken any yet because I am pretty sure it is gonna knock my ass out. Today the kids and i worked in the yard. Basically ignoring the total chaos and turmoil that is inside the house! I spent the morning raking the yard, and then the rake (new last year) snapped in half. The wood handle just snapped clean through. Strange! So i proceeded to sweeping off the patio and sidewalks, clearing the garden off, putting the hose on the sink/reel, and then organizing. I assembled the wheeled deck box that Evan and I bought for our anniversary last August, and put it out front as well. I cleared off last year's growth from the perennials inside the fence and then was feeling worn out so we went to town to get a new rake and pick up my new dramamine prescription. Then we came home and took the cover off the sandbox and I finished raking and picking up the yard.
Grandpa and grandma came to take Ardyn to dance class and Marek and I went to stuff as many outside toys as we could into the back of the van. We got both cozy coupes, the hippo seesaw, one tricycle, the shopping cart, the bubble mower, and the toddler swing. Marek was thrilled! We came. Home again and Marek played with the toys outside while I picked up leaves into trash bags. Evan came home and helped and I was so relieved because I had been doing all this alone today and bending over to pick up leaves repeatedly and then standing. Up again was making me really dizzy and nauseous. We ran to town for supper with Marek. It was nice. He had a lot to say tonight without Ardyn around!
Yesterday when we were at the park swinging, Ardyn got a big smile and looked up at the sky and said "God is so happy to see me today mom! He's smiling down at me with the sunshine!" awwww. Then today she was peeling green moss off the ground in the yard, and sitting in on the seat of the swing. Then she would push the moss on the swing, really high, and it would fall off and she would do it all over again. I asked her what she was doing, and she said I am pushing this moss really high on the swing, trying to send it flying up to God!" wow. I said "but God made that moss here on earth for us, why do you ink he would want it back?" she pondered and decided to keep it here.
Then tonight, On the way home from supper, Marek was singing in the van to himself. This is the first time I have heard him sing. He was singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but he would sing "Twinkle twinkle little star of Jesus." lol. Tonight when i rocked him to sleep he. Said "sing Jesus mommy!" too cute that kid! Both of them actually.
Well, I am gonna catch some Z's and avoid vertigo tonight :) hope you enjoyed these past two days of great weather here in IL or elsewhere! The strawberries are already growing nicely here in the garden!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Problems with Pampered Chef Products, But still getting alot done!
I can not believe what I accomplished today. No wonder I am exhausted! The kids were gone, but I woke up aching. I wanted to sleep later, but my back is out of whack and it was so achy. Whenever I get out of line I start to have lots of arthritis problems and sometimes pinched nerves. Never had them before the double-whiplash car incident where I was rear-ended in something like 2001, but have them ever since. I ended up getting up around 8:30 and then laying down on my stomach for another 30 minutes trying to stretch my back out a bit.
Evan has been feeling better but wasn't feeling fabulous this morning so he went back to bed and I ran around like a madwoman. I spent several hours in the morning- wait - my mom swears that my kids are going to read this someday. Let me start all over.
This morning Santa called and told me that Mrs. Claus had finished getting all the Christmas Presents ready. Back in 2007 I sent her an email, explaining that I would really prefer if the gifts that Santa would bring the kids could be void of all packaging, cardboard, tape, twist ties, and plastic hang tags. I also wanted fresh batteries in everything. I knew that it would save time and precious "joy" on Christmas morning. I knew that the kids would be elated to find that the elves had manufactured their toys right at the workshop and that they were right there under the tree to play with - sand unwrapping, un-packaging, and battery installation. So anyway, Santa said that by noon Mrs Claus had all the presents sorted and prepared to go into the sleigh. I feel really bad for Mrs. Claus, because I just KNOW that Santa stayed up to late and that he was sleeping and snoring on the couch while Mrs. Claus took care of everything.... and he never once considered that Mrs. Claus probably had things to do like cleaning and holiday baking and her own gift wrapping. Oh well. Santa also said that she ran all the duplos from eBay through her dishwasher and steam cleaned some toys.... so I am sure that he helped in the end.
So anyway, yesterday with the kids gone I got a ton done away from home, and a bunch of me time in. I was able to redo my friend Stacey's Facebook Page for her business, because she increased the product types she offers and therefore changed the business name (It's Sew Cute, Check it out, it's the one with the Tutus as profile pics) and that was great because I had needed a few quiet minutes to get that switched. Well, it took me more like an hour or more, because I had to upload all the pics again, but still. It's done.
Today I picked up the living room, front porch, Ardyn's room, and the kitchen. The kitchen was a wreck. I ran the dishwasher and hand washed those evil utensils that aren't dishwasher safe. I can say that I have quite a few Pampered Chef products that I haven't been really satisfied with. It seems like suddenly they are falling apart like RIGHT after the warranty expires. I really have to say that I hate the clear acrylic measuring cups. Or should I say EASY READ MEASURING CUPS. I have all of them, even the tiny one, and they wash terribly. The acrylic gets these spidery cracks all over them, that aren't actually cracks clear through, but like acrylic surface cracks. Everywhere. And they get more and more difficult to clean and won't come clean in the dishwasher as a result. I love that they nest, and that is the main reason that I did away with my pyrex measuring cups, but I am so tempted to toss these things it isn't even funny. Especially not funny considering that four of them cost $29, plus tax and shipping. Not funny.
One of my favorite favorite newer products just cracked on me. And I mean cracked in like four places. I am referring to the Microplane Grater. I was so disappointed. Of course I earned it as a consultant before I retired, and so it's just about 5 years old now. It would be one thing if I had frequently used it for 5 years, but seriously I was so burnt out on cooking I didn't even open the box until after Ardyn was born. So it hadn't even been used for like 2.5 years, and it's one of those items that you rarely use. Especially when you already have the rotary grater and the Ultimate Slice and Grate (the original.) So if I had used it 10 times I would be surprised. But it worked FABULOUSLY and I adored it. Especially for zesting oranges. But alas, it seemed to have cracked in the dishwasher. I used it, and it was fine, and when I took it out of the dishwasher, it was cracked in like three places. The worst cracks were around the metal plate, in the plastic frame. They make it not so great to use anymore. And I am not spending $27 to get another one that will eventually do the same thing. Then tonight I noticed when putting away my Double Burner Griddle (Professional Cookware, $145.00, and less than a year old) has three little areas that look like knicks, but not like metal utensil knicks, but like blips in the coating where the coating is coming off. Grrr. It has a lifetime warranty, and I have NEVER used metal utensils or knifes or anything on it, and I am the only one who uses it... to cook breakfast for the kids. SO frustrating. This has a lifetime warranty so I am planning on contacting them for a replacement.... but in all the years I sold and used Pampered Chef very heavily, I never had this many product issues. It makes me wonder if their quality is declining. Warren? Are you listening?
Well, tonight my stove cooked it's last meal. We bought the Tappan Electric Stove about 10 years ago at the auction for Mother Superior. (Michael Michlig's Grandma) in Manlius. I think we paid like $25-50 for it.... and I think I would have gotten it for less except that a relative was bidding against me to drive the price up so it wouldn't go so low. It has been a good stove, and old one but it has worked well up until about the last year. We noticed a few burners starting to not heat up right, and now the oven has stopped working right. For Thanksgiving I had to keep re-arranging food and racks because it wasn't cooking evenly. Tonight, 10 minute garlic bread took 35 minutes on 400 degrees. And I had to turn it on preheat for the last 5 minutes to melt the cheese on top because it wasn't heating evenly. We ordered the new stove about two weeks ago. A snowstorm kept the delivery truck from getting it to our area last week, and then when it did finally arrive on Monday, we had discovered that Evan had H1N1 so we talked to the salesperson and decided to delay the delivery while he was contagious. So tomorrow, FINALLY! the stove is going to be delivered at 10am. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I want to bake all day tomorrow! I chose a Samsung (like our fabulous French Door Bottom Freezer Fridge) and ordered black. It's electric, flat top ceramic with 5 elements and it is convection. It also has a hidden element (yay!) and not only is self-clean but has a 20 minute quick self-steam clean that cleans up quickly after a spill or drip (yay! yay!) and here it is! Ten AM will be here before I know it! Whoooo! So. Excited. I have lots of baking that I wanted to do, but have put some of it off because the oven wasn't up to par. If I have been successfully baking breads and rolls in that old thing, I can't imagine what this new one will do! It even has a proof setting! yay!
okay. So I did a ton today. And I am so exhausted. And I need to go to sleep, so that's that.
Ardyn did get in trouble at dance tonight for pushing... the teacher! WHAT will we do with this child? Tonight we had a long discussion, and I showed her just what it feels like to be pushed down when you don't expect it. We talked about how it makes you feel to be pushed down and when I asked her why she doesn't push mommy she said "Because I love you!" and then we talked about reasons not to push friends, especially teachers. And then we discussed the consequences if it ever happens again. Man I hope something sinks in!
Evan has been feeling better but wasn't feeling fabulous this morning so he went back to bed and I ran around like a madwoman. I spent several hours in the morning- wait - my mom swears that my kids are going to read this someday. Let me start all over.
This morning Santa called and told me that Mrs. Claus had finished getting all the Christmas Presents ready. Back in 2007 I sent her an email, explaining that I would really prefer if the gifts that Santa would bring the kids could be void of all packaging, cardboard, tape, twist ties, and plastic hang tags. I also wanted fresh batteries in everything. I knew that it would save time and precious "joy" on Christmas morning. I knew that the kids would be elated to find that the elves had manufactured their toys right at the workshop and that they were right there under the tree to play with - sand unwrapping, un-packaging, and battery installation. So anyway, Santa said that by noon Mrs Claus had all the presents sorted and prepared to go into the sleigh. I feel really bad for Mrs. Claus, because I just KNOW that Santa stayed up to late and that he was sleeping and snoring on the couch while Mrs. Claus took care of everything.... and he never once considered that Mrs. Claus probably had things to do like cleaning and holiday baking and her own gift wrapping. Oh well. Santa also said that she ran all the duplos from eBay through her dishwasher and steam cleaned some toys.... so I am sure that he helped in the end.
So anyway, yesterday with the kids gone I got a ton done away from home, and a bunch of me time in. I was able to redo my friend Stacey's Facebook Page for her business, because she increased the product types she offers and therefore changed the business name (It's Sew Cute, Check it out, it's the one with the Tutus as profile pics) and that was great because I had needed a few quiet minutes to get that switched. Well, it took me more like an hour or more, because I had to upload all the pics again, but still. It's done.
Today I picked up the living room, front porch, Ardyn's room, and the kitchen. The kitchen was a wreck. I ran the dishwasher and hand washed those evil utensils that aren't dishwasher safe. I can say that I have quite a few Pampered Chef products that I haven't been really satisfied with. It seems like suddenly they are falling apart like RIGHT after the warranty expires. I really have to say that I hate the clear acrylic measuring cups. Or should I say EASY READ MEASURING CUPS. I have all of them, even the tiny one, and they wash terribly. The acrylic gets these spidery cracks all over them, that aren't actually cracks clear through, but like acrylic surface cracks. Everywhere. And they get more and more difficult to clean and won't come clean in the dishwasher as a result. I love that they nest, and that is the main reason that I did away with my pyrex measuring cups, but I am so tempted to toss these things it isn't even funny. Especially not funny considering that four of them cost $29, plus tax and shipping. Not funny.
One of my favorite favorite newer products just cracked on me. And I mean cracked in like four places. I am referring to the Microplane Grater. I was so disappointed. Of course I earned it as a consultant before I retired, and so it's just about 5 years old now. It would be one thing if I had frequently used it for 5 years, but seriously I was so burnt out on cooking I didn't even open the box until after Ardyn was born. So it hadn't even been used for like 2.5 years, and it's one of those items that you rarely use. Especially when you already have the rotary grater and the Ultimate Slice and Grate (the original.) So if I had used it 10 times I would be surprised. But it worked FABULOUSLY and I adored it. Especially for zesting oranges. But alas, it seemed to have cracked in the dishwasher. I used it, and it was fine, and when I took it out of the dishwasher, it was cracked in like three places. The worst cracks were around the metal plate, in the plastic frame. They make it not so great to use anymore. And I am not spending $27 to get another one that will eventually do the same thing. Then tonight I noticed when putting away my Double Burner Griddle (Professional Cookware, $145.00, and less than a year old) has three little areas that look like knicks, but not like metal utensil knicks, but like blips in the coating where the coating is coming off. Grrr. It has a lifetime warranty, and I have NEVER used metal utensils or knifes or anything on it, and I am the only one who uses it... to cook breakfast for the kids. SO frustrating. This has a lifetime warranty so I am planning on contacting them for a replacement.... but in all the years I sold and used Pampered Chef very heavily, I never had this many product issues. It makes me wonder if their quality is declining. Warren? Are you listening?
Well, tonight my stove cooked it's last meal. We bought the Tappan Electric Stove about 10 years ago at the auction for Mother Superior. (Michael Michlig's Grandma) in Manlius. I think we paid like $25-50 for it.... and I think I would have gotten it for less except that a relative was bidding against me to drive the price up so it wouldn't go so low. It has been a good stove, and old one but it has worked well up until about the last year. We noticed a few burners starting to not heat up right, and now the oven has stopped working right. For Thanksgiving I had to keep re-arranging food and racks because it wasn't cooking evenly. Tonight, 10 minute garlic bread took 35 minutes on 400 degrees. And I had to turn it on preheat for the last 5 minutes to melt the cheese on top because it wasn't heating evenly. We ordered the new stove about two weeks ago. A snowstorm kept the delivery truck from getting it to our area last week, and then when it did finally arrive on Monday, we had discovered that Evan had H1N1 so we talked to the salesperson and decided to delay the delivery while he was contagious. So tomorrow, FINALLY! the stove is going to be delivered at 10am. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I want to bake all day tomorrow! I chose a Samsung (like our fabulous French Door Bottom Freezer Fridge) and ordered black. It's electric, flat top ceramic with 5 elements and it is convection. It also has a hidden element (yay!) and not only is self-clean but has a 20 minute quick self-steam clean that cleans up quickly after a spill or drip (yay! yay!) and here it is! Ten AM will be here before I know it! Whoooo! So. Excited. I have lots of baking that I wanted to do, but have put some of it off because the oven wasn't up to par. If I have been successfully baking breads and rolls in that old thing, I can't imagine what this new one will do! It even has a proof setting! yay!
okay. So I did a ton today. And I am so exhausted. And I need to go to sleep, so that's that.
Ardyn did get in trouble at dance tonight for pushing... the teacher! WHAT will we do with this child? Tonight we had a long discussion, and I showed her just what it feels like to be pushed down when you don't expect it. We talked about how it makes you feel to be pushed down and when I asked her why she doesn't push mommy she said "Because I love you!" and then we talked about reasons not to push friends, especially teachers. And then we discussed the consequences if it ever happens again. Man I hope something sinks in!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Photo Tutorial- Homemade Bird Suet- a Great Project for Kids!
For the Love of Birds :)
Well, since we all kinda have those February Blah's, we decided to do a fun project that was a little bit different (Ardyn doesn't get to cook much, except in her play kitchen) and I have to say that per usual, she is over the moon about being in the kitchen with mom. She really enjoys it, but I have a hard time finding too many things that are safe for a 2 year old... The best part about this is that the measuring doesn't have to be accurate at all for birds to find it delicious... the ingredients are simple and inexpensive, and we have them all on hand... and the cooking is minimal and the heat on Low. Plus, Ardyn has had bird feeders right outside (and ON) her bedroom windows since she was not even a year old, so she loves to feed the birds and watch them. Suet cakes aren't really expensive, but every little bit of homemade can help!
So to start, we donned our aprons, and got our recipe and our supplies/ingredients all set out. Ardyn helps me cook on a stepstool/chair that our friend Nancy Anderson bought for us loooooong before we even moved in to the house, at Michael Jon's grandma Michlig's sale. It was cheap and she said that everyone needed a chair/stool like that (and we REALLY do because we have some cupboards that are so high you can only reach them if you stand on the stool.) It's great for Ardyn to help, and puts her at counter height, plus it has two steps for easy up and down!
Here's Ardyn ready to go with the recipe. She LOVES recipes. Grandma Deb gave her a "recipe box" for her play kitchen this Valentine's Day and she hasn't let it go since yesterday when she got it! Her favorite Strawberry Shortcake episode is "cookin up fun" and she really loves recipes.
First, measure out 1 cup of shortening. We use the cheap stuff from Aldi's and measure it in our mini-measure-all cup. Ardyn held the cup and I used a mini-spatula to scoop and fill the cup while she held it. We added it to the saucepan, I held the cup and she pushed the plunger and squealed with delight when the shortening "plopped" into the pan.
Measure out 1 cup of peanut butter (this time she insisted that she needed a few bites herself.) A little stickyness adds to the fun.
Melt the shortening and peanut butter over low heat. We stirred it with our Pampered Chef Mix n scraper, which is heat safe, and helped to get the sides and bottom of the pan well scraped. Ardyn did help stir. I explained that the stove was hot and that she needed to be very careful and she did well. Stirring put the BIGGEST big girl smile on her face!
Add 1 cup of flour and 3 cups of cornmeal. To make this part more fun and make it educational, I use a half cup scoop and that basically doubles the amount she gets to measure, and we count together how many scoops of each we are adding. This also really helps with what she can handle, as the cup is a little heavier and more awkward for small hands than a 1/2 cup. She held the scoop over the pan, and I poured from our Tupperware Modular mates Ovals and Super Ovals that we store our baking ingredients in. It was nice because the measurements don't have to be so exact, so if she moves the scoop or we spill, it's no issue!
Stir to combine.... it will be a thicker consistency obviously, and a little grainy looking. Think Cream of Wheat or Malt O Meal :)
This is MY favorite part. This is where you start dumping in the good stuff. Bird Seed and Seed Mixes, Nuts, Berries, Rolled Oats, whatever you desire. Since I am cheap, I use an inexpensive bird seed mix, and I think Next batch we might add rolled oats. We will see what the birds love to eat! We just add and stir, add and stir, until we feel we have a putty like consistency that will still pour or at least plop out of the pan. Ardyn is pretty excited that it really looks like bird feed now!
There are LOTS of ways to form your suet. If you save those little plastic trays that some store bought suets come in, you can add the suet to those to make perfect little squares. Another alternative is an 8x8 disposable baking pan, or even a silicone pan so you can twist and release. We happened to have an aluminum one on hand from a previous project, so I lined it with wax paper (so it would release easily and so we could use it for future batches/projects... you know how we are about reducing and reusing around here) and then we poured the suet mix inside and spread it evenly with our spatula. Once it cools, we can slice it into four perfect squares, which will be the 4x4 suet cake size of most store bought suet cages (which we already own... so it's perfect!) We also plan on using plastic party cups (think keg cups) in a future attempt, which will much mimic the bell type of suet cake... just add ribbon, string, or twine in a loop, which you can embed into the cake via the open top of the cup before the suet dries.
Since I didn't feel like contacting Wyanet Locker looking for real suet, and then bringing it into my house and letting Ardyn smear her hands in it, we used the lard/peanut butter alternative that birds seem to love just as well. Once it cools, we will be in business for bird watching!
Printable Directions:
Homemade Bird Suet
•Melt 1 cup shortening (or lard) in a saucepan on very low heat.
•Add 1 cup peanut butter and stir until melted.
•To this add 1 cup plain flour and 3 cups plain cornmeal. Mix thoroughly.
•Add whole rolled oats, seeds, raisins or bread crumbs if you have any. The final consistency will be putty-like.
•Pour into a disposable 8 inch by 8 inch aluminum pan and allow to cool.
•Slice into quarters; each one should fit nicely into a suet cage, available at most garden centers.
•Store remaining squares in the refrigerator.
Well, since we all kinda have those February Blah's, we decided to do a fun project that was a little bit different (Ardyn doesn't get to cook much, except in her play kitchen) and I have to say that per usual, she is over the moon about being in the kitchen with mom. She really enjoys it, but I have a hard time finding too many things that are safe for a 2 year old... The best part about this is that the measuring doesn't have to be accurate at all for birds to find it delicious... the ingredients are simple and inexpensive, and we have them all on hand... and the cooking is minimal and the heat on Low. Plus, Ardyn has had bird feeders right outside (and ON) her bedroom windows since she was not even a year old, so she loves to feed the birds and watch them. Suet cakes aren't really expensive, but every little bit of homemade can help!
So to start, we donned our aprons, and got our recipe and our supplies/ingredients all set out. Ardyn helps me cook on a stepstool/chair that our friend Nancy Anderson bought for us loooooong before we even moved in to the house, at Michael Jon's grandma Michlig's sale. It was cheap and she said that everyone needed a chair/stool like that (and we REALLY do because we have some cupboards that are so high you can only reach them if you stand on the stool.) It's great for Ardyn to help, and puts her at counter height, plus it has two steps for easy up and down!
Here's Ardyn ready to go with the recipe. She LOVES recipes. Grandma Deb gave her a "recipe box" for her play kitchen this Valentine's Day and she hasn't let it go since yesterday when she got it! Her favorite Strawberry Shortcake episode is "cookin up fun" and she really loves recipes.
First, measure out 1 cup of shortening. We use the cheap stuff from Aldi's and measure it in our mini-measure-all cup. Ardyn held the cup and I used a mini-spatula to scoop and fill the cup while she held it. We added it to the saucepan, I held the cup and she pushed the plunger and squealed with delight when the shortening "plopped" into the pan.
Stir to combine.... it will be a thicker consistency obviously, and a little grainy looking. Think Cream of Wheat or Malt O Meal :)
There are LOTS of ways to form your suet. If you save those little plastic trays that some store bought suets come in, you can add the suet to those to make perfect little squares. Another alternative is an 8x8 disposable baking pan, or even a silicone pan so you can twist and release. We happened to have an aluminum one on hand from a previous project, so I lined it with wax paper (so it would release easily and so we could use it for future batches/projects... you know how we are about reducing and reusing around here) and then we poured the suet mix inside and spread it evenly with our spatula. Once it cools, we can slice it into four perfect squares, which will be the 4x4 suet cake size of most store bought suet cages (which we already own... so it's perfect!) We also plan on using plastic party cups (think keg cups) in a future attempt, which will much mimic the bell type of suet cake... just add ribbon, string, or twine in a loop, which you can embed into the cake via the open top of the cup before the suet dries.
Since I didn't feel like contacting Wyanet Locker looking for real suet, and then bringing it into my house and letting Ardyn smear her hands in it, we used the lard/peanut butter alternative that birds seem to love just as well. Once it cools, we will be in business for bird watching!
Homemade Bird Suet
•Melt 1 cup shortening (or lard) in a saucepan on very low heat.
•Add 1 cup peanut butter and stir until melted.
•To this add 1 cup plain flour and 3 cups plain cornmeal. Mix thoroughly.
•Add whole rolled oats, seeds, raisins or bread crumbs if you have any. The final consistency will be putty-like.
•Pour into a disposable 8 inch by 8 inch aluminum pan and allow to cool.
•Slice into quarters; each one should fit nicely into a suet cage, available at most garden centers.
•Store remaining squares in the refrigerator.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The longest post ever. And My Beef with Thirsties AIO Pockets.
Well, the birthday party is over. It was great. I was feeling icky. It was hot. I was exhausted. And Nauseous. And had a weird pain in my upper belly all day. But It was still fun. The pool was refreshing. The food was AMAZING. The cake got rave reviews for taste AND looks. I was pleased. Evan did a great job of blowing up the balloons and making a pretty balloon bouqet for the bench along the driveway. It was wonderful. Ardyn got lots of good stuff, a few toys, books, a beautiful quilt made by Bekah, and some really great clothes from my mom. She enjoyed every bit of it and wouldn't nap for a second. She was awake from 7:30am till 9:30pm, that little stinker didn't want to miss a bit of HER party. Ha.
Since the party we have recuperated. Gotten the dishwasher installed (I am in love) and Ardyn and I met with Nicole Isaacson and spent two hours, two locations, and FIVE outfits getting pictures taken. I can't wait to see the results! Hopefully we will see them online by the end of this week or the beginning of next week at the latest. Today Ardyn and I took the van for an oil change, and also to get the AC Checked out because by Saturday it was not working again. They found the leak this time and have ordered parts. We took a Dodge Magnum Wagon as a loaner car today. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't trade it for my van. I don't like all the blind spots it has, it's way worse than MIL's newer Durango. But it was a nice loaner. Except I left the stroller in the back like a Moron. But in my defense it WAS Pouring rain all day. And I didn't like moving the baby, car seat, diaper bag, purse, etc. in the rain.... let alone the stroller. I just forgot. Until about three hours later when I was mentioning strollers when talking to my mom and I was like "Holy shit I have to call the car dealer!"
Tomorrow are Ardyn's 1 year shots. I am not looking forward to them. At all. They worry me because she will get ones that she has never had before, and because MMR is "the" controversial shot. I am sure it will all be fine, but mom's can't help be be anxious abut these things.
Lisa's Bridal shower gift arrived today via UPS and I am SO Excited to give it to her. I also got a dress and shoes in the mail today, that I will wear to her wedding. I already had a dress with a cute little sweater that I bought at the beginning of the summer, with plans to wear it to the wedding and reception, but that was BEFORE I was pregnant, and it still has the tags on it because NOW I can't wear it. LOL. Oh well. My shoes are so freakin adorable. They are Kenneth Cole Reaction and I got them from PiperLime. I adore them and will be able to wear them comfortably forever and ever. That's the best kind of shoe there is. When I measured my belly last week it was already 46 inches! Holy Cats! They are right when they say that you show quicker the second time around. By 6 weeks I couldn't button my pants and had to break out maternity clothes. The only bad thing for me is that all of my maternity clothes (most of them) are too big for me. So either I can't wear them (in the case of jeans and some of my shirts) or they look frumpy. I have asked my mom for some smaller maternity clothes for my Birthday, which is actually approaching fairly quickly. I sent her links to ones I like and am pretty sure she's got me covered. Evan my maternity underwear are too huge, and my swimsuit too. For Ardyn's birthday party I was able to wear my regular swimsuit but my stomach was all squished and killing me after an hour or so. I had to get out of that suit.
The weather was awesome today. Low 60's, rained all day. We opened the house up yesterday and it is so nice and cool. Ardyn and I have snuggly pants on and long sleeved shirts and socks and slippers. We drank tea (juice for her) and baked cookies this evening. We have all the Scentsy warmers going with Sugar Cookie bricks. It smells heavenly here! If you haven't heard of scentsy, my best friend Carrie is a consultant and you NEED to check it out. Flameless home scents with wax that isn't hot enough to burn. It's heated by a regular lightbulb, and the warmers are beautiful. They JUST released a plug in warmer that I want to get for my kitchen. They are awesome. Check them out here www.scentsy.com/carriestokes
I was actually motivated to clean off the dining room table, which was a mess of paper and glue and scissors and glitter from working on decorations for Ardyn's party. I was pleased when I finished. I am really wanting to get my 2 yards of Organic Sherpa Fleece cut into 9" squares so that I can start matching them up with my flannel and cotton knit fabrics and making wipes.
I just bought 5 Goodmama One Size OBV Dipes to add to the collection today. Lavender, Purple, Hot Pink, Orange, and Light Blue. I already have Lime, Red, Circus (rainbow Serging), and Marigold. Ardyn is just now growing out of her Size Medium Thirsties AIO's.
They recently re-vamped the Thirsties AIO Pockets and removed the fabric from inside the leg gussets. The V1 model had leakage issues, which to my dismay, we have experienced. It is frustrating because I paid $17 plus for each diaper and we have a full dozen of them in Medium and another full Dozen in size Small. That's alot of money ($414.00 to be exact), and that doesn't count the Ten Thirsties PUL Covers that I have (@ $11.50 each) or the Thirsties fitted or the 18 Thirsties Prefolds.
Even though the thirsties diapers are under warranty, the manufacturer doesn't feel that the leaking warrants a replacement or a discount on replacements, even though the leaking did warrant a redesign of the product into a V2. This has been something that I have been thinking alot about and I have made the decision to no longer purchase Thirsties AIO Pockets. I think. So instead of moving up to the size Large, I will move into using more fitteds and OS diapers, like the BG 3.0's that I am so happy with, and the Goodmamas. If I want some AIO's I will be trying BG AIO's. I like their Organic AIO but it is pricey at $24.95 per diaper... but really not bad for a OS AIO (which there aren't many of.) AND I was recently able to send in 3 BG OS 3.0's that I had aplix issues with (they had the older style aplix) and have them completely replaced at no cost to me, with new identical diapers with all the newer aplix and newer foldback tabs. Now. That is what I call customer service. And THAT is what makes me be a repeat customer, when you will stand by your product. I adore thirsties, but when you feel like you have $414 in diapers that you can't use for your second child, that frustrates you. It frustrates you enough to not invest another $217 to buy a dozen large diapers. I saw that Kelly's closet is clearancing out the V1 for $11 each. Ugh. Proof that they have been improved and aren't worth as much anymore.
For me, It is making more sense to use more OS Diapers. OS dipes will fit the new baby and Ardyn at the same time. I can use the BG 3.0's, the MEOS OBV's, and the Goodmama OBV's for both kids at the same time, eliminating the need to keep different sizes of diapers separate, and also eliminating the need to pack two sizes of diapers for an outing. The only downside is the added bulk of a fitted and cover (but fleece covers seem to work well for us in substitute for pants) and the fact that the millions of snaps in pretty rows tend to make a grandparent's and daddy's head spin. Although Evan does really well with snap MEOS. Unfortunately, when grandparents see those snaps, their mind automatically says "Disposables at my house" which really does make me sad. Very sad. I don't mind education sessions, but the older you get, the more you can't remember from one day (or hour) to the next, and not everyone in the grandparent lineup is a good listener.
We adore prefolds at home, but if you think snaps make a person's head spin.... just let them face down the pointy teeth and snappin stretch of a snappi. LOL. I love snappis. I love prefolds. But it sets panic into the hearts of babysitters everywhere. Evan doesn't do snappis. But he does fitteds and that makes my heart beat faster. He he.
So tonight I put Ardyn in a Fattycakes Heavy Wetter Fitted By Butterfly Baby, and some wool longies for overnight. I know the fattycake will do well overnight, but I have never used it with wool overnight, so we will see what the morning brings. I usually use BG OS for nights, but they are all in the wash, with the exception of the 3 new ones that are on the way to replace the ones I sent back to Cottonbabies.
I also ordered 5 pair of Custom Fleece Longies from Michele at ThePeaChicNest (part of the inspired congo.) I have SEVEN of her fleece inspiration soakers and they are hands down the best on the market. She does great custom work. I can't wait for the new ones to arrive. Aunt Liz gave Ardyn some birthday money and that has funded the 5 pairs of Fleecey goodness that we are awaiting.
Well. it's midnight. I am falling asleep. Gotta Go!
Since the party we have recuperated. Gotten the dishwasher installed (I am in love) and Ardyn and I met with Nicole Isaacson and spent two hours, two locations, and FIVE outfits getting pictures taken. I can't wait to see the results! Hopefully we will see them online by the end of this week or the beginning of next week at the latest. Today Ardyn and I took the van for an oil change, and also to get the AC Checked out because by Saturday it was not working again. They found the leak this time and have ordered parts. We took a Dodge Magnum Wagon as a loaner car today. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't trade it for my van. I don't like all the blind spots it has, it's way worse than MIL's newer Durango. But it was a nice loaner. Except I left the stroller in the back like a Moron. But in my defense it WAS Pouring rain all day. And I didn't like moving the baby, car seat, diaper bag, purse, etc. in the rain.... let alone the stroller. I just forgot. Until about three hours later when I was mentioning strollers when talking to my mom and I was like "Holy shit I have to call the car dealer!"
Tomorrow are Ardyn's 1 year shots. I am not looking forward to them. At all. They worry me because she will get ones that she has never had before, and because MMR is "the" controversial shot. I am sure it will all be fine, but mom's can't help be be anxious abut these things.
Lisa's Bridal shower gift arrived today via UPS and I am SO Excited to give it to her. I also got a dress and shoes in the mail today, that I will wear to her wedding. I already had a dress with a cute little sweater that I bought at the beginning of the summer, with plans to wear it to the wedding and reception, but that was BEFORE I was pregnant, and it still has the tags on it because NOW I can't wear it. LOL. Oh well. My shoes are so freakin adorable. They are Kenneth Cole Reaction and I got them from PiperLime. I adore them and will be able to wear them comfortably forever and ever. That's the best kind of shoe there is. When I measured my belly last week it was already 46 inches! Holy Cats! They are right when they say that you show quicker the second time around. By 6 weeks I couldn't button my pants and had to break out maternity clothes. The only bad thing for me is that all of my maternity clothes (most of them) are too big for me. So either I can't wear them (in the case of jeans and some of my shirts) or they look frumpy. I have asked my mom for some smaller maternity clothes for my Birthday, which is actually approaching fairly quickly. I sent her links to ones I like and am pretty sure she's got me covered. Evan my maternity underwear are too huge, and my swimsuit too. For Ardyn's birthday party I was able to wear my regular swimsuit but my stomach was all squished and killing me after an hour or so. I had to get out of that suit.
The weather was awesome today. Low 60's, rained all day. We opened the house up yesterday and it is so nice and cool. Ardyn and I have snuggly pants on and long sleeved shirts and socks and slippers. We drank tea (juice for her) and baked cookies this evening. We have all the Scentsy warmers going with Sugar Cookie bricks. It smells heavenly here! If you haven't heard of scentsy, my best friend Carrie is a consultant and you NEED to check it out. Flameless home scents with wax that isn't hot enough to burn. It's heated by a regular lightbulb, and the warmers are beautiful. They JUST released a plug in warmer that I want to get for my kitchen. They are awesome. Check them out here www.scentsy.com/carriestokes
I was actually motivated to clean off the dining room table, which was a mess of paper and glue and scissors and glitter from working on decorations for Ardyn's party. I was pleased when I finished. I am really wanting to get my 2 yards of Organic Sherpa Fleece cut into 9" squares so that I can start matching them up with my flannel and cotton knit fabrics and making wipes.
I just bought 5 Goodmama One Size OBV Dipes to add to the collection today. Lavender, Purple, Hot Pink, Orange, and Light Blue. I already have Lime, Red, Circus (rainbow Serging), and Marigold. Ardyn is just now growing out of her Size Medium Thirsties AIO's.
They recently re-vamped the Thirsties AIO Pockets and removed the fabric from inside the leg gussets. The V1 model had leakage issues, which to my dismay, we have experienced. It is frustrating because I paid $17 plus for each diaper and we have a full dozen of them in Medium and another full Dozen in size Small. That's alot of money ($414.00 to be exact), and that doesn't count the Ten Thirsties PUL Covers that I have (@ $11.50 each) or the Thirsties fitted or the 18 Thirsties Prefolds.
Even though the thirsties diapers are under warranty, the manufacturer doesn't feel that the leaking warrants a replacement or a discount on replacements, even though the leaking did warrant a redesign of the product into a V2. This has been something that I have been thinking alot about and I have made the decision to no longer purchase Thirsties AIO Pockets. I think. So instead of moving up to the size Large, I will move into using more fitteds and OS diapers, like the BG 3.0's that I am so happy with, and the Goodmamas. If I want some AIO's I will be trying BG AIO's. I like their Organic AIO but it is pricey at $24.95 per diaper... but really not bad for a OS AIO (which there aren't many of.) AND I was recently able to send in 3 BG OS 3.0's that I had aplix issues with (they had the older style aplix) and have them completely replaced at no cost to me, with new identical diapers with all the newer aplix and newer foldback tabs. Now. That is what I call customer service. And THAT is what makes me be a repeat customer, when you will stand by your product. I adore thirsties, but when you feel like you have $414 in diapers that you can't use for your second child, that frustrates you. It frustrates you enough to not invest another $217 to buy a dozen large diapers. I saw that Kelly's closet is clearancing out the V1 for $11 each. Ugh. Proof that they have been improved and aren't worth as much anymore.
For me, It is making more sense to use more OS Diapers. OS dipes will fit the new baby and Ardyn at the same time. I can use the BG 3.0's, the MEOS OBV's, and the Goodmama OBV's for both kids at the same time, eliminating the need to keep different sizes of diapers separate, and also eliminating the need to pack two sizes of diapers for an outing. The only downside is the added bulk of a fitted and cover (but fleece covers seem to work well for us in substitute for pants) and the fact that the millions of snaps in pretty rows tend to make a grandparent's and daddy's head spin. Although Evan does really well with snap MEOS. Unfortunately, when grandparents see those snaps, their mind automatically says "Disposables at my house" which really does make me sad. Very sad. I don't mind education sessions, but the older you get, the more you can't remember from one day (or hour) to the next, and not everyone in the grandparent lineup is a good listener.
We adore prefolds at home, but if you think snaps make a person's head spin.... just let them face down the pointy teeth and snappin stretch of a snappi. LOL. I love snappis. I love prefolds. But it sets panic into the hearts of babysitters everywhere. Evan doesn't do snappis. But he does fitteds and that makes my heart beat faster. He he.
So tonight I put Ardyn in a Fattycakes Heavy Wetter Fitted By Butterfly Baby, and some wool longies for overnight. I know the fattycake will do well overnight, but I have never used it with wool overnight, so we will see what the morning brings. I usually use BG OS for nights, but they are all in the wash, with the exception of the 3 new ones that are on the way to replace the ones I sent back to Cottonbabies.
I also ordered 5 pair of Custom Fleece Longies from Michele at ThePeaChicNest (part of the inspired congo.) I have SEVEN of her fleece inspiration soakers and they are hands down the best on the market. She does great custom work. I can't wait for the new ones to arrive. Aunt Liz gave Ardyn some birthday money and that has funded the 5 pairs of Fleecey goodness that we are awaiting.
Well. it's midnight. I am falling asleep. Gotta Go!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Blogging at my Yard Sale
Well, today I am monitoring my yard sale. There is no other reason that I would be awake and dressed by 8am with nothing better to do than blog. :) Ardyn is in the house with her dad for a while, and will come outside with me a little later. The crazy thing about it all is that this weekend is probably THE most busy weekend we have had in a long long time. Friday I had the yard sale for part of the day, and went to a few sales myself. Friday night we took Ardyn to Sheffield Homecoming to ride the carousel, and she tasted a strawberry daiquiri shaved ice, and some breading from a corn dog. This morning we begin the garage sale again, and at noon we have Evan's family reunion at the park here in town, and tonight Evan's band has a gig. Tomorrow is Father's Day. AND Friday was Kyle's 30th Birthday. Whew. If I was working my head would have exploded already. But despite all of the activities, I managed to wash diapers and hang them on the line, and make Ardyn a smocked sundress for the reunion today (although I am very disappointed that I ran out of time to make her the matching hat I planned for.) I am thinking about not putting her in the dress until I have the hat made, so she may be wearing it for another occasion. I actually did all the smocking myself, which was AWESOME. It took some time, so I am not sure how often I will be doing that, but it IS Stinking cute!
So I guess let's start by mentioning what has been going on lately around here. Not much! LOL. Well I mean really life as usual. I have gotten myself back into sewing, and made time for it. I grabbed a second excersaucer at the garage sales earlier this week, and have been putting it in the sewing room along with her mat of toys that is usually down there. I Have made her three new hats (all pictures here) and have lots of projects on the table, including some cute babydoll tank tops and a few dresses. I also made her a pair of recycled pants, out of some old lingerie of mine. They are SO cute and don't even require a pattern!
Uncle Kyle has a huge garden this year that I can't WAIT to see the results from, I am really getting excited about canning this year. I want to make my own spaghetti sauce in addition to the usual stewed tomatoes that I can. Besides that I usually freeze most of my things... and that will be great for future meals for Ardyn.
Speaking of which, the baby food making has really ramped up a bit. Last week I made 16 more meals for her, including Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli, Chicken Mornay with Vegetables (leeks, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, and chicken in a homemade cheese sauce), and homemade Spaghettios with organic Tomato paste and home canned tomatoes. She is a great eater. She loves whole wheat bagels, cheerios, goldfish crackers, juice, biter biscuits, baby mum-mums, Gerber's star Poofs and pinwheels, and lots of other things like fresh nectarines, bananas, and strawberries. She is to the point of wanting to eat everything that I have. It is good because it makes me much more conscious of what I eat. For breakfast we often sit down together and split some fresh fruit, and I will have cereal and she might have yogurt, and we will split a mini wheat bagel. Sometimes I put a little fruit yogurt on her bagel. She likes the fact that she is eating some of the same things as I am and she eats much more and much easier that way. She went through a phase of trying to resist vegetables to get more fruit, and Evan would try feeding her and she would turn away and he would just look at me and say "She doesn't want it" and I would be like- Bullshit, she's gonna eat it. Eventually she got out of that phase.
This past week we went to the Pediatrician for her 9 month visit. She is 18 pounds 4 ounces, just under the 50%. What kills me is that we often see people who say "How Old is she?" and when I respond 9 months, they say "Oh My God she is HUGE" and then things like "I thought she was two!" and I just look at them like they are Martians. If you don't know what size a baby is/should be, then keep your mouth shut. Otherwise you just look like an idiot.
She is now saying a few words, her top word is "dog" and other than that she can say daddy and now "girl" and we have also heard things like "uh-oh" and apparently everyone but me has heard her say "mommy" or "mom mom mom" - apparently she only says it when I am not around and she wants me. I long for the day when I hear her say it, but usually I think she is a little confused because she often calls me "daddy" or "dada" and I think that she thinks that Dada means both of us. Who knows. She has done a few signs, but mostly she just knows what they mean and doesn't sign them herself. She has signed both "milk" and "more." She loves to clap, especially if you start to sing pattycake. Last night she was clapping along when the band at homecoming started getting the crowd to clap. She saw them and just joined right in. She also does "So Big" and gives you "one" with her one finger to your one finger. She is HUGE about pointing right now. She points at everything. This is a good thing because then we can tell her the names of things and point to them, and name things that she points to.
Her favorite things are dogs by far, and animals that resemble giant dogs, like horses, cows, and zebras. She loves to watch Zaboomafoo on Sprout, which is a zoo type show that gets up close with lots of animals. She loved the cows at Grandpa Daves. She can also make a clopping sound like a horse, and I am trying to get her to associate it with the horse, but so far she hasn't really made the connection. She giggles extensively when you bark like a dog, especially if you toss your head back and howl.
We still haven't made it to daycare to visit yet. Last week I was all ready to take her, she was dressed, I was dressed, we were packed up and planning to visit and go get groceries. She went down for a 1pm nap, and although it USUALLY lasts about 45 minutes, she slept for almost 3 hours, which is unusual, and then didn't get up till half of the daycare crowd and at least one of her teachers would have been gone for the day. It made me sad. But we did get groceries!
I visited a health food store in LaSalle that was nice. I liked the fact that they carried lots of the products that I order online, for the same prices that I paid online. They had Nordic Naturals Fish Oil Supplements, Ecover cleaning and laundry products, Tazo cold teas, Burts Bees, Dr. Bronners, Jason products, and lots of food products also. It was a nice store and I got some Jason Natural Bug spray, and some Ecover Bac-out for the diapers, and some mixed brown rice. Really everything was very reasonably priced. I also discovered a new addiction. Tazo Peach Green Tea. I have some Ginger Peach Green Tea from the Republic of Tea that I really love, and had considered making it cold too, but hadn't tried it yet. Now that I have discovered this bottled Tazo Peach Green Tea, I am thinking I need to buy it in bulk. Ha.
The garage sales are REALLY slow. I have been open an hour and a half and have probably had 5 people, and have sold TWO things. For a total of $1.50. Yeah. I hope I am not stuck with all this stuff. I think it is mainly because instead of doing the usual townwide they have started participating in the "more on 34" yard sales that stretch for miles. And that means that FOUR local towns have townwide sales today. And that seriously takes away your crowd. People really seem to just be hitting the main drag and avoiding all the other side roads, which is sad because there is lots of good stuff in town. Yesterday I got a Fisher Price Little People Noah's Ardk playset for $2, and two wilton cake pans for $1 each (Mickey and Pooh) and a Fisher price Baby Gymnastics Bounce and Spin Zebra ($44 retail) for $10. AND A playskool ride and walk behind car for $5. Good Stuff! Oh and an excersaucer that folds flat for $25.
I was hoping to make enough money at the sale to put towards a new dishwasher, but seeing as how it's totally DEAD I am not convinced that that is even possible. Damn economy. Ha.
I'm even seling a digital camera, a diaper genie II, A brand new sealed box of Huggies, an air purifier, an answering machine, two wine bottle racks, shoes new in the box with tags, a graco vibrating bassinet, TONS of clothes that are all on hangers, about 25 pair of jeans (most of which are like brand new), new in the box Avon jewelry, two boxes of books, playstation games, Xbox games, computer games, and a basket of Victoria's Secret pajamas, a basket of just tank tops for 50 cents each, and a whole tub of sports bras and swimsuits. Seriously people. This is good shit. And. Nothing. No people!
I am really happy that the weather is nice today, but because there is such a small crowd, it makes me think that I would be better off fishing or reading a book in a hammock. I guess I could go get a book to read for the rest of the morning. I recently read Water for Elephants for my may book club, and am going to read Julie and Julia for June, and we are SUPPOSED to read Love in the Time of Cholera for July, but I started and was NOT enjoying it at all. It is so verbose and it just bored me to pieces. My life is too short to force myself to read something that I am not interested in. There are too many books out there to read something that isn't my cup of tea. Especially considering my reading time is limited.
Well, since people continue to drive by and gawk at me, I feel like I need to find a book to read, so everyone have a great weekend and a Happy Father's Day. More later I hope!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Pure Enjoyment
I feel like a kid who just did something very very wrong. And who might get their ass beat if they get caught. This is all my father's fault. He always raised me to think that it is WRONG to put a sticker anywhere on a vehicle. Anywhere. However I do recall that he had a bumper sticker on two of his cars. I think that he was trying to instill in me that once you stick it on, it's hard to remove. But he put the fear of god in me. I did put a sticker on my first car. Just one sticker. But the car cost $1000 so it probably wasn't a big deal. I also put a cool sun sticker on my second car. And I sold it with the sticker still on it, so... I guess no big deal. But my last car, was all shiny and cost me more than 10 thousand dollars, so I was always scared to put a sticker on it. I remember once after 9-11 tha
t I had a flag magnet on my gas cap area, but it was mickey mouse behind the flag. I thought my dad was going to have a coronary when he thought it was a sticker. Mind you I of course paid for the car myself, was 22 years old, and also lived in my own house by then. But I will never forget the anger when he thought I had stuck the sticker on my car. So. Tonight I snuck outside, into my own garage, as a 29 year old mom and wife, and put two brand spanking new stickers on my brand new (to me) van. I have to admit that I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I was going to be caught. I lowered the garage door and thought with the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach "who is going to yell at me first, my husband or my dad?" and I agonized for the entire day about whether or not to actually put them on... and then WHERE to put them on. And then "should I put them B
OTH on or just one?" Jeez. Why do I let other people cause me stress? One sticker is a white square that says "One Less SUV" and is a nod to the pollution that I am not causing by driving a van over another SUV. The other is the word "Coexist" made up of various religious symbols, which is the icon that I use in my signature to all my online message boards. So now I am making the statements that I want to make. I just hope I don't get grounded when they find out.So what else is new? Hmmm. I am in the process of selling my car. YAY! I had two calls and one test drive yesterday and another person drop in today. A relative has decided to buy it and I hope that it is all taken care of by the end of the week.
The "schedule" that I want to keep up on has been going really well, up until this past weekend when I had places to be and the house got pretty crazy. I should be picking up tonight, but I am just fine with not picking up. I did load the dishwasher and clean up in the kitchen. I also did some laundry today.
Mom and I took Ardyn to Hornbaker Gardens today and I got a few dwarf plants and a Big Daddy Hosta. I have been after a big daddy for YEARS. 5 of them to be precise. And I haven't bought one yet. But now I have decided to just do it since I want one so badly. I just think they are awesome. We ate lunch at Townsend Coffee House and then went to Wal-Mart for a few things. We took TONS of adorable pictures at Hornbakers, they are all in my flickr photos, and t
here are some posted here too.Last Friday we started making our Mother's Day gifts. We used Crayola Air Dry Clay to make Heart shaped handprints and then painted them and strung ribbons and fibers onto them. We made 8 of them, for each grandma, great grandma, and for Aunt Liz. Saturday I was up at 6:30 with Ardyn and when she fell back to sleep I couldn't, so I got up and painted the hearts while she slept. Then that afternoon she and I went to my parents house to setup a wireless network and that night we had them over, along with my sister, to celebrate mother's day with spaghetti pizza and garlic bread, followed by Ice Cream Waffle Bowls from Dairy Queen and then we watched the movie Juno, which I loved. Sunday we took a nap from 10-12noon and then went to Evan's grandma's house for Mother's day. We delivered hydrangeas for Mother's Day to Ardyn's grandmas in addition to the finished handprints.
This week I am getting a haircut, going to TWO computer meetings, Ardyn's swimming lessons, and packing for the Chicago Green Expo with Ardyn and Angela. And hopefully cleaning the house, working in the yard, mailing a few packages, finishing Dotty Owl for Ardyn, and gathering estimates to fence in the front yard very shortly. I also need to get 27 dresses watched so I can return it to my sister, and hopefully also trim Hadley's nails.
One pair of Ardyn's custom shorties (wool) arrived today. They are adorable, but they look small. I measured her and I HOPE they fit perfectly. They are SUPER stretchy. I hope that they work out for us and need to try them on tomorrow before she starts knitting the second pair. The pair I received are purples and greens and have adorable ruffled bottoms. The next pair will be pink/orange/yellows.
So there you have it. I am sure there is tons more, but we have been busy around here and I forget what we did yesterday sometimes. Good thing I am taking lots of pictures! Sunday morning we woke up and noticed that the stop sign in front of our house was snapped off from the wind we were having. It is crazy! Today I called the county highway department to report it. Evan dug a hole and propped it up temporarily after he saw two people blow it today and almost get into an accident. I also met with a guy who measured for our first fencing estimate. AND we mowed, trimmed some things in the flower bed, swept off the sidewalks, etc.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Singing in the Rain.... and in the Pool!
Well, things are going well. My stomach has been a little icky the past two nights, but I am about 99% sure it's because I have been eating nothing but CRAP for like 5 days straight. Ugh. Tomorrow. Salad. I swear.
Tonight was Ardyn's first swimming lesson and she "dove" right in. She started moving her arms and legs and kicking as soon as she got into the water. She LOVES the water, and everyone (even people I didn't know, and moms in the locker room) were stopping me to comment on how she's "a natural" and how she's "so cute." We had a great time. Evan got into the water this time and I played paparazzi. Next time we will switch. The one thing I can say is that the Metro Center swimming teachers were WONDERFUL and nice. But it was hotter than hell in that pool area. I was freaking dying. Literally sweating in a skirt and t-shirt. My forehead was beaded with sweat and I was not the only parent complaining of the heat. It was unbearable and in fact before we left I was nauseous from just the heat. It was crazy how hot it was in there. It is also difficult because I feel a bit like the pack mule. I had two bags, one with towels, suits, and a spare diaper, and another with my purse, Ardyn's coat and hat, our camera, etc. Plus carrying Ardyn. Evan helped when he could, but going in and out of the locker room and to the pool and back with her, I was like JEEZ! I bought was I THOUGHT was a huge Mesh bag, but I think I need something bigger, or about 5 more arms. Or a rolling cart. LOL.
Rotovirus is going around daycare now. Great. The toddler/2's room has had sickness abounding, but there is also one student from Ardyn's classroom that is hospitalized right now. I can't wait to get out of the daycare "germ" situation. We have been sicker this year than we have ever been in our lives. It's insane. I know it will start once she goes to school, but I would like a few years to ease into that. We are practicing obsessive handwashing, especially when walking out of the daycare facility and when changing diapers and such at home. I have always been pretty good, but now I am downright obsessive.
Rain is on it's way. It rained yesterday quite a bit, but tomorrow is supposed to be icky rain, thunderstorms, etc. Just check out the radar. You know I am in Illinois, so just see what's ahead for us tomorrow. I got to wear my galoshes this week already, and you can count on me wearing them again. Yesterday when leaving work I saw this umbrella in the parking lot next to my car. It cracked me up. I had to take a picture. Apparently it was abandoned when it turned inside out.
I sold all of the small diapers this week, so I was able to use that paypal to grab the inserts for the Motherease Diapers and a Little Tikes Peek-A-Boo Tunnel that is for toddlers to crawl through. I thought Ardyn might enjoy it this summer and it's s
mall and sturdy enough to use indoors or out. I have been looking for one for a while, but they don't sell it anymore, and I couldn't find one locally, so I grabbed one on eBay. I am next in the market for the Little Tikes Activity Garden, another thing that they don't make anymore and is WAY overpriced on eBay. I found one locally but the lady is smoking crack and wants $150 for it, plus I would have to drive 40 minutes to pick it up (locally is a relative term here.) I can get one shipped to me from eBay cheaper than that, which is saying something considering shipping is about $35-40.
Target has free shipping on baby gear right now, so I am thinking that with my next paycheck I will buy our second convertible car seat. I am rapidly getting my list taken care of. Just don't ask me to buy anything that I don't have on my radar right now.
I hate the internet at home. I am trying to upload a few photos to Flickr of the swimming tonight, and I get one photo uploaded (this is on high speed) and the connection drops and I have to start the process all over. What should take a total of less than 5-10 minutes has been taking me HOURS and it frustrates me GREATLY. I need to go to bed and just forget the pictures. So maybe you will get some later in the week, but not tonight! Sorry!
Tonight was Ardyn's first swimming lesson and she "dove" right in. She started moving her arms and legs and kicking as soon as she got into the water. She LOVES the water, and everyone (even people I didn't know, and moms in the locker room) were stopping me to comment on how she's "a natural" and how she's "so cute." We had a great time. Evan got into the water this time and I played paparazzi. Next time we will switch. The one thing I can say is that the Metro Center swimming teachers were WONDERFUL and nice. But it was hotter than hell in that pool area. I was freaking dying. Literally sweating in a skirt and t-shirt. My forehead was beaded with sweat and I was not the only parent complaining of the heat. It was unbearable and in fact before we left I was nauseous from just the heat. It was crazy how hot it was in there. It is also difficult because I feel a bit like the pack mule. I had two bags, one with towels, suits, and a spare diaper, and another with my purse, Ardyn's coat and hat, our camera, etc. Plus carrying Ardyn. Evan helped when he could, but going in and out of the locker room and to the pool and back with her, I was like JEEZ! I bought was I THOUGHT was a huge Mesh bag, but I think I need something bigger, or about 5 more arms. Or a rolling cart. LOL.
Rotovirus is going around daycare now. Great. The toddler/2's room has had sickness abounding, but there is also one student from Ardyn's classroom that is hospitalized right now. I can't wait to get out of the daycare "germ" situation. We have been sicker this year than we have ever been in our lives. It's insane. I know it will start once she goes to school, but I would like a few years to ease into that. We are practicing obsessive handwashing, especially when walking out of the daycare facility and when changing diapers and such at home. I have always been pretty good, but now I am downright obsessive.
Rain is on it's way. It rained yesterday quite a bit, but tomorrow is supposed to be icky rain, thunderstorms, etc. Just check out the radar. You know I am in Illinois, so just see what's ahead for us tomorrow. I got to wear my galoshes this week already, and you can count on me wearing them again. Yesterday when leaving work I saw this umbrella in the parking lot next to my car. It cracked me up. I had to take a picture. Apparently it was abandoned when it turned inside out.I sold all of the small diapers this week, so I was able to use that paypal to grab the inserts for the Motherease Diapers and a Little Tikes Peek-A-Boo Tunnel that is for toddlers to crawl through. I thought Ardyn might enjoy it this summer and it's s
mall and sturdy enough to use indoors or out. I have been looking for one for a while, but they don't sell it anymore, and I couldn't find one locally, so I grabbed one on eBay. I am next in the market for the Little Tikes Activity Garden, another thing that they don't make anymore and is WAY overpriced on eBay. I found one locally but the lady is smoking crack and wants $150 for it, plus I would have to drive 40 minutes to pick it up (locally is a relative term here.) I can get one shipped to me from eBay cheaper than that, which is saying something considering shipping is about $35-40.Target has free shipping on baby gear right now, so I am thinking that with my next paycheck I will buy our second convertible car seat. I am rapidly getting my list taken care of. Just don't ask me to buy anything that I don't have on my radar right now.
I hate the internet at home. I am trying to upload a few photos to Flickr of the swimming tonight, and I get one photo uploaded (this is on high speed) and the connection drops and I have to start the process all over. What should take a total of less than 5-10 minutes has been taking me HOURS and it frustrates me GREATLY. I need to go to bed and just forget the pictures. So maybe you will get some later in the week, but not tonight! Sorry!
Monday, April 07, 2008
It's a Beautiful Day To Quit Your Job....
Well, it's official! Last Friday I gave my notice at work, and as of May 1st, I will "officially" be a stay-at-home Mom! YAY! I will probably be doing a bit of web design on the side, but my primary goals will be to spend time with Ardyn, keep my house in order, get the laundry done, and keep up with the dishes! I also hope to get in more crafts and gardening, as well as some time outdoors for daily walks and some swimming too! I can not wait! I will miss my job but it was becoming too much to do everything and I just wasn't happy being away from Ardyn all day and not accomplishing anything. I know that moms everywhere work, but I have to say that it's impossible for me to work, take care of Ardyn to the standards that I expect from myself, and also accomplish anything for myself or my family. I can't wait. Let the countdown begin. To celebrate I got my first massage since back when I was pregnant, and probably the last one I will have until someone buys me a gift certificate (Mother's Day?) It was FABULOUS. A full hour long, and boy it's amazing how you can almost forget how refreshing you feel after a good massage. This time Tina used essential oils in my massage and it was just wonderful.
So the weekend was great. Saturday the boys were burning the prairie and wildflower plots, and Ardyn and I went to meet some of Evan's family who were in town visiting. Then we went out to see the boys and visited at Grandma and Grandpas with more family. We had supper there and on the way home, Ardyn and I hit a skunk (eeww!) and Evan took my car up to wash it before we put it in the garage. It was pretty stinky. Sunday I washed two loads of diapers, and happily hung them out on the line. I have TONS of pictures on Flickr of pretty and colorful diapers drying in the sun. The sky was so blue with puffy white clouds. If the grass had been green and there were leaves on the trees, you wouldn't have even known that we just had a hellish winter that lasted forever. The diapers are just so fresh and clean when they come in from the line!
I got some inspiration to make a clothespin bag, since mine is worn to hell, and I did the applique of a clothespin on the front, which still needs his "face" embroidered (see photos of the clothespin bag on flickr.) I will share photos of the finished product once I add one more snap to the center and embroider his face... It was super cute and slick... the Serger just makes sewing so much fun! I moved between the table to cut my fabric, the serger, and the sewing machine late last night, and finally FORCED myself to go to sleep about 1am. I actually woke Ardyn up and changed her diaper (we are fighting a bit of daycare diaper rash) and then nursed her and let her sleep next to me, because she sleeps longer and better there, and I wanted to get as much sleep as possible since I had been up late cleaning and sewing and had to work on Monday.
I am feeling really good about how well I am staying on top of things. I spend pretty much every night after Ardyn goes to bed, picking up, doing laundry, and dishes. One night last week I did just do one load of laundry and wash just one sink of dishes, and then watch the two episodes of CSI Miami with Evan. It was nice to relax. I look forward to the time when I can spend more time relaxing and enjoying my family on weeknights and weekends, instead of trying to cram in all the "housework" into that time instead. I also look forward to writing more in Ardyn's baby book, and starting her scrapbook, which I am ashamed to say I haven't even begun yet.Ardyn is moving into Size Medium Diapers now, and so I am about halfway through selling the smalls in lots. If they were diapers that I bought used, or that aren't my very favorites, I am selling them, because I don't know how well the elastic will hold up in storage, especially if the person before me used a harsh detergent or dried them in the drier. My favorite pocket diapers, and Especially the Thirsties AIO Pockets, I will keep for the next baby. But the rest I will get rid of and purchase more of what I really like. Today I sent her with Medium Thirsties AIO Pockets to daycare, and if I sell the 9 Drybees and 6 Snap-ez pockets that she is growing out of, I will then buy 6 more Thirsties AIO Pockets in Medium for daycare and convenience sakes this summer and fall. We are using lots of wool over prefolds and fitteds while at home, but I like to have Thirsties on hand to wear under clothes because they are so trim and comfy.
I have slid into my mom wardrobe. I have my two pair of khaki pants, and a pair of white pants that become capris, and three pair of shorts, and two pair of knit capris, and a pair of black gauchos. Pair those with any of my Nine v-neck shirts in a rainbow of colors, and you will see how easy it is to be me. LOL. I have discovered that the Unshrinkable T-Shirt by LLBean is freaking awesome, not only because it doesn't shrink, but because it has this water-repellent thing on it. When I get milk or water or anything on me, I can pretty much brush it off and I don't get stained. Last week I opened a container of sweet potatoes only to have them splash all over my shirt that I JUST put on, and they came right off without even really "touching" the fabric. It was awesome how repellent they are. I will definitely recommend them to other moms! I can't wait till I don't have to work, because then I can also slip into my rainbow of flip flops and sandals. Until then I am pretty much sticking to tennis shoes and slip on shoes, or my black rocket dogs.
Ardyn wore an outfit (That Aunt Liz bought her!) with Capri pants and her sandals to daycare today, she was so excited about it! It was like she couldn't get over the fact that even though she had her shoes on, she could SEE her TOES! She was thrilled. She was being a real ham this morning. She has kinda started to have the "stranger" fear. She knows who I am and wants to be with me. She is sometimes crying when I leave the room, and when we visit relatives and they hold her, she is starting to cry and crane her head around and reach for me. I can see the panic look on her face and I try to reassure her that they are safe and that I am not going anywhere. I think my mom and Evan's parents are the only people she hasn't been afraid of. Perhaps Evan's brother and my sister. She cried at Grandpa Dave at Easter, I think he scared her when she first saw him, and then she warmed right up and played with him all day.... but she was scared of Evan's uncle Dennis at first, and also of Grandma Mona and Grandpa Bob Sr. We just need to spend more time with everyone so that she is more comfortable with them.Swimming lessons start this week. I can't remember if I already blogged about buying a new swimsuit? I don't think I did. Well, I debated for a long time. I have several suits. Two tankins. One missing the bottom and one missing the top? And the two suits that I wore before I got pregnant, are nowhere to be found (Another reason to stay home.... so I can clean out my closet and get a hold on all these different sizes of clothes!) and now that I have lost 46 pounds, and gone up a cup size from nursing, I decided it's okay to buy a new suit. Especially when I will need to nurse at the pool all summer. I heave heard lots of people say "just pull your suit down" and I want to say "yeah, that's discreet. Just pull down your suit." Obviously none of these people have hauled around a DD cup full of milk. Or nursed the evil genius who loves to "pop off and smile" at people. And honestly, it isn't ME I am worried about. It's other people. They tend to get all itchy and squirmy around boobs. Nursing boobs that is. I should clarify. Because flashing Mardi Gras boobs and classic art boobs and porno boobs and playboy boobs and topless dancer boobs show up and it's all "Whoo-Hoo! Random Shot of Boobs!" But I guess when the boobs are for nursing, it's all about scary. This world is pretty fucked up, isn't it!? So for everyone else's sake, I dropped $70 on a new two piece halter tankini, double layered for nursing, with a matching swim skirt. It's the most expensive swimsuit I have ever bought, considering that I bought my maternity suit on eBay (used) and every other suit pretty much came from Wal-Mart, with the exception of one that my mom bought my from JCPenney before I left home about 10 years ago. I bought it in Basic black, so that it stays in style, stays slimming, and can be worn hopefully through several years and through nursing several children. I did it all for you. Your welcome. The suit arrived from Motherwear today and I haven't had a chance to try it on yet, but I will. And I also got a second travel wet bag (identical to the one I use for dirty diapers but in a different pattern) so that we can put our wet suits and such in it for swim lessons, and for summer at the pool. It will also be nice to just have another wet bag in general, so that if there is one in the wash we have a spare.
I have four more things on my list that I need to get purchased before I cease to have any income. The first is six more Thirsties Diapers. The second is 13 Snap In Bamboo Inserts for the Motherease One Size Diapers that we already have. The Third is another Convertible Car Seat to use in Evan's vehicle. The Fourth is a set of Crib Rail Teethers to put on the crib in Ardyn's room. I would also be thrilled if I could get myself a new pair of New Balance Tennis Shoes, since I bought mine back when I got pregnant, and have been wearing them for over a year now. I would LOVE a new pair but this is not a necessity so much as a wish. And I would also love some new mascara as mine is getting crunchy... and some foundation as I am almost out of the Bare Minerals. I ran out of the color I wear a while ago, but had two containers of a color that didn't work, but I mixed it with some warmth to make it get me by, and now that is almost gone.
I will be switching to Wal-Mart purchased shampoo and conditioner instead of Biolage, and also dyeing my own hair now, to save money. That's cool with me. I will miss my complicated highlights that get me so many compliments, but not as much as I would miss my daughter if I had to work to support my beauty regime.
Oh and Comcast. Saturday morning when I got out of the shower my cable had been "Disconnected for non-payment" because I refuse to pay them for service I am not GETTING and because I have tried to explain to them a bazillion times that I am not paying and that they need to credit my account. So I called Comcast and within 10 minutes had $90 credited to my account for the months of February and March's internet service. And my cable and internet (or what there IS of internet service) reinstated while still on the phone with them. This morning Judy form Corporate called to check in, which was very nice and probably the best customer service I have gotten from Comcast so far. Everything I have heard, both from Technicians and from Customers and through the grapevine, indicates that they should have a handle on the "bigger issue" in our area in 1-2 weeks. Judy told me if it isn't fixed in two weeks to call her back and a supervisor would be sent to my area. I am pleased with the credits to my account. It's about time!
Well, I have exhausted my brainpower for now. Have a great day!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Update on Problems with Comcast, and other things this week.
Made it through another week! The countdown to May 1st Continues. Today I had the pleasure of trying to pay more bills than I have money for, thanks to the past two paychecks of mine being even SHORTER due to Ardyn being sick and us being out a total of 5 whole days and 2 half days from daycare/work, which can take a big chunk out of your income! It wouldn't be a big deal, but I am still trying to pay off the hospital bill, and the $400 a month power bill is still going strong, although I think that was probably our last month. Plus my husband thinks that it's better to pay $10 per garbage can (the penalty for putting out an extra can without a trash sticker) instead of dragging his butt to Casey's to buy $5 of stickers. Ugh. Add in the cost of daycare, a cell phone bill, and a cable bill where we are paying for service that we don't even HAVE.... and it makes for a cranky checkbook.This week we have had two morning visits from Comcast technicians, both of them resulting in the exact same response, which consists of "There is nothing wrong with your equiptment or the lines to your home" and "The problem is purely Comcast's and they need to take responsibility for it." Then I get to hear about how the repair guys spend all day going to people's houses in this area, when they can do nothing to fix the problem, because the problem is really due to the re-routing of Cable lines so that we are at the end of the chain and all experiencing packet loss. After starting to investigate the problems, I have also learned that an accounting firm in the Peru area has hired lawyers and filed a lawsuit against Comcast for the problems with their internet service, which occurred unexpectedly and without warning, right in the middle of tax season. They are holding Comcast responsible for any and all filing difficulties they have had for their customers.
I have been in contact with Comcast Corporate. I understand that the problems are being worked on, but Comcast has still refused to take responsibility for the issues, and refund or credit customers for service that they are not receiving. My policy has been to refuse to pay my bill until I get a resolution. Their policy has so far been to deny or put off the issue, and to tell me that even though I have been missing service since the beginning of February at $44.95 a month, and now the cable has been glitching for two weeks, they can credit me for $15. Um. No. So I am about at the end of my rope with their inexcusable decision to charge people money that they don't deserve to be paid. I guess if I don't get any satisfaction from Comcast corporate, there is always the better business bureau. If I don't hear back from Corporate with a resolution and a credit on my account, that will be my next step. I have begun to gather names of others in my area who are also having this issue. Basically it is an extreme "packet loss" that gives you connectivity problems abounding.
I will be working in the next couple of months on some new presentations for the Computer User Group. I will be doing (FINALLY!) My Life Doc Presentation, showing the Life Doc Binders and what they can do for you. I will hopefully be also doing a presentation on the Wii, where we will put the Wii games up on the wall with the proxima and show how it works and how great it is to use. This was Dorene's fabulous Idea.
So what else has happened this week? I got all of Ardyn's 6-12 month clothes out and washed, and packed away some 3-6 month clothes that were too small. Ardyn has eaten lots of fun things like Apple slices, Zucchini slices, bananas, and sweet potato puffs. She is doing great with her "chewing" and learning to keep pieces of food to the front of her mouth while she chews. One bottom tooth is barely poking through and the other is right behind it... and I can tell that we will be moving to the Stage 2 foods soon. We probably could be already, but she does still have a few packs of stage 1 left that we would like to get through first. She also has suddenly started eating peas without complaining, and had a whole pack last night followed by an entire pack of bananas. She's a good eater.
We got an interlocking foam puzzle mat that we love. I put part of it in the living room so she can sit up on the hardwood floor without falling over and bumping her head. I plan on putting the other half in the basement sewing room so that I can sew during the day while she plays... and maybe eventually start working on the dollhouse! The best part of the foam mat is that it isn't one of those ABC mats, so the foam tiles are solid, which eliminates the choking hazard that the small pieces in the other mats have. It's so soft and cushy, she loves it.
Yesterday Ardyn turned SEVEN MONTHS OLD! Whoo! Amazing. We took pictures, and I started a new photo album on Flickr as I do each month. I can't believe how big she is! Man. She got a new pair of wool longies in the mail yesterday, to match her Cloth Diaper T-shirt in black- so she wore that last night and it looks awesome. When she wears black she is just so stinking cute. Evan always comments on how she looks like her mom in black because I love to wear black.
I am sad today because Ava has been sick and spent the night in the ER, and has been throwing up since yesterday morning and dehydrated. I hope she feels better soon. Anya said she was throwing up even when just given a tablespoon of water. Ugh. And a friend online whose son is Ardyn's age had to take him to the hospital because she found a lump, and then he stopped eating or drinking for 6 hours and they discovered that he need surgery for what (as of now) they believe is a hernia. That makes me so sad, and it makes me want to take Ardyn to our house and board her up inside, although I know that's just crazy talk. It's a horrible feeling to have a sick child and not be able to "fix everything" as a mom.
Well, this weekend is going to be BEAUTIFUL outside and I am hoping that I can get Evan to hang Ardyn's new swing so we can be outdoors a bit in the fresh air. We have no plans and I can't wait for that. I hope it can stay that way. The sun has surfaced and I am so happy! This should be a fabulous spring and summer!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
More Problems with Comcast
Ahhh.... I've missed you all. I have been a busy bee! Ardyn decided that she wanted to do some more teething, and we have a sharp little bottom tooth pressing against her gums and just waiting to break through. Her fevers continue with teething, and we missed out on work/daycare this past Monday due to extreme irritability and a 101.9 temperature.The weekend was nice, I did some serious dyeing. I got five colors done, which leaves me just green, yellow, and red diapers to dye. Here are the pictures we took while dyeing- Ardyn was my lovely assistant. Inspecting the final product, adjusting the washing machine to the precise settings necessary. We had fun.
Easter was good, we went to my parents and had a late lunch, and opened easter baskets and gifts. We took over 200 pictures of Ardyn, and there are some really cute ones, but I haven't gotten them uploaded yet, so stay tuned for those. I also got the house pretty clean, and that was a plus.
This week has been pretty fabulous. I reorganized the Changing Table and the dresser drawers in Ardyn's room and re-arranged a bit for easier access to things while at the changing table. I found some baskets that fit PERFECTLY into the drawers of the changing table and cause massive orgasmic organization of diapers and pajamas. It's a wonderful life.
Last night we had a delicious supper courtesy of my husband who grilled burgers outside, and Ardyn had a mini-banana and a piece of cantaloupe before she moved onto her regular sweet potatoes. She thought it was awesome to slime and grab onto food, but they got pretty slippery pretty fast, and she was unable to hold onto the pieces much more.
I have an "eBay box" that I keep at home where I throw in stuff that I want to sell, and last night I took some pictures of stuff and put them online and added them to my FSOT (For sale or trade) listing at Diaperswappers, which means that I may be able to swap things that I have for things that someone else has and I want.... pretty cool. I have some pretty good stuff to get rid of...
We also took Ardyn to see the Easter bunny last week, and I have photos of her with the bunny in her easter dress, but I need to scan them in so I can post also.
I haven't been online at home much because Comcast STILL SUCKS and we have very intermittent and sometimes non-existent internet connectivity. Out VOIP Service won't even work- the phone cuts out for 2 minutes at a time throughout your entire phone call, sometimes as soon as the other party answers, and sometimes the calls don't reach us because we have no connectivity. We are also starting to see glitches in our cable TV as well, and I spent another irate Hour on the phone with them last night. I was telling them that I wanted a credit on my account for the TWO MONTHS of internet service that we haven't had working and they told me that they would credit me $15- when the internet costs $44.95 a month. I ended up finally getting transferred to someone who told me that Comcast corporate won't allow them to credit anyone more than $15.... and that they don't give their employees access to contact corporate. They also told me that I "didn't call to complain enough in the month of March so they can only credit me for the month of February" and that even then, corporate would probably not approve the credit so I may never see it on my bill. I have to tell you that I pretty much flipped my lid at that guy. I explained that customer service is not about the customer calling and harassing you until you fix something, and that with a full time job and a 6 month old who is teething, I don't have an hour a night to spend on the phone with them "through the month of March" so that they know I STILL have a problem. I told them that they have a ticket open for me and that as their customer, it is THEIR responsibility to assure that I have service and to fix the issue once I have reported it. I am so frustrated with them right now that I can't even see straight. I am to the point or wanting to get some big petition started by everyone in the area who has had problems. I want a lawyer for the little people. I want to march out front of Comcast's corporate office. What's a consumer to do?
Let's see, what else is new? Well, you know how some people say, during their workday, "is it 5pm yet?" Well, from this point forward, you will find me saying "Is it May 1st yet?" Nuff said. Read into it what you will. Stay tuned.
This weekend should be fun. Saturday night we have Ava's 2nd Birthday party, and afterwards Evan is playing with the band so I may go listen to them play. Besides that it should be an around home kinda weekend. I hope. Quiet and productive. Maybe I can even get the red green and yellow diapers dyed. I also plan on doing some tie-dyeing.... so we will see what I can come up with there. Can't think of anything else exciting to say for the moment. So thanks for visiting. More later.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Goodmama is here! Let there be Wool!
Well, the Goodmama Organic Bamboo Velour Diaper came. And it is the softest, most luxurious diaper I have ever ever ever touched or laid eyes on in my entire life. And I want millions of them. We want to roll around on the floor naked in a pile of goodmamas. If Suzanne had stocked wish boxes, I would have gone right out and bought a dozen of them. But she isn't stocking wish boxes. SO Instead I just put it on Ardyn. It is so soft and stretchy. It fits fabulously. It's like the Lexus of diapers. Maybe it's like the BMW of diapers. It's just fabulous. The hype is real. And Ardyn loved it so much that she pooped in it. Right away. And she smiled at me. And it washed up
beautifully.Since I can't just go get my hands on a dozen goodmamas, I decided to go online and research other one size fitteds. I discovered that a friend who had recommended Motherease diapers several months ago was right on the money. And I also discovered that Loveybums are revered as being VERY similar to Goodmamas.... except that they aren't one size diapers. And they do cost $26-28 a piece, while Motherease One Size dipes cost less than $15 a piece, which makes them less than half the price of a goodmama. But they aren't pretty colored. So I ordered 13 Organic Bamboo Motherease One Size Diapers and then 7 colors of Procion Dyes from the Dharma Company. I will dye the diapers. I will make them beautiful. I will also dye my prefolds and matching t-shirts perhaps.
In the midst of the teething frenzy, we tried wool. And. Addiction happened. Good-Bye Pockets! Wool hath won our hearts. We wore two soakers and the loveybums cover. The Loveybums cover is SO Stretchy and nice. The wool interlock is nice and heavy. The Curly Purly Soaker is so cute, and the daisy Kozy Soaker is fabulous. We found a mamma who had three more pieces of wool for sale in Ardyn's size, so she has a pair of pink and blue s
horties, a pair of purple longies with a lovely flower on the bum, and a pair of watermelon pink and green capris all coming, with matching t-shirts. And also two more used loveybums covers in lavender and mint. Let there be Wool!
I also tried a thirsties fitted. It was very nice, and super trim, but it almost seems silly because I should really buy one size fitteds so they last her for the rest of her diapering career. And also because the thirsties were soaked through very thoroughly in a shorter amount of time, whereas the goodmamas (which have a snap in soaker) were practically able to go coverless because they are so thick with softy goodness. We will try the motherease.
Ardyn is really sitting up well on her own now. She takes a topple now and then, so with the hardwood floors I put floor pillows on side and back of her, so she won't konk her head. Although when she does and has fallen, she doesn't ever cry, just looks at me like "Hmmm.... so that's how this all works!"
While she was teething and we were home with her feve
rs, I colored a bunch of stuff to put on the walls in her room for decor and entertainment. We did these things for above the changing table.... and these sesame street letters for by her crib.... She LOVES grabbing and staring at them. She loves Sesame Street, and pretty much everything on Sprout, especially Chica and also Fifi and the Flowertots. She also will stop whatever she is doing for the guy on the Oxyclean and Kaboom commercials, when he starts yelling out how great Oxyclean is. It cracks us up.Last night I pulled out my diaper patterns and started making some recycled fitted diapers. The pattern shown above is called "poo-pockets" by new conceptions.... and has leg gussets- which are my favorites. I saved a pair of pajamas of mine that had a flaw that made them unwearable.... but I didn't want to toss them, so I am making a couple of fitteds out of them. I also grabbed an old Ozzfest 98 Tie Dye t-shirt and got four diapers cut from it. I needed to order inner fabric (Microfleece and Such) and Elastic, so I ordered them through Very Baby last night. Once they get here I can start assembling the pieces of the diapers and serging them. And then I can use my snap press to set the snaps. I can't wait! That reminds me, I need to get new sewing machine needles. I keep forgetting to go down to the sewing room and write down the number of the needles I need.
Evan's parents came over to visit for a while last night. I pretty much did laundry and ran the dishwasher, and Evan and I put clean sheets on the bed and a clean comforter. I realized last night that besides a trip to the post office on Saturday to get the mail, and our walk on Friday, I hadn't been out of the house since Thursday. This week we are taking Ardyn to see the easter bunny at the mall, and also out for supper with Evan's parents another night.... so there is plenty going on. Everyone have a nice week!
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