Just a quick note to say I won't be around much, if at all, for a couple of weeks. We are leaving today to go to Kalahari Resort/Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio. David's boss recommended it - he said they have a very large area that is great for toddlers, with depths from 6-12 inches and a lot of small waterslides. They also have some infant jumpers in the water, so we think Scarlett will enjoy those.
After the waterpark visit, we will be going to visit my family, with a pit stop along the way to visit some of David's family. David will be leaving me & the kids at my parents' house and driving back on his own. My parents bought us a new dining room table & chairs so he is hauling that back. My mom is on spring break next week so we will enjoy a nice visit. We actually won't come home until April 2...any idea how hard it is to pack for 3 people & 3 different climates?!?! I am flying home with the kiddos - I haven't flown alone with them since October, and Scarlett is so much more mobile now, and louder too. I think I worry less about her wanting to get down & squirm than I do her squeals disturbing the plane full of people! Oh, and this time we have a layover too. We will stop in Atlanta for about 2 hours, right at lunchtime. I think this gives us just enough time to change diapers, grab lunch, and get to our flight. Maybe we'll have a little time for Matthew to run around!
I haven't figured out how I'm going to nurse Scarlett on this trip. She has started being quite the acrobat when she nurses. Frequently she squirms around, while attached to the boob, to a point where she is almost opposite of how she started. She also LOVES to STAND in my lap, kind of in a downward dog yoga pose. I wouldn't think it is easy to eat this way, but she seems to do just fine! So the times I have no choice but to nurse in public should be interesting!
Matthew is showing a LOT of interest in the potty! WOOHOO! Note I haven't really been encouraging much potty use, if I see him stop what he's doing & start grunting I will ask if he needs to potty, and we will sit him on it if he asks, and almost always put him on it before his bath. Well, Saturday morning as we ate breakfast he asked to potty. I had Scarlett in the highchair where she was screeching for her next bite, so I grabbed the potty chair & brought it in the dining room. (Yeah, I agree, it's gross to poop where you eat, but our dining room is big enough he wasn't right at the table!) Anyway, he peed and even pooped just a little! It was by no means a regular poop, but I was SO SO SO EXCITED that he did it just a little! It's a huge leap from where he's been!
He has asked to potty while at the dining room table for the past 3 nights, and he has peed in it each night. Of course, each night we have to take the potty chair in the dining room - he seems to like sitting on it in there better than in the bathroom! I think when we get back from our trip it will be time for me to get serious about training!
This morning at breakfast Matthew was telling me something - I thought he was asking for ketchup. I told him it would be silly to eat ketchup with applesauce (he had eaten the rest of his breakfast already), but he kept repeating. I finally heard him hiccup and realized he was trying to tell me he had the hiccups! I wouldn't have thought in my wildest dreams that he knew the word "hiccup!"
Just another quick note - I am loving the cloth diapers! I am not quite loving them enough to take them on our trip, but just because I don't know what we would do about a diaper pail. I'm sure I could get suggestions from some of the cloth diapering groups I've seen, but I haven't really had time to check. Maybe for the next trip! I hope to be completely on cloth soon after we return.
Ok, that got long, just figured I would share the latest. Now I'm off to do another load of laundry, wash the dishes, and finish packing! Hope you all have a Happy Easter and a great couple of weeks!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Recipe Friday - Mom's Meatloaf
This is the best meatloaf I've ever tasted! Of course a lot of people think their mom's (or grandma's) cooking is the best, but in this case, I'm right! :) And it is great for freezing - lots of times when I make it I will make extra for the freezer.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon accent
1 tube crushed saltines
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Simmer tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Mix ground beef, onion, bell pepper, egg, salt, accent, crackers, and pepper. Pour about 3/4 of the sauce over the meat mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf and put in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce on top. Bake at 400* for 45 minutes.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon accent
1 tube crushed saltines
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Simmer tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Mix ground beef, onion, bell pepper, egg, salt, accent, crackers, and pepper. Pour about 3/4 of the sauce over the meat mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf and put in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce on top. Bake at 400* for 45 minutes.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Oh, and the orthotist
We did actually make it to the orthotist appointment on time, and Matthew got his new shoes. These shoes feel much softer than his old ones, but what I heard about how much lighter they are doesn't seem to be true. No biggie, Matthew was used to the weight of his others and these aren't much heavier. They tried the shoes & bar on him and he wanted to walk in them (usually when we go shoe shopping we want to see him walk in them) but the girl wouldn't let him try. Well, he did walk around a little in the shoes without the bar attached. The snap-on/off bar is the best thing about these shoes since they will make things much easier in the mornings. With his old shoes/bar we had to be particular about putting him in pajamas with snaps in the legs or it was very hard to change his diaper in the morning. We still used "pants" pjs, but if he happened to have a big poop, it was very hard to change him without taking his shoes off. And I like to leave them on until after breakfast, so it was aggravating.
They checked that everything was ok and made some adjustments, then wanted to take them off and he really wanted them on. I was ok with him wearing them home, but the girl there was pretty insistent. Fortunately he didn't have a fit (like he does with me!) when she took them off. Last night getting ready for bed he was excited to wear his new shoes. He told us he wanted to walk in them so we let him try. These are lower to the ground than his others, just the way the bar is, and he was able to walk across the room. He was proud of that accomplishment, and of course we were too!
This morning it just so happened he had wet so much it leaked out of his diaper, so I took his pj's off and decided to put some pants on him. I just snapped the bar off, pulled the pans on, and snapped it back on. He didn't want me to take the shoes off today either...he left them on for a couple of hours after breakfast and fussed when I took them off! Here's a pic I snapped this morning with his new shoes on:
They checked that everything was ok and made some adjustments, then wanted to take them off and he really wanted them on. I was ok with him wearing them home, but the girl there was pretty insistent. Fortunately he didn't have a fit (like he does with me!) when she took them off. Last night getting ready for bed he was excited to wear his new shoes. He told us he wanted to walk in them so we let him try. These are lower to the ground than his others, just the way the bar is, and he was able to walk across the room. He was proud of that accomplishment, and of course we were too!
This morning it just so happened he had wet so much it leaked out of his diaper, so I took his pj's off and decided to put some pants on him. I just snapped the bar off, pulled the pans on, and snapped it back on. He didn't want me to take the shoes off today either...he left them on for a couple of hours after breakfast and fussed when I took them off! Here's a pic I snapped this morning with his new shoes on:
Life With Boys?
The other night we were watching America's Funniest Videos and it seemed most everything with children involved little boys. I asked David "so is this what I have to look forward to with Matthew?" and he reminded me of a parachute incident that was my dad & uncle, when they were adults. That was enough said!
Well, yesterday I think we experienced the first of these "boy moments". We had an appointment with the orthotist to get Matthew's new shoes, so I was excited and looking forward to that. About 30 minutes before we needed to leave, I heard Matthew get up from his nap and start playing. He sounded pretty content to play in his room, and it is normal for him to play for a while before I go up to get him. Usually either I take Scarlett up and we all play, or he will call me and I know he is wanting to come downstairs. But yesterday after about 10 minutes of him playing, he suddenly let out this scream. It was a scream that I can't put into words - definitely not a cry or shout, it was a scream. I don't think I've ever been THAT scared. I also don't think I've ever run that fast in my life! I dashed upstairs, only to find him with his head stuck in the rocking chair. Yes, I said stuck! I thought if a rocking chair was a hazard it was because of the rockers, not because of the chair! But somehow Matthew had his head in the seat and his body behind in the chair. There is a gap between the chair seat & chair back, so I can understand that something could go through there, but I really was shocked that he was stuck.
I got him calmed down and asked him if he had been in the chair or behind it, and he told me he was sitting in it. I figured that meant I needed to pull him out from the front. But no way was he coming through! I pulled and he screamed, but he wasn't coming out. So I went to the back and tried to get his head through. I tugged and he screamed, but he wasn't coming out. I got him settled down and told him I HAD to come downstairs to get the phone so I could call his daddy. He seemed to understand, so I left him in the corner of his room, stuck in his rocking chair. Once I grabbed the phone, Scarlett, and my water bottle (thinking I could distract him or it might help him relax), he started screaming again. I got back upstairs and he had walked across the room with his head stuck in the chair! The chair was right in front of the gate. I stepped over the gate & put Scarlett down, calmed Matthew down a little, and called David. He told me he wasn't coming home before our appointment, but then I told him about our little situation. He was on a conference call but said he would be right home.
After I hung up with David, I decided to call my sister. I knew she would keep me calm while I waited on him. I sat with Matthew kind of half standing/half sitting in my lap and rubbed his back, alternating talking to him and my sister. She told me she knew right away something was wrong when she saw caller ID (I never call in the middle of the day) and she was freaking out because she knew she couldn't get here quickly. (She lives, oh, about 900 miles away!) Once she learned what was going on she just talked and was all around great. She did ask me if I had taken any pictures. Well I didn't because the camera was downstairs and I was way too worried about Matthew to grab the camera. She told me when David got home I needed to put Scarlett in the jumperoo so she would be safe, but out of the way. I told her Scarlett was playing with Matthew's toys, and Matthew asked for his toys. So I handed him some that were within my reach and he played with them in the seat of the chair while we waited. Occasionally he would say "Dada comin', get Matthew out" and I would tell him "yes, dada is on his way." Once David got on the road to home he called me back & I told him to grab the camera before he came upstairs. Yeah, someday Matthew might hate us for it - leaving him in distress so we could capture the moment.
David tried pulling on Matthew, this way & that way, this way & that...then he asked me to pick Matthew up by the feet and hold him level with the seat of the chair. He grabbed Matthew's arms as I grabbed his feet and pulled him out SO EASILY! I told him I had tried that, but he pointed out that with Matthew's feet on the ground, his body was angled in a way that it kept getting stuck. Picking his feet up changed the angle so he was able to slide right through. I sure hope Matthew has learned his lesson and won't try going through that opening again. (We aren't taking the chair out of his room now that we know how to get him out!)
Well, yesterday I think we experienced the first of these "boy moments". We had an appointment with the orthotist to get Matthew's new shoes, so I was excited and looking forward to that. About 30 minutes before we needed to leave, I heard Matthew get up from his nap and start playing. He sounded pretty content to play in his room, and it is normal for him to play for a while before I go up to get him. Usually either I take Scarlett up and we all play, or he will call me and I know he is wanting to come downstairs. But yesterday after about 10 minutes of him playing, he suddenly let out this scream. It was a scream that I can't put into words - definitely not a cry or shout, it was a scream. I don't think I've ever been THAT scared. I also don't think I've ever run that fast in my life! I dashed upstairs, only to find him with his head stuck in the rocking chair. Yes, I said stuck! I thought if a rocking chair was a hazard it was because of the rockers, not because of the chair! But somehow Matthew had his head in the seat and his body behind in the chair. There is a gap between the chair seat & chair back, so I can understand that something could go through there, but I really was shocked that he was stuck.
I got him calmed down and asked him if he had been in the chair or behind it, and he told me he was sitting in it. I figured that meant I needed to pull him out from the front. But no way was he coming through! I pulled and he screamed, but he wasn't coming out. So I went to the back and tried to get his head through. I tugged and he screamed, but he wasn't coming out. I got him settled down and told him I HAD to come downstairs to get the phone so I could call his daddy. He seemed to understand, so I left him in the corner of his room, stuck in his rocking chair. Once I grabbed the phone, Scarlett, and my water bottle (thinking I could distract him or it might help him relax), he started screaming again. I got back upstairs and he had walked across the room with his head stuck in the chair! The chair was right in front of the gate. I stepped over the gate & put Scarlett down, calmed Matthew down a little, and called David. He told me he wasn't coming home before our appointment, but then I told him about our little situation. He was on a conference call but said he would be right home.
After I hung up with David, I decided to call my sister. I knew she would keep me calm while I waited on him. I sat with Matthew kind of half standing/half sitting in my lap and rubbed his back, alternating talking to him and my sister. She told me she knew right away something was wrong when she saw caller ID (I never call in the middle of the day) and she was freaking out because she knew she couldn't get here quickly. (She lives, oh, about 900 miles away!) Once she learned what was going on she just talked and was all around great. She did ask me if I had taken any pictures. Well I didn't because the camera was downstairs and I was way too worried about Matthew to grab the camera. She told me when David got home I needed to put Scarlett in the jumperoo so she would be safe, but out of the way. I told her Scarlett was playing with Matthew's toys, and Matthew asked for his toys. So I handed him some that were within my reach and he played with them in the seat of the chair while we waited. Occasionally he would say "Dada comin', get Matthew out" and I would tell him "yes, dada is on his way." Once David got on the road to home he called me back & I told him to grab the camera before he came upstairs. Yeah, someday Matthew might hate us for it - leaving him in distress so we could capture the moment.
David tried pulling on Matthew, this way & that way, this way & that...then he asked me to pick Matthew up by the feet and hold him level with the seat of the chair. He grabbed Matthew's arms as I grabbed his feet and pulled him out SO EASILY! I told him I had tried that, but he pointed out that with Matthew's feet on the ground, his body was angled in a way that it kept getting stuck. Picking his feet up changed the angle so he was able to slide right through. I sure hope Matthew has learned his lesson and won't try going through that opening again. (We aren't taking the chair out of his room now that we know how to get him out!)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
WFMW: Cutting Brownies
If you know me at all, you know I LOVE brownies! Homemade brownies, of course. Ok well, semi-homemade. If you're like me, once you've got the ooey, gooey pan of brownies out of the oven, and you've let them cool just a little, you can hardly wait to dig in. But how do you cut them without tearing them into pieces? My secret...a plastic, yes plastic, knife! A little flimsy plastic knife works wonders for cutting a pan of brownies into nice, neat squares! The brownie doesn't stick to the knife, like it does most knives, and you get clean cuts!
So if you love brownies as much as I do, and you want to make good clean cuts in yours, use a plastic knife. Then, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesdays tips!
So if you love brownies as much as I do, and you want to make good clean cuts in yours, use a plastic knife. Then, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesdays tips!
Idol - Top 12
This was kind of a crazy week. Some of the top contenders had bad weeks. Poor little David Archuletta, forgetting the words...I have to say he had the worst night, but he's safe. He's not going anywhere. Beyond that, Michael Johns was (in our opinion) the worst performer last night. If we take previous weeks into account, Kristy Lee Cook (who sucked again last night) and Amanda Overmyer are low.
I think Kristy Lee Cook or Michael Johns will go home tonight.
I think Kristy Lee Cook or Michael Johns will go home tonight.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Love & Kisses
Baby kisses are the greatest. Scarlett has been giving kisses for a while, and they are the messiest, slobberiest kisses you could get. So sweet! Matthew has decided he's outgrown kisses though, he will gladly give her kisses, but usually resists giving them to me or David. He will wipe them off if we give them to him. Of course that just makes us tease him and kiss him again & again. Well David figured out that if we 'wipe off' Matthew's kiss, then Matthew will kiss us. Even if he hasn't kissed us once, if we wipe off a kiss, he kisses! He will kiss & we wipe, he kisses & we wipe, and it just keeps repeating. So sweet!
Matthew is also in this big "lub" phase. He "lubs" everything...he lubs his shoes, grapes, 'shish-ter', 'ooh-ooh,ah-ah' (Curious George), his toys (the specific one varies from one moment to the next), and so on. As he tells me he loves something, he will hold it up close to his cheek, kind of under his neck, and kind of hug it. Of course I have to admit I love it most when he says he loves me, David, or Scarlett. ::melt::
Matthew is also in this big "lub" phase. He "lubs" everything...he lubs his shoes, grapes, 'shish-ter', 'ooh-ooh,ah-ah' (Curious George), his toys (the specific one varies from one moment to the next), and so on. As he tells me he loves something, he will hold it up close to his cheek, kind of under his neck, and kind of hug it. Of course I have to admit I love it most when he says he loves me, David, or Scarlett. ::melt::
Day 3 in Cloth
A lot of you that I talk to away from the blog know that I decided to try cloth diapers. I'm the type that loves to do my research before jumping in, but I'm also frugal, especially now that I'm a stay at home mom. I found so many awesome looking cloth diapers - I tell ya, these aren't our parent's diapers! But with the awesomeness comes a high price tag...a higher price tag than I was willing to put out not knowing if these diapers would be all they were cracked up to be.
So I found a site that recommended using a more basic setup for 2 months. The mom pointed out that following her advice for 2 months you would spend about the same amount on cloth diapers that you would spend on 2 months' worth of disposables. OK - that speaks to me in dollars. I can commit to anything for 2 months. If it is truly awful, I'll do it for 2 months so I can tell hubby that we didn't "lose" money and then I'll switch back to disposables. However, I have a feeling that if I can do it for 2 months, I can do it for 2 years, ya know? I have just gotten really tired of seeing how many diapers we throw away every week. I don't mind other people using disposables, but I've started to feel major guilt over my use of them. I know, a lot of arguments are made that by the time you wash & dry the cloth diapers they are no better for the environment, but I plan to line dry mine (most of the time) and I have an HE machine, so really I won't be using THAT much water & power. But like I said, this is a choice that is to each her (his?) own. No pressure from me, but I'll speak openly & honestly about my experience with them.
So anyway, I got my package Friday and started the "preuse washing" that has to be done. I was a slacker and didn't finish it up until Saturday, and then we were out doing errands - I didn't want my first use to be while we were away from the house, or overnight, so I waited until Sunday to put the cloth diapers to use. Sunday went great - the pee diapers were super easy and the poop ones weren't too bad either. Unfortunately, Scarlett has been a little constipated though, so Monday I decided she would have prunes for breakfast. Well, prunes + cloth = one YUCKY combination! I'm sure the more experienced cloth diapering mommas wouldn't flinch, but come on - it's only my second day using them! She had 3 poopy diapers yesterday! One of them was a full out explosion that required a clothing change too. I'm confident though that if she had been wearing her regular disposables, the next one would have required a clothing change also. So I'm happy about that anyway! I was impressed with how well the diaper contained everything, really. I didn't invest in the $30 shower thingie that you can use to spray the poop off the diapers, because like I mentioned, I'm frugal and I'm only committing for 2 months. I WILL spend the money on it if I use them more than 2 months because washing that poop off, BLECH!
Because of the 3 poopy diapers and my small initial investment, I had to wash diapers yesterday. I had planned to do it today...but I ran out of covers so I had no choice. I also had to use a couple of disposables while I washed. Hey, give me a break, I'm learning!
Today we've used cloth and it's gone well. I decided to try them on Matthew too. I'm hoping that by being in cloth he'll be a little more inclined to potty train - right now he sometimes doesn't want to be changed, but I'm thinking since the cloth will feel worse to him, he'll probably want to be changed more often and I won't have to fight him during diaper changes. HA! He was REALLY proud of his new diapers today! So proud that even when he pooped, he didn't want me to change him! :( ARGH - this plan might be backfiring! Once he saw that I was going to put another cloth diaper & cover on him, he let me change him without a fight. So far it's going well with him too, so I'm pretty excited.
I know, it's a sad day when my excitement comes over cloth diapers, but I've wanted to use them since before Matthew was born, I just never made a strong enough argument to get David on board. Now that he's on board I'm ready to give it a good effort. Once our 2 months are up, I plan to order some of the fancy shmancy new fangled kind that are supposed to be a lot easier! (Right now I'm using Chinese Prefolds with covers that velcro on almost just like a disposable.)
Happy Diapering!
So I found a site that recommended using a more basic setup for 2 months. The mom pointed out that following her advice for 2 months you would spend about the same amount on cloth diapers that you would spend on 2 months' worth of disposables. OK - that speaks to me in dollars. I can commit to anything for 2 months. If it is truly awful, I'll do it for 2 months so I can tell hubby that we didn't "lose" money and then I'll switch back to disposables. However, I have a feeling that if I can do it for 2 months, I can do it for 2 years, ya know? I have just gotten really tired of seeing how many diapers we throw away every week. I don't mind other people using disposables, but I've started to feel major guilt over my use of them. I know, a lot of arguments are made that by the time you wash & dry the cloth diapers they are no better for the environment, but I plan to line dry mine (most of the time) and I have an HE machine, so really I won't be using THAT much water & power. But like I said, this is a choice that is to each her (his?) own. No pressure from me, but I'll speak openly & honestly about my experience with them.
So anyway, I got my package Friday and started the "preuse washing" that has to be done. I was a slacker and didn't finish it up until Saturday, and then we were out doing errands - I didn't want my first use to be while we were away from the house, or overnight, so I waited until Sunday to put the cloth diapers to use. Sunday went great - the pee diapers were super easy and the poop ones weren't too bad either. Unfortunately, Scarlett has been a little constipated though, so Monday I decided she would have prunes for breakfast. Well, prunes + cloth = one YUCKY combination! I'm sure the more experienced cloth diapering mommas wouldn't flinch, but come on - it's only my second day using them! She had 3 poopy diapers yesterday! One of them was a full out explosion that required a clothing change too. I'm confident though that if she had been wearing her regular disposables, the next one would have required a clothing change also. So I'm happy about that anyway! I was impressed with how well the diaper contained everything, really. I didn't invest in the $30 shower thingie that you can use to spray the poop off the diapers, because like I mentioned, I'm frugal and I'm only committing for 2 months. I WILL spend the money on it if I use them more than 2 months because washing that poop off, BLECH!
Because of the 3 poopy diapers and my small initial investment, I had to wash diapers yesterday. I had planned to do it today...but I ran out of covers so I had no choice. I also had to use a couple of disposables while I washed. Hey, give me a break, I'm learning!
Today we've used cloth and it's gone well. I decided to try them on Matthew too. I'm hoping that by being in cloth he'll be a little more inclined to potty train - right now he sometimes doesn't want to be changed, but I'm thinking since the cloth will feel worse to him, he'll probably want to be changed more often and I won't have to fight him during diaper changes. HA! He was REALLY proud of his new diapers today! So proud that even when he pooped, he didn't want me to change him! :( ARGH - this plan might be backfiring! Once he saw that I was going to put another cloth diaper & cover on him, he let me change him without a fight. So far it's going well with him too, so I'm pretty excited.
I know, it's a sad day when my excitement comes over cloth diapers, but I've wanted to use them since before Matthew was born, I just never made a strong enough argument to get David on board. Now that he's on board I'm ready to give it a good effort. Once our 2 months are up, I plan to order some of the fancy shmancy new fangled kind that are supposed to be a lot easier! (Right now I'm using Chinese Prefolds with covers that velcro on almost just like a disposable.)
Happy Diapering!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Idol - after the results
Wow - I was once again shocked by the results. I am so glad Danny was sent home...and actually not surprised that Luke was the other guy to go. I thought he was talented but I don't think he appealed to the people who vote.
I was really surprised by the girls though. Asiah Epperson was one of the most talented IMO. But ya know, I don't think she would have won, so it doesn't really matter! :)
I was really surprised by the girls though. Asiah Epperson was one of the most talented IMO. But ya know, I don't think she would have won, so it doesn't really matter! :)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Idol thoughts - week 3
This week our bottom 2 guys are Danny Noriega and Jason Castro. I don't believe for a second that Danny is going home, so our next least favorite is Chikezie. My top 2 didn't match David's top 2 this week (first time we've had 4 different singers in the top 2 between us!) but if you combine our numbers, David Hernandez and David Cook were our favorites.
Our bottom 2 girls are Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy. After that, based on only last night's performance, Brooke White, but she's been really good other weeks. Overall Amanda Overmyer is still one of our least favorite girls. Our top 3 girls (since we didn't agree on the top 2) were Syesha Mercado, Asiah Epperson, and Ramiele Malubay.
Obviously I have no clue who will go home, so far we've been wrong more than we've been right! I am surprised by the lack of consistency of many of the singers. Week 1 we really didn't like David Archuletta (I knew he was a favorite though so I didn't really think he would go home). Jason Castro was one of our top 2 and now I think he's going home. Week 1 Kristy Lee Cook was one of our bottom, last week she was one of our top...now she's back at the bottom. I guess I don't have much of a life, to enjoy speculating about this show, huh?
Our bottom 2 girls are Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy. After that, based on only last night's performance, Brooke White, but she's been really good other weeks. Overall Amanda Overmyer is still one of our least favorite girls. Our top 3 girls (since we didn't agree on the top 2) were Syesha Mercado, Asiah Epperson, and Ramiele Malubay.
Obviously I have no clue who will go home, so far we've been wrong more than we've been right! I am surprised by the lack of consistency of many of the singers. Week 1 we really didn't like David Archuletta (I knew he was a favorite though so I didn't really think he would go home). Jason Castro was one of our top 2 and now I think he's going home. Week 1 Kristy Lee Cook was one of our bottom, last week she was one of our top...now she's back at the bottom. I guess I don't have much of a life, to enjoy speculating about this show, huh?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
WFMW: Toddler lunches?
Today is backwards day at Works for Me Wednesday. So I ask you all, what are your ideas for (somewhat) healthy, easy to prepare toddler lunches? Matthew is not a picky eater, he likes most anything, but lately every day he wants a quesadilla for lunch. He also gets pb&j, fish sticks, grilled cheese sandwiches, and occasionally a lunchables.
Since it is usually time for Scarlett to nurse around the time I should prepare Matthew's lunch, I really need ideas that are quick (I am not one of those moms who can nurse & make lunch at the same time, I'm just not!) but I'd prefer things that are kind of good for him and if they're really inexpensive, well that's even better. What do you suggest? What do you feed your toddler for lunch?
To help other people with their questions, or to ask one of your own, head over to Rocks in My Dryer for the backwards edition of Works for Me Wednesday.
Since it is usually time for Scarlett to nurse around the time I should prepare Matthew's lunch, I really need ideas that are quick (I am not one of those moms who can nurse & make lunch at the same time, I'm just not!) but I'd prefer things that are kind of good for him and if they're really inexpensive, well that's even better. What do you suggest? What do you feed your toddler for lunch?
To help other people with their questions, or to ask one of your own, head over to Rocks in My Dryer for the backwards edition of Works for Me Wednesday.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A Glimpse in the Mirror
Yesterday ended up being one of the hard days. I could not get Scarlett to nap in the afternoon, and in turn I got frustrated because there is a small bit of time her nap overlaps Matthew's, and that's when I have a little time for me. Now that time is usually consumed by some kind of housework, but still, it's my time, ya know? So I was frustrated, I finally got Scarlett down, and just then I hear Matthew wake up. The afternoon goes on and eventually I go to the kitchen to cook supper. Matthew wanted to help, so I brought him in the kitchen with me. Our laundry room is off our kitchen and he started playing with dirty socks. I got onto him (after all, do you want someone playing with dirty socks & then cooking your supper?) and we washed his hands. I told him not to play with the socks & shoes and he seemed to understand. Of course, he's 2, so he may understand for a few minutes and then forget, I know that.
So we're off and on, working on supper, playing, and checking on Scarlett - she's playing in the family room. This whole time Matthew & Scarlett are both being kind of fussy. I think they are hungry and tired, but I'm trying to get it done...meanwhile I'm getting more and more frustrated. Then we go in the kitchen to fix our plates and Matthew grabs a pair of shoes & puts them ON my COUNTERTOP! I LOST it! (Those of you who don't know me won't realize I have a big problem with shoes...they touch bathroom floors for crying out loud! Have you ever thought about what all is on the bottom of your shoes?)
So yeah, that's when I lost it. First of all, I already told him not to play with the shoes. Second, he put them ON my counter! Where I have plates and food! So I grab him up & take him to the bathroom to wash hands, lecturing all the way. He starts crying, poor kid. That's when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I have to admit it stopped me in my tracks. I would be crying too, if I was in his shoes. It's hard to admit it, but sometimes I suck at being a parent. I'm usually pretty laid back, but there are times that I just go nuts at something that most people probably roll their eyes about. Why do I do this? I don't know...maybe everyone has their quirks that they lose it about? At least I caught that glimpse in the mirror. At that point I was able to take some deep breaths, wash Matthew's hands, and give him a big hug. Thank goodness kids are forgiving.
Writing this I realize it sounds like I was a complete monster, and I wasn't, it's actually hard to describe. I wasn't even angry, just very out of character. Like I didn't recognize myself. I wish I could explain it, but I can't - I just know I didn't like what/who I saw that I was, at that moment. I know that there will be moments like this, but I hope that catching that one in the mirror will help me step back and take the deep breath first next time, instead of losing it and letting Matthew see that side of me.
So we're off and on, working on supper, playing, and checking on Scarlett - she's playing in the family room. This whole time Matthew & Scarlett are both being kind of fussy. I think they are hungry and tired, but I'm trying to get it done...meanwhile I'm getting more and more frustrated. Then we go in the kitchen to fix our plates and Matthew grabs a pair of shoes & puts them ON my COUNTERTOP! I LOST it! (Those of you who don't know me won't realize I have a big problem with shoes...they touch bathroom floors for crying out loud! Have you ever thought about what all is on the bottom of your shoes?)
So yeah, that's when I lost it. First of all, I already told him not to play with the shoes. Second, he put them ON my counter! Where I have plates and food! So I grab him up & take him to the bathroom to wash hands, lecturing all the way. He starts crying, poor kid. That's when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I have to admit it stopped me in my tracks. I would be crying too, if I was in his shoes. It's hard to admit it, but sometimes I suck at being a parent. I'm usually pretty laid back, but there are times that I just go nuts at something that most people probably roll their eyes about. Why do I do this? I don't know...maybe everyone has their quirks that they lose it about? At least I caught that glimpse in the mirror. At that point I was able to take some deep breaths, wash Matthew's hands, and give him a big hug. Thank goodness kids are forgiving.
Writing this I realize it sounds like I was a complete monster, and I wasn't, it's actually hard to describe. I wasn't even angry, just very out of character. Like I didn't recognize myself. I wish I could explain it, but I can't - I just know I didn't like what/who I saw that I was, at that moment. I know that there will be moments like this, but I hope that catching that one in the mirror will help me step back and take the deep breath first next time, instead of losing it and letting Matthew see that side of me.
Monday, March 3, 2008
the weekend
This weekend we had a lot of snow hanging around from what fell earlier in the week. David noticed a lot of snowmen around the neighborhood so he figured this must be a better snow than what we've had before to build a snowman. If you've looked at our pictures you saw the first attempt at a snowman, Matthew & David had fun, but the snow was too powdery to stick together into a snowman.
Well Sunday was different - I tended to Scarlett while they went out and started the snowman. When I went outside about 10 minutes later, the snowman was built! I was amazed at how quickly they got it up. They were still working on finished touches, but it was there. Matthew was really cute, he hugged the snowman and said "I lub it."
David also got the sled out and pulled Matthew around the yard for a while. We have a couple of hilly spots that David was able to kind of sling Matthew onto and then Matthew went down the hill. He was laughing all the way, so even though it wasn't a big hill, he enjoyed it. One cute thing he did was start pulling the sled around and David got on it. He tried pulling his daddy around, but that just wasn't gonna happen!
I came back inside for a while and then noticed David walk by the kitchen window with the snow shovel. I wondered what in the world he could be doing in the back yard with the shovel, so I finished up the dishes and went back outside. He was shoveling snow onto the steps coming into the yard from the deck. He made a snow/ice slide for Matthew on one half of the steps, leaving the other half clear for Matthew to climb up. Matthew enjoyed his slide, but it scared me! David packed it around the edge and made it pretty wide, so I guess it was safe enough!
Scarlett is getting into everything. She has learned that if she shakes the tv tray tables that whatever is on top will shift and eventually be within her reach! I think I'm going to have to put them away. She's also enjoying her solids a lot more now. Yogurt still seems to be her favorite dish, but she also likes bananas and peaches a lot. She does not like oatmeal at all - she spits it out every time. I think it might be the texture though...we'll try again!
Well Sunday was different - I tended to Scarlett while they went out and started the snowman. When I went outside about 10 minutes later, the snowman was built! I was amazed at how quickly they got it up. They were still working on finished touches, but it was there. Matthew was really cute, he hugged the snowman and said "I lub it."
David also got the sled out and pulled Matthew around the yard for a while. We have a couple of hilly spots that David was able to kind of sling Matthew onto and then Matthew went down the hill. He was laughing all the way, so even though it wasn't a big hill, he enjoyed it. One cute thing he did was start pulling the sled around and David got on it. He tried pulling his daddy around, but that just wasn't gonna happen!
I came back inside for a while and then noticed David walk by the kitchen window with the snow shovel. I wondered what in the world he could be doing in the back yard with the shovel, so I finished up the dishes and went back outside. He was shoveling snow onto the steps coming into the yard from the deck. He made a snow/ice slide for Matthew on one half of the steps, leaving the other half clear for Matthew to climb up. Matthew enjoyed his slide, but it scared me! David packed it around the edge and made it pretty wide, so I guess it was safe enough!
Scarlett is getting into everything. She has learned that if she shakes the tv tray tables that whatever is on top will shift and eventually be within her reach! I think I'm going to have to put them away. She's also enjoying her solids a lot more now. Yogurt still seems to be her favorite dish, but she also likes bananas and peaches a lot. She does not like oatmeal at all - she spits it out every time. I think it might be the texture though...we'll try again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
