Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Oobi on DVD?
PLEASE someone tell me that Oobi exists on DVD. I can dvr it. I'm just not talented enough to record to a vhs.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
lack of udpates
Sorry.....it's been pretty crazy around here. Recently made the decision to drive home in a few weeks. I have a job where if you don't use your vacay, you lose it. But, being 18 week pg, I had to make a decision fast or I'd be taking a vacay in my apartment. So, against the better judgment of other people, we are driving the 1200 miles from Orlando to Detroit in a couple of weeks. Yep, at 20 weeks pg and with a potty-training 3yo, we're going to drive straight up I-75. Much better and more cost effective than shelling out $1000 tickets and luggage, plus trying to find transporation to and from the airport. Not to mention lugging Duck's car seat through the airport (we have a cool thing, but you have to disassemble it on the plane). Just easier to drive than fly when you have a toddler/pre-schooler.
But seriously, I would rather drive. That's the way I grew up. Driving and staying either with family or in a pop-up camper. When I was an exchange student in 88, it was my first flight every. At age 14, to a foreign country without my parents.
E and I drove down here in April 04, we drove back home for Christmas 06 and now we'll do it again in 08. (I also did it for NYE 99/00, but that was BE.......Before E.) So, I don't think much of an 18-hour drive. And adding Duck into the mix isn't that bad. As long as we have a full charged dvd player, his Franklin, Diego and Curious George dvds, some Nutripals bars and some Chobby......we're all set. Might look for a new toy the night before we leave though.
Plus? Plus after all the media some of these families with special needs families are getting? I don't need that kind of crap happening with Duck. He'll be much happier in his own seat for 1200 miles, getting to run around every few hours. As I'm sure so would every other Orlando to Detroit passenger be than if we flew. He's just at that age where not getting what he wants entitles him to a full blown meltdown. I hate dealing with them, I won't purposely subject someone else to them, nor would I put my child in a situation where he might have one.
Anyway, things have been crazy.
FIL is here right now. YAY. Love it when he's here. 'Course he brought presents for Duck. Really cool building blocks, an alphabet puzzle and a bowling game. And we've got a PERFECT hallway for the bowling.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm making a pot roast. Last night I had a steak for dinner. I know you're probably all picking your jaws up from the floor. I'm not a big beef eater.
Seriously, I grew up with home-grilled steak every other week. Complete with buttered mushrooms. So, it's not like I wasn't exposed. I just never developed a strong desire to eat it. My mom makes the BEST pot roast in the world. I could eat it any time. But, I live 1200 miles from her. And, really, I don't like to cook big meals for just me and E. Otherwise, I seriously don't eat a lot of red meat. (tacos and spaghetti don't count and we really don't have hamburgers that often.) I'm a chicken or tuna kind of girl. And since E's learned how to successfully grill a salmon steak, we have that about once a month. (he gets fish and I don't have a fishy-smelling apartment)
BUT.......a few weeks ago, I drove by a Texas Roadhouse. And, OHMYGOD, the smell coming from that place was enough to drive me crazy. So, FIL took us there last night and I actually ordered an 8oz sirloin. I seriously was in heaven. I didn't finish it all, but it was enough to curb the craving for a while. But, on my way home, had to go to Super Target to pick up new photos of Duck and found a perfectly perfect pot roast and grabbed some carrots and red potatoes too.
YUM Can't wait to cook that tomorrow.
Then tomorrow night? I'm making chili. Just because I want to have it on hand.
But seriously, I would rather drive. That's the way I grew up. Driving and staying either with family or in a pop-up camper. When I was an exchange student in 88, it was my first flight every. At age 14, to a foreign country without my parents.
E and I drove down here in April 04, we drove back home for Christmas 06 and now we'll do it again in 08. (I also did it for NYE 99/00, but that was BE.......Before E.) So, I don't think much of an 18-hour drive. And adding Duck into the mix isn't that bad. As long as we have a full charged dvd player, his Franklin, Diego and Curious George dvds, some Nutripals bars and some Chobby......we're all set. Might look for a new toy the night before we leave though.
Plus? Plus after all the media some of these families with special needs families are getting? I don't need that kind of crap happening with Duck. He'll be much happier in his own seat for 1200 miles, getting to run around every few hours. As I'm sure so would every other Orlando to Detroit passenger be than if we flew. He's just at that age where not getting what he wants entitles him to a full blown meltdown. I hate dealing with them, I won't purposely subject someone else to them, nor would I put my child in a situation where he might have one.
Anyway, things have been crazy.
FIL is here right now. YAY. Love it when he's here. 'Course he brought presents for Duck. Really cool building blocks, an alphabet puzzle and a bowling game. And we've got a PERFECT hallway for the bowling.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm making a pot roast. Last night I had a steak for dinner. I know you're probably all picking your jaws up from the floor. I'm not a big beef eater.
Seriously, I grew up with home-grilled steak every other week. Complete with buttered mushrooms. So, it's not like I wasn't exposed. I just never developed a strong desire to eat it. My mom makes the BEST pot roast in the world. I could eat it any time. But, I live 1200 miles from her. And, really, I don't like to cook big meals for just me and E. Otherwise, I seriously don't eat a lot of red meat. (tacos and spaghetti don't count and we really don't have hamburgers that often.) I'm a chicken or tuna kind of girl. And since E's learned how to successfully grill a salmon steak, we have that about once a month. (he gets fish and I don't have a fishy-smelling apartment)
BUT.......a few weeks ago, I drove by a Texas Roadhouse. And, OHMYGOD, the smell coming from that place was enough to drive me crazy. So, FIL took us there last night and I actually ordered an 8oz sirloin. I seriously was in heaven. I didn't finish it all, but it was enough to curb the craving for a while. But, on my way home, had to go to Super Target to pick up new photos of Duck and found a perfectly perfect pot roast and grabbed some carrots and red potatoes too.
YUM Can't wait to cook that tomorrow.
Then tomorrow night? I'm making chili. Just because I want to have it on hand.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Trip to the pedi's office
I just LOVE our pediatrician. Love, love, love the man dearly. Seriously, he's freaking AWESOME. Granted, we didn't get to see him this morning, but I still love him.
What do I love about him? He's younger (about 5 years older than me I think), has younger children and isn't so far removed from preschoolers that he doesn't pass Duck's delays off as him just being a slow learner or telling us "he'll talk when he wants to." I also love that he takes the time to listen. He's never once made me feel like a first-time mom. He respects that I take time to research stuff online, that I generally follow his directions (typically with my own instincts thrown in for Duck), and he's just a really great guy overall.
So, we did have to take Duck in this morning. He came home Thursday with a nasty bite. I posted to my mommy groups and got lots of suggestions....chiggers, sand fleas, fire ants, mosquitos.
This is from Friday morning. Keep in my he's a skinny 3yo, so there's not much of his leg not wrapped by this "bite":
I cleaned him up and bandaged it Thursday night, but it was still oozing Friday afternoon when he got to the sitter's. After she told me how icky it still looked, I called the nurseline at pedi's office. They said to bring him to the clinic or to the office the next morning. Well, since the clinic is a $50 co-pay and the pedi is $20, we waited til this morning.
We got right in and Dr. C's nurse was working. She was so impressed with Duck's language. I mean, it's only been since July that we were there and he was chattering away. He identified the trains, planes, and cars on the wall. He pointed to the school, bus and apple on the roll paper and even looked at books quietly.
The NP said it was more than one bite and after I looked at it better, it's most likely fire ants. Like he ran through a hill or something. I'd say 6-7 bites on that one area, plus three on the front (one was from Tuesday).
What do I love about him? He's younger (about 5 years older than me I think), has younger children and isn't so far removed from preschoolers that he doesn't pass Duck's delays off as him just being a slow learner or telling us "he'll talk when he wants to." I also love that he takes the time to listen. He's never once made me feel like a first-time mom. He respects that I take time to research stuff online, that I generally follow his directions (typically with my own instincts thrown in for Duck), and he's just a really great guy overall.
So, we did have to take Duck in this morning. He came home Thursday with a nasty bite. I posted to my mommy groups and got lots of suggestions....chiggers, sand fleas, fire ants, mosquitos.
This is from Friday morning. Keep in my he's a skinny 3yo, so there's not much of his leg not wrapped by this "bite":
I cleaned him up and bandaged it Thursday night, but it was still oozing Friday afternoon when he got to the sitter's. After she told me how icky it still looked, I called the nurseline at pedi's office. They said to bring him to the clinic or to the office the next morning. Well, since the clinic is a $50 co-pay and the pedi is $20, we waited til this morning.
We got right in and Dr. C's nurse was working. She was so impressed with Duck's language. I mean, it's only been since July that we were there and he was chattering away. He identified the trains, planes, and cars on the wall. He pointed to the school, bus and apple on the roll paper and even looked at books quietly.
The NP said it was more than one bite and after I looked at it better, it's most likely fire ants. Like he ran through a hill or something. I'd say 6-7 bites on that one area, plus three on the front (one was from Tuesday).
Sunday, September 14, 2008
On being anal retentive
My husband thinks I'm anal retentive. In some cases, I'd probably agree.
My husband thinks I have OCD. Never been officially diagnosed, I think it goes in hand with the first two statements.
Unfortunately, I gave him proof tonight. We have 10 sippy cups. all the same brand. I bought them in two packs. I remember which colors came together. Two weeks ago, I sent Duck to school with his juice to finish at breakfast. The cup never made it home. The teacher doesn't have it. The sitter doesn't have it. And I've cleaned out both cars....nope.
So, tonight, E finds a sippy behind the couch in the den. It's got milk in it..............but, I can tell that since it's chocolate milk, it's not "that" old. As in more than one day, but definitely not 2 weeks.
As I put dishes in the dishwasher tonight, I started counting again. First I got 8, then I remembered that Duck was drinking milk at that time, so I got 9. Still missing one.
"Why do you get all anal about this?" says my husband.
"Because, I know that we have 10 cups and that means I know to be on the lookout for a moldy milk cup if necessary"
"You're nuts!"
So, I waited a few minutes, then I walk into the den and say, "No, anal would be being able to tell you that it's a blue cup with an orange lid. We have 5 blue cups, 3 green and 2 orange. I know that one orange is at the sitter's. There are 2 green in the dishwasher and 1 in the cupboard. So that leaves me with 5 blue cups. Two are in the cupboard, two are in the dishwasher. That means I need one more. And since I have all the green ones and I know that the orange and blue cups came together, I know that the missing cup is blue with an orange lid."
Crap. I AM anal.
My husband thinks I have OCD. Never been officially diagnosed, I think it goes in hand with the first two statements.
Unfortunately, I gave him proof tonight. We have 10 sippy cups. all the same brand. I bought them in two packs. I remember which colors came together. Two weeks ago, I sent Duck to school with his juice to finish at breakfast. The cup never made it home. The teacher doesn't have it. The sitter doesn't have it. And I've cleaned out both cars....nope.
So, tonight, E finds a sippy behind the couch in the den. It's got milk in it..............but, I can tell that since it's chocolate milk, it's not "that" old. As in more than one day, but definitely not 2 weeks.
As I put dishes in the dishwasher tonight, I started counting again. First I got 8, then I remembered that Duck was drinking milk at that time, so I got 9. Still missing one.
"Why do you get all anal about this?" says my husband.
"Because, I know that we have 10 cups and that means I know to be on the lookout for a moldy milk cup if necessary"
"You're nuts!"
So, I waited a few minutes, then I walk into the den and say, "No, anal would be being able to tell you that it's a blue cup with an orange lid. We have 5 blue cups, 3 green and 2 orange. I know that one orange is at the sitter's. There are 2 green in the dishwasher and 1 in the cupboard. So that leaves me with 5 blue cups. Two are in the cupboard, two are in the dishwasher. That means I need one more. And since I have all the green ones and I know that the orange and blue cups came together, I know that the missing cup is blue with an orange lid."
Crap. I AM anal.
Today's an eating day and "how not to kill a betta"
First, it's an "EATING DAY" YAY!!! Of course, it didn't start until abut 11:00 and only after we'd offered french toast and then Lucky Charms at 9:30. He finally ate some the Lucky Charms (okay, Marshmallow Mateys, whatever we like them better)and drank a cup of pear juice. This was after chugging two cups of "chobby". Then, E and I sat down to have leftover tacos for lunch and we decided to see if he'd actually eat with us again. This was at 12:30.
He ate: string cheese stick, 2 chicken fingers, 1/2 cup of peas, AND a snack sized KitKat. Plus water.
Oh, and now his favorite word is "soooup-beeee" which means "Super Oobi". If you don't know what or who Oobi is, you need to check him out at this website: Oobi Dance as soon as possible.
Now on to "how not to kill a betta". Last year, just about this time, we inherited our friend's betta fish. They were moving back to Chicago and didn't think the fish would make the 1200 mile drive. HA! HA, I say to them! The first weekend, Duck attempted to commit fishy-cide by dropping the 1-quart tank on the floor spilling blue fish to the floor. He survived. Blue Fish (aka Mr. Fishy at our house) survived the half-block move in May. Really, he got to ride in his cup in the U-haul truck! Still, I think he would have made the 1200 mile trek to Chicago.
Why? Because that's a two to three day trip. While not completely on purpose, but not purposefully paying attention, I managed to not change the water for well over a month, probably closer to two months. The water level was probably less than a pint, dingy and filthy and I honestly can't remember the last time the poor thing was fed.
This morning, I rescued Mr. Fishy changing his water, giving him a full tank to swim around and yes, I even fed him. I think he's happier now that he can swim without his tail touching the bottom of the tank. I'd rather have him in a 10-gallon tank with a filter that I don't have to constantly change, though. But, right now, his 1-quart tank is all we have room for.
So, if you're really looking to get rid of a betta, don't count on it dying in less than a year on its own, don't count on it wanting fresh water (rumor has it they like filthy water), and don't count on it not making a 1200 mile trip. Do it the old fashioned way and buy another one, put them in the same tank and let 'em have at it.
We like Mr. Fishy, really we do. Life just gets away from us sometimes. Thankfully he's a hearty fish.....and really, it's much easier to clean out a tank than to pick up dog poop in the hot, summer, Florida sun.
I just hope that the fresh water and food aren't a shock to his system.
He ate: string cheese stick, 2 chicken fingers, 1/2 cup of peas, AND a snack sized KitKat. Plus water.
Oh, and now his favorite word is "soooup-beeee" which means "Super Oobi". If you don't know what or who Oobi is, you need to check him out at this website: Oobi Dance as soon as possible.
Now on to "how not to kill a betta". Last year, just about this time, we inherited our friend's betta fish. They were moving back to Chicago and didn't think the fish would make the 1200 mile drive. HA! HA, I say to them! The first weekend, Duck attempted to commit fishy-cide by dropping the 1-quart tank on the floor spilling blue fish to the floor. He survived. Blue Fish (aka Mr. Fishy at our house) survived the half-block move in May. Really, he got to ride in his cup in the U-haul truck! Still, I think he would have made the 1200 mile trek to Chicago.
Why? Because that's a two to three day trip. While not completely on purpose, but not purposefully paying attention, I managed to not change the water for well over a month, probably closer to two months. The water level was probably less than a pint, dingy and filthy and I honestly can't remember the last time the poor thing was fed.
This morning, I rescued Mr. Fishy changing his water, giving him a full tank to swim around and yes, I even fed him. I think he's happier now that he can swim without his tail touching the bottom of the tank. I'd rather have him in a 10-gallon tank with a filter that I don't have to constantly change, though. But, right now, his 1-quart tank is all we have room for.
So, if you're really looking to get rid of a betta, don't count on it dying in less than a year on its own, don't count on it wanting fresh water (rumor has it they like filthy water), and don't count on it not making a 1200 mile trip. Do it the old fashioned way and buy another one, put them in the same tank and let 'em have at it.
We like Mr. Fishy, really we do. Life just gets away from us sometimes. Thankfully he's a hearty fish.....and really, it's much easier to clean out a tank than to pick up dog poop in the hot, summer, Florida sun.
I just hope that the fresh water and food aren't a shock to his system.
Today was a crap eating day
Although, he did eat something other than chicken nuggets. Granted it was a taco shell, some shredded cheese and a NutriPals bar, but at least it was a variety. Duck's eating habits suck big time lately. I mean, it's the same thing every day and God forbid I expect him to eat what's been made for dinner. (though I don't force him, not a parenting practice I believe in) I'd at least like to see him eating protein other than chicken and peanut butter.
I can sneak in tuna when I make mac-n-cheese (one small can of tuna, one can of no salt added peas, and one box of Kraft mac-n-cheese is enough for us all to eat with leftovers. And everybody likes it. Reheats the next day for lunch too!
That's why I like the NutriPals bars.....I know he's getting protein and fiber from those.
Oh and he's on a milk kick. I'm fairly certain he had 4 cups of milk today. Chobby is Duck for "chocolate milk". I did pick up a trick from my sister. The first cup has chocolate in it, the next one? I fake it. I mean, there's enough milk in the cup so that he gets a bit of flavoring, but otherwise, I don't add any more to it.
And I think this is why we're back to 3 poops a day. Two months ago, he was backed up and only going once a week. Now? Now I'm rushing him to the potty. We didn't make it a single time today. I don't like cleaning up poopy diapers, but I hate giving an enema even more.
Milk is so good for him, though. Calcium, protein, fat (at 3y2m he still only weighs 30 pounds).....but what it does to his system is just plain horrible.
Unfortunately this is the cause of the crap eating. He's too full. Need to go back to water and juice. If anyone needs to be drinking more milk, it's me or E. I do get plenty though because I generally drink the milk from my cereal, which I had for breakfast and lunch today.
I can sneak in tuna when I make mac-n-cheese (one small can of tuna, one can of no salt added peas, and one box of Kraft mac-n-cheese is enough for us all to eat with leftovers. And everybody likes it. Reheats the next day for lunch too!
That's why I like the NutriPals bars.....I know he's getting protein and fiber from those.
Oh and he's on a milk kick. I'm fairly certain he had 4 cups of milk today. Chobby is Duck for "chocolate milk". I did pick up a trick from my sister. The first cup has chocolate in it, the next one? I fake it. I mean, there's enough milk in the cup so that he gets a bit of flavoring, but otherwise, I don't add any more to it.
And I think this is why we're back to 3 poops a day. Two months ago, he was backed up and only going once a week. Now? Now I'm rushing him to the potty. We didn't make it a single time today. I don't like cleaning up poopy diapers, but I hate giving an enema even more.
Milk is so good for him, though. Calcium, protein, fat (at 3y2m he still only weighs 30 pounds).....but what it does to his system is just plain horrible.
Unfortunately this is the cause of the crap eating. He's too full. Need to go back to water and juice. If anyone needs to be drinking more milk, it's me or E. I do get plenty though because I generally drink the milk from my cereal, which I had for breakfast and lunch today.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Duck's progress.....
I guess it's about that time again. Time for a full Duck update.
I'll start by saying that he's all but dropped sign language completely. He only consistently signs "all done" and even then it's only when he's on the potty or in his high chair. I started working on dropping the thank you sign a few months ago. I wanted him to say it rather than sign and say it. So, I cruelly held his hands down. He finally just started saying it. Of course, he's picked up BOWING while saying thank you. (yes, thank you Oobi!) And he'll sign "more" when he wants more and we're saying no.
He started school on August 18th and started riding the bus from school to the sitter's on September 2nd. The bus ride is very smooth and SHORT. The sitter lives about 0.25 miles from the school. Basically two turns and he's there. The big "developmental" news here is that every day as they round the corner, Duck starts saying "eesa, eesa" because he knows he's going to see his friend (sitter's daughter).
He's following two-step directions fairly easily now. Only if they're directions that he's familiar ith, though. Like "get your shoes and bring to mom".
Juice is joos, water is wa-wa, but milk is cup or cuppy. The important thing there is that he's distinguishing the three AND asking for each individually.
Everything in a wrapper is a "cookie" which did cause confusion at school for a while because I send a NutriPals bar in his lunch every day just in case he refuses to eat lunch. He LOVES KitKats, though. He even knows that the mini ones come with two bars. The cool thing about that is it's helping with counting! Whatever it takes right?
He has so many words now. I wish I could think of all the new ones, but I'm sure I'd miss 2 or 10. He hasn't lost any verbal words, just signs.
Phrases and Words that I can think of on 4 hours of sleep....will explain that in a minute:
hep me (help me)
i tuc (i stuck)
pobby (potty)
poop
pee
doggie
mee-mee (the pacifier---more on that in a minute too)
First, the mee-mee issue. I had thedamn thing almost gone, definitely a nap and bedtime thing only. And even then, if he was at the sitter's, he wasn't getting it at nap time. But then he had to go and NAME IT. He walks through the house saying "meeeee-meeee, air ar ou?" like a mom looking for a hiding child. Once he finds it, it's as if they're long lost pals who haven't seen each other in YEARS (when in reality it's probably been 20 minutes). I have, however, taken to throwing some away.
Last night, Duck walked into our bedroom at 1:00. I'd been in bed since about 9:30. He was WIDE awake and chatty. E took him for a while, but then he came back in when the tv shut off. I yelled at E to come back and get him. He put him back in bed....10 minutes later, E's PASSED OUT snoring and Duck's opening our bedroom door again. Somebody didn't put the door knob cover on again. So, I've been up since about 1 a.m.....fully since 3, though.
He's potty-training pretty well. Good days and bad. He will poop on the potty more readily than pee. We at least get notified he has to poop, he tells us AFTER the fact with pee. We've taken to giving mini M&Ms if he uses the potty. And I have to tell you, I like not having to clean his entire rear end from a poopy diaper.
I think the biggest proof of his language finally starting to try to become more cohesive and understandable is the other night he said a bit of jibberish, then doggie, jibberish, then mee-mee, and more jibberish. I was so proud.
I'll start by saying that he's all but dropped sign language completely. He only consistently signs "all done" and even then it's only when he's on the potty or in his high chair. I started working on dropping the thank you sign a few months ago. I wanted him to say it rather than sign and say it. So, I cruelly held his hands down. He finally just started saying it. Of course, he's picked up BOWING while saying thank you. (yes, thank you Oobi!) And he'll sign "more" when he wants more and we're saying no.
He started school on August 18th and started riding the bus from school to the sitter's on September 2nd. The bus ride is very smooth and SHORT. The sitter lives about 0.25 miles from the school. Basically two turns and he's there. The big "developmental" news here is that every day as they round the corner, Duck starts saying "eesa, eesa" because he knows he's going to see his friend (sitter's daughter).
He's following two-step directions fairly easily now. Only if they're directions that he's familiar ith, though. Like "get your shoes and bring to mom".
Juice is joos, water is wa-wa, but milk is cup or cuppy. The important thing there is that he's distinguishing the three AND asking for each individually.
Everything in a wrapper is a "cookie" which did cause confusion at school for a while because I send a NutriPals bar in his lunch every day just in case he refuses to eat lunch. He LOVES KitKats, though. He even knows that the mini ones come with two bars. The cool thing about that is it's helping with counting! Whatever it takes right?
He has so many words now. I wish I could think of all the new ones, but I'm sure I'd miss 2 or 10. He hasn't lost any verbal words, just signs.
Phrases and Words that I can think of on 4 hours of sleep....will explain that in a minute:
hep me (help me)
i tuc (i stuck)
pobby (potty)
poop
pee
doggie
mee-mee (the pacifier---more on that in a minute too)
First, the mee-mee issue. I had the
Last night, Duck walked into our bedroom at 1:00. I'd been in bed since about 9:30. He was WIDE awake and chatty. E took him for a while, but then he came back in when the tv shut off. I yelled at E to come back and get him. He put him back in bed....10 minutes later, E's PASSED OUT snoring and Duck's opening our bedroom door again. Somebody didn't put the door knob cover on again. So, I've been up since about 1 a.m.....fully since 3, though.
He's potty-training pretty well. Good days and bad. He will poop on the potty more readily than pee. We at least get notified he has to poop, he tells us AFTER the fact with pee. We've taken to giving mini M&Ms if he uses the potty. And I have to tell you, I like not having to clean his entire rear end from a poopy diaper.
I think the biggest proof of his language finally starting to try to become more cohesive and understandable is the other night he said a bit of jibberish, then doggie, jibberish, then mee-mee, and more jibberish. I was so proud.
Meal preparation places
I don't normally buy the paper on any day but Sunday and even then it's only for the funnies and the coupons (whcih have sucked lately by the way). So, I didn't know about this article regarding meal preparation places until the owners of the place I frequent sent it to me.
Magical Mealtime has got to be the best in the area. As a busy mom, I LOVE their meals, their products are always fresh and I don't have to worry about buying spices I might use only once or twice in a given 6 month period. I can spend 2-3 hours on a Saturday morning prepping meals to go in my freezer and I'm done for the week or even longer. E and I usually just do a 6 half meal session. Why? It's just two of us. Duck will usually eat chicken fingers or a peanut butter sandwich. We will easily get two full meals out of one half meal from MM. Which means, for the low cost of $79, I can get at least 12 dinners and most often 6 lunches. Even with just 12 meals, that's just about $6 per meal.
While I understand that there are cookbooks out there like "30-Minute Meals" by Rachel Ray and others, these often require me to still have items on hand that I might not buy every week. And I certainly try to only buy items that I know I'll use in the next 5-7 days. Problem is with that concept (for me anyway) is the last thing I want to do after working an 8-hour shift, driving to pick up Duck from the sitter's is to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen.
Alos, with being 1200 miles away from much of my family and friends (though we do have WONDERFUL friends here), we don't necessarily have a base to do meal exchanges with. And again, I'm prepping meals in my kitchen, leaving a mess to clean up behind me.
Meal preparation places like Magical Mealtime are God's gift to busy families. And whose family isn't busy these days?
Magical Mealtime has got to be the best in the area. As a busy mom, I LOVE their meals, their products are always fresh and I don't have to worry about buying spices I might use only once or twice in a given 6 month period. I can spend 2-3 hours on a Saturday morning prepping meals to go in my freezer and I'm done for the week or even longer. E and I usually just do a 6 half meal session. Why? It's just two of us. Duck will usually eat chicken fingers or a peanut butter sandwich. We will easily get two full meals out of one half meal from MM. Which means, for the low cost of $79, I can get at least 12 dinners and most often 6 lunches. Even with just 12 meals, that's just about $6 per meal.
While I understand that there are cookbooks out there like "30-Minute Meals" by Rachel Ray and others, these often require me to still have items on hand that I might not buy every week. And I certainly try to only buy items that I know I'll use in the next 5-7 days. Problem is with that concept (for me anyway) is the last thing I want to do after working an 8-hour shift, driving to pick up Duck from the sitter's is to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen.
Alos, with being 1200 miles away from much of my family and friends (though we do have WONDERFUL friends here), we don't necessarily have a base to do meal exchanges with. And again, I'm prepping meals in my kitchen, leaving a mess to clean up behind me.
Meal preparation places like Magical Mealtime are God's gift to busy families. And whose family isn't busy these days?
Friday, September 12, 2008
My dirty little ice cream secret
Last week we had a farewell party. There is no fewer than 5 half-gallons of ice cream in the work freezer. So, every afternoon, I get to have some. (Which is only fair since I missed the party last week.)
The best part? I can eat ice cream in PEACE! No 3 yo on my lap saying "mo i keem" or peering into my bowl to see what's left. I can have a full serving (or more) all to myself!
Life is good at this moment.
The best part? I can eat ice cream in PEACE! No 3 yo on my lap saying "mo i keem" or peering into my bowl to see what's left. I can have a full serving (or more) all to myself!
Life is good at this moment.
3 weeks
that's the length of time it took for a blown vein bruise to completely heal. Happy to report my arm is clear of bruising.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Poopy on the potty!!!
Yep, for the 4th time, completely voluntarily, Duck pooped on the potty. He "cries" the entire time, but all you have to do is tell him to "push that poopy out" and he GOES! WOOOOOHOOOOO!
Now all I have to do is get him to pee on the potty.
Now all I have to do is get him to pee on the potty.
Franklin and the Green Knight
I know it's not completely possible, but I feel like I have watched this show 875 times in the last year. It's probably closer to 200, we watch it nearly every night. But why? Because I'm tired of watching Franklin's Magic Christmas that I'm sure we've watched over 800 times given it's DVR'd from Christmas 06. (did you know that these things will stay on your dvr forever if you don't erase them?)
Actually I really like having the dvr capability. After all, I can keep that, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas from Christmas 07 and even two episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House that's not even on anymore.
Mostly I like it because Duck can watch his favorite shows any time he wants. Plus, I don't have to stay up late to watch Army Wives or Project Runway.
Right now Duck is under the dining room table trying to put his daddy's shoes on my feet and OMG the kids' hands are FREEZING. Feels good on my feet, though.
Is it a bad sign that my socks are already leaving indentation marks on my legs? I'm thinking it is. I need to drink more water and lay off the soda. Even though it's the only thing that settles my stomach right now, fountain Coke will just have to wait a while.
I'm still feeling pretty good. I think if I can pry E off the computer, I might even be able to get a pregnancy picture to post. My body is pretty pregnant-obvious now. Although I look in the mirror and don't see it, my friends do......oh and my mom did over the weekend on the webcam. "I can see your belly!" Um yeah, so can I when I look in a mirror.
I can't, however, get away with my regular clothes anymore. And I need to start getting creative. I really only have 3-4 tops that will fit for the duration of the pregnancy. See, when I was pg with Duck, I worked at Disney. So, I wore a costume (read: uniform) most of the time. When I got home, I put on pajama bottoms and one of E's t-shirts.
Now? Now, I need clothes because I have a professional job. So, I rotate the same tops. Problem is, even those aren't going to last because I bought them early in my pg with Duck, so I know they won't fit when I've got more weight on.
I think the best way I'm controlling my weight is by not eating a half pint of ice cream every night. OMG, I made E buy ice cream in those 5-quart buckets with Duck. They never lasted much more than a week.
I have no cravings this time around aside from eating and NOT gaining 45 pounds. Ideally? 20 is my limit. 25 would be "okay", but nothing more.
So, I'm eating more fruit, drinking fruit juice and I traded whole milk for 2% this time around.
Actually I really like having the dvr capability. After all, I can keep that, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas from Christmas 07 and even two episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House that's not even on anymore.
Mostly I like it because Duck can watch his favorite shows any time he wants. Plus, I don't have to stay up late to watch Army Wives or Project Runway.
Right now Duck is under the dining room table trying to put his daddy's shoes on my feet and OMG the kids' hands are FREEZING. Feels good on my feet, though.
Is it a bad sign that my socks are already leaving indentation marks on my legs? I'm thinking it is. I need to drink more water and lay off the soda. Even though it's the only thing that settles my stomach right now, fountain Coke will just have to wait a while.
I'm still feeling pretty good. I think if I can pry E off the computer, I might even be able to get a pregnancy picture to post. My body is pretty pregnant-obvious now. Although I look in the mirror and don't see it, my friends do......oh and my mom did over the weekend on the webcam. "I can see your belly!" Um yeah, so can I when I look in a mirror.
I can't, however, get away with my regular clothes anymore. And I need to start getting creative. I really only have 3-4 tops that will fit for the duration of the pregnancy. See, when I was pg with Duck, I worked at Disney. So, I wore a costume (read: uniform) most of the time. When I got home, I put on pajama bottoms and one of E's t-shirts.
Now? Now, I need clothes because I have a professional job. So, I rotate the same tops. Problem is, even those aren't going to last because I bought them early in my pg with Duck, so I know they won't fit when I've got more weight on.
I think the best way I'm controlling my weight is by not eating a half pint of ice cream every night. OMG, I made E buy ice cream in those 5-quart buckets with Duck. They never lasted much more than a week.
I have no cravings this time around aside from eating and NOT gaining 45 pounds. Ideally? 20 is my limit. 25 would be "okay", but nothing more.
So, I'm eating more fruit, drinking fruit juice and I traded whole milk for 2% this time around.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
I think I need ice cream
Duck is "napping" and by that I mean, he's playing in his room behind a *gasp* locked door. E's sleeping his eye-headache off, I think.
And I need ice cream. Edy's Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream to be exact.
But, I also want to keep that 164 number in check for my final weight gain. I have no desire to gain 45 pounds this time around. The number 200 is not in my vocabulary this time, I swear. I don't want to hit 190, 180 would be "okay", but definitely not 190. I was 159 at my lowest so far. New OB has me registered at 164 Friday.
My blown vein bruise is looking mighty yellow today. 17 days from start to yellow. I'll let you know when it's completely gone.
That said, I need ice cream.
And I need ice cream. Edy's Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream to be exact.
But, I also want to keep that 164 number in check for my final weight gain. I have no desire to gain 45 pounds this time around. The number 200 is not in my vocabulary this time, I swear. I don't want to hit 190, 180 would be "okay", but definitely not 190. I was 159 at my lowest so far. New OB has me registered at 164 Friday.
My blown vein bruise is looking mighty yellow today. 17 days from start to yellow. I'll let you know when it's completely gone.
That said, I need ice cream.
on our computers
Duck's on his Little Touch Leap Pad and I'm on the laptop.....E's got an "eye headache" so he's laying down.
I love that Duck will sit next to me playing with his Leap Pad and not want to push all the buttons on the laptop. He LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES that thing. Suppose to be for kids 6-36 months. Here he is at 38 months and adores it. He GETS it. Doesn't really like the other books, but has to have the A-Z Adventure book.
Right now Governor Crist is on the tv with a briefing on Hurricane Ike. Fay dumped on us, Gustav stayed west, Hanna went up to the Carolinas, and well, Josephine is no more. At least for now anyway.
Ike, however? Could cause some problems for FL even without a direct hit. I hope the gulf coast oil rigs are watching so they can prep as well as they did for Gustav. Maybe FL will luck out again this year.
My favorite website right now is nhc.noaa.gov Sad, really. Then again, I like to be informed of what may or may not be headed this way.
I love that Duck will sit next to me playing with his Leap Pad and not want to push all the buttons on the laptop. He LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES that thing. Suppose to be for kids 6-36 months. Here he is at 38 months and adores it. He GETS it. Doesn't really like the other books, but has to have the A-Z Adventure book.
Right now Governor Crist is on the tv with a briefing on Hurricane Ike. Fay dumped on us, Gustav stayed west, Hanna went up to the Carolinas, and well, Josephine is no more. At least for now anyway.
Ike, however? Could cause some problems for FL even without a direct hit. I hope the gulf coast oil rigs are watching so they can prep as well as they did for Gustav. Maybe FL will luck out again this year.
My favorite website right now is nhc.noaa.gov Sad, really. Then again, I like to be informed of what may or may not be headed this way.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
It's 12:15 a.m., why am I still up?
Because my wonderful husband and MIL put together her old laptop for me to have internet access even when E's on Warcraft. Seemed like a great idea at the time. We can even play WoW at teh same time. (gotta love it when the man in your life comes to your aide in a freaking online game!)
Anyway, usually I'd be in bed right now. Especially given that I
It all boils down to the fact that I have online access now. It's great to have a second computer, but at the same time, it kinda sucks because all the stuff I do online?
SUCKS.YOU.IN until you turn around and it's 1 o'clock in the morning and you realize you have to get up in 5 hours (and I say have to because your body says so, not because the damn alarm clock says so. that lovely machinery wants you to sleep til 6:30. Too bad my internal clock is well-trained for 6:00)
So, off to bed I go for tonight. Tomorrow is laundry day and if Duck's a lucky-ducky, we'll even get to go to the pool.
Anyway, usually I'd be in bed right now. Especially given that I
- have a sinus infection
- put in 3 10-hour days this week
- worked from home half day Tuesday and a few hours today
- haven't been to bed before midnight in the past two weeks aside from last night when I went at 9:30 because I was being pissy and made E put Duck to bed
It all boils down to the fact that I have online access now. It's great to have a second computer, but at the same time, it kinda sucks because all the stuff I do online?
SUCKS.YOU.IN until you turn around and it's 1 o'clock in the morning and you realize you have to get up in 5 hours (and I say have to because your body says so, not because the damn alarm clock says so. that lovely machinery wants you to sleep til 6:30. Too bad my internal clock is well-trained for 6:00)
So, off to bed I go for tonight. Tomorrow is laundry day and if Duck's a lucky-ducky, we'll even get to go to the pool.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Lots of exciting news......
First, I'm proud to say my husband has finally quit smoking. It's been about a week and he's doing so very well. He said today that the crap in his chest is breaking up and even though he's coughing up that nasty stuff, he feels a lot better than just two weeks ago when he was still smoking.
Second, my little duck continues to make potty progress. He pees at school and home and will even poop when he lets us know. Of course the communication part is a bit slow, but at least he's trying.
We have 4-word sentences to mimic.....such as "mama, i want _____." it's a good start and he's learning so much at school and at home. Working for a publishing company has its benefits. Old books are given away and Duck has found love with an old Science program big book. It's great to see your 3 year old standing up to the couch, hunched over a book almost as tall as he is.
The bus is a WONDERFUL thing. He rides the bus from school to the sitter's house and as soon as they turn the corner, he starts shouting out the sitter's daughter's name. (funny, as soon as she hears the bus, she runs to the door shouting Duck's name. She also refuses to nap if it's a school day when Duck will be there)
As for me? My appetite is back in full swing. It's nice because I finally feel like I can eat again. But, I feel like I've eaten non-stop the past three days. There are two good things here. First, my weight is still down at this point. Second, the weather is starting to cool off a bit and maybe once we get the hurricanes/tropical storms to calm down, I can get out for evening walks with Duck. (though we'll have to avoid the pool area becuase he think he belongs in the water....silly Duckling!)
I had my new OB appt today and it was WONDERFUL! The nurses were phenomenal. I really liked that the same nurse who weighed me, also took my blood, told me to pee in a cup and listened to the baby's heartbeat. While I didn't see the dr, I was still well taken care of. We were in and out in less time than it takes to just get to a room at the old OB's office. (note: old OB's office never called to see why I switched, only confirming to me they were only out to make money, not to be personable with the patients. Hell, even the first pediatrician we had who routinely had 90-minute wait times called us to see why we left. So, I'm glad we switched)
Meant to ask what my BP was.....My weight was 164 pounds at 14 weeks, 5 days. At this point with Duck, I'd already gained back the first 8 pounds I'd lost and a few more. 164 is my pre-pg weight with Duck. So, I figure 25 pounds from now would be a good gain.
Baby's heartbeat was hovering around 155/minute. I have to call the diagnostic center to have them fax over all their bloodwork from two weeks ago. We're still opting out of amnio at this point. If there was a marker from that bloodwork, they would have called us by now.
Did I mention two weeks ago that the nurse that did my blood draw blew the vein? I mean, I don't like needles AT ALL. I had to stop giving blood because I keep passing out. (definitely weigh enough and I'm not anemic) Anyway, I kept tell her that it REALLY hurt. Basically ignored me.......I had a lump for a few days and it's still a little red with mostly yellow.....but wow, two solid weeks to heal from a bruise?
Anyway, I'm really super happy with the new OB's office.
Second, my little duck continues to make potty progress. He pees at school and home and will even poop when he lets us know. Of course the communication part is a bit slow, but at least he's trying.
We have 4-word sentences to mimic.....such as "mama, i want _____." it's a good start and he's learning so much at school and at home. Working for a publishing company has its benefits. Old books are given away and Duck has found love with an old Science program big book. It's great to see your 3 year old standing up to the couch, hunched over a book almost as tall as he is.
The bus is a WONDERFUL thing. He rides the bus from school to the sitter's house and as soon as they turn the corner, he starts shouting out the sitter's daughter's name. (funny, as soon as she hears the bus, she runs to the door shouting Duck's name. She also refuses to nap if it's a school day when Duck will be there)
As for me? My appetite is back in full swing. It's nice because I finally feel like I can eat again. But, I feel like I've eaten non-stop the past three days. There are two good things here. First, my weight is still down at this point. Second, the weather is starting to cool off a bit and maybe once we get the hurricanes/tropical storms to calm down, I can get out for evening walks with Duck. (though we'll have to avoid the pool area becuase he think he belongs in the water....silly Duckling!)
I had my new OB appt today and it was WONDERFUL! The nurses were phenomenal. I really liked that the same nurse who weighed me, also took my blood, told me to pee in a cup and listened to the baby's heartbeat. While I didn't see the dr, I was still well taken care of. We were in and out in less time than it takes to just get to a room at the old OB's office. (note: old OB's office never called to see why I switched, only confirming to me they were only out to make money, not to be personable with the patients. Hell, even the first pediatrician we had who routinely had 90-minute wait times called us to see why we left. So, I'm glad we switched)
Meant to ask what my BP was.....My weight was 164 pounds at 14 weeks, 5 days. At this point with Duck, I'd already gained back the first 8 pounds I'd lost and a few more. 164 is my pre-pg weight with Duck. So, I figure 25 pounds from now would be a good gain.
Baby's heartbeat was hovering around 155/minute. I have to call the diagnostic center to have them fax over all their bloodwork from two weeks ago. We're still opting out of amnio at this point. If there was a marker from that bloodwork, they would have called us by now.
Did I mention two weeks ago that the nurse that did my blood draw blew the vein? I mean, I don't like needles AT ALL. I had to stop giving blood because I keep passing out. (definitely weigh enough and I'm not anemic) Anyway, I kept tell her that it REALLY hurt. Basically ignored me.......I had a lump for a few days and it's still a little red with mostly yellow.....but wow, two solid weeks to heal from a bruise?
Anyway, I'm really super happy with the new OB's office.
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