I love kids in costume!

Our little Dinosaur...Mealyworm, 5 months old - Halloween 2006


A Dalmation Dog...Bug, 2 1/2 years old - Halloween 2006


A Little White Duck...Mealyworm, 18 months old - Halloween 2007


Bug, Mealyworm, WW, JB - Halloween 2007

Creek Water Poo

Beware, pooping is discussed in some detail...


So we've been playing "House" at our house. Using our years of medical knowledge to decipher the icky code spelled out in poop. Mealyworm has been plagued with diarrhea for months. We've had a few days reprive in there and each time we breathe a sigh of relief and think "Thank goodness, a Peanut Butter poop instead of creek water poop." She goes through multiple outfits a day, tons of diaper cream, knows precisely how to say "I poopy, ouchy bottom, mama." so we hurry off to do a diaper change. We've tried all kinds of things...increasing the banana intake, cutting out juice, eating only "low acid" foods. At one point, I convinced myself it was all the plentiful Fall apples I've been feeding my kids. So no more applesauce, cider, sliced apples, etc. Blah, blah, blah. Fortunately, we aren't doing this alone...we've even visited the doctor and handed in a lovely array of poop samples, each painstakingly collected with a wooden stick and smeared into different vials to be tested for various diseases/bacterias, etc. And all have come back negative.

So....at the recommendation of the PA we've been seeing, we are approaching it from the new angle - Lactose Intolerance.

Since I've cut out all juice and now milk...MealyWorm is going to be having a lot of water in the coming days. I'm assuming Lactose-Free Milk and Soy Milk are viable options...? No yogart, no cheese, no ice cream...ugh... this poor kid. :(

Me and my thoughts on the New baby...ramblings...

So I haven't blogged much about the impending arrival. Truth be told. I don't know if I can be totally honest, out loud, about it. But I'll try to keep it real without causing anyone to hate me. We'll see how it goes.

Well, I'm feeling better...morning-sickness wise, that is. I'm over that hump and into the the dreamy 2nd tri. Barely any heartburn yet, woo-hoo, its good times.

There are many things that weigh heavy on my mind at this time. One of them is...I'm not really looking forward to having a newborn. I know, I know, I should be strung up by my toes for admitting this outloud (in writing) but...they are so much work....and I am soooo lazy. Okay, maybe lazy isn't the right word, but every bit of my 17 minutes of personal time that I have now (and loads more) will be eaten up by this third little one. :)

Kind of related in a Lavender Lemonade sort of way...
The other day someone I've known for a while but haven't ever really "sat down with" to talk said to me..."I've been meaning to get together with you for coffee or something, I'd really like to get to know you and what your beliefs, dreams, ideas are."
Very nice of her to ask and want to get to know me better, but...My instant response...uh..Really, you don't. It would be a very short cup of joe. I'm hollow inside. I'm in survival mode. I'm not really in dream, belief, idea mode like I was in college or high school. Those were times when I relished introspection and deep thinking. I loved and had lots of "over coffee" discussions about beliefs, dreams, ideas. And umm...now...not so much. Right now, maintaining a semi-respectable appearance for myself and my family and a very moderately (okay, barely) clean home is about all I can do. And honestly, soon there's going to be even less attention to be paid to appearance and housework...enter in the new baby.




So in this picture...Mealyworm was like 2 months old I think. And was crying. And nothing would make her happy. And we were at a birthday party for one of Bug's friends. And I had to take my screaming newborn outside so I didn't ruin the party. So I missed some of the fun, not really "my fun" but...well watching Bug have fun is my fun, and I missed that....Is this new baby going to mean I miss out on lots more special moments with my already two precious little ones?

My twin nephews vacationing in Cape Cod

Aren't they cute!

Clothing Chaos

We have TOO many clothes. Dirty clothes. Clean clothes. Clothes that don't fit. Clothes to donate. Clothes we've purchased for winter. Clothes we're sharing with friends. Clothes that friends shared with us. Boy clothes. Girl clothes. 18 month clothes. 2T clothes for boys. 3T clothes for girls. 4T for boys. 5/6 clothes. Clothes for the future. Keepsake clothes from the past. T-Dad clothes for work. T-Dad clothes for play. Clothes I hope to fit into again some day. Clothes that were Bug's that I want to save for Mealyworm. Clothes that I should save for the new baby (and since we're not going to find out the gender, we can't get rid of anything). Aaargh!

Every bedroom has at least 2 boxes/tubs of clothes "in processing". Too small, too big, wrong season, etc. And the dirty clothes seem to be breeding! Every bedroom has a huge pile of dirty clothes. About a year ago I came up with the genius idea that instead of having dirty clothes piles in every bedroom, I was going to have one monster pile outside of the laundry room. (uh, yeah, that was the plan) That way when we wanted to throw a load in, the dirty clothes were right there waiting patiently...then the huge pile annexed the lower level entry way and became a bit of a nuisance. I dreamed of owning one of those big hotel laundry carts (that spies and diamond thieves always hide in) to corral the monstrosity. But I decided I'd have to settle with using the pack-n-play. So the monster pile went into the pack-n-play and I haven't seen the elephant and giraffe print on the bottom pad ever since. We never get to the bottom of the dirty clothes pile! Aaargh!

I need help. I need to sort and organize all the clothes that are currently wearable. And I need get rid of all the clothes that we don't think we'll ever wear again. But it is sooooo overwhelming.

I think I've got a plan though....I am going to label like a dozen diaper boxes (I knew there was a good reason I've been saving all those empty diaper boxes, its not just OCD) with Boy 0-12 months, Girl 0-12 months, Boy 12-24 months, Girl 12-24 months, etc. And set them all up in my family room and as I fold I will sort accordingly. And of course, the biggest box will be labelled DONATE. And in regards to my "previous life" clothes, the ones that I loved and actually looked good in...all going. All gone. I haven't worn them in 5 years, what's the point. I am who I am now, and I need the space.

After all, we've got to squeeze a whole additional little being into this house and the CLOTHES are taking up way more than their share of space.

Hopefully I can get started on this plan this weekend. Anyone want to help and experience the Clothing Chaos first hand...tempting I know...it will make you feel really good about your own house though. :)

Mmmm...blueberries and corn syrup

So, I'm snacking on a tasty treat...

not as good as the real thing, fresh off the low bush in Alaska OR fresh off the high bush in Michigan

...but not bad for an afternoon snack stuck in an office.

Oh, and the ingredients...#1 Dried Wild Blueberries (what makes them "wild" and not grown on a farm beats me) #2 High Fructose Corn Syrup (ugh, its everywhere.)

Just kicking back

Hmmm...I wonder where the kids are? Oh, rearranging the lawn furniture and playing with a sharp tomato cage in the backyard.

Bug: Stack your feet, like this MealyWorm!
MealyWorm: Like this? How do I put my foot on top? Oh, I did it!


Bug: You never listen to me.


MealyWorm: Hey, Look, a rabbit.
Bug: Yeah, another rabbit.


This is what summer was meant to be.

Doing her hair

When T-Dad does bathtime, it can get a little crazy.

I'm one of "those" people

If you lend me something, I might lose it, forget to return it, or even occassionally break it. Its not something I'm proud of. And if you ever ask me about it, I will bend over backwards to get it back to you or buy you a new one. To be honest, its something that weighs on my mind, regularly coming to the surface..."oh yeah, I need to wash that Tupperware container and give it back to Ms. Interrupted" but then I get delayed because I think... hey, wouldn't it be nice if I filled it with home-baked (noticed I didn't say homemade) cookies first or wait, I should find that other one she gave us the medicine in too and return that at the same time...where was the last time I saw that one? Hmmm...

Its pathetic, I know. I'm one of "those" people.

Now, don't get me wrong, I always have the best of intentions when I borrow something. And if it is something I know will just get lost in my house, I'll not borrow it. But its getting trickier now that my kids are borrowing things. I know that I am ultimately responsible for whatever they borrow and the pressure is on...

Here's a little list to help assuage my guilt and prove my good intentions:
Quigs - I've still got your paperback of Omnivore's Dilemma (I didn't forget, I honestly haven't finished it yet and can't admit to myself that I'm never going to finish it.)
Ms. Interrupted - I loved the Lemon Raspberry Dessert, and I still have the container you delivered it in...I'm hoping to fill it with something wonderful. And I still have the little container that you gave us the medicine in, by the way we used every last drop. Woo-hoo, helping you get your money's worth.
Big Matthew - Bug still has your glowing green light saber, he uses it every evening/night and if the battery dies, I will try to replace it.
A - I have your paperback copy of Cranford, I'm still reading it.
K - I have the red slide whistle and the little green bell bracelet from the music parade you had past our house. I also still have Me Speak Pretty One Day and the other 2 books you lent me. Uh, yes, I'm still working on reading them.
J - We still have your copy of Baby Sister Says No. We love it and it shows. I am going to buy a new one for you soon.

And if it makes anyone feel better, I am always happy and freely share stuff from my house. And only if its something I covet do I ever ask for it back, because honestly I've got too much stuff as it is.

Just one shy of a half dozen

Yep, you guessed it, we're breaking the barrier, screwing with the ratio, and tempting fate. Most likely we will be welcoming a Pisces. Heaven forbid another Aries...I have the market cornered on that one and I don't like to share. We're still adjusting to the idea...is this the straw that broke the camel's back? Or is this the cherry on top of a perfect sundae?

(uh, yeah...I know that was total cheese, but I'm trying to think positive. And I'm having trouble pulling out positive thoughts naturally, I've got to work at it.)

Breaking Barriers

So bear with me, I'm going to play a little game...let's name all the people we know who have 1-2 children...And I'm pulling these women from all parts of my life, but they have to be this generation...not my parents/grandparents etc....
Ms. Interupted
Looseyfur
Quigs
Freak
Lori
Libbygirl
Makeup-Girl
Rachel and her Bump, now Baby
Loretta
Mrs. Chicken
Misc.
Leeanthro
K and boys
My AK sister
My PA sister
S and girls
T and boy/girl
T and her boy and bump
D and girl
Big Matthew
M and her C
T-Dad's brother with 1 girl
Deb and her 1 boy/ 1 girl
J and his J + one

Now, let's name the people we know with more than 2 kids...
Angelina Jolie (but she's rich and I'm sure has several nannies, doesn't really count.)
K and 2 girls/1 boy
D and 2 girls/2 boys
C and 4 girls
T-Dad's brother with 5-ish

Not an even list. Not close at all. Why is the third child barrier not broken more? Hmmmm...

5 Things About Meme

5 Things About Meme
Missy at Misc & Co. tagged me for this so here goes:

1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?
Busy time for a teacher, I was starting my second year as the library director at a big catholic high school and wondering why I was tired and feeling nauseous

What are five things on your to-do list for today?
1. I don't make a To Do List
2. that way I don't get disappointed
3. and anything actually accomplished
4. is a total surprise and bonus.
5. I fed the cats AND refilled their 1/2 gallon water dispenser, woo hoo!

What are five snacks you enjoy?
1. Dried Banana Chips
2. Peanuts
3. a fresh, ripe peach
4. Cheese, any kind
5. Popcorn

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1. Give away 995 million of it, that's just too much money for anyone person
2. Pay off debts
3. Actually buy clothes that aren't on sale
4. Invest it
5. Quit my job and stay home with my kids, perhaps with the help of an au pair

What are five of your bad habits?
1. I'm lazy
2. I'm bossy (to my husband)
3. I'm disorganized
4. I'm messy
5. I waste time

What are five places where you have lived?
1. 712 S. Osteopathy Ave, Apt. 3A
2. 11064 Cemetery Rd
3. 210 Normal St.
4. 301 E. Catherine St.
5. 1221 W. Washington St. Apt. 9

What are five jobs you've had?
1. Waitress
2. Apple Grader at an orchard
3. Au Pair
4. High School librarian
5. Children's librarian at a public library

Five people I tag: (um...just one)
1. T-Dad at Stages of Life
2.
3.
4.
5.

Artwork

Bug has gotten bit by the Drawing Bug. He loves to draw pictures...in the car, during breakfast, at bedtime, etc. Here are a couple of his latest masterpieces.

"My Family with WiggleWorm and JumpingBean"


"Green and Blue Power Rangers with swords"


"Rainbow and Rain"

Mmmm...Chocolate Banana

Wow, I just walked to Barnes and Noble on my lunch hour and perused some books. And ordered a tasty treat to go....delicious. I tried one of their "new" (well, new since the last time I was there 6 months ago) drinks. Its called a Vivanno (yeah, its a Starbucks thing, its gotta' sound Italian, so much tastier that way.) and it was essentially a smoothie. Quite delicious. I ordered the Chocolate Banana flavor, it actually uses a whole banana. Impressive, I know. You know what's even more impressive...that I'm blogging an entire paragraph about the drink I just ordered from Barnes and Noble. Pathetic, really.

To the moon

Now, this is the kind of rocket ship a kid can really imagine flying to the moon in. I mean really...its big, and sturdy and tall and has lots of ladders! Sometimes I miss these "dangerous" toys. Thank goodness, this relic in Bloomington(?) still exists. We were looking for an "energy outlet" on the way back from some trip recently and stumbled upon this blast from the past.

Arm-chair Detective

Growing up I had my own Detective Agency. I even had a black case with talcum powder and a small brush, for fingerprints (of course), and a little notebook and pencil to record clues, and a small magnifying glass to see things more clearly. I begged my mom and older sisters to create cases for me. And they did...it would start with a note in the mailbox, that would cleverly lead me (and sometimes my childhood friend/partner in detecting crime, Skeezix) to the next location where another clue would be hidden, and then there would be another note...and on it went. I loved it. Unfortunately, I stopped getting cases after awhile and my interest waned, so the agency closed up shop. But I still love the thrill of the chase...currently, I am intently following the Caylee Anthony case. Where is that little girl and why is her mother acting so weird?

a sine curve

Trigonomentry. Something I loved and aced. Geometry. Something I hated and barely passed. Physics. Something I loved and aced. Organic Chemistry. Something I hated and failed, and repeated, barely passed. Evolutionary Biology. Something I loved and barely passed. And on and on.

I feel like my life is a sine curve. The solid blue line in the middle up above. Notice that it dips up and down, above and below - zero. Maybe its like this for everyone. There are times in my life that I look around and think...wow, I have arrived. And then there are those times that I look around and think...oops, I did it again. But it changes. I won't be there for long, I know that soon again I will be back on the way up (or way down).

I guess, that's balance.

Mmmm...Easy Italian Beef

Okay...as you can tell, this week, I'm not feeling the "creative juices"...So, I'm going to fill the space with another recipe. This one is easy and delicious.

CrockPot Italian Beef
(adapted from "Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches"at allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
3 cans Beef Broth (I used low sodium)
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (3 pound) chuck roast

DIRECTIONS
Place roast in slow cooker, pour salad dressing mixture over the meat, and pour beef broth over the meat.
Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Shred meat with a fork about 1-2 hours before end of cook time. Serve on good, thick rolls w/ shredded Mozzarella cheese. There is lots of au jus left, so don't worry about having enough liquid. You could maybe even use 2 cans of Beef Broth, if you want. Or pour the extra on the dog's food, happy puppy.

P.S. I just realized that several posts ago I talked about becoming a vegetarian...and here I am posting a very Meaty recipe...well, I guess I'm not there yet. No excuses, no deep reasoning, I take it meal by meal. Ideally, I would only purchase meat from local, small farms. That is what I would really like to do, but seeing the prices at the Farmer's Market really blows my mind. So far I haven't really changed my ways. Ever growing, ever changing, we'll see what the future holds.

Another Notch in my lipstick case

This was just on the radio...and I couldn't resist. It has such awesome lyrics and what's not to love about Pat Benatar!

You're a real tough cookie
With a long history,
Of breaking little hearts like the one in me.
That's okay, let's see how you do it
Put up your dukes, let's get down to it.

Hit me with your best shot.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away!

You come on with a come on, you don't fight fair
But that's okay, see if I care.
Knock me down, its all in vain
I'll get right back on my feet again.

Hit me with your best shot.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away!

Well, you're a real tough cookie with a long history
Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me
Before I put another notch in my lipstick case,
You better make sure you put me in my place

Hit me with your best shot.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away!

A dream come true...

So we all have dreams about what our life will be like when we're older. Many of them unfulfilled (thankfully) and many of them unfulfilled (regretfully), but those are all blog posts for another day. Because some of those dreams have been fulfilled and they've been fulfilled beyond my wildest imagination. The one that really hits me today, is my house. I grew up in the country. On seven acres of woodlands with the nearest house, a farm, 1/2 mile down the road. I rode on a school bus for 45 min, every morning and after school, from Kindergarten through Senior year of high school (I got to drive my parent's Omni most days, but occasionally I'd still have to ride the bus.) I grew up literally half an hour from anywhere. And while there were a lot of things I loved about growing up where I did, I got it into my head at that when I grew up, I wanted to live in the city, not downtown anywhere, but in a neighborhood. I wanted sidewalks, paved driveways, garage door openers, "block parties", playgrounds, neighbors I could watch coming/going, neighbors I could visit in my bathrobe for a cup of sugar, neighbors who knew my cat from looking out the window, etc.

And by cracky...I've got it and even better than I ever dreamed.

I live in a house, in a neighborhood, in a city (not a village, not a unincorporated area). Its just what I dreamed it would be and more... I love the park behind my house with a playground and tennis courts, and the sidewalk where my kids ride their tricycles and the BIG, fancy-pants park with mileage marked on paved walkways, a hardware store and grocery store within walking distance, and the mail is delivered to a little black box attached to my house. And I have neighbors, neighbors who bring me onions from their organic garden, and lend us their folding tables for our garage sale and their shrub cutters, and milk and lawn chairs and coolers and toys and feed our cats and pick up our forgotten toys in the sidewalk and wave to us in the yard. And even better than I dreamed...my kids have kids their own age to play with. Honestly, that was never really part of my dream, my vision of living in the city...I guess I always imagined it more from my own perspective, not the children I would have someday. But my kids have kids their own age, that they get to play with, cry with, laugh with, hang out with, right at their fingertips. Whether or not they will all be best buddies forever remains to be seen, one might be sporty, one might be book-ish, one might be creative and one might be musical. But the bonds that my kids are forming with the neighborhood kids are something that will always be there. Those childhood bonds could last a lifetime. The kids who grow up around you, know your family, your struggles, your joys. When I look at the pictures of half naked little kids eating ice cream all together at a tiny picnic table...I thank the universe for bringing me to this special little neighborhood where my kids can grow up with sidewalks and mailboxes and friends for life.

Photo Mosaic Meme

Misc. is so cool. She had this on her blog and I love the idea (and flickr.com), so I'm doing this Meme, too. Thanks, Missy!




My Answers:
1. Lavender, 2. cheese 3. North Boone 4. purple 5. Aston Kucher 6. dreamsicle 7. resort 8. chocolate 9. la femme nikita 10. variety 11. inconsistant 12. lavender lemonade


Here’s what you do:

1. type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search.
2. using only the first page, choose an image.
3. copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker over at Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker

the questions:
what is your first name?
what is your favorite food?
what high school did you attend?
what is your favorite color?
who is your celebrity crush?
favorite drink?
dream vacation?
favorite dessert?
what do you want to be when you grow up?
what do you love most in life?
one word to describe you.
your flickr, blog, website name or a nickname

Now, if you read this and have a blog...go do it! Now!

P.S. I work with copyright, so I can't let this go...Here are the links for all of the images above:
1. Lavender hill mob, 2. "I, Piórko, like Cheese!", 3. wendy, 4. eccentric beauty, 5. dudewheresmyjob, 6. Dreamsicle, 7. The Coco Walk, 8. 14th August 2007 / Day 226, 9. WHEN TO STOP, 10. 1-2-3, JUMP!!!, 11. Day 73: Self-Esteem, 12. picnic: lavender lemonade

A week's vacation...for T-Dad

So T-Dad (go visit his blog and leave comments, he feels left out.) has vacation he needs to waste. You know, he gets so many days a year and doesn't use them, so he's got to waste 'em or lose 'em. Rough life, honey. So T-Dad isn't shaving this week, is in his favorite shirt and shorts, eats hot dogs for lunch, watching baseball until midnight, etc. But never fear, he's not totally leading a life of leisure. Because hey, that just wouldn't be fair. He's got a "Honey Do" list a mile long and all the drop off/pick up duties for the kids. First and foremost on the list is getting rid of half of our crap. So far he's actually been working really hard on organizing the garage. We have a ton of stuff that we've never unpacked since we moved last year. Just boxes on top of boxes (all of which we've dug through looking for one thing or another over the last year). So needless to say we need to just get rid of it, since we've managed to live without it for an entire year. How do we end up with all this crap? Aargh! I am so looking forward to next week, after we decrease our stuff by at least 1/4. Honestly, I'm so jealous that he gets to stay home all week and work on this. I really wish I could be there. I mean he's good at preparing the piles to be looked through and getting rid of the "easy" stuff. But I'm the one who ultimately knows/cares whether or not this kitchen corning ware dish is useful and needs to be kept or junk. I've been kind of hard on him this week. Second guessing how he's spending his time and such. I'm trying to lay-off and just be happy with anything he gets done. And I've even said he's free to go golfing a couple of times if he wants. He should really nominate me for Wife of The Year, I know. So the really good news is....we are taking the kids to T-Dad parents and spending the weekend together...alone...cleaning our house. I am so excited! (He is too as you might guess, HA! Its not like he's just spent a week working in our junk filled, dirty garage.) But we are also going to go on a date on Saturday to 88 Broadway. He's hoping I have a few too many, I'm sure.

Preschool Graduation 2008

My Little Graduates

At home, Pre-Graduation Giggles

MealyWorm is up first. The hat apparently annoyed her.

Look Mom, I got my diploma! (And isn't this boy next to me cute!?)

I think if I attend Bug's high school graduation practice, this is the exact same shot I will get. Don't these "little" kids look so grown up!

Hey, Mom. I did it. I actually graduated! I'm so happy!

BFF

To think, that if we hadn't taken both of these two homeless critters from their little cage at PetSmart (on behalf of CatsNap) they would never have seen each other again. That would have been a tragedy.

Rainbow Chili

It was rainy this evening and I am tired of scrounging for food every night. So I decided to make chili (lots of leftovers). I found several recipes online that sounded great except of course I didn't have all the ingredients. So I decided to just make it up as I went along, who says Rachel Ray has cornered the market? There was a point about 2 hours ago when I thought I was all done - masterpiece, for sure! Then I tasted it...bland, blah, ugh. So I continued to add some more "stuff", like I said 2 hours later...Mmmm...delicious.

Here's what I made-

Rainbow Chili
3/4 of a large yellow pepper (chopped)
3 slices of a huge Vandelia Onion (chopped)
1 splash of Olive Oil
4-6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 lb 96/4 Lean Ground Beef
1 can Black Beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can Large Red Kidney Beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can Fat Free Chicken Stock
1 can Diced Tomatoes (not drained)
1T Cumin
1 1/2 T Chili Powder - medium
Several twists of course sea salt
1 small can Tomato Paste
2 handfulls chopped fresh Cilantro
1 handfull chopped fresh Basil

In a big skillet (or pot), on medium heat, saute the pepper and onion for several minutes (to give them a head start). Then add ground beef and garlic. Brown the meat. Still on medium heat, add the tomatoes and the beans and the chicken stock. And the cumin and chili powder and salt. Add the tomato paste, fresh cilantro and fresh basil. All in all, I bet you could put it together in 45 min. But the thing with chili is that its better if the ingredients cook together for a while, so just play with the time you have available.
Enjoy.

I wish...

Here's my current wish...
I wish someone would drive a big moving truck to my house. Back the truck up to the front of my garage and roll up the door and then walk way. Then I wish I had an entire day 8am - 8pm - by myself - to fill that truck with all the crap I don't need or want. And then at 8pm, the truck would drive away and I would never see it again.

Fireworks

Area Firework Displays -

Champaign: Fireworks, Dodds Park/Parkland College-near Mattis & Bradley, approximately 9:15 pm.
Fisher: Fireworks, in the town park, about 9 pm.
Homer: Fireworks, grassy field behind Village Hall, dusk.
Mahomet: Fireworks, Lake of the Woods, dusk.
Paxton: Fireworks, Pells Park, dusk.
Rantoul: Fireworks, former Chanute Air Force Base, approximately 9 pm.
Villa Grove: Fireworks, Richman Sports Complex, dusk.

For more information about all kinds of local Fourth of July Holiday fun and festivities, visit this News-Gazette article.

See what type of Firework you are! The Fireworks Test Lavender, Here's What These Fireworks Say About You

You are the type of person who lives a big, bold, and unique life. You love to stand out and be noticed. And people definitely notice you. You are easily excited, and you're quick to move to action. You like to be in motion doing something. Keeping busy makes you feel good.

Thanks, Missy for introducing me to blogthings.com!

Go Team!

We had a softball game last night. T-Dad and I play on our church's Men's League team. It is a lot of fun and something we both really enjoy. Normally, we bring our kids to the games and only play half a game each so we can take turns watching the kids. It usually works out fine, but I'm always slightly distracted when the kids are present. I'm squinting at them from the outfield wondering if they are getting into trouble. So last night, we hired a babysitter. To many people this is standard practice. But to us, its kind of a big deal. It means we have to track down someone responsible and available, clean the house (at least to a reasonable level of cleanliness), and shell out big bucks. All of those are a lot of work in our minds. But I think by doing it a few times, it will get easier...well, at least the tracking down someone part. The cleaning and spending money, not so much. But I digress, back to the softball game...we lost. Not by a landslide, but we started out behind and stayed that way the whole game. We have at least half women on our team and the other teams have almost all men, so that does make a difference. Though on a Men's League team its actually fun to play outfield because there's a lot of action out there! And T-Dad and I both love to bat. Before the game, T-Dad and I went to the batting cages and hit a few and even had time to toss the ball around. Having a babysitter is great! And we both played the WHOLE game instead of just a couple of innings each, which also meant we were in the game at the same time! In fact, I was right behind him in the batting order, so I caused him to get out several times. Sorry about that T-Dad. It was a beautiful night and lots of fun. I can't wait until next week (we hired the same sitter). :)

Just Do It

Okay. I'm doing it. This time its not something to contemplate or consider. It doesn't need more research, more information. I don't need to restructure the budget to join a gym. I don't need to run it past a few friends, my sisters, my mom. I don't need to organize it all first or prepare my supplies. I don't need a new set of clothes, some special equipment. An outline of events or timeline or a chart or a graph or an Excel spreadsheet or exercise journal isn't going to help.

Last night I finished my second run. I am running 3 nights a week. T-Dad and I are simultaneously participating in the Couch to 5K running program. We have the podcasts and we have each other to keep us on track. After we get the kids in bed, I'm out the door. When I return, he's out the door. We've got a system and its no nonsense. We Just Do It. And it feels good.

Meet Emjay.

Did I tell you...4 days after we came home with our Rantoul Pound rescues, we saved a cat from becoming a Rantoul rescue. Emjay's owner was preparing to drop him off at the pound, and we just couldn't let that happen. So we said we could act as a "foster" family and take care of him until we found him a new owner. Well...10 days later we still have Emjay and he is settling in. He is a big boy. He's not too fond of the girls yet, but I think they're wearing him down. Meet Emjay.

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha, new Ipana toothpaste....

So Bug and I went to the dentist yesterday. He went first...and did AWESOME! The Dental Hygienist, Tina, is really great with kids. She gave him sunglasses to wear and a squishy baseball to squeeze. And gave him lots of choices...tropical fruit paste or cherry or grape or watermelon. And then fluoride...strawberry, mint, banana, etc. And then pick a toothbrush...Diego, Shrek, Spongebob, etc. It was truly a wonderful experience and Bug was such a big boy. (Compared to his last visit 6 months ago with all kinds of screaming and crying.) Unfortunately, he does have some cavities, despite my having taken over the Bedtime Brushing EVERYNIGHT for the last six months. So we are going to have to go visit a Pediatric Dentist, his regular dentist, Dr. D, made it very clear (at that first and very traumatic appt. six months ago) that he wouldn't be taking care of his cavities, "Yes, I see some cavities forming here...But we won't take care of those here." Uh, okay. Thanks for being our family dentist. But actually, I understand that it is a better experience for kids to get dental work with a Pediatric Dentist who can give them laughing gas and make it a more pleasant experience. Dr. D is not a really "friendly" dentist. He literally makes his appearance the last 30 seconds of any dental visit and barely speaks to his hygienist, let alone the actual patient. Quite strange. I had a great dentist when I lived in Springfield, IL - Dr. Tanya DeSanto. She actually talked to me and expressed an interest in my questions and health. I totally recommend her to everyone. As for a local Pediatric Dentist, I've heard good things about Dr. Chifan Cheng. So I need to make him an appointment....hopefully, this one will go as well as yesterday's.

Parenting alone together.

Friday night we drove up North to visit my parents. T-Dad and I both left work about a half hour early, he picked up the kiddos from Daycare and I hurried home to get packing. We managed to eat a quick dinner of leftover grilled hot dogs and watermelon and were on the road by 6:30pm. Not bad. It was a (4 hr) good drive, the kids were well behaved, watched movies, played with toys etc. Then Saturday was filled with a trip to the Stride Rite store (Bug-size 12 and Mealyworm- size 9) and playing with GramH and PapaB. In the evening I surprised T-Dad with a secret Date Night. My folks babysat and we were on our own from 5pm - ? . It was great to have some couple time. We had dinner at Chili's, including an appetizer. I had gotten us tickets to see the Phantom Regiment's Show of Shows. It was my first time attending a Drum Corp International competition and it was awesome. T-Dad was totally impressed with my surprise. So the rest of the evening and then Sunday morning flew by and it was time to drive home...this is where the "What not to do as a Parent" lesson starts.
It was after lunch. I was tired. The kids were tired. T-Dad was driving. I gave the kids their respective "lovies" for nap time. We sang some favorite bedtime songs, we talked about the fun we'll have when we get home after our rest time. And I lay back and close my eyes. Not surprising, our good sleeper and 2 yr old, Mealyworm, actually falls asleep right on cue. But the Bug has different ideas. So eventually I turn on the DVD player and he watches Toy Story 2 while I continue to try to grab some desperately needed Zzzzzzzs. Then the T-Dad decides we should stop and get some gas. Great. Mealyworm wakes up and the Bug gets "rejuvenated". Let the chaos begin. Mealyworm is cranky because she only got about 45 min of sleep time compared to her usual 3 hours. Bug is jacked up on adreneline because he is actually exhausted but won't sleep, so he gets into his "17 yr old w/ an attitude problem" persona. Much crying, fighting over toys, yelling, whining, etc. ensues. And Bug has figured out my #1 pet peeve at the moment...he starts kicking my seat. His fancy dancy Britax car seat/ barchalounger is right behind mine...and he can put both feet flat on the back of the passenger seat and push...hard. or kick and watch the person's head bob...or kick repeatedly and watch mommy become irate. Good times. We pulled off the highway at one point and Bug got a swat on the behind,which had no effect. So I buckled him back into his lazy-boy car seat and threw his beloved spiderman action figure into the long grass prairie on the side of the road. (I know, really bad parenting move on my part.) Because of course the kicking of my seat and more screaming and crying continued. So I started the toy ultimatum..."every time you kick my seat I'm going to throw one of your toys away." So I go through the car toy box and eventually pull out all of Bug's toys....I find like 6 matchbox cars, 5 happy meal toys, a plastic helicopter, plastic binoculars, a beanie bear, etc. And an hour down the road with my seat being kicked the whole time...we stop at a rest stop and I throw them all into the trash (I really wanted to donate them, rather than trash them, but I thought I was making an important point at the time. Again, I know really bad parenting on my part.) HA! More kicking and screaming...blah, blah, blah. But the fresh air at the rest stop must have cleared my senses enough to help me snap out of my "Mommie Dearest" mind set. So back on the road, promises of an evening trip to the park and the playing of a Wiggles movie eventually settled the car down and we made it home. But through it all, you know what really ticked me off most...T-Dad. Where was he? Why didn't he "fix the situation"? Obviously, I was tired and not making great parenting choices. Why didn't he step in and solve the situation? In hindsight, I figured out what would have been better...move Bug's car seat to the far back seat in the mini-van. So he couldn't kick my seat anymore. Or recline my seat so that its an inch from his legs and I sit in the far back. Anything to essentially make the irritating behavior ineffective and then he would have stopped. But I was so wrapped up in the irritation to see these easy solutions...T-Dad could have. Why do I feel like I make all the parenting choices (whether they are good or bad) and he's just along for the ride? Aaargh.

Getting healthy, losing weight, yada, yada...

I know lots of bloggers use their blog as a way to stay on track when it comes to getting healthy, losing weight, training for a marathon, etc. So I'll give it a shot too, because I need all the help I can get. Just in the last 18 months I have participated in 3 sessions of Weight Management (at work, 10 wks each), 2 sessions of Weight Watchers (13 wks each) and the 20 week Healthy Eating Every Day course (at work). And I've done personal training and cardio classes (at work, twice a week for a month) off and on throughout. And I weigh 1 lb more now than I did 18 months ago. I, apparently, am not really trying or something.
But my mom tries really hard to motivate me to lose weight, so the latest proposition is....If I can lose 15-20 pounds by 8/5/08, she will give me $500. This is by far her best motivation offer yet...so I am really trying to do it, on my own. I mean I'd be an idiot to not give it my all. Because the bottom line is I want to be thinner and healthier. But I'm tired of wasting money with no results.
So, last night I went over to a Curves that is near my house and was shocked at how expensive it is. I actually did Curves about 6 yrs ago when I lived in Springfield, IL and really enjoyed it. But now it seems so expensive and you have to commit to a full year of payments, sign up fee is $150 and monthly $34 fee. I'm not afraid to commit to getting healthy, walking/exercising for a year...but committing to pay $34 a month to this Curves for a year is a little intimidating to me. I mean I have 2 awesome parks within walking distance...for free!

I love the British Speak

At work, we route around over 50 journals and magazines. One of the ones I thoroughly enjoy getting every month (mind you I just got May 2008, so its never exactly timely.) is a UK publication called Health & Fitness. It is a glossy magazine like SELF or SHAPE. But being as its published in the UK...its full of wonderful British stuff. All the articles are essentially the same as we'd have here..."Age is just a number", "Running a Triathalon", "Electronic relationships", etc. But the ads and the little things are there..."stones" instead of pounds, talking about your relationship with your "partner" not husband, crisps are potato chips etc. I mean British people are sooooo cool. Okay, that's juvenile and a total generalization, but hell, its true.

Here's some more British Speak:
Wind = passing gas
Mum = mom
Yoghurt = yogurt
diarrhoea = diarrhea
coeliac = celiac disease

Wow...meet Crystal.

I just found an awesome writer, Crystal at Boobs, Injuries & Dr. Pepper.
I am devouring her words and crying through her Crazy Chronicles.

Shades of Gray

I consider myself to be very open-minded and even forward-thinking in most regards. But something I struggle with on a daily basis is GRAY. Generally, I'm fine with cutting people some slack, seeing situations as having no right answer, allowing inconsistencies, etc. But there are specific things that trigger me into the "no gray zone". For these situations, its like there is this archaic little justice scale in my head, and when I put too many weights on either side, that side wins. Using this kind of system, there really is no "gray" or blended balance of the two. So I would like to get rid of that whole little justice scale mentality. But it is like writing with my left hand...I have to constantly remind myself that it is possible, I can't seem to just flip a switch and throw out the justice scale. It takes work, constant diligence, like reminding myself it is humanly possible to form letters and numbers with this uncoordinated stick otherwise known as my left hand. And on the same note...that it is possible that a situation can be gray, not all white or all black.

New Furry Friends

Cappaccino still holds a special place in our hearts and if she returns home, we welcome her with open arms and a nice soft bed. We've missed having a furry friend at home and started looking around at the shelters for cats that "spoke to us". There are so many sweet cats needing homes it is a heart-wrenching process. After visiting CISAR (Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue) online regularly for weeks and physically visiting the Champaign County Humane Society in person, we finally found who we were looking for at Savoy's Catsnap (Champaign Area Spay/Neuter Adoption Program). And in the end we couldn't pick just one, so we have 2 new members of the Lemonade Family. We are happy to announce the adoption of Juno and Chicago.

Juno (previously known as Buffy) - 10 month old, orange short hair, female. She was relinquished in Rantoul by her previous owner when they found out she was pregnant. So Juno had her babies (4) and they were all adopted out, but she was still waiting for her forever home...until we came along. :) She is hesitant but knows how to say thank you with lots of purrs and eye squints from a distance. I chose this name because her story reminded me of the recent movie Juno - and her cat sister Chicago has a city name, and of course Juneau is a city in Alaska (but we're going with the Juno spelling because its easier. )

Chicago (previously known as Lexie) - 10 month old, tuxedo cat, female. She was at the Rantoul Pound (apparently not a fun place for cats) and later taken in by Catsnap. She is very outgoing and people-friendly, life of the party. Bug actually picked the name Chicago, I'm not exactly where/how he came up with it, but he blurted it out and seemed pretty sure that the black and white cat would sleep on his bed and be named Shick-ha-go (his pronounication is something more like that.)

Cappaccino

As many of you know, we lost our cat about 3 months ago. I mean, literally, lost her. We put up signs in the neighborhood, knocked on doors, called the shelters, visited the Humane Society and there is still no sign of her. All we can think is she must have gotten into the garage the day before we left on a weekend trip (the kids leave the house/garage door open all the time) and then when we were packing up to leave we opened the overhead garage door and she ran out. And because we were not home for 2 whole days, she wandered off and either got welcomed at someone else's house or ...something else happened. Her name was Cappaccino, she was a 10 yr old, front paws declawed, tortoiseshell. T-Dad, in is spectacular uniqueness, had wanted a kitten as a bachelor living on his own. So 10 yrs ago (minus 8 weeks) he went to the pet store (or maybe a friend had kittens, I don't remember) in Springfield, IL and found himself a little kitty and named her Cappaccino. They had many happy years together as man and cat. Then when I entered the picture 3-4 years later and poor Cappaccino had to take the "back seat" to the man she loved. I tried to be a good friend to her but she only had eyes for T-Dad. And over the next several years everything about her life changed (you know how cats love change) ...T-Dad switched apartments, T-Dad moved to a house, T-Dad was gone a lot visiting me in Springfield, eventually I moved in permanently, then we had a baby, then another baby, then we moved to a new house, and those babies became chasers, tail-pullers, etc. and Cappaccino became more and more reclusive. She was never mean or honestly, even interested in the kids, she just stuck to herself and slept with us at night. Poor Cappaccino, I feel like I did you wrong. But I don't know what I could have done differently. May you be in peace wherever you are, pretty kitty.

truth time

okay, so i've been kind of absent in the posting department. if i weren't filled with the need to be honest, i'd lie and say i've been too, too busy to even think about posting. but honestly, i've got several post drafts sitting in the little mailbox, that i didn't feel were worth posting. this blogging thing is messing with my head. i've actually started thinking when i type instead of just typing. it makes me much more hesitant to put anything out there. aargh.

just as a little something to fill your blog-hopping time while i'm wrestling with my inner demons...T-Dad decided to join the fun and started a blog...you can check it out here: http://www.theatredad.blogspot.com/

Spiderman in a kimono

Making the Blog Rounds

So I followed a link to a new blog today...VeganLinda and I'm adding her to my favorites...I like to make the rounds every couple of days/weeks to all my favorite blogs. Its nice to check-in on my virtual friends and see what they've been up to, whether or not they know me. But I've actually got a few crossovers - real friends that are also virtual friends. Who says technology is anti-social? So back to VeganLinda ...I came across her Mother's Day post -a poem by Billy Collins- that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was going to repost the whole poem here...but hey go check out VeganLinda's blog, who knows you might make a new virtual friend too.

Ear infections

Another boring blog post...
My kids have ear infections. Bug went to Convienient Care in the AM - ear infection in the left ear. MealyWorm had her 2 yr Well Baby visit at 11am. MW just got done on Friday with 10 days worth of Amoxicillian for a double ear infection and I was convinced that it was still there...sure enough. She still has a double ear infection, so now she's on Augmentin for 7 days and Ibuterol syrup for raspy lungs. Poor kid. Other than all that, Mealyworm is right on track for her age and development. Her stats: 34 1/2 inches tall, 28 lbs 9 oz, head circumference of 49 1/2 cm.

I'm stressed out...
Maybe I should list all the things that I'm stressed about....nah, that's too much work.

Random Topics

#1 We got a call from the drs. office regarding Bug's blood tests...apparently he has low ferratin levels (a.k.a. iron) So they recommended the complex, expensive, invasive treatment...add a Flintstone vitamin to his daily diet. Okay, we can do that. T-Dad went out the moment I hung up the phone and got some...well actually he analyzed the children's vitamin options and came home with a huge bottle of chewable vitamins with monster shapes that has 18mg of iron because the Flintstones actually only had 15mg of iron. And he wanted to get the most iron possible into our little Bug. Awww- how sweet. [Then I read him the warning listed on the back of the bottle that says 'excessive amounts of iron have lead to health problems and death in young children'. Sometimes we walk a fine line.]

#2 Yesterday evening was Bug's parent/teacher conference. And we got good reports and are really glad to know he is not on his way to expulsion. :) His teacher actually said that he is "in the middle" when it comes to behavior issues. Which honestly was news to us...the last several months have led us to believe a totally different story, like he was the devil incarnate and the worst child they have EVER had to deal with. Hmm...okay, well then, I guess I'm glad that it wasn't as bad as you lead us to believe. But next time...maybe tell us that from the 'get go' por favor.

#3 Wow. After parent/teacher conferences, I attended another great Mom's meetup last night. I got to see the usual suspects - Ms. Looseyfur, Libbygirl, Ms. Quigs (I like that Quigs, can I borrow it?), Ms. Interrupted, and Ms. Freak - which always means a good time is to be had. And I also got to meet some new friends, some totally cool moms just like me. (And I got to hold a sweet little 5 wk old, who only cried a little.) To be honest, I am always shocked that it is as much fun as it is. I've always been kind of nervous about making friends. In fact, when I went away to college for the first time, I was so scared that I wouldn't have any friends. And then in adulthood, I went through some really lean years. Those after college, but before motherhood, years when you're out of touch with your "old friends" and can't seem to find anyone that fits into your new life. Its weird. But I am so happy to be at this new stage where there are plenty of friends to go around and I'm making new ones all the time. Woo-hoo, another point on the board for motherhood.

#4 I am totally looking forward to the three-day weekend. The only item on the agenda is a Meetup on Saturday with lots of balls in big park behind our house. Should be fun.

Turning Two

Today is Mealyworm's 2nd birthday. Wow. Time flies. She was such an adorable baby with lots of hair. And she was just the right amount of plump and tiny at birth, surprising really because she weighed in at 9 lbs 15 oz. But honestly she didn't look that big, I guess it was proportionate...a little extra here and there and there and there. Such a cutie and tons of dark brown spikey hair. I even had an ultrasound pic where they pointed out how much hair she had! Oh memories...I remember when Bug first met Mealyworm. Looking back, I wish I had made a bigger deal out of it and kicked everybody out of my hospital room except for our little family. So we could have really had sometime together as just us and maybe a photo. But I didn't, so the first pictures we have of Bug and Mealyworm all contain my MIL also in the picture. It was late afternoon, my dad had been watching Bug since we left home about 9 am. Mealyworm was born about 1pm. I was lying in the hospital bed "entertaining" guests, my in-laws, my mom (a.k.a. super coach) and T-Dad. And then the B's came to visit with Bug's favorite friend at the time, CB. And suddenly, the quiet was chaotic and there was no special bonding of the newly expanded Lemonade family.

[As a side note, thinking about the Bug's birth... maybe having my MIL, FIL and t-dad's brother's girlfriend, literally hanging out in the room, throughout the actual birth/long ordeal which ultimately resulted in the Bug entering the world, including my FIL video-ing the worst of it, was not such a charming time together, either. To be honest though, that was the last of my worries.]

But back to sweet, perfectly proportioned Mealyworm...Happy Birthday, Big Girl! Your mama loves you lots.

don't let me choose, choose for me.

so i think i've screwed up again. why did my advisor AND my parents let me get through college with only a BS in Biology? what did they - the wise ones in the real world - think i was ever going to do with that? and then...a year later, how could i manage to do it again...and go through graduate school with just an MLIS and not a MLIS plus Type 10 certification so i could actually work in a public school? aarrgh...i need a life coach, and apparently i needed one way back in 1994 and 1998 too. oh, who am i fooling, i needed one probably when i started high school in 1990. i'll cut myself a little slack for K-8.

peeee-ew

Apparently I forgot to put deodorant on today. I stink.

3-D Sidewalk Chalk

Today we had little birthday "to do" for Mealyworm at the Grandparents (T-Dad's folks) house outside of Springfield, IL. Highlights of the visit:
-I got to sneak out of the house, alone, and go to my #1 favorite Kids Resale shop - Just Kids
-I got read several chapters of Good In Bed (I might actually get this book done in time for book club!)
-Mealyworm got some cute clothes and really great toys including...3-D Sidewalk Chalk (yes, that is true. The creative geniuses at Crayola have put there minds to work on this one- the package comes with 3-D glasses and 6 two-color sticks of chalk...and for some reason, when you wear the 3-D glasses the red chalk appears to be levitating above the other colors. true technology at its finest.)
-I ate 1/2 a BBQ pork sandwich for lunch and a BBQ chicken sandwich for dinner...I guess I'm easing into the vegetarian thing...I don't want to be an inconvenience to people or make my issues something they need to concern themselves with...I guess I'll have to work on that.
-I had to stop and get gas...it was $4.05/gallon. I think we are going to be hanging around CU alot this summer.

4 yr well baby visit

Today Bug had his 4 yr old well-baby check up. Guess what, he's doing great. :)
His stats: 42 inches tall, 42 lbs
Its weird but T-Dad and I like to both go to these well-baby visits. I think we both like to hear the information first hand. :) This time we dropped Mealyworm off at daycare before we went. So it was just the Bug and his "p's" . The doctor ordered some blood test so we can cross off some questions regarding his behavior issues - like iron deficiency, lead, and other stuff I don't remember. He was suppose to get some shots too, but we decided getting blood drawn and shots on the same day might be a bit much. So we just did the blood draw today. Bug did SOOOOO well. He freaked out a little when we first went into the lab, but I distracted him with talking about all the colors and the blood shaker looking like a spaceship and such. And then he just sat on my lap and watched the needle go in and did even cry. We were so proud of him. T-Dad took him to CVS to pick out a toy on his way back to daycare.

Mass produced meats

I read The Jungle (by Upton Sinclair) in high school for fun. For some strange reason I picked it up at the library and actually read the whole book. Too be honest, when it comes to classic literature, I am not well-read. The genres "literature OR historical fiction" literally bore me to tears and put me to sleep, respectively. But something about The Jungle kept me interested, maybe it was the gory details of meat-processing. But an article I read this afternoon (don't click if you're in the middle of a cheeseburger) makes me think of the circumstances in The Jungle as downright 'nice' compared to today. I'm a little past half-way through Omnivore's Dilemma and also Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. And for the first time in my life, I am seriously considering becoming a vegetarian. When I think of the mass-production of beef, chicken and turkey...I can almost smell the manure. The crowded, feces-filled, tiny aluminum buildings these animals live in, by the thousands, sadden me. But am I strong enough to really be a vegetarian? Without a doubt one of my faults is 'lack of discipline'. But honestly, there is a ton I could give up easily, without a second-thought like porkchops, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, steak, most ground beef items. And then there are the few things that I actually crave...baked ham, thanksgiving turkey. And I'm not sure what I think about hamburgers right now. I have always hated "unidentifable" meat and ground beef typically falls into this category. But I eat cheeseburgers happily even though sometimes I come across something I can't quite identify. Hmmm...I think its worth trying...but I'm going to continue to eat fish and shrimp and crab. I need something to look forward to besides vegetables at dinner. :)

MommyFest 2008

MommyFest will be on May 12-16, 2008 and moms all over the net will be blog hopping through other participating mom blogs. We will have a list of participants in a special post in the Mommyfest 2008 blog with Mr. Linky. Moms will have an opportunity to meet, learn a bit more, share and chat with other moms in cyberspace.

What is a party without presents and treats? Well, Mommyfest is giving away fun prizes so make sure to join us for all the fun. A list of prizes will be listed in a special post in the Mommyfest blog. Prize drawing will be open to all participants of Mommyfest.

KangarooBoo.com

Recently I discovered that popular blogs often have contests to promote/support specific causes and online stores. As well as provide some fun competition for their faithful readers. The other day I came across a contest on Chicken and Cheese for the messiest room in your house! Wow, I was so happy to see so many other people had messy houses just like mine! Unfortunately, I missed the deadline on that one, so I couldn't enter. But I didn't miss the deadline on this one...
The Full Mommy is having a contest for two gift certificates to the online toy store KangarooBoo.com. All you have to do is check out their website and post a comment about what toys you liked. :) Cool, I can do that. The toys that I really liked: I love the bib clips - attach a paper napkin and then throw it away! I have a pile of dirty bibs to wash!
And the Swallow Mobile was beautiful for kids or adults. Actually, they had an awesome collection of unique, attractive mobiles. Artsy, not the same old mini stuffed animal crap that they have at every baby store.
And some other favorites: Animal Masks from Morroco and the awesome wooden fire truck complete with not 1, but 2 firemen!
Here's some more information about the store:

KangarooBoo.com offers a wide array of wooden toys, educational toys, battery-free mobiles, and fun & practical products. Their product selections continue to expand literally every day, as well as cool website features (entirely built by Justin).
Grateful for her cancer survival (diagnosed at age 24, merely 10 weeks after their wedding), and mindful of those, especially children, who are still battling or have yet to start the fight, Jennic and Justin hope to help raise funds and awareness for children-related charities through their charity goals and philanthropic efforts. Starting from the first day after opening for business, KangarooBoo.com has donated and will continue to donate a portion of each and every purchase towards the charity of choice of the customer... you pick the charity during the checkout process!

Just Walk Away

So Bug is going through separation anxiety...again. He's four, this shouldn't be happening again and on top of all the other crap I have to deal with but it is. It starts when we begin walking down the hallway to his classroom, he hangs on me. He pulls my pants, my jacket, my shirt, burying his face into me. And then I peel him off of me to hang up his jacket, and I give him a big hug and kiss and tell him I will see in later and that I love him. And have a good day, and go to the window and wave to me when I get outside and all of it falls on deaf ears. He clings to me and cries, "one more hug", "don't leave mommie", etc. I'm filled with mixed emotions and only one option - to walk out the door as quickly as possible and get to work. Don't get me wrong, of course there's a part of me that just wants to scoop him up and take him out for doughnuts at that moment. But there's another part of me that is irritated...stop pulling my shirt, your hand is in my crotch, I've got to go, why do we have to go through this, why is my kid doing this, his little friends look like such good kids - why isn't he?, let go of me! So I walk out and the other mom's dropping off in the hallway look at me and I wonder, do they understand? or do they think my kid is rotten and I'm a terrible mom. But then there's that other part of me that says, free...free at last, no one clinging to me, I'm on my own...for a little while.

A Very Thin, Very Strong Thread

What I feel I have learned as a mother...the list is so long...here's today's topic of choice:

I seriously believe that the "toddler/preschool" age is THE HARDEST PART OF PARENTING (I'm hoping) especially when you've got 2 kids going through it. There is no logic or reasoning with a toddler, they selectively listen, they selectively follow directions, they can do something one day but not 5 min. later, and they don't stay put where you put them (like those cute little babies they once were). They have VERY strong opinions, very loud voices, sharp fingernails, the smelliest poops that never end up in the potty, unending amounts of energy and the ability to grate on every last nerve without even knowing it. I think this time period must miraculously evaporate from parents' minds who have older children. I regularly experience parents of older children, including my own parents and in-laws, looking at me with questioning gazes or moderate annoyance while my child is in the midst of a CODE RED temper tantrum and I am trying every Parents magazine technique for getting a handle on the situation. They seem to forget I'm learning as I go and that I really have no clue how to "make it stop" but I am trying my hardest to raise a good child who feels feel to voice his concerns but also has respect for his elders and isn't spoiled, but doesn't feel restricted or denied, etc. etc. etc. It really is such a thin thread that keeps us, the entire family, from a complete mental breakdown most of the time. But amazingly enough that thin thread must be really, really strong because it hasn't broken yet.

My mom defends Philip Pullman!

My mom and I are both Aries. We are cut from the same cloth in many, many ways. And this, among other things, has caused us to clash regularly and often. But one thing I have been and always will be in awe of is my mom's ability to articulate some deep wisdom. Recently, I got an email from her that included her response to one of her more religiously conservative friend's slam on the upcoming Golden Compass movie. I would include the whole thing her but I'm afraid some Lit student will steal it for an essay, its that good. :) Here's the highlights:

Pullman may indeed be an atheist. His novels, however, while they show organized religion in very negative ways, show that heroism, loyalty, and faithfulness are rewarded. I am not going to rush my little ones to see this movie although I do not think that it would injure them. But when they are old enough to read the books, I'd certainly encourage them to do so. And, we read the Narnia tales until our paperback copies wore out. God's truth is not so weak that it will fall when others speak differently and we can learn things from those other viewpoints.

I'm not sure this little snipet really does her whole argument justice, but it gives you a taste. The discussion reminded me of the quote at the end of Criminal Minds last week:
Fairy tales don't teach children that dragons exist. They already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales teach children that dragons can be slayed. -- G.K.Chesterton

Car Crash - Ouch!

Well T-Dad left for his "boys weekend" on Friday morning. So I was on kid-duty, solo all weekend. I picked the kids up on Friday evening and we went through the Hardees drive-thru for 2 cheeseburgers and an Orange Cream milkshake. Halfway home on Hwy 45, we were just minding our own business, a pick-up truck crashed into the driver's side while we passed the cross street Leverett Rd. We spun around and struck a hwy sign and came to a stop in the ditch. Fortunately, Bug (3 yr) and MealyWorm(1 yr) were buckled into their car seats securely and no one was injured. Milkshake everywhere! Crying kids. Very shaken up Mom. But everything was OK. I talked to the kids and they calmed down, I said "We just got "bumped", but we're okay". Bug was interested when I told him a policeman was going to come check on us. Fortunately, my neighbor happened to be driving by and stopped! He was sooooo wonderful. We got the carseats out of the mangled car and into his van. And he took the kids back to his house to play with his kids. And I stayed to wait for the tow trucks and finish up the police report. The other guys was issued a citation and was totally at fault. The weekend was definately "thrown off" a bit with all that. Fortunately, my awesome neighbors let me borrow their van for the weekend, since I still had no car. (T-Dad wasn't due back until Sunday evening) So the weekend shaped up okay and this morning I got the ball rolling on insurance adjustments, renting a car, etc. What a pain. But thank God, no one was hurt.

Healthy Kids

The kids are back in school today. MealyWorm(1 yr) has been home sick the last 2 days. But yesterday she did a complete turnaround after one of her naps...she woke up happy and active. Today is Wednesday - "Anything Can Happen" Day. From the book Enemy Mine.

Piano is Arriving!

We are getting a piano today! And the kids are both coughing and running a fever! So T-Dad is home with them this morning, awaiting the piano movers. And I will take the afternoon shift. T-Dad's Aunt and Uncle are giving us their piano because they are moving. We struggled with how we were going to get it from their house in the Chicago area to ours. We even rented a U-haul and tried to pick it up a month or so ago, but we weren't prepared for how heavy and delicate a piano is. For some reason we thought he and I would be able to lift it onto a 5x7 trailer (with our 2 toddlers running around) and drive it (45 mph) all the way home. Silly, silly us. So professional movers are delivering it today. I hope for a smooth move. :)

For information on Madeleine McCann

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/Madeleine/

http://gazetadigital.blogspot.com/

http://www.anorak.co.uk/madeleine-mccann/

http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/