Friday morning is normally Daddy & Daughter time, with my two favorite people heading out for fun and adventure. But today I tagged along and enjoyed all the amazing exhibits at the Children's Discovery Museum.
Well, we are rushing into life with a three-year-old at a frantic pace. Its a whirlwind of BIG GIRL things and changes and independence and lots of fun.
Our biggest change of the week - a brand new BIG GIRL bed with no rails! It has no rails! Mom, let's look at my new bed! It has no rails! Its just beautiful! Look, mom, it has no rails!
Also: it has no rails.
A couple of weeks ago during a supposed nap time, my then-two-year-old managed to somehow launch her little self right out of her crib and onto the floor with the loudest thud you've ever heard. I ran into to her room to find her flat on the floor looking shocked and more than a little freaked out.
I was pretty freaked out too, so I held her close and let her sleep on my lap while I came to terms with the fact that the crib was going to have to go.
That's a sad moment for a mama. I remembered when we brought her home from the hospital and she slept in one little corner of that crib. And she just looked so itty bitty. Now, she fills it up with her three-foot-tall frame and her stuffed animals and pillows and blankets.
Although, sometimes when I check on her in the middle of the night, I still find her curled up in the corner of the bed. Oh, my sweet girl.
Anyway. After Janie's high-flying act, we promptly ordered a new bed and it arrived on Wednesday. And it just so happened that Rob was home for lunch so he was able to assemble it before returning to work.
Much to the delight of certain girl who was raising her arms in the air saying, "I'm so excited! A BIG GIRL bed with no rails! Yeah!"
Janie, being a champion sleeper just like her mama, has had no trouble adjusting to her new bed. In fact, she's actually been sleeping a little later in the mornings.
Which: is awesome.
We just won't comment on nap time. Honestly, it should probably be re-named Janie-plays-in-her-room-and-comes-out-every-few-minutes-just-to-make-sure-Mama-still-remembers-that-her-bed-has-no-rails. Sigh.
Janie is loving her new BIG GIRL status. I am too. And I'm proud of her.
Here's a picture of her new BIG GIRL bed:
You'll notice that it has no rails.
This last year has been a big one for my little gal. Full of amazing growth, brand new abilities and the unveiling of her sparkling personality. She's made that transformation from toddler to little girl - and I am loving every minute of it. I'm so proud of her - because some of these changes have been hard. And I'm so impressed with her - because she made them look so easy.
For a very sweet update about my favorite almost-three-year-old, please check out this post by Rob.
Read more...Well, I may have to eat my words, so to speak, when it comes to my earlier claim about the greatest mashed potatoes in the entire world.
Once I saw this blog, doubt began to creep in. Also, my mouth was watering.
I realize now that it's reckless (RECKLESS!) to make such a claim without proper research and testing.
A mistake, I assure you, that will not happen again.
After taking some time to fully investigate this new potato possibility, I will get back to y'all with a full report.
I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but at some point in my life I became a klutz. I don't remember being klutzy as a child. Although maybe the broken arm I suffered while running around the Awana circle should have been my first clue.
I drop things. I spill things. I knock over grocery store displays. I bump into my own furniture. I trip over my own feet. At least once a week I accidentally smear mascara all over my eyelids while applying my make-up.
This phenomenon first became evident to my husband during the first year of our marriage. In an homage to our first address, he began affectionately referring to me as the College Avenue Klutz. A name I'm constantly living up to, no matter how hard I try to be graceful.
We no longer live on College Avenue, but the klutz curse followed me to our new home. And for the past several months our carpet has been offering up a testimony of my klutz-i-ness. In the form of a giant brown stain - the result of a large cup full of soda launching from my hand into a huge, splattery, spectacular mess.
And so, finally, on Wednesday we had our carpets cleaned. We moved every piece of furniture out of the living room - smushing it into the patio, the kitchen, the bathroom. It was a hassle to be sure. And the cost didn't exactly fit into our budget. But, oh the clean carpet was glorious!
It was like walking into a brand new home. The pristine, perfect carpet made everything else look a little bit nicer. Honestly, I spent several minutes just staring at my carpet in sheer and utter awe. It was a thing of beauty.
This afternoon, less than 48 hours after the great carpet cleansing of 2007, I spilled another cup of soda.
The klutz curse lives!
Oh, and I'm no longer allowed to drink soda.
The other night I made one of these for dinner. Now, I'm not saying that this is what Martha Stewart makes for her family or anything. But it was yummy! And easy. And we both had seconds.
So basically, a winner.
And while I'm the topic of food, I have to share the most amazing, delicious recipe for mashed potatoes that I've ever tasted. Which is really saying something, because I love me some carbs and have enjoyed a lot of mashed potatoes in my time.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(courtesy of Robin Miller on Food Network)
4 red potatoes, unpeeled and chopped into small pieces
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine potatoes and garlic. Pour over enough water to cover and set pan on high heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
Drain and return potatoes and garlic to cooking pot. Add buttermilk and mash until large lumps disappear. Folk in parsley, chives, salt and pepper.
Here's what happens when mom's on a conference call and a feisty toddler really wants her attention:
You may be asking yourself, "How did Janie get her hands on an almost completely full bag of marshmallows?"
And the answer would be that her mom practically threw it at her in a desperate attempt to buy a few more minutes of quiet.
1. My new devotional book. I've only done about 5 of the 90 days, but I can already tell this is going to be a great book for me.
2. Big hugs from Janie. While I was carrying her through Target the other day, she moved my hair out of her way, laid her head on my shoulder, sighed and said "I love you." (Honestly, I don't think life can get much better than that.)
3. Rob's new work schedule. There's been some changes at Rob's job. The highlight for me - Rob gets to be home on Sunday nights again - yeah!
4. I recently discovered this little bit of candy perfection - the new mint & dark chocolate version of 3 Musketeers. In the words of the Wiggles - "Yummy, yummy."
5. An empty laundry basket. Seriously. Seeing the empty basket, knowing that everything is washed and dried and put away - it just makes me happy.
6. A successful attempt at a new recipe. Well, hopefully. I'm trying something new tonight - I'll have to let you know if it's a hit or a miss. Fingers crossed!
7. New & returning fall TV shows. Finally! I'm so excited to be reunited with all my old friends... Friday Night Lights, Ugly Betty, Grey's, Survivor. Plus, my new summer favorite, Mad Men, is still going strong.
The other night, while Rob was graciously in the kitchen cleaning up our dinner mess, Janie and I were in the living room having a dance party.
We were getting our groove on to 'Shake, shake, shake... shake, shake, shake... shake your booty.' We really had a good thing going. And then Rob and noticed that Janie was making a weird hand motion. It was definitely not a normal part of Janie's dance repertoire.
She had her hands in front of her, palms down. Then she would move her hands together so that her index fingers were touching, and then move her hands back and forth.
Rob and I laughed and shook our heads, thinking what will this cutie-pie kiddo think of next.
And then we realized, she's doing sign language! She's signing BOOTS!
Poor girl. Like she doesn't have enough reasons to think her mom is a nut. Now I'm dancing around the living room in celebration of fall footwear.
This morning, while working in the 2-year-old class at church, I cleaned up both barf and pee.
To be totally honest, I actually CAUGHT the barf in my HAND and then had to clean it up.
It was mom-instinct. I couldn't help it.
And the offending fluids didn't even belong to my own child.
I can say with certainty that it was the single grossest hour I've experienced so far as a mother.
Okay, so yesterday I got some new clothes for Janie - for free!! Yipee!
Actually, I kind of felt like I was stealing them.
A local department store was having a sale, and (double bonus!) I had a $10 coupon. Plus, my mom got a coupon in the mail too and donated it to me. :)
So, armed with my coupons and some shopping determination, I scoured the racks for good deals. It wasn't all that hard really. The sale was pretty rockin, especially in the kid's area.
Two cute tops and pair of pink pants later, I was back in my car without having to even open my wallet.
I'm not quite sure that giving away their merchandise for free was the intent of the coupon. But a mama on a budget isn't going to say no to free stuff for her growing girl!
Our social calendar was full to the brim last week. It was a whirlwind, to be sure, but a fun one.
Wednesday - Janie and I went out to dinner with my friend Jeannette, who took us to my new favorite all-you-can-eat-salad-bar restaurant - Sweet Tomatoes. So, so yummy.
And honestly, the timing was perfect because I was in desperate need of adult conversation. Janie and I had spent most of the afternoon dancing around to the new Wiggles movie that we had checked out from the library earlier in the day. Those darn Wiggles songs were stuck in my head in a never-ending loop. If you don't know the words and hand movements to "Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles!" then, my friend, you should consider yourself very, very lucky.
Thursday - we went to the fair! The three of us dashed off to the fair as soon as naptime was over. We were just in time for a performance by Hi-5. (At one point, Hi-5 was Janie's ultimate, most-favorite TV show in the entire world. It's now been downgraded to top-five or maybe top-ten status, but for a few brief shining moments they were back in the coveted number one position.) Janie danced and laughed and clapped and had the MOST! FUN! EVER!
We also walked around the fair to smell the yummy fair food (hello - fried stuff!) and check out the animals. Cows and pigs = scary. Rabbits = cute. Climbing on hay bales = irresistible.
Friday - happy anniversary to us! Rob and I celebrated 11 years of happily wedded bliss. Our little family celebrated with night out on the town.
Saturday - to celebrate my parent's anniversary as well as my mom's last weekend before heading back to work, Janie and I drove over to the beach for some Grandma and Grandpa time. The beach conditions were similar to a category 4 hurricane, what with the gazillion-mile-an-hour wind, but it didn't dampen a certain toddler's enthusiasm for THE BEACH! THE SAND! THE WAVES! THE KITES! THE OCEAN! We also got to eat at a gorgeous beach-side restaurant, that was thankfully wind free.
Sunday - after conditioning my hair in an attempt to recover from the wind damage, we made it to church in time to see Rob preaching in big church. (He rocked!) I then proceeded to spend the rest of the day finding various ways to do nothing at all. It was a challenge, y'all. But I conquered it!
We live across the street from a really cool and really big park. It's full of trails and playgrounds and picnic areas and every amazing park thing you can imagine.
Now if you're thinking that this is going to be a post about how I take advantage of the proximity of the nature and the trails and the fresh air by heading to the park everyday and getting my work out groove on, then you would be wrong. So very wrong.
However, there is a group of moms who do a stroller work out in this park. They gather near the toddler park and then head off in a line, doing their lunges and leg lifts while pushing their strollers. In my head, I make fun of them and admire them at the same time. I mean, they look like total weirdos. But on the other hand, at least they are doing something, anything about the baby weight. And I have to give them props for that.
(Quick question - at what point does baby weight just become weight? I'm not sure, but I think I may be getting dangerously close to that point.)
Anyway, not too far from our home is a strip mall with a couple of our favorite restaurants. And sometimes we walk there using a little trail trough the big, beautiful park. A couple of evenings ago, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to stroll on over to our favorite cookie place to get some dessert.
(The walk cancelled out the calories - I'm sure of it. And seriously, you have to try these cookies. They are so worth the walk.)
On on way there, Janie was riding along in her stroller, content to observe the water, the bikes, the ducks. We were almost to our destination, when she wanted out.
And as soon as her little feet hit the pavement, she took off like a rocket. Running with the freedom that only a toddler can enjoy. She ran with abandon. Carefree. Happy. Phoebe-like.
She ran all the way to our destination and all the way home. (With a brief, but tearful, intermission when mom and dad insisted that she hold a hand while we walked along a busy street.)
That's over a mile. Running at top speed. On short little two-year-old legs. She laughed and laughed and did her excited toddler whoo-whoo-whoo!
Rob ran interference, making sure that she was safely away from bikers on the path, and that she didn't veer into the rocky area next to the trail.
And I was in charge of pushing the stroller and trying to keep up with them. Man, that girl is fast.
When we returned home, I was way more exhausted than our little sprinter. I blame my footwear. If I had known the walk would turn into a high-speed toddler chase, I would have traded my oh-so-cute flip-flops for some oh-so-practical tenners.
As I watched her run, it hit me all over again. My baby girl is not a baby girl anymore. She's getting big and bold and has her own ideas about life. For example, why walk when I can run? Why say yes when I can say no? And then say no again? Why be quiet when I can laugh a loud belly laugh? Why take a nap when I can play? Why go down the slide only once when I can do it over and over and over? Why eat vegetables when chocolate chip cookies provide all the nutrition a girl could need? (She may have gotten that last one from me.)
And then this afternoon, during our pre-nap story time, Janie insisted on sitting in her own little chair instead of sitting on my lap. I think I actually gasped out loud and then prayed that it was just a fluke. But tonight, she had the same request. No thank you mom. I don't want to sit on your lap tonight. I'll sit in my own chair.
Is this it? Is her babyhood officially over? Just like that without any warning?
I feel sad. And proud. I'm excited to see what's next. And trying desperately to remember every little detail about every little moment. All at once.
Motherhood is such a big mix of emotions. But as I look at my little girl sleeping so sweetly, I know that I wouldn't trade a single minute of it. Not at all.
About ten years ago, we got a cat. Calvin, an all-black rascally little cat, has been with us ever since. He is now well in old age, but in his prime he was known to leap over the sofa in a single bound. He really loved the hardwood floors in our old College Avenue house - he could run and slide and spin-out like the NASCAR driver that he dreams to be. It was a real blow to him when we moved to our new carpeted condo. I'm not sure that he's ever really recovered.
Calvin currently has two favorite things to do - drink out of the bathroom faucet and sleep on top of the TV. About the first one - yep, if you're heading to the bathroom to do your thing, he'll follow you in and sit on the counter and wait for you to turn the water on. So if you're ever visiting, please don't be offended - he's seen it all.
And about the second one - he will sleep for hours and hours on top of the TV. He will occasionally fall off - inevitably down the back of the TV so that in the course of his (not so) graceful fall he can dislodge as many cables and cords as possible. Which means that if I want more TV (and of course, I do) then I have to brave the land behind the TV which is more than a little dusty and really, really confusing.
His favorite TV-sleeping position involves a long black tail hanging down over the screen. Normally it's not that big of a deal, but he drives Rob crazy with his uncanny ability to cover the scoreboard or the game clock during a big game.
And, in total cat gross-out fashion, he often drools down the front of the screen. Because he's classy like that.
Anyway, this kind of long, random story is all to say that if we were to get a new TV, it would be a huge bummer for Calvin, but kind of awesome for the rest of us.
As luck would have it, the gals at 5 Minutes for Mom are giving away a big and beautiful flat panel TV.
Added benefit to a flat panel TV - no room for a cat on top. The folks at Best Buy should really add that to their marketing material.
If you want to enter, be sure to check out their site before the 17th.
If I were a Simpsons character, I would look like this:
Cool, huh?
To create your own personalized character, check out this cool site.
So, have you ever walked up to your front door, with car keys in hand, and stood there wondering why your door wasn't opening? I mean, there you are, clicking the unlock button on your car remote and everything.
No?
Just me then.
So lately I've been all about cupcakes. Love them. Any excuse to make them and I'm all over it.
Birthdays? Of course, call for cupcakes.
Visiting grandparents? Definitely a cupcake occasion.
Cake mix on sale? It would be a crime (a crime!) not to make cupcakes.
A new cupcake mix by Betty Crocker? What self respecting cupcake lover could walk by this in the store and not by a box or five?
Who cares if the new cupcake mix is just cake mix repackaged. Not me! The mix has just the right amount for one pan of 12 cupcakes. Which, let's face it, is better for my thighs. And the thing that really sold me was that they include 12 little cupcake liners. Too, too perfect!
Oh - and did you know you can substitute applesauce for oil in your recipes? Probably everyone in the world already knew that, but I just found out. This little fact saved me from a complete cupcake disaster and it totally worked. I didn't notice a difference in taste and neither did any of the other picky eaters in my house. Cool!
The cute picture above came from a way cool blog all about cupcakes. I will definitely be checking out this blog for more yummy cupcake ideas.
Oh my gosh y'all! Today we rode on Thomas the Train!
There was a little girl in our home that was SO EXCITED to see Thomas. She woke up talking about it this morning and the day did not disappoint.
Check out Rob's post about our morning for more pictures and scoop.
To: Parents everywhere
If you are in a mall and you happen to see a play area like the one pictured above, please note that this play area is for small children.
It's not for big kids. Not at all.
It's not a race track for big kids to show off their amazing speed or organize a game of tag.
It's not a bounce house where big kids can climb to the top of each piece of equipment and then JUMP! to the ground or JUMP! onto the next piece.
It's not a gymnasium where big kids can practice their tumbling and acrobatic skills.
You may be thinking to yourself... "How will I know if my child is too big for the play area?"
Simply look for the arrow at the entrance to the play area. If your little angel is taller than the arrow, please ask them to take their running, jumping and tumbling talents elsewhere.
Thank you.
What better way to celebrate the many milestones of mommy-hood than with these cool Mama Merit Badges? Your 1,000th diaper change, surviving baby's first shots, dining out with an unruly toddler - the un-sung victories of mamas everywhere.
Note: The very first badge is for breastfeeding - so if you might be offended by a giant embroidered boob, this may not be the link for you. :)
I haven't read any of the books about a certain boy-wizard. Nor have I seen any of the movies.
After seeing this article, I'm thinking it's probably a good thing.
Hi. My name is Danana Banana. And I'm addicted to dryer sheets.
Seriously. I have a problem.
The thing is, I put a new dryer sheet in with every load of laundry. But I never take them back out.
This afternoon, after drying a laundry load containing 6 towels and some assorted socks, I counted 24 dryer sheets just hanging out in the dryer.
I'm not sure why I do this. Because, really, it makes laundry folding a lot more complicated. What with having to inspect every single item of clothing for a stuck-on dryer sheet.
Maybe it's because I want my clothes to be really soft and static-free.
Maybe it's because I'm cheap and want to squeeze every ounce of softening power from each sheet.
Maybe it's because of the funny face Rob makes when he pulls on a t-shirt, only to be confronted by a stray dryer sheet that got stuck inside.
Whatever the reason, I think I've hit rock bottom. I'm ready for an intervention and will be checking myself into dryer sheet rehab.
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates, 1913
In recent months, Janie's use of language has exploded and in turn, she has renamed several of our local hot spots.
- Target is now known as The Circle Store because of the Target logos on every conceivable surface.
- We refer to Chuck E Cheese as Purple Mouse, because, well, he's a mouse and he's purple. (I think he may actually be a rat. Which is gross. So I'm not going to correct her on that one.)
- Michael's is referred to as The Flower Store because of all the colorful fake flowers right inside the front door.
- Party America and Party City are collectively known as The Sticker Store because that's the only reason we go there.
- And perhaps, most appropriately, Toys R Us has been renamed Toys For Us.
Read more...Check out Rob's latest blog about the cute little mermaid living in our house.
Read more...These things... totally work. I think they must actually have a little bit of magic in them.
Of course, to prove this to you, I would have to post before and after pictures of my shower. And, ummm, that's not really going to happen.
So, you'll just have to take my word for it.
Seriously. They rock.
Yesterday, we went to see Janie's doctor for a check-up. It's a good thing they have an awesome fish tank in that waiting room, because we were waiting for one or maybe five hours.
Oh, and did I mention that our appointment was at 11:45?
A toddler in a waiting room for an hour during lunch time. Heaven on earth.
She did remarkably well, considering. The previously mentioned fish tank proved to be this mama's best friend. Janie stood at the end of tank, keeping me appraised of everything she saw. "WOW! FISH! WOW! BUBBLES! WOW! FISH! WOW! WOW!"
Somewhere in the middle of our eternal wait, another little boy came over to the fish tank to see what all the fuss was about. He ended up at the other end of the tank. Janie kept peeking around from her side of the tank to see what he was up to, and they were soon involved in a very giggly game of peek-a-boo.
Words cannot express how adorable it was. And I admit, I was thinking very proud thoughts... "Oh, look at my girl! She's using actual words with someone that's not me or Rob. She's interacting with another child - a stranger. This is huge! I'm so proud of her!"
And then... the little boy decided (as little boys often do) to take it up a notch. Rather than peeking out with a smile and a laugh, he added in a loud lion's ROOOAARRR!
I'm sure his intentions were good. But oh the tears that little boy caused.
The game was over, effective immediately. We spend the rest of our seemingly never-ending waiting time snuggled up in a very uncomfortable plastic chair.
(To his credit, the little boy did come over to apologize for scaring Janie. I'm not sure that Janie appreciated it, but I did.)
Eventually, we saw the doctor, grabbed a quick lunch and had a nap. The trauma of the morning was forgotten and all was well in Janie's world.
That is, until Rob came home. He and I were chatting about our days, and I launched into a very enthusiastic re-telling of our waiting room highs and lows. Complete with a ROOAARRR!
Oh the tears this mama caused.
Thankfully, Rob was there to snuggle our tearful girl on the sofa, offering kind words and lots of marshmallows. And it wasn't long before all was well in Janie's world once again.
Children are paparazzi. They take your picture mentally when you don't want them to, when you don't look good, and show it back to you in their behavior.
- Jamie Lee Curtis, discussing motherhood and out-of-control celebs.
Here are some cool sites I've recently discovered...
Goody blog - all sorts of parenting info, cute clothes and toys, gift ideas, movie reviews - pretty much everything all in one spot.
Cool Mom Picks - the moms who run this site find anything and everything that's cool for moms and kids and post about it here. My current favorite section is Paper Goods.
After church this morning, Janie and I made a quick stop at Safeway. As we wandered the aisles, she sat happily in the cart and kept up a running commentary - pointing out foods (TOAST! PEAS! APPLES!), flowers (RED! PINK! PURPLE!), and the seemingly never ending supply of balloons (POOH! BEARS! ELMO!).
And suddenly, she was quiet for a minute. I looked down to see if everything was okay. And there she was, looking right at me, with a smile and her arms out wide, saying "HUGS! HUGS!"
So we stopped right there, in the middle of the frozen food section, and I leaned into the cart so my sweet baby girl could wrap me up great big bear hug. My heart exploded, just a little bit. And I decided, right then and there, that of all the words Janie has added to her repertoire, 'hugs' is most definitely my favorite.
Over the last couple of days, we've experienced several firsts....
Sunday
Janie had her first scraped knee. Followed closely by a trip to Target for our first box of Care Bear band-aids.
Monday
Our first swim of the summer. And Janie wore her cute new bathing suit for the first time.
After trying it on early in the morning, she loved her cute-bathing-suit-self so much that she wore her bathing suit around the house all morning. She even wore it during speech therapy. Thankfully, I was able to get it off of her with no tears (hers or mine) while she was distracted with a speech therapy toy. But she was all too happy to put it back on after her nap for our big swim. Thanks Grandma for the cute new suit!
Tuesday
Lots of first words...
This morning our family enjoyed the musical extravaganza...
Elmo Makes Music.
For details, please check out Rob's recap.
I'm in a bit of a blogging drought. So I'm totally plagiarizing, umm I mean finding inspiration from, some of my favorite blogs. I saw this meme floating around and thought I would give it a try...
The goal: bare your soul, in the form of your purse contents, for all the world (that means the two of you who read this) to see.
So this is my new red purse. Until this point in my life, the only color purse I've ever owned has been black. Because, really, black is easy when it comes to purses. 95% of the time it will match my shoes. And I'm not the kind of girl who moves her stuff from purse to purse each morning. (And seriously, what would be the point of that when all your purses are black?) But I must have been feeling bold, or sassy, or something when I was shopping, because now I am the proud owner of a cherry red purse.
Maybe my inspiration came from this cool wallet my sister sent from Italy.
Apparently, I love my lips. (TM Larry the Cucumber)
And I love to write stuff.
And I find fresh breath to be important.
I know y'all have found this to be the height of blog entertainment. I mean, really, who isn't fascinated by my favorite brand of breath mint.
So in the interest of keeping the party going, I tag Deanne. With three kiddos, she's got to have some interesting stuff in her purse!
I tried a new recipe tonight.
I'll pause for a minute in case you need to take a moment to recover from your shock at reading that last sentence.
It was yummy and I'll probably make it again. In case you're feeling adventurous, here it is...
Stuff you need:
I recently discovered these little bits of yummy deliciousness at my local Wal-Mart.
And I have to say, if you see them in a store near you, do not hesitate to buy them for your self and your loved ones. Chocolate and strawberry, all smushed yummily together. It's like manna from heaven.
Plus, the strawberry filling counts as a serving of fruit (right?), so you can't go wrong.
All morning Janie has been playing with her purses. She has two: one with a big pink flower, and one that looks like a fluffy Pooh-bear face.
First, she stands in front of her bedroom mirror looking at her cute self with a purse hanging on each arm. Then she runs to stand in front of my bedroom mirror to look at her cute self with a purse hanging on each arm. Then she runs to the living room to do a little dance with a purse hanging on each arm. And repeat. And repeat.
Then she walked up to me, with a very expectant look on her face, and did the sign for 'mouse'.
I said, "Oh, honey, that's not a mouse. You have a big pink flower and a Pooh-bear."
Again the sign for 'mouse'.
"Baby, did you see a mouse? If there is a mouse in this house I will totally freak. Why are you signing 'mouse'?"
Furiously signing 'mouse'.
"Yes, sweetheart, I see that you are signing 'mouse'. I mean, I know that I'm a natural blonde. But really, I'm not getting this."
And then, I'm not sure, but I think she rolled her eyes. Then, a very slow and deliberate sign for 'mouse'.
"Janie, honey, mama is so sorry. I can tell that you are really trying to tell me something. But I'm just not understanding. Gosh, that must be really frustrating."
She looked at me with an exasperated look, put down her purses and walked into her room. I stood in the hallway feeling a little bit like the worst mother ever. I prayed for understanding. I prayed for her voice to miraculously begin working right now. I prayed that she wouldn't remember this moment.
Then Janie returned, carrying her current most-favorite-book-in-the-whole-world, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. She pointed at Lilly on the cover of the book.
Lilly is a mouse. Carrying a purse.
Ooohhhh.
So we sat on the floor in the hallway and read all about Lilly and her purple plastic purse. And we laughed about silly mommy who wasn't able to see the dancing, purse-holding Lilly standing right in front of her.
Thank you Janie for not giving up!
Today we went to the Easter egg hunt at the park. It was the cutest thing.
Last year, Janie picked up two eggs. And that was it. I mean, once you have one egg for each hand, what's the point of continuing?
This year, she more than doubled her egg count at five! (Plus, she got to wear the little bunny ears that we found in the $1 section at Target.)
Way to go, my little bunny!
From Rob's blog:
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so janie and i were having some solo dinner time tonight at her favorite place: baja fresh.
she eats their rice like cookie monster eats cookies:
like a savage.
she grabs it by the handfuls and jams it into her mouth-
and of course- it gets on her cheeks, in her hair and tonight-
one grain of rice went half way into her nostril.
so- being the shameless dad-
i tried to pick it out-
which made her laugh- loud and hard.
unfortunately, my efforts didn’t help much-
it only drove that little kernel of rice further up her nose.
i got desperate.
i pulled out the little plastic baby fork from her baby-bag
and shamelessly started to dig for that grain of rice!
that made her wiggle and laugh even more-
it was at that moment that i realized:
i’m in a public restaurant, digging a piece of rice out of my daughter’s nose-
and she is making a loud laughing sound.
“janie sit still!” i said “dad is trying to dig rice out of your nose!”
i couldn't help but laugh myself as i was digging.
well, when jane is laughing, and then i start laughing,
she starts laughing uncontrollably- squealing
and she does what a lot of people do when they laugh uncontrollably:
she snorts.
and at the table tonight, while she was laughing, she did a loud laughing snort.
“oh no!” i thought-
then i looked up her nose- no rice!
“janie! YOU SNORTED THE RICE!” i said loudly-
the scene that we had made only got bigger-
and her laughter got wilder and louder-
she does it to embarrass me- i know it.
needless to say- we left soon after that- laughing all the way.
My daughter - my sweet, loving, smart, beautiful, sensitive, generous, funny daughter - just learned two new words! The sweetest sounding words in the whole wide world...
Mmmmmaa - that's for me, mama
aaaDaa - that's for Rob, daddy
All the silly speech therapy games are working! She's making new sounds and putting new letter sounds together to make words.
It's God's grace all over my baby girl and I'm so happy. I'm so proud of her - I'm just bursting at the seams.
Thank you Jesus.
Sometimes I have a hard time finding things in my day that are post-worthy. Do you know what I mean? Here are some of the posts I considered (and then rejected) throughout the week...
Blown away
Deep thoughts about my new ceiling fan
Snot again
Just like clockwork, on the Tuesday morning after attending Sunday school, Janie is sick
What were they thinking?
Top ten punishments for parents who send their sick kids to Sunday school
Attack of the playground equipment
Clumsy moms who injure themselves while playing with their toddler on the toddler-sized play structure at the park
Two important things I've learned this week:
1. Always check the pockets of your husband's pants before throwing them into the washer.
2. Cell phones and washing machines are not a good combo.
So Janie's new favorite song is The Freeze. It's a cute song that we discovered during playtime at Gymboree, and Rob tracked it down on a pretty obscure (read: not available on iTunes) CD. It's a full-on dance number, and at various intervals, dancers are supposed to... you guessed it - FREEZE!
According to Janie, the best way to enjoy this musical event is to bop around in a circle to the beat. Bop around the dining room table. Bop around the ottoman in her bedroom. Or just bop around the living room. The experience can be taken to a whole new level with the addition of maracas or tambourines. And of course, it's only truly fun if mom and dad bop around with her.
Rob and I willingly comply, of course. And if you could peek in our windows throughout the evening you would see us bopping around in a circle, shaking our maracas like crazy people and freezing into some very silly poses.
It just occured to me however, that if you really did peek in our windows, you probably wouldn't be able to see Janie enjoying this music and dance extravaganza. She's less than three feet tall and that means she's below the windowsill and can't be seen.
So to our neighbors it must look like Rob and I enjoy bopping around the house while shaking maracas and stopping to stike a pose. Just the two of us. Gosh, they must think we're wierd!
Is that Nicole Richie? Nope - it's my little celebrity-in-training! Janie loves to wear sunglasses, and like any good super star, she wears them indoors too. I mean, it's important to look our best while shopping for diapers, right?
We're on the mend! The sneezing, sniffling and coughing are almost a thing of the past. Yahoo!
And my toe is much better. Maybe it wasn't broken after all. Just massively stubbed. Did I mention I have a seriously low pain tolerance? Good thing I didn't go to the emergency room. :)
Speaking of emergency rooms, here is a blog that Rob wrote today that made me laugh...
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so- a couple of months ago, i came back from lunch thinking, "OW! my chest hurts!"
it hurt so bad I went home for the day. i took a bunch of advils and went to sleep.
i woke up at like seven and i was still in massive chest pain.
deanna called the help nurse and they thought i might have heart arrhythmia-
they thought i should come in right away.
but i didn't.
i went back to sleep- hoping it was some sort of asthma attack or something that would go away.
i woke up at 2am- STILL having chest pains. i was a little scared- was this a heart attack?
i drove myself to the ER.
i was the only one there.
it still took forever.
they hooked me up to a heart machine, but my heart looked fine.
they listened to my lungs, but they sounded fine.
they kept asking me, "from one to ten, how bad is your pain?"
i would say "like 5- but its chest pain, isn't that a bad thing?"
so they got a doctor to see me. he was super cool.
he asked me all of the questions that the nurses asked me and listened to my heart just like they did.
then he asked, "umm, can I poke you in the ribs?"
"go for it" I said. and he did.
i said "AAAACK! WHOA! what the HECK WAS THAT?!"
he asked me "did you lift anything today?"
and I was like "I DID!"
I was in our cluttery youth closet and there was a table that i wanted that was against the wall.
I didn't want to clear a path to the wall, so I reached over:
kajabi-ropes,
earth balls,
hockey sticks,
water balloon launchers,
un-mixed-jell-o,
cart with seats attached to them,
and fog machines to get to it.
then I lifted the heavy table over all of the clutter
and in mid-lift I thought to myself,
"I think I hurt myself."
and I did.
I pulled a little muscle in between my ribs-
hence the level 5 pain-
no asthma-
no heart arrhythmia or heart attack-
just a tiny pulled muscle.
ok- fast forward to today.
my little girl is a dare-devil.
she doesn't care if she is being thrown 10 feet in the air
or swung around by her ankles or wrists-
its all good. she's wild.
so today I was swinging her around in her room and
PINCH!
that little rib muscle ripped again-
"AAAAAAAH!"
I screamed and handed her to deanna-
I slowly dropped the the ground face down-
"OWWWW!" "I'M IN PAIN!" I yelled-
i was hamming it up a little-
chris farley style.
janie was laughing from the spinning- and seeing me writhe in pain sent her into hysterics-
and if you've ever heard a 2-year old bust up laughing- its hilarious-
the instant cure for depression.
its funnier than laughing gas.
so then deanna started laughing hysterically- all the while, yours truly on the ground in semi-agony.
"deanna- stop laughing at me! I'M IN PAIN!" i said-
"i…can't…stop!"
"janie…is…cracking…me…up!" said deanna with tears in her eyes.
so deanna was cracking up-
which made janie laugh until she was snorting
and it all made me moan louder and bang my feet against the floor.
so in the end,
my hurt rib-muscle led to a funny memory.
the end?
Janie is sick. Rob is sick. I am sick. We are all a bunch of sniffling, sneezing, coughing sickos!
Oh. And I think I broke my toe.
I've been tagged! Thanks, Deanne, for giving me something to post about!
The rules of the game:
1. Find the nearest book to you.
2. Name the book and author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
5. Copy out the next 3 sentences and post to your blog.
6. Tag three other people.
Okay, so technically the nearest book to me is the Sudoku book that I work on while Rob is watching basketball - but I don't think that will work! The next closest book is Claire Fontaine Crime Fighter - A novel of life and death and shoes by Tracy Enright. (I forget, am I supposed to underline book titles or italicize them?) I haven't started reading this one yet - I just picked it up from the library - and am unfamiliar with the author. But I was intrigued by the title (hello! it's about shoes!) and after reading page 123, I'm even more intrigued.
This week I've been cleaning and organizing Janie's room. We took three bags of baby stuff to a local consignment store and dropped off some of the nicer toys with a friend whose 8-month-old will thoroughly enjoy them.
So at Bible study today I brought The Food. And you know what, it turned out great! After seeing some strawberries on sale, I decided to bring the yummy fruit dip. It was a big hit, and not only that.... (drum roll, please)... they even asked for the recipe!! I did it! I'm in The Food club!
Read more...
Have you ever said one of those prayers that just sounds crazy? Well, it turns out that God likes to be a little crazy sometimes too. And I know it shouldn't surprise me when He does amazing, miraculous things - but somehow it always does. Here's the story...
Okay, so if any of you are in a Bible study or any type of women's thing at a church - you know about The Food. At every meeting, there's always food. And everyone has to take turns bringing food. And the food is always homemade and delicious. And everyone always says "Oh goodness, this food is sooo delicious, I simply must have the recipe." Except... for when it's my turn.
A couple of months ago it was my turn to bring The Food for my table at Bible study. Any by some weird coincidence, it was also my turn to work in the nursery that morning - double whammy. (That meant that I had to arrive at Bible study 15 minutes earlier. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you're trying to get somewhere early in the morning with a toddler, 15 minutes is a huge deal.) It was a frantic week and I forgot about The Food until the night before. It was too late to make anything and my cupboards were bare. Great - that meant I had to leave even earlier to pick up something on my way.
I could have gone to the grocery store, but noooo - I committed the cardinal sin in bringing The Food... donuts. Yes, I brought donuts to Bible study. Shock! Gasp! It's not homemade! There's no recipe to share! Personally, I love a good donut. It's round, delicious yumminess. My favorite donut is the chocolate one with the colored sprinkles on top. Followed closely by the chocolate old-fashioned. But apparently, not everyone shares my love of this perfect breakfast food. Here's what happened...
I pull up to the donut store, scramble out of the car, gather my delightful daughter out of her car seat and rush into the store. Wait, wait, wait. Finally it's my turn and I get a dozen. (Side note - did donuts suddenly get way more expensive? Sheesh.) Grab some juice out of the display case and quickly pay. I pick up a toddler with one arm, balance the box of donuts on the other, hold the bag with the juice with one finger and carefully make my way to the car. Put Janie back in the car seat, find a place for the delicious donuts and then drive as fast as I can to the church. Then, repeat everything in reverse, balancing my precious possessions as I walk up three flights of stairs to get to the Bible study room. I find my table, drop off The Food and breathe a huge sigh of relief. I did it! I brought The Food! And I made it on time! I felt like a Bible study superstar.
After two hours in a room full of two-year-olds I returned to my table to say hi to some of the ladies. That's when I discovered it... an almost completely full box of donuts still sitting in the middle of the table. Only one donut was missing! Ten ladies at the table - only one ate a donut! The Food was a disaster. I felt like a disaster. I mean, I know that they weren't rejecting me when they rejected my donuts, but it sure felt like it.
So, next week it's my turn again and I'm totally feeling the pressure. There will definitely be no donuts. I've been thinking of making these muffins. They looked delicious when Giada made them on TV, but it would be a risky move since I've never made them before. I could also bring some fruit with this yummy dip. It would probably be a winner, but I'm feeling the need to bring something really amazing to make up for the Donut Disaster of '06.
I'm putting too much thought into this, I know. The whole point of Bible study is not to impress each other or show off our mad cooking skills. I don't have to feel insecure about myself as a woman, a wife, or a mother just because the ladies didn't eat The Food. In reality, my security, my significance comes from the Lord. He knows me, he loves me and he gave me the strengths that he wants me to have. I may not be able to (or have the desire to) whip up a fantastic breakfast pastry, but I know that I have other things to offer at my Bible study table. So even though it's The Food, it's really just food. Maybe this realization is why I need to keep going to Bible study!
With just a week to go before Valentine's Day I've been thinking a lot about the people I love and all the things that make me happy...
This is just the beginning. I can't wait to add lots more to this list throughout the week. Happy hearts day everyone!
Read more...Okay - so this is my first ever blog, my first ever anything like this. I've never even kept a diary or a journal! I confess, I'm a total bloiterer - I read lots and lots of blogs, but hardly ever post. But my friend Deanne (of Fragile Flower fame) said that creating a blog really helped her to feel more connected to friends and in touch with the world. Inspiring! And because I am sadly lacking when it comes to keeping in touch with just about everyone - I'm jumping in with both feet, so to speak. :)
This is it - my grand entrance into the wide world of web! Yeah! I can't promise that my posts will be witty or life-changing - just the thoughts and ramblings of a woman trying to be the fantastic wife, mother and friend that I wish I could be. I'm excited! This is going to be fun...
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