I have a lot to blog about! But, time is fleeting so I'm not going to - not just yet. I'm just letting you all know that it's coming, just as soon as I have my head together enough to spit out all of my stories.
I'll update you on the "Mama Wants Her Body Back" diet. So far, it's not getting stellar reviews from me, but maybe I'll adjust.
I'm sewing Snow White dresses - I'll tell you all about my adventures with the serger. Um, I'm learning!
Tomorrow we are going to Disneyland! Yay! And the weather will be cooler. It was 109 two days last week, over 100 every day. Tomorrow its only supposed to be 85 for the high and this morning the cool air feels so wonderful! Only 78 outside right now.
Libby's first birthday is tomorrow, the 30th. We're having her party (just us) on Friday.
My dog is almost out of thyroid pills, remind me to call the vet would ya?
Gracie has been saying some really funny things lately. The kind of things that make you stop and laugh and appreciate the innocence and wonder of a child. She's just a hoot!
I went to the DMV and spent an afternoon. Oh Lordy, have I got another DMV adventure to tell you about! That place is a looney bin for sure!
My husband remembered his keys yesterday and today! The signs are still up and they are working! Aren't I a good wife?
I've had some cell phone issues. I ended up getting a new phone, but its the same piece of crap as the old one. Can't wait for my contract to be up so I can upgrade my hardware. Next time, I'm getting the top of the line!
Spent an afternoon with Lexie, no rabbit or extra critters came with her this time. But she did dance in Gracie's ballet class. Can't wait to upload my pictures!
I planned and canceled a trip to Napa.
See, I have lots to tell you, but I don't have much extra time to sort it all out and type it up. Just a teaser for today! Now it's back to my sewing room to finish those dresses for tomorrow! I'm excited that the girls will look so cute at Disneyland!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hey, Mr. Forgetful, Got Keys?
My husband, affectionately known as "Mr. Forgetful", has a few essentials that he cannot live without during his workday: Classroom keys, Cell Phone, and Bluetooth. On Thursdays he also needs his bag of college teaching materials. Most mornings when he is ready to leave, car or motorcycle keys in hand, we have the same discussion:
Him: What am I forgetting?
Me: Keys, Phone, Bluetooth?
Him: (pats himself in all the right places) Yup, Yup, Yup
Me: Bye!
Him: Bye!
Some mornings, we don't go through the list. Like today for instance...
He apparently remembered his cell phone because he called and said "*$#!@(% I =$%^#!@? forgot my %&(@#$$#! keys! #@!$%&!)*!" I did my wifely duty and sympathized, "aww". I held in the giggles.
And then, I got a bright idea! I'll help the guy out! After all, he's forgotten his keys countless times this school year already, and school has been in session for what - three weeks? Not to mention last week when he forgot his bag and I drove the 45 miles to his school to give it to him.
While I was making the "Got Keys?" signs, I found his bluetooth sitting right there by the computer. Hahahaha!
*Update* I hung a total of six signs and I have one ready to stick in his truck and one to rest on his motorcycle. I also left the word document up on his computer screen (I had to use his because one of the runts unplugged my printer and now it's not recognizing the network).
He came home from work and noticed one of the signs on his way in, he walked all the way in to get his hugs from the kids, then he turned around to go back out to his "Man Room" and that's when he saw the rest of them! He smirked. He gave me that look that says, "Smarty Pants". I said "I'm helping! Isn't that why you called me?" He said, "Thanks, Honey".
He hasn't taken down any of his signs. I think that's so funny! He's not one bit angry or insulted, he's laughing at my helpful antics - after all, he was just asking for it!!! Hahaha!
Him: What am I forgetting?
Me: Keys, Phone, Bluetooth?
Him: (pats himself in all the right places) Yup, Yup, Yup
Me: Bye!
Him: Bye!
Some mornings, we don't go through the list. Like today for instance...
He apparently remembered his cell phone because he called and said "*$#!@(% I =$%^#!@? forgot my %&(@#$$#! keys! #@!$%&!)*!" I did my wifely duty and sympathized, "aww". I held in the giggles.
And then, I got a bright idea! I'll help the guy out! After all, he's forgotten his keys countless times this school year already, and school has been in session for what - three weeks? Not to mention last week when he forgot his bag and I drove the 45 miles to his school to give it to him.
While I was making the "Got Keys?" signs, I found his bluetooth sitting right there by the computer. Hahahaha!
*Update* I hung a total of six signs and I have one ready to stick in his truck and one to rest on his motorcycle. I also left the word document up on his computer screen (I had to use his because one of the runts unplugged my printer and now it's not recognizing the network).
He came home from work and noticed one of the signs on his way in, he walked all the way in to get his hugs from the kids, then he turned around to go back out to his "Man Room" and that's when he saw the rest of them! He smirked. He gave me that look that says, "Smarty Pants". I said "I'm helping! Isn't that why you called me?" He said, "Thanks, Honey".
He hasn't taken down any of his signs. I think that's so funny! He's not one bit angry or insulted, he's laughing at my helpful antics - after all, he was just asking for it!!! Hahaha!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Skipping Library Preschool Storytime
Like mother, like daughter. Skipping school at age 3! Wonder where she learned that!
Yesterday I took the girls with me to Azusa for my diet check-in. Azusa is 65 miles away on some of the busiest freeways in California. Which means we drove 15 miles and hour on some stretches, when we were moving along. To be fair, we hit 60 mph a few times too. Caught myself speeding along at the posted speed limit a couple of times closer to home!
It was a long drive there, and a boring checkup as far as the littles were concerned, followed by a long boring drive home. You know what happens when they are strapped down and riding in those big comfy carseats for long periods of time? They sleep!
This creates a domino sleep effect. Since they napped, and Gracie in particular since she doesn't normally nap, they couldn't fall asleep at bedtime. Or, anytime near bedtime. Not even close to bedtime! Sleeping all day does that to you.
Libby went down for the night around 11pm. Two hours later than her normal bedtime. Gracie, oh my goodness, the child could not sleep. She was still awake at 2am when I finally gave up and went to bed and left her laying in her bed in the dark, eyes wide open. But, she was laying still and being quiet. Good enough at that hour.
As soon as I got horizontal, Libby woke up. Have I ever mentioned that my babies don't sleep through the night? I don't make those kind of babies! Laid my head on the pillow again at 2:45. Libby woke up again at 4am. There's something about 4am that wakes the kidlets. I was hoping the 2am waking would get us through it, but no. Got back to bed at 4:30 with a little cuddle monster in the middle.
4:30 am and I've had just over an hour of sleep so far. *yawn*
6:00 comes around pretty quick. Hubby's alarm was going. He wasn't. Why he sets his alarm for 6am when he never gets up till almost 7am is beyond me. I smacked him a few times and went back to sleep. At 7ish, we were all up and outa bed. For some reason, I didn't feel like I was ready for the day. Gee, wonder why.
Oh, I know! The carseat naps!
I let Gracie sleep in till 9am today, but she wasn't in a great mood. In fact, her cute little toddler face was scowling at the morning sun. Library storytime is at 10:30 but by 10am, she just wasn't ready. I decided to skip running around sleep deprived with cranky kids. Messing up the sleep pattern gives everyone a short fuse and I don't think the librarian would appreciate us much, as amusing as we are when we are frumpy and frustrated and befuddled.
Let's just skip it and lay around in our jammies!
Yesterday I took the girls with me to Azusa for my diet check-in. Azusa is 65 miles away on some of the busiest freeways in California. Which means we drove 15 miles and hour on some stretches, when we were moving along. To be fair, we hit 60 mph a few times too. Caught myself speeding along at the posted speed limit a couple of times closer to home!
It was a long drive there, and a boring checkup as far as the littles were concerned, followed by a long boring drive home. You know what happens when they are strapped down and riding in those big comfy carseats for long periods of time? They sleep!
This creates a domino sleep effect. Since they napped, and Gracie in particular since she doesn't normally nap, they couldn't fall asleep at bedtime. Or, anytime near bedtime. Not even close to bedtime! Sleeping all day does that to you.
Libby went down for the night around 11pm. Two hours later than her normal bedtime. Gracie, oh my goodness, the child could not sleep. She was still awake at 2am when I finally gave up and went to bed and left her laying in her bed in the dark, eyes wide open. But, she was laying still and being quiet. Good enough at that hour.
As soon as I got horizontal, Libby woke up. Have I ever mentioned that my babies don't sleep through the night? I don't make those kind of babies! Laid my head on the pillow again at 2:45. Libby woke up again at 4am. There's something about 4am that wakes the kidlets. I was hoping the 2am waking would get us through it, but no. Got back to bed at 4:30 with a little cuddle monster in the middle.
4:30 am and I've had just over an hour of sleep so far. *yawn*
6:00 comes around pretty quick. Hubby's alarm was going. He wasn't. Why he sets his alarm for 6am when he never gets up till almost 7am is beyond me. I smacked him a few times and went back to sleep. At 7ish, we were all up and outa bed. For some reason, I didn't feel like I was ready for the day. Gee, wonder why.
Oh, I know! The carseat naps!
I let Gracie sleep in till 9am today, but she wasn't in a great mood. In fact, her cute little toddler face was scowling at the morning sun. Library storytime is at 10:30 but by 10am, she just wasn't ready. I decided to skip running around sleep deprived with cranky kids. Messing up the sleep pattern gives everyone a short fuse and I don't think the librarian would appreciate us much, as amusing as we are when we are frumpy and frustrated and befuddled.
Let's just skip it and lay around in our jammies!
Friday, September 18, 2009
My Lovely Lady Lumps
I'm kissing my well-earned mama curves goodbye. Starting on Monday I will begin a diet and exercise program as part of a university weight loss study. It will have rules, strict diet guidelines, an exercise schedule, and accountability. I have to get weighed and measured a few times during the study, which lasts for 12 weeks.
As much as I hate to admit it, I've grown pudgy and soft around the middle. Actually, I like the extra weight in my face. I look a lot healthier than I ever did in my younger years. But, my muffin top has turned into a cake top!
I think my girth widened back when I was in my mid to late 30s and I had a cubicle job. Sitting in a cubicle day after day after day really changed my figure! Then in my 40s I had two babies. And the weight didn't just fall right off like it did in my 20s. Imagine that.
My husband took part in a weight loss study with this same University two or three years ago. That study was a two-week diet and exercise study and I participated unofficially alongside him. He lost ten pounds and I lost eight. Since then, we've added another little daughter and more fluff to my figure. But, I've proven to myself that I can follow a supervised plan and meet accountability expectations. I have my hopes up that I can do well on this study too.
Since I'm going to start dieting on Monday, I've got all weekend to eat the good stuff! I asked my husband to take me out to dinner this weekend and I'm really going to enjoy it! The whining begins in three short days!
As much as I hate to admit it, I've grown pudgy and soft around the middle. Actually, I like the extra weight in my face. I look a lot healthier than I ever did in my younger years. But, my muffin top has turned into a cake top!
I think my girth widened back when I was in my mid to late 30s and I had a cubicle job. Sitting in a cubicle day after day after day really changed my figure! Then in my 40s I had two babies. And the weight didn't just fall right off like it did in my 20s. Imagine that.
My husband took part in a weight loss study with this same University two or three years ago. That study was a two-week diet and exercise study and I participated unofficially alongside him. He lost ten pounds and I lost eight. Since then, we've added another little daughter and more fluff to my figure. But, I've proven to myself that I can follow a supervised plan and meet accountability expectations. I have my hopes up that I can do well on this study too.
Since I'm going to start dieting on Monday, I've got all weekend to eat the good stuff! I asked my husband to take me out to dinner this weekend and I'm really going to enjoy it! The whining begins in three short days!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sewing Class - Let the serging begin!
I went to a sewing class at JoAnn Fabrics the other day. I was the best student there! Top of the class! Star Student! Teacher's Pet! Yeah, yeah, you guessed that right, I was the only one there. The One-on-One was great though.
Before the class, I thought I should at least try out my new serger and see if I could familiarize myself with it before I go to the class. I figured I should do my homework so I don't walk in totally dense. The machine was all threaded and set up with a scrap in the feed when I got it. I hadn't touched a thing.
I looked it over, fiddled with a few things, reviewed the manual. Then I did it. I stepped on the gas.... Oh baby! I grabbed another scrap to run through the machine. Wow!
I ran out and got some cute printed fabrics and some new patterns - sundresses for the little girls. After getting them all cut out, I whipped up a sundress in lime green with Tinkerbell all over it for Gracie. The serger was smooth as butter!
I used the 4 colors of threads that came on the machine. Are you kidding me? I wasn't going to attempt to even think about finding the thread trails! Four colored seams are just fine for practice. They weren't perfect, but I'm a newbie.
I had my issues. I was having trouble sewing curves. Wondered a thing or two about when you get into this situation or that. Hmmm, good, now I know what types of questions to ask when I go to class. Good. Here is my practice dress:
As you can see, it's a bit wide. Ok, it's really wide! I followed the pattern! I ended up taking it all apart and skinnying it up enough to fit. Looks about the same on a hanger, but it does fit. I have another dress cut out and ready to serge.
When I was in class, I did ask my questions. The instructor/saleslady was glad I asked and she said they were good questions.
Before I could do anything in the class, the lady checked out my machine. I had to take my own machine to the store, accessories and all. It was a lot to lug around, but whatever. She checked it out and said it was in pristine condition, probably only a few seams ever ran through it. Mechanically it was in perfect shape and it sewed like a dream. Really! A Dream!
She discussed the mechanics of the machine, terminology, how to oil it, etc. We talked about what types of needles to use, how to replace them and the light bulb, what kinds of threads and fabrics to use, how and when to change all the settings. Fun stuff.
Then we went over threading. The serger has 4 cones of thread to weave in out under around and through all sorts of gizmos and hookymajings. She showed me a couple of times how all the threads go here, there, here, there, don't forget that one, this one over that one or you'll screw it up... Ok. Then she cut off the threads, pulled them out and said it was my turn! Ack!
Guess what, I did it just fine. So I threaded the machine three times for her and she said that I was ready for the next class, which is how to coverstitch. I forgot to ask how to do a rolled hem, so I will consult my instructional dvd and see if I can figure it out on my own.
For now, I have a great start on how to use my machine and I am not as intimidated by it. I'm ready to make Snow White costumes for the girls! Wonder if I can get them done before our next trip to Disneyland? Hmmm... that might be asking a lot.
Before the class, I thought I should at least try out my new serger and see if I could familiarize myself with it before I go to the class. I figured I should do my homework so I don't walk in totally dense. The machine was all threaded and set up with a scrap in the feed when I got it. I hadn't touched a thing.
I looked it over, fiddled with a few things, reviewed the manual. Then I did it. I stepped on the gas.... Oh baby! I grabbed another scrap to run through the machine. Wow!
I ran out and got some cute printed fabrics and some new patterns - sundresses for the little girls. After getting them all cut out, I whipped up a sundress in lime green with Tinkerbell all over it for Gracie. The serger was smooth as butter!
I used the 4 colors of threads that came on the machine. Are you kidding me? I wasn't going to attempt to even think about finding the thread trails! Four colored seams are just fine for practice. They weren't perfect, but I'm a newbie.
I had my issues. I was having trouble sewing curves. Wondered a thing or two about when you get into this situation or that. Hmmm, good, now I know what types of questions to ask when I go to class. Good. Here is my practice dress:
As you can see, it's a bit wide. Ok, it's really wide! I followed the pattern! I ended up taking it all apart and skinnying it up enough to fit. Looks about the same on a hanger, but it does fit. I have another dress cut out and ready to serge.
When I was in class, I did ask my questions. The instructor/saleslady was glad I asked and she said they were good questions.
Before I could do anything in the class, the lady checked out my machine. I had to take my own machine to the store, accessories and all. It was a lot to lug around, but whatever. She checked it out and said it was in pristine condition, probably only a few seams ever ran through it. Mechanically it was in perfect shape and it sewed like a dream. Really! A Dream!
She discussed the mechanics of the machine, terminology, how to oil it, etc. We talked about what types of needles to use, how to replace them and the light bulb, what kinds of threads and fabrics to use, how and when to change all the settings. Fun stuff.
Then we went over threading. The serger has 4 cones of thread to weave in out under around and through all sorts of gizmos and hookymajings. She showed me a couple of times how all the threads go here, there, here, there, don't forget that one, this one over that one or you'll screw it up... Ok. Then she cut off the threads, pulled them out and said it was my turn! Ack!
Guess what, I did it just fine. So I threaded the machine three times for her and she said that I was ready for the next class, which is how to coverstitch. I forgot to ask how to do a rolled hem, so I will consult my instructional dvd and see if I can figure it out on my own.
For now, I have a great start on how to use my machine and I am not as intimidated by it. I'm ready to make Snow White costumes for the girls! Wonder if I can get them done before our next trip to Disneyland? Hmmm... that might be asking a lot.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Oh, Look! A Swimming Pool! Just my size!
Libby is 11 months old now and crawls faster than I can run, which is how I end up losing sight of her countless times during the day. But, she can't go far and the house is close to babyproof. Pretty close.
She was crawling around the racetrack, doing her laps through the kitchen, dining room and family room when I lost sight of her. But I heard her, she was happily chattering away. Pause. Fussing now. In the meantime I had freed up my arms and finished helping Gracie, so I went to see what the fuss was about while I hoped she wasn't sucking on cleaners under the kitchen sink.
This is how I found her: grinning with her big cheesy grin, sitting in the dog's water dish, stuck. She went swimming!
Our dog uses a red igloo 6-pack cooler for her waterdish. And we keep her food and water in the kitchen to prevent ants and other critters from moving in on her feeding area. Which apparently is a perfect place for an 11 mth old to sit and get stuck.
I couldn't help but laugh! There she was sitting in the dog water! Grinning! Of course I didn't rescue her right away; I ran for my camera! Then I drug the baby stuffed water cooler over to the sink to minimize drippage and lifted her out. It was then that I noticed the rest of the mess.
Oh yes. She pooped! And there I am holding up a sopping wet poop dripping laughing baby! Oh the mess! If it wasn't so funny I would have moaned and groaned about it. It's that grin that gets me! I can't scold her when she flashes that funny face!
Now that she knows the little swimming pool is there, she tries to climb in. I have been catching her before she gets her little padded butt down into the water but the child is fast! She usually gets a leg in before I can catch up to her. I finally wised up and moved the cooler up off of the floor, but then I have to remember to set it down again for the dog.
She was crawling around the racetrack, doing her laps through the kitchen, dining room and family room when I lost sight of her. But I heard her, she was happily chattering away. Pause. Fussing now. In the meantime I had freed up my arms and finished helping Gracie, so I went to see what the fuss was about while I hoped she wasn't sucking on cleaners under the kitchen sink.
This is how I found her: grinning with her big cheesy grin, sitting in the dog's water dish, stuck. She went swimming!
Our dog uses a red igloo 6-pack cooler for her waterdish. And we keep her food and water in the kitchen to prevent ants and other critters from moving in on her feeding area. Which apparently is a perfect place for an 11 mth old to sit and get stuck.
I couldn't help but laugh! There she was sitting in the dog water! Grinning! Of course I didn't rescue her right away; I ran for my camera! Then I drug the baby stuffed water cooler over to the sink to minimize drippage and lifted her out. It was then that I noticed the rest of the mess.
Oh yes. She pooped! And there I am holding up a sopping wet poop dripping laughing baby! Oh the mess! If it wasn't so funny I would have moaned and groaned about it. It's that grin that gets me! I can't scold her when she flashes that funny face!
Now that she knows the little swimming pool is there, she tries to climb in. I have been catching her before she gets her little padded butt down into the water but the child is fast! She usually gets a leg in before I can catch up to her. I finally wised up and moved the cooler up off of the floor, but then I have to remember to set it down again for the dog.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Trying to Walk
The other day, Libby could not push her little walking toy. The next day, she woke up and was determined to do it! Today she is pushing it around with ease.
The morning that she worked so hard at mastering her push-cart, I grabbed my camera and shot some short little videos. I didn't clean up the house before whipping out the camera, you get to see toys and shoes everywhere. You know what that means? It means I think you are special.... awwww....
I think she would be showing off her toddling skills more if we had carpet. The hardwood floors are no fun when you fall down. I kind of think our floors are causing Libby to be more cautious. Not a bad thing!
Now, if I can figure out how to load the video, I will show you her new toddling skills! The push-cart toy is named "Beeka"; we don't know why; it just is. Here is Libby pushing Beeka:
The morning that she worked so hard at mastering her push-cart, I grabbed my camera and shot some short little videos. I didn't clean up the house before whipping out the camera, you get to see toys and shoes everywhere. You know what that means? It means I think you are special.... awwww....
I think she would be showing off her toddling skills more if we had carpet. The hardwood floors are no fun when you fall down. I kind of think our floors are causing Libby to be more cautious. Not a bad thing!
Now, if I can figure out how to load the video, I will show you her new toddling skills! The push-cart toy is named "Beeka"; we don't know why; it just is. Here is Libby pushing Beeka:
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Great Accomplishment Friday - Ch. 3
Chapter 3
Shoe Shopping & More
First of all, I can't believe it will take me three days to tell you all I got done on one hot day while toting around two hot little girls! It was a productive day!
Where did I leave off? Oh yes... Back in the van. We're off to Payless Shoes! Keith said Gracie needs some sturdy tenna-shoes, and she does. All she has are princess sandals and hip-hops (flip flops). As soon as we pull up to Payless, Gracie announces "I want DORA shoes!". Oh boy, this could be interesting.
I could kiss the shoe-Gods! We went in and found sturdy Dora Tennies! Very cute, and they fit! How awesome is that! Also got Gracie a new pair of ballet shoes since the cheap little dance slippers I got for her kept falling off, got some shoes for Libby and a pair of slip on tennies for me. Four pair: $40. Hot Deals!
We weren't done shopping yet; we headed to Kohl's. They always have such great sales! And it's Labor Day Weekend Eve... surely I will score big. Nope. Kohl's was pretty much a waste of time. I did nab a few goodies and Gracie finally went potty, but otherwise it was disappointing. They had little girls' dresses marked at $46 under a sign that said 50% off. Well, $23 still isn't reasonable enough for a casual cotton play dress from Kohl's. The girls were very well behaved again at this stop. Why stop now!
It's almost 4 o'clock and I stuffed them back into their cold carseats and figured I had sweated off a good 15 pounds by now. We headed to Sams Club. Of course, after hitting three red lights in the first mile, both kids were sound asleep. Oh boy. I smell a screaming crying fit coming on when I wake Gracie up to go grocery shopping when she's this tired.
At Sam's Club, I managed to wake Gracie up pretty easily, she was in and out of it on the ride there. Libby was out cold. I iced their seats and carried Libby inside while holding Gracie's hand. I knew Libby would wake up, so I opted for the shopping cart rather than bringing in the stroller. Only, Libby didn't wake up, she just kept right on sleeping like a ragdoll.
The Sams Club greeter didn't help me get a cart, they usually have one waiting for you when you walk in! So, with my arms full and Gracie whining at my side, I fumbled around till I loosened up a cart and then, wait... how am I going to push the cart while carrying sleeping Libby? Gracie wants in the cart, she's tired. I can't lift her in!
Bing! Bing! Bing! Idea!!! I'll lay Libby in the cart like a crib, but I'll first need to pad the bottom with bath towels, they are close to the entrance. Woo Hoo! I can do this!
Oh, but they moved the towels. I never did find them. I did find rugs - hey that'll work. I am still holding this big sleeping baby. I only had half a hand to get the rug and line the cart with it, so I tipped the rug over till it sort of fell into the cart and then I lifted my leg up to balance the baby with one arm and one knee while I stood on one foot, and I smoothed out the rug. Can you believe I didn't fall over? That was my cool trick for the day!
I plopped Libby down into the cart and she immediately rolled over. I thought after all that she was going to lift her head and wake up, but no, she just rolled over and got cozy again. I put Gracie in the top part and ran up and down every aisle in the store. It was a hoot! People were pointing and laughing at Libby!
I ended up buying the rug because she was so zonked out that I couldn't bear to wake her, plus, that would have meant she'd need to be held and she'd be crabby and I still have groceries and Gracie. Ok, I'll buy the rug. It'll look great somewhere in my house, I'm sure.
Libby slept through the next strap-down, wow, she was sleeping hard! Gracie said "Can we go home now?" And since it was 5:30 and we'd been on the run since 10:30 or so, with countless strapping in and out of the carseats.... yes, lets go home. We have groceries on board now anyway and their carseat ice is melted too. Not long after Gracie uttered those words, she was fast asleep.
After we got home, Libby woke up and we tossed Gracie onto the couch where she slept like a log for a couple of hours. Libby bit her foot and she didn't wake up! There were teeth marks! We showed Daddy the new shoes and grazed on snacks. Neither Keith nor I felt like cooking dinner. Keith and I watched a movie later and of course, Gracie's nap screwed up any chance she had of going to bed and falling asleep so she was up till midnight.
Another long day was done. It was a good one! If you read all through, from 8am to midnight, you are either very curious or you need a hobby. Either way, thanks for reading.
Shoe Shopping & More
First of all, I can't believe it will take me three days to tell you all I got done on one hot day while toting around two hot little girls! It was a productive day!
Where did I leave off? Oh yes... Back in the van. We're off to Payless Shoes! Keith said Gracie needs some sturdy tenna-shoes, and she does. All she has are princess sandals and hip-hops (flip flops). As soon as we pull up to Payless, Gracie announces "I want DORA shoes!". Oh boy, this could be interesting.
I could kiss the shoe-Gods! We went in and found sturdy Dora Tennies! Very cute, and they fit! How awesome is that! Also got Gracie a new pair of ballet shoes since the cheap little dance slippers I got for her kept falling off, got some shoes for Libby and a pair of slip on tennies for me. Four pair: $40. Hot Deals!
We weren't done shopping yet; we headed to Kohl's. They always have such great sales! And it's Labor Day Weekend Eve... surely I will score big. Nope. Kohl's was pretty much a waste of time. I did nab a few goodies and Gracie finally went potty, but otherwise it was disappointing. They had little girls' dresses marked at $46 under a sign that said 50% off. Well, $23 still isn't reasonable enough for a casual cotton play dress from Kohl's. The girls were very well behaved again at this stop. Why stop now!
It's almost 4 o'clock and I stuffed them back into their cold carseats and figured I had sweated off a good 15 pounds by now. We headed to Sams Club. Of course, after hitting three red lights in the first mile, both kids were sound asleep. Oh boy. I smell a screaming crying fit coming on when I wake Gracie up to go grocery shopping when she's this tired.
At Sam's Club, I managed to wake Gracie up pretty easily, she was in and out of it on the ride there. Libby was out cold. I iced their seats and carried Libby inside while holding Gracie's hand. I knew Libby would wake up, so I opted for the shopping cart rather than bringing in the stroller. Only, Libby didn't wake up, she just kept right on sleeping like a ragdoll.
The Sams Club greeter didn't help me get a cart, they usually have one waiting for you when you walk in! So, with my arms full and Gracie whining at my side, I fumbled around till I loosened up a cart and then, wait... how am I going to push the cart while carrying sleeping Libby? Gracie wants in the cart, she's tired. I can't lift her in!
Bing! Bing! Bing! Idea!!! I'll lay Libby in the cart like a crib, but I'll first need to pad the bottom with bath towels, they are close to the entrance. Woo Hoo! I can do this!
Oh, but they moved the towels. I never did find them. I did find rugs - hey that'll work. I am still holding this big sleeping baby. I only had half a hand to get the rug and line the cart with it, so I tipped the rug over till it sort of fell into the cart and then I lifted my leg up to balance the baby with one arm and one knee while I stood on one foot, and I smoothed out the rug. Can you believe I didn't fall over? That was my cool trick for the day!
I plopped Libby down into the cart and she immediately rolled over. I thought after all that she was going to lift her head and wake up, but no, she just rolled over and got cozy again. I put Gracie in the top part and ran up and down every aisle in the store. It was a hoot! People were pointing and laughing at Libby!
I ended up buying the rug because she was so zonked out that I couldn't bear to wake her, plus, that would have meant she'd need to be held and she'd be crabby and I still have groceries and Gracie. Ok, I'll buy the rug. It'll look great somewhere in my house, I'm sure.
Libby slept through the next strap-down, wow, she was sleeping hard! Gracie said "Can we go home now?" And since it was 5:30 and we'd been on the run since 10:30 or so, with countless strapping in and out of the carseats.... yes, lets go home. We have groceries on board now anyway and their carseat ice is melted too. Not long after Gracie uttered those words, she was fast asleep.
After we got home, Libby woke up and we tossed Gracie onto the couch where she slept like a log for a couple of hours. Libby bit her foot and she didn't wake up! There were teeth marks! We showed Daddy the new shoes and grazed on snacks. Neither Keith nor I felt like cooking dinner. Keith and I watched a movie later and of course, Gracie's nap screwed up any chance she had of going to bed and falling asleep so she was up till midnight.
Another long day was done. It was a good one! If you read all through, from 8am to midnight, you are either very curious or you need a hobby. Either way, thanks for reading.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Great Accomplishment Friday - Ch. 2
Chapter 2
We're off like a herd of turtles!
Our first stop: 10:55am Walgreens. Got the kids out, hauled them into the store and spend $1.52 picking up the prints I ordered online. I had the hives photos printed to show the doc just in case. Luckily, we got in and out of there without too much whining and begging for candy and greeting cards. Gracie just loves greeting cards!
Next stop: 11:10am Baby Group. Occasionally, I go to a breastfeeding support group at the hospital. Today, it was jam-packed with mamas and babies! We could barely get in the room! It was sure great to see everyone, I haven't been there in quite a while. I whipped out the pictures of Libby's hives to show the Lactation Consultant and get her professional opinion. She was shocked and horrified. She said to quit feeding Libby everything, only give her breastmilk. I said "everything?" She said "everything! no crackers, no cheerios, no baby food, nothing". Well, that figures since she's a lactinazi. I should have figured she would recommend that. Since she freaked out, all the mommies in the room wanted to see the pictures... it's like a train wreck, gotta look! So, they did. The consensus in the room was that Libby is allergic to something. Libby didn't have any hives at all at this point, and she was sleeping peacefully in her stroller while mamas talked, babies cried and toddlers squealed. In the meantime, Gracie is running like a wild child, screaming with the toddlers, crawling under chairs and throwing a football. Not sure where the football came from, but that's my girl!
Now it's 12:10... and you are thinking this blog post is going to take forever, she's got another 12 hours in her day! Well, true. But you don't have a baby screaming or a three year old trying to fly, so kick back and keep reading.
Where was I? Oh yes, Back in the van after baby group. By the way... Detour from the topic again... When I park, I put frozen water bottles in the carseats and then cover the carseats with a blanket. Keeps their seats cool as the van heats up to a lovely 500 degrees inside. The buckles on those car seats could burn a child, even if its not in direct sunlight.
So, it's 12:10... I stuffed the kids in their nice cool carseats and we headed to the ATM. I grabbed a couple of 20s from the magic money machine and we then ran through the McDonald's drive up. It was close, Gracie was hungry. McDonalds has the worst fast food. Yuck. Wait, Wendy's might. It's truly a toss up. I got her a happy meal with juice and then I pulled over to open it all up for her.. yay, fed and happy without taking her out of the carseat!
She ate her "meat cookie" (life is better when everything is a cookie!) and drank her juice. She didn't want her fries, so she threw them at me. I think she meant to throw them TO me. Yeah, that's it. She was sharing. Sounds plausible, let's just go with that.
I caught some. Some got stuck in my hair. I ate the ones near me while I drove and talked to my husband on the cell phone. His day was busy and hot too. I made my way through the crazy Friday before a holiday weekend traffic over to Katie's in-laws house. I'm 4 hours late for my "sure, I'll be there" promise. Maybe they won't notice. Gracie wants to see the moving truck so we headed over. Got to the cul-de-sac and there wasn't a truck, so I just did a loop-dee-loo and headed home with my crying starving baby. The one who didn't throw french fries or inhale a "meat cookie" in one bite.
Almost 1pm now and we stop at home for a break. I need to feed Libby and try to make Gracie go potty and change their ice bottles for fresh ones. These are now cool water bottles. We had our little break and hit the road again. Never going far, but we're going!
The pediatrician's office opens at 1:30 again after their long lunch break so I headed there. They were supposed to email me a lab work order for Libby to be allergy tested, but I never did get it. So, we're out and about, I'll just stop in and get it. The doc got a new receptionist, wow, she's new all right. Must have just fallen off the turnip truck! I'll spare you the story since this blog post is already really long...
In fact, I'll leave you in suspense at this point. More to come about what we got done in Chapter 3 of the Great Accomplishment Friday series. Stay tuned!
We're off like a herd of turtles!
Our first stop: 10:55am Walgreens. Got the kids out, hauled them into the store and spend $1.52 picking up the prints I ordered online. I had the hives photos printed to show the doc just in case. Luckily, we got in and out of there without too much whining and begging for candy and greeting cards. Gracie just loves greeting cards!
Next stop: 11:10am Baby Group. Occasionally, I go to a breastfeeding support group at the hospital. Today, it was jam-packed with mamas and babies! We could barely get in the room! It was sure great to see everyone, I haven't been there in quite a while. I whipped out the pictures of Libby's hives to show the Lactation Consultant and get her professional opinion. She was shocked and horrified. She said to quit feeding Libby everything, only give her breastmilk. I said "everything?" She said "everything! no crackers, no cheerios, no baby food, nothing". Well, that figures since she's a lactinazi. I should have figured she would recommend that. Since she freaked out, all the mommies in the room wanted to see the pictures... it's like a train wreck, gotta look! So, they did. The consensus in the room was that Libby is allergic to something. Libby didn't have any hives at all at this point, and she was sleeping peacefully in her stroller while mamas talked, babies cried and toddlers squealed. In the meantime, Gracie is running like a wild child, screaming with the toddlers, crawling under chairs and throwing a football. Not sure where the football came from, but that's my girl!
Now it's 12:10... and you are thinking this blog post is going to take forever, she's got another 12 hours in her day! Well, true. But you don't have a baby screaming or a three year old trying to fly, so kick back and keep reading.
Where was I? Oh yes, Back in the van after baby group. By the way... Detour from the topic again... When I park, I put frozen water bottles in the carseats and then cover the carseats with a blanket. Keeps their seats cool as the van heats up to a lovely 500 degrees inside. The buckles on those car seats could burn a child, even if its not in direct sunlight.
So, it's 12:10... I stuffed the kids in their nice cool carseats and we headed to the ATM. I grabbed a couple of 20s from the magic money machine and we then ran through the McDonald's drive up. It was close, Gracie was hungry. McDonalds has the worst fast food. Yuck. Wait, Wendy's might. It's truly a toss up. I got her a happy meal with juice and then I pulled over to open it all up for her.. yay, fed and happy without taking her out of the carseat!
She ate her "meat cookie" (life is better when everything is a cookie!) and drank her juice. She didn't want her fries, so she threw them at me. I think she meant to throw them TO me. Yeah, that's it. She was sharing. Sounds plausible, let's just go with that.
I caught some. Some got stuck in my hair. I ate the ones near me while I drove and talked to my husband on the cell phone. His day was busy and hot too. I made my way through the crazy Friday before a holiday weekend traffic over to Katie's in-laws house. I'm 4 hours late for my "sure, I'll be there" promise. Maybe they won't notice. Gracie wants to see the moving truck so we headed over. Got to the cul-de-sac and there wasn't a truck, so I just did a loop-dee-loo and headed home with my crying starving baby. The one who didn't throw french fries or inhale a "meat cookie" in one bite.
Almost 1pm now and we stop at home for a break. I need to feed Libby and try to make Gracie go potty and change their ice bottles for fresh ones. These are now cool water bottles. We had our little break and hit the road again. Never going far, but we're going!
The pediatrician's office opens at 1:30 again after their long lunch break so I headed there. They were supposed to email me a lab work order for Libby to be allergy tested, but I never did get it. So, we're out and about, I'll just stop in and get it. The doc got a new receptionist, wow, she's new all right. Must have just fallen off the turnip truck! I'll spare you the story since this blog post is already really long...
In fact, I'll leave you in suspense at this point. More to come about what we got done in Chapter 3 of the Great Accomplishment Friday series. Stay tuned!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Great Accomplishments Today!
Chapter I
Getting Up and Out
It was 102* today. Too hot to leave the air conditioned comfort of our home. But I cleaned yesterday and the day before, I sure don't want to be stuck doing that again! Besides, we had a million things to do today, so I barely dressed the kids and we set out on our quest to accomplish something.
Today was moving day. Not my moving day, Katie's. Katie and her new hubby have been living in an empty three bedroom home on the Navy base in Charleston while all their stuff sits in a garage at her in-laws house. Finally, the moving truck came! They'll have their stuff on Friday next week, supposedly. I told Katie's in-laws that I'd stop by and "help" (not sure what I could do to help besides get in the way) plus I had one more box to add to the load. I was supposed to be there between 8 - 8:30am. Yeah.
Well, I got up at 8am after another night of not enough sleep. The baby recently decided that she'd like to play for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. This eating and going right back to sleep stuff was just too boring. 3am party in the playroom is much more fun! And all she has to do is win the 2am wrestling match, cuz mommy gives up at 3am.
When I got up, I noticed my husband was gone. Ok, Ok, I'll admit it: I didn't notice right away. It took me a bit, but I noticed fairly soon after I got up. It didn't take me too long. He started back to work today, and he left shortly before 8am, so I just missed him.
This means I can't sneak off without the little turdlettes. Waking up late and as the only grown-up in the house totally shoots down any "helping" that I was going to do this morning. Oh Well.
Of course, if I'm up so is Libby. Why else would I get out of bed? Then something very weird happened: Gracie woke up too. Wow, this is early for her! This is great! Maybe I can get her sleep schedule back to somewhat normal and get her to bed and asleep at a reasonable time tonight! There's HOPE!
So the three of us got up, had coffee and applejuice, some toast... then I washed my hair under their intense supervision. Really, I don't get a moment alone with these two. They watch my every move. Once Gracie told me I had all the shampoo bubbles out, they hopped in the tub with squeals of delight. They played, I scrubbed them, they threw soaking wet washcloth puppets at each other and I read three sentences in my book. I keep a book in their bathroom to read to myself while they are confined and happy in the tub. It's been a month and I might turn the first page soon.
Libby had hives all over her body. This time they are little spots but they were everywhere. Head, arms, torso (front and back), legs... even on her cute little butt-cheeks. I let the girls "air dry" for a bit to see if Libby's hives would go away before I bothered her with clothing and a diaper. After 20 minutes, she was clear again. Back to business...
They are fed, clean, and getting dressed! We might make it! We might be able to run some errands! It's only 10am!
No, there was a delay. Getting dressed didn't go as planned. Gracie somehow managed to sniff out her Christmas dress from the back of her closet on the side we don't use where it was stuffed away and hidden between two prom dresses. How? Why? It's so hot out! And she wants to wear this lined fake-velvet dress? Lordy. We negotiated. When was the last time you negotiated with a three year old? So here I am, sleep deprived, still in my jammies, towel on my head, cold coffee cup in my hand, explaining fashion seasons to the kid with big pleading eyes.
I won. I got them into matching cotton sundresses. :)
I gated them in their pink room, and ran down the hall in a frenzy to get dressed and pony my hair before they started squawking about being locked in. Which is to say, as soon as they notice the gate is up, I'm gonna hear it.
Now that we were ALL ready to go... it was 10:45. I grabbed some frozen water bottles and the diaper bag and my purse and we headed out into the heat. Seriously, ten degrees cooler would feel like heaven!
We're all strapped down and ready to back out of the driveway for a big long day of errands! Here we go!
Getting Up and Out
It was 102* today. Too hot to leave the air conditioned comfort of our home. But I cleaned yesterday and the day before, I sure don't want to be stuck doing that again! Besides, we had a million things to do today, so I barely dressed the kids and we set out on our quest to accomplish something.
Today was moving day. Not my moving day, Katie's. Katie and her new hubby have been living in an empty three bedroom home on the Navy base in Charleston while all their stuff sits in a garage at her in-laws house. Finally, the moving truck came! They'll have their stuff on Friday next week, supposedly. I told Katie's in-laws that I'd stop by and "help" (not sure what I could do to help besides get in the way) plus I had one more box to add to the load. I was supposed to be there between 8 - 8:30am. Yeah.
Well, I got up at 8am after another night of not enough sleep. The baby recently decided that she'd like to play for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. This eating and going right back to sleep stuff was just too boring. 3am party in the playroom is much more fun! And all she has to do is win the 2am wrestling match, cuz mommy gives up at 3am.
When I got up, I noticed my husband was gone. Ok, Ok, I'll admit it: I didn't notice right away. It took me a bit, but I noticed fairly soon after I got up. It didn't take me too long. He started back to work today, and he left shortly before 8am, so I just missed him.
This means I can't sneak off without the little turdlettes. Waking up late and as the only grown-up in the house totally shoots down any "helping" that I was going to do this morning. Oh Well.
Of course, if I'm up so is Libby. Why else would I get out of bed? Then something very weird happened: Gracie woke up too. Wow, this is early for her! This is great! Maybe I can get her sleep schedule back to somewhat normal and get her to bed and asleep at a reasonable time tonight! There's HOPE!
So the three of us got up, had coffee and applejuice, some toast... then I washed my hair under their intense supervision. Really, I don't get a moment alone with these two. They watch my every move. Once Gracie told me I had all the shampoo bubbles out, they hopped in the tub with squeals of delight. They played, I scrubbed them, they threw soaking wet washcloth puppets at each other and I read three sentences in my book. I keep a book in their bathroom to read to myself while they are confined and happy in the tub. It's been a month and I might turn the first page soon.
Libby had hives all over her body. This time they are little spots but they were everywhere. Head, arms, torso (front and back), legs... even on her cute little butt-cheeks. I let the girls "air dry" for a bit to see if Libby's hives would go away before I bothered her with clothing and a diaper. After 20 minutes, she was clear again. Back to business...
They are fed, clean, and getting dressed! We might make it! We might be able to run some errands! It's only 10am!
No, there was a delay. Getting dressed didn't go as planned. Gracie somehow managed to sniff out her Christmas dress from the back of her closet on the side we don't use where it was stuffed away and hidden between two prom dresses. How? Why? It's so hot out! And she wants to wear this lined fake-velvet dress? Lordy. We negotiated. When was the last time you negotiated with a three year old? So here I am, sleep deprived, still in my jammies, towel on my head, cold coffee cup in my hand, explaining fashion seasons to the kid with big pleading eyes.
I won. I got them into matching cotton sundresses. :)
I gated them in their pink room, and ran down the hall in a frenzy to get dressed and pony my hair before they started squawking about being locked in. Which is to say, as soon as they notice the gate is up, I'm gonna hear it.
Now that we were ALL ready to go... it was 10:45. I grabbed some frozen water bottles and the diaper bag and my purse and we headed out into the heat. Seriously, ten degrees cooler would feel like heaven!
We're all strapped down and ready to back out of the driveway for a big long day of errands! Here we go!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
My Irish Eyes are Green with Envy
I don't really know if my eyes are Irish or not. I suppose I have some Irish in me somewhere. I have a bit of this and that, here and there. Today, I'm Irish though; I can feel it!
My mom, my sister and my niece are in the air as I type this. They will land sometime tomorrow in Dublin, Ireland. These three traveling girls will then spend ten days tripping their way around Ireland, seeing the sights and buying souvenirs. They are going to kiss the Blarney Stone, eat corned beef and cabbage and try to catch Leprechauns.
I take that back, my niece won't eat corned beef and cabbage. She's probably going to stick to her American taste in cuisine, sans vegetables (per her usual). She might look at some local foods, but she's pretty strict about eating only what she likes. My mom has a more adventurous palate. I'm somewhere in between, I'm sure if I were in Ireland with the girls I'd try a little something. Oh wait, I'm not there. I'm sitting here at home turning green with jealousy.
I am going to follow their trip day by day on Google and Wikipedia. I have the travel itinerary and I will look up the tourist info as they go along. It'll be almost like I'm there!
I really have too much going on to take off on an Irish vacation anyway. Especially in the middle of swine flu season! I'm a package deal, if I go, the little girls go too. This limits my travel opportunities, although the little girls might think its fun to chase Leprechauns all over the big Irish island. I doubt they would think flying all day and night is much fun though.
"The Traveling Girls", mom, sister and her daughter, will visit: Dublin, Kilkenny, Kildare, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, Adare, Limerick, Bunratty, Ring of Kerry, Galway Bay, Galway, Cliffs of Moher and more. The travel itinerary says that the vacation is "A travel experience that combines Ireland's medieval heritage with its most striking landscapes". Sounds amazing! I know they are off on a great adventure and I can't wait to hear all about it! Here is a map of where they are going:
Looks like fun, eh? Hmm, do Irish say "eh?", I think I'm confusing them with Canadians. Eh, I'm not worldly enough to know the difference between Canadians and Irish so I'll say "eh" when I'm pretending to type with an Irish accent. Someday I'll get out more. Till then, I'm traveling vicariously via "The Traveling Girls". Have fun, Girls!
My mom, my sister and my niece are in the air as I type this. They will land sometime tomorrow in Dublin, Ireland. These three traveling girls will then spend ten days tripping their way around Ireland, seeing the sights and buying souvenirs. They are going to kiss the Blarney Stone, eat corned beef and cabbage and try to catch Leprechauns.
I take that back, my niece won't eat corned beef and cabbage. She's probably going to stick to her American taste in cuisine, sans vegetables (per her usual). She might look at some local foods, but she's pretty strict about eating only what she likes. My mom has a more adventurous palate. I'm somewhere in between, I'm sure if I were in Ireland with the girls I'd try a little something. Oh wait, I'm not there. I'm sitting here at home turning green with jealousy.
I am going to follow their trip day by day on Google and Wikipedia. I have the travel itinerary and I will look up the tourist info as they go along. It'll be almost like I'm there!
I really have too much going on to take off on an Irish vacation anyway. Especially in the middle of swine flu season! I'm a package deal, if I go, the little girls go too. This limits my travel opportunities, although the little girls might think its fun to chase Leprechauns all over the big Irish island. I doubt they would think flying all day and night is much fun though.
"The Traveling Girls", mom, sister and her daughter, will visit: Dublin, Kilkenny, Kildare, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, Adare, Limerick, Bunratty, Ring of Kerry, Galway Bay, Galway, Cliffs of Moher and more. The travel itinerary says that the vacation is "A travel experience that combines Ireland's medieval heritage with its most striking landscapes". Sounds amazing! I know they are off on a great adventure and I can't wait to hear all about it! Here is a map of where they are going:
Looks like fun, eh? Hmm, do Irish say "eh?", I think I'm confusing them with Canadians. Eh, I'm not worldly enough to know the difference between Canadians and Irish so I'll say "eh" when I'm pretending to type with an Irish accent. Someday I'll get out more. Till then, I'm traveling vicariously via "The Traveling Girls". Have fun, Girls!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)