House of Sick

Reese started coughing last Friday night when she was at my parents', and when we picked her up Saturday, and she was still coughing.  On Sunday, she developed a fever, and we're now on day 6 of her fever spiking to 102-103+ when the Tylenol/Motrin wears off.    I feel so helpless to get her well!   She's thankfully in good spirits and playing, singing, talking (and talking, talking, talking) as normal, but her cough isn't getting any better nor is her temperature.

I first took her to the pediatrician on Monday - I was worried she had H1N1 since she had gotten the mist the Tuesday before.   Since she was getting her seasonal flu vaccine at the same time, she had to get one vaccine as a shot and the other as the mist (the attenuated vaccine).  At the time she was getting her vaccination, the pediatrician said the risk of her developing flu from the mist was very, very, very slim and that I also didn't need to worry about Sprinkle contracting it through viral shedding, either.  I was okay with it at the time, but then when my baby got sick, I really started to second guess.    When Dr. Alley saw on her Monday, he said she didn't have the flu based on her level of energy.    I asked about having her tested to make sure, and he said that the tests are only 70% accurate, and at this point (over 48 hours after symptom onset), they would treat her the same whether or not she had the flu.   The 48 hours is important as that's the window in which Tamiflu is most effective for alleviating flu symptoms.   He also mentioned that they've been getting reports of bad reactions to Tamiflu in children such as nightmares, so he advised against it based on the fact that she likely didn't have the flu and even if she did, it wouldn't be very effective at this point in time.  He did, however, give me a prescription for it as a preventative since we thought Jim might have the flu (which we now think was just food poisoning).

I took Reese to the pediatrician again yesterday since she started saying her ears hurt.  I was actually HOPING she had an ear infection, which at least can be treated with antibiotics and would explain the prolonged fever.     We saw another doctor in the practice, and Reese's ears, lungs, and throat were still clear.  She went ahead and prescribed an antibiotic to stave off a secondary sinus infection based since she was complaining of ear pain.   She said that if Reese had had the flu, the fever would have been gone by now.  Nice.

Sprinkle to date is still healthy, but I worry so  much that she's going to get ill the longer Reese is sick and contagious.   Jim and I are supposed to leave for Cozumel on Thursday for his Ironman, and I can just see Sprinkle starting to get sick as Reese finally (hopefully!) getting better.  I don't mind missing a vacation, but I really want to be there to support Jim.    At this point we just both want our girls to be well, of course.

Fall-themed Supper Club

We hosted a supper club dinner last week - such a great time!  The theme was "Fall Supper," and the weather obliged with a teensy bit of a cool spell.   I tried out a new recipe, New England Sausage, Apple, and Dried Cranberry Stuffing that's a keeper.  Easy and yummy as leftovers.   I also made wassail.  I was hoping the smell would permeate the house more, but it did taste good and was a good base for a hot toddy of sorts.

So on to decor:  I wanted to keep it pretty simple since it was a dinner and not a "party" party.   For seated meals, I keep everything low and "nudge-able" so that people can see each other from across the table and food is easily passed around.

I bought these glass votives at Ross, $5.95 for a pack of three (I used two packs).  

White pumpkins from the grocery store, 59 cents each. I bought different sizes and elevated a couple with some napkin rings.  From the floral department of the same grocery store, I picked up a pack of fall oak leaves for $2.99.  If I were lucky enough to live in a city that actually had four seasons, these would have been free, LOL.

Fall napkins - I usually don't buy napkins, plates, etc. that are too theme-y, but I liked the graphic look of the leaves on black.  They were about $2/napkin with a Macy's 20% off coupon.

Not decor-related, but our friend Nicole made a scrumptious pumpkin stew.  I loved that it's baked and served in a pumpkin.   I'm definitely getting the recipe from her!

UPDATE:   Here's the yummy Pumpkin Stew recipe!

Party Decorating Design on a Dime

The Fajitas & 'Ritas gathering was a big success - we started at 4 and we finally shut it down about midnight.

I received several nice compliments about how I always throw a great party and go "all out."   While the key to a successful party is the company and plenty of food and drink, I do like to add a few little extra touches.  It's really not much extra work and doesn't have to cost very much, either.   When I Google for party decorating ideas, most of the hits are either cheap, plastic decorations or professional-event-planner quality (read:  expensive.)   I thought I'd start chronicling some of the my events to share some easy, inexpensive ideas to give the impression you went the extra mile for your guests.

Okay, I know some of you are going to roll your eyes when I say I did a cactus arrangement for the dining room table.  I normally make flower arrangements (which I'll share in a different post on how I do affordably).  I have to admit that after I got the idea and bought the supplies, I was slightly dreading it.   When I finally got around to re-potting the plants, it was pretty easy and took about 30 minutes.   Materials were ~$25 (cacti from Lowes and Craigslist, clay plots from Michael's Craft store).   Rounding out the tablescape were two table runners from Target and Mexican Prayer Candles from the dollar store.   The table runners happened to be on clearance (2 for $1.97), but regularly priced at $4 each, they're still not a bad deal.  They're reusable, too.   I love Target for accessories since they work with lot of great designers.
 

Since the powder room would be used quite a bit, I added a cactus on the vanity as well as switching out the normal guest towels with fiesta-colored ones ($1.58/package, again on clearance.)

 Since it was a small party, I was just going to set out my regular dinner forks.  At the last minute, I remembered that I had disposable napkins and utensils from when I threw a Cinco de Mayo party for Jim's 30th birthday.  Yes, I still had them after 5 years!  It's just a simple paper napkin wrapped around a fork/knife and tied off with raffia.  If I'm using disposables for a really large event, I like to go with solids for the paper goods and clear or silver for the utensils so extras can be used for other events.

Just my regular everyday dinner plates.  A little confession - I really don't like the look of placemats.   Alas, I'm too lazy and have no desire to iron a tablecloth, but I don't want the table damaged from my pretty heavy dinner plates.  So, I use placemats and try to get ones that don't look so grandma's table.  Since this was a casual buffet, I didn't set the table and just set a pile of the placemats out so that anyone who ate at the table could grab one.

These placemats are from Ikea (another great source for inexpensive accessories).  They're $1.99/each and come in black, red, lime, and purple.  I like the fun lime color because they can work with a variety of different themes - from a fiesta to a casual/elegant summer dinner party.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I like to use glass.  I actually had enough margarita glasses I had been given as gifts over the years, but margarita glasses are something everyone probably has a set of, so if I didn't have enough I would have borrowed them.  I like that they don't all match, too.  It helps people keep track of their drinks, and it looks fun grouped on the table.

I also set out simple bar glasses that can be used for water, cocktails, and sodas.  $9.99/dozen at Marshall's.

If it's a buffet-style party, I like to use chafing dishes to keep food warm.   I bought these disposable chafing trays years ago and have used them over and over again.  I buy the food pans in bulk at Costco.   Costco has a much better price than party supply stores or even the dollar store.

All my everyday dishes are simple white so again, they can be used for everything.  I transfer all condiments, sauces, etc. to simple white bowls.

So that's it for Margaritas & 'Ritas.  So, not much effort and money for good overall effect.  Can't wait for the next party!

Sisters

Some variation of this scene is repeated several times a day, in the car, at dinner, before bed...  it never gets old!

Tennis Match Laughing from mom2reese on Vimeo.

Like a Hamster in a Wheel

I'd been keeping an eye out on Craigslist for a decent elliptical, and one came up this week, a Vision Fitness X6200.  While in an ideal world, I'd get a used gym-quality Precor, I don't have the thousands they go for used.   The X6200 seemed to fit the bill, and I stopped by the seller's house after work yesterday to check it out.  It was in good condition and had a nice, smooth action when I tried it, so we struck a deal.  She even volunteered her husband to deliver it because she's in the neighborhood.  Can't beat that!

I'm excited.  While I hate, hate, hate running on a treadmill, I don't mind the elliptical so much.  I think part of the reason is that when I run on a treadmill, it just feels like something I should be doing outside, not trapped on a machine indoors.   The elliptical is also not as hard on my lower back and knees as the treadmill is, which sadly, has become more of an issue with age.  

My trainer is really big on the idea that if you don't have time for a long cardio session, a hard, 20-minute workout is just as good.  The idea of getting ready and leaving the house just to do a 20 minute workout (oh, the inefficiency!) is just as unappealing as going to go do an hour-long workout.  Having access to get the quick workouts in is going to be nice.   Hopefully it doesn't just become an expensive clothes rack.

I weighed myself this morning, and I'm 1-lb over my pre-Portland weight.  I'm not really suprised since I ate like crap (burgers, fries, pizza, biscuits & gravy, cookies, cake....all things I do allow myself to eat, but not all in one weekend!), but it's still a tad annoying since I'm trying to LOSE weight.   Just not making progress would have been preferable.  Oh well, back on the wagon.  It was worth it!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

I flew up to Portland this weekend to visit Rachele and her family (and their latest adorable addition, Nolan).    Rachele hosted a dinner Saturday night, so I got to see the Smiths and the Lurixes as well.  On the menu was an assortment of pizzas, and it was fun helping out Rachele and Jay in their lovely new kitchen.   What an arm workout -  if I do this at home, it'll definitely be Jim's task to roll out the crust, LOL.

While in Portland, I also met up for breakfast with a friend I met through an online parenting board.  We'd never met in person before, but we fell into easy conversation just like "real" friends that just hadn't seen each other in a while. We actually HAVE known each other for a while - I "met" her when I joined the parents.com parenting board when I was pregnant with Reese, looking for advise on this new phase of my life.   Eventually, a group of women splintered off and started their own board, and for the past five years we've been together through the terrible 2's, pregnancies, the first days of kindergarten, cancer scares, cancer ass-kicking, laughs, and tears.  It's also a really diverse group of women, running the gamut from teachers and lawyers, IT geeks, and SAHMs, and I've really learned a lot from all of them.

While it was great fun and only a short visit, I really missed Jim and the girls.  We were happy before, but something *happened* after Sprinkle was born.  To be cheesy, we feel a completeness now as a family that we didn't know was missing before.   Jim and I talk about this often (we sit on the porch every night before going to bed for 15 minutes just talking and reconnecting), and it's like we are just completely in tune with one another and our goals.  I can honestly say that I've never been happier or more content.  Content is the perfect word to describe it actually - like all is right in the world and how it should be.

Okay, enough sap and back to reality.    I have so much to do this week!  We're throwing a Fajitas and 'ritas party Saturday for our friend Jason and his new bride, Seyi.  Seyi's recently relocated to Houston from North Carolina, and what better way to welcome someone to Texas than Tex-Mex and tequila?    Normally I wouldn't be too stressed about throwing a party, but Jim (aka Vy's Party Bitch, and I say that with love) is going to be out of town Wednesday thru Saturday.  Fortunately, it's being catered, but at some point I got the wild hair that I was going to do cactus arrangements instead of flowers for decoration.  Now I've got a box full of cacti taunting me from the back porch.   Somewhere in between work and taking care of two kids on my own, I have to channel my inner Martha to finish the project.  Seriously, where do I get these dumb ideas?

Entertaining

We're having 11 people over for dinner Friday night, and I'm excited because I get to bust out the leaf on my dining room table!   While we've had many small dinner gatherings and a brunch for over 50, we've never had a sit-down for more than eight.  I do like hosting larger parties/buffets,  but I really love sit-down meals.    I love the party feel of having a large-ish group of people, but the intimacy of everyone sitting down at the table for a couple of hours chatting, eating, and enjoying conversation and wine.   It also makes it easier for me as the hostess since everyone's at the table, and I'm not bouncing around making sure I get a chance to talk to everyone.

Having people over and entertaining is one of my greatest joys about being back in a house.   When we
were in Apartment Purgatory while building, not being able to throw parties was the thing I REALLY missed about not having a house.   Since moving in our house and getting my bearings back after having Sprinkle, we've been making up for lost time and have people over regularly.  I love it!

So how do I manage with two young children and a full-time job outside the home?    Some of the things that make life easier:

•  My key trick is having rescheduled our cleaning service to come every other Thursday.  I plan all gatherings around my cleaning schedule so I don't have to do any extra work to get the house guest-ready.  Even when we don't have anything planned, having a relatively clean house allows me to have impromptu guests.  I know everyone says that they don't care what your house looks like, but I'm kind of nutso about things like that.  I don't want people to know that really, I'm actually a slob.  An anal-retentive slob that likes everything neat, but still a slob at heart.
• I've stockpiled supplies over the years.   I prefer not to use disposables, so I have enough glassware, flatware,  and china to entertain large groups.   Craigslist, Ebay, and discount retailers like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx are great for this.  I recently scored on my "good" china.   I have service for 12 for my daily ware (which I use most for guests), but I had only seven settings of my china.   I was looking on ebay for any deals to get me up to at least eight.    After keeping my eye out for a few months, I found someone selling 8 full sets, NIB, for $300 including.   The retail price is $125 per setting, so I snapped it up.    Thinking forward, I only have to get one more set so that I can pass on a full set of eight to each of the girls.
• I keep food pretty simple - casseroles or one pot entrees that I can make ahead, pretty salads, etc.  From friends, I've gleaned ideas like RHG's crostini with goat cheese/jam.   It's just a little more effort to do than chips and dip, but so much tastier and nicer to present.  I also have a couple of places I can use for catering.  
• I accept offers of help.  While I wouldn't ask a guest to bring something unless it's a potluck, I jump on offers.  I usually tell people to bring their favorite inexpensive wine.   I get to try something new, and it takes the pressure off me to figure out a wine that my guests will like.  Dessert is always helpful, too.
• I host kid-friendly events.  I don't have to worry about getting the kids to a sitter, and since I'm at the age now where most of my friends have children, they don't either.   Reese and Mads have plenty of toys and games, but I also keep on hand craft kits, bubbles, etc.
• I have a Jim.   He's awesome keeping the girls entertained while I prepare for a party.  Even better, he does, unbidden, 99% of the post event cleanup since I'm usually tipsy, LOL.  Everyone needs a Jim :)

Big Sprinks - 10 Month Update

Um, yah, I'm a great mom that this is the first status update at 10 months. Better late than never! I'm mad at myself because while everything is still fresh in my mind now, they won't be a year from now. So this is what Sprinks is up to:

• Is off baby food and generally eats what we eat unless it's a "no no" food like eggs or shellfish
• Drinking from a sippy at meals (and loves the Take-n-Toss that I used for Reese. Yay!)
• Likes to throw her sippy on the floor and say "Uh-oh!" (not so Yay!)
• Crawling on all fours
• Pulls up into standing position and likes to balance with just one hand as if she's performing some circus act
• Loves to play coot-ha (the Vietnamese version of Peek-a-boo.) I need to remember to video this - she'll put her two hands up to cover her eyes, but half the time she misses, so it's two hand on her forehead. So cute!
• Claps her hands and smiles when you say "vo tay" (clap). She used to do this if you clapped your hands along, but now she'll do it if you just say the words.
• Is still LOUD. She's an extremely happy baby, but her volume has only one setting -- max. It's pretty comical because she likes to say "hi" to people when we walk into daycare. Except her "hi" is more like "ACCKKARRGH!"
• Is an Attention Hog. She can be eating or playing quietly, but if she realizes no one's looking at her, she'll let out a long Tarzan yell until everyone makes eye contact with her (see bullet point above), and then all is good.
• Waves "bye-bye" by opening and closing her hand
• Loves to mimic (today she mimicked her teacher pointing and snapping)
• Makes the mamama and daddadaa sounds, but she doesn't get the association yet.
• According to her caregivers, she signs and says "red". I have yet to see this. They're worse than grandparents, I swear.
• Enjoys playing with books
• Likes to "sing" and bounce along with music. In daycare, they play music all day, and whenever she hears the first few notes of "Pat a Cake" or "If You're Happy and You Know It," she'll clap her hands.
• Has 6 teeth (2 lower, 4 upper)

I know everyone tells you all children are different, and I don't disagree with that. However, Madeleine and Reese's personalities are just so different, and I find it fascinating. So I'm going to document that as well so that I'll remember who did what when I'm telling my grandbabies what their mothers did.  Differences:

• As I've mentioned, Madeleine is LOUD. Reese on the other hand, was very quiet. Not shy, because she'd let everyone hold her, just a really quiet, observant baby. Madeleine is pretty balls-out in everything she does. Loud talking. Loud screaming. Loud laughing and giggling. The third one makes up for the first two. Usually. On the flip side, she definitely doesn't let just anyone hold her like Reese did. I would say she does let most people hold her, but there have been people who've reached out to hold her only to be met with huge croccodile tears and shrieking.
• Madeleine loves to be held and around me, but she's not a snuggler. Reese loved to cuddle and snuggle, and we'd nap for hours with her on my chest or on Jim's.
• Madeleine is what I call a "messer." We baby-proofed with Reese, but she never tried to put things in her mouth, had no interest in toilets or sockets, anything. With Madeleine... let's just say we've had to do baby Heimlich twice now. Seriously, the slung over forearm/leg, slapping on the back, Heimlich. I'm glad I paid attention in class and that Jim paid attention when I did it.
• Reese hovered around 50-75 percentile in height/weight her first year, and Madeleine has been between 75-95% so far. I know it's too soon to tell definitively, but I have a feeling that she will end up favoring Jim's side of the family as far as size.
• Reese took to the first bottle we introduced at 1 month like a champ and could finish a 6 oz. bottle in literally a couple of minutes. She'd go back and forth between formula and EBM without a problem and would take a bottle straight out of the fridge. Madeleine on the other hand, hated bottles at first. We struggled getting her to take a bottle and tried several different bottles and nipples. I shed a lot of tears over this because I was going back to work and I seriously thought I'd have to quit working so she wouldn't starve. She was about 3.5 months before she finally settled on a bottle. She's not a super sucker like Reese, but she finishes a 6 oz bottle in less than five minutes.   She, unfortunately, won't take a bottle unless it's practically scalding.
• It seemed like every time I turned around, Reese had an ear infection. Knock on wood, while Mads has gone through hand-foot-mouth, colds, and roseola (thank you, daycare), she hasn't gotten an ear infection yet.
• Physically, they're very dissimilar. Reese is more petite, and while I think she does look like she is of mixed ethnicity, she doesn't look very Asian. Madeleine, on the other hand, is not-so-petite, and she definitely looks Asian. As my dad says, "she looks about 80% Vietnamese."

Similarities:

• I got very lucky with both girls on sleep. They both started sleeping through the night at 4 months, and prior to that, never woke more than 2-3 times a night. Thank God. I'm not someone who functions very well with lack of sleep. They both co-slept with me until 4 moths. With Reese, we did a slow transition of 4 months in bed, 2 months in bassinet in our room, another month in the bassinet in her room, the bassinet inside her crib (removable basket) for another few days... With Madeleine, we went straight from our bed to the crib.
• Both girls are pretty strong - holding neck up, pulling up, etc. Madeleine seems to be on the stronger side, but I think that just may be her size. She did skip army crawling and went straight to regular crawling, but that's about it as far as being more physically advanced.
• Both very physical and love rough play like being thrown around.
• Both girls got their teeth early. It's actually better to not get teeth early, but I guess you can't fight genetics. Reese got her first tooth at 6 months and Mads got hers at 5.5 months. Reese had her first dental x-ray at 4 years, and it revealed an extra front tooth (she has 3 front permanent teeth instead of 2). They're going to keep an eye on it and when the time comes, it'll need to be surgically removed so as to not interfere with the growth of the other two permanent front teeth. I actually had the same extra tooth, and the dentist said it's likely Mads will, too. Jim calls it the "bottle opener gene."

It'll be interesting to watch them grow up and see how similar (and different) they'll be.

Be a donor

A close family friend's baby (now 5 months old) was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. Her first bone marrow transplant was unsuccessful, and now she's undergoing experimental treatment at UCLA. From her online journal:

Most people think bone marrow transplants are just cures for cancer, but they are the only cures for so many more rare diseases like M's. M was very lucky that there was a clinical trial that she qualified for to try to cure her ADA SCIDS that used her own bone marrow. Other children and adults are not so fortunate and bone marrow transplants are their only hope. Please consider joining the database to be a match to help save a life. M or another person in a similar position may need a bone marrow transplant in the future and you could be the match.

To register, go to www.marrow.org and answer a very basic health questionnaire. They will send you a tissue type kit, and all you need to do is swab the inside of your mouth and send back the sample. The whole process should take less than 10 minutes. Usually there is a requested donation of $100, but if you enter the promo code PIF070109, you will be able to register for free.

Just Call Me Kermit

It's Not Easy Being Green

Well, it probably is for others, but difficult for me. We do pretty well on recycling, and I've also made a concerted effort to focus more on reducing and reusing as well. Driving is my Achilles Heel. Or vehicles are, I should say. I drive about 45 miles a day between work and daycare, and more if I'm going to client sites. Luckily, it's mostly highway driving, but still quite a bit of mileage. My problem is threefold - I want a large family car; I feel safer in a SUV in the land of Big Trucks, and I can't get over my hangup about minivans. I am extremely envious of parents with minivans - they seem so practical, especially with multiple children. These days, if you want them, you can get every bell and whistle imaginable, too. Why my hangup? I don't know. I think it is in part due to the fact that there is so very little cool left in my life as a 37-year-old-mother-of-two, I'm hanging on to the last shred of "non-Mommy" by not getting the requisite minivan. I know, I should realize that a) who am I kidding? Just give it up, already, and b) the fact that when I open my car doors, Cheerios, goldfish, and toys fall out pretty much seals the deal on any car I have being a Mommy Car. Alas, I can't be practical on this point.

Anyhoo, now I'm digressing. My point is that large SUV's eat up a lot of gas, especially the ones I prefer with their larger performance engines. Last year, we were able to get an exceptional deal on a 2 year lease. Now leasing is generally a pretty dumb route to go, but it was a great deal and a good choice for us since we didn't know if we wanted to be tied down to a vehicle that gets such poor mileage (16 mpg hwy) when gas was $4/gallon. If I liked it, we'd buy it out at the end of the lease. The key reason we went with this car is that it has a 3rd row seat. Weezie and Sprinkle's carseats are enormous, and I had anticipated needing more seats to take the girls' friends around, especially when they start school (and sports activities, etc.)

The lease is not up until next year, but we've been deliberating for a while as to what to replace it with (we decided against keeping it for various reasons.) We looked into hybrids, but it didn't make economical sense because most of my driving is hwy, and I'd have to give up the third row. We finally hit upon a solution - we went diesel. We just bought a diesel version of the car I used to drive (which I loved). The newer version has a 3rd row seat, too. While its 3rd row kind of sucks, it's fine for kids. It also gets 26 mpg. While that's nothing to write home about, it's great mileage for someone who wants an SUV that seats 7. Jim is selling his car (it's nearing 9 years, so it's time) and driving the lease.

The manufacturer gave us a $4500 eco-credit for going diesel. This rebate isn't government funded but the idea is obviously borrowed from Cash for Clunkers. We also get an $1800 tax credit for going green. I find it highly ironic (and a bit wrong) that I'm getting "eco" credit for buying an SUV, but hey, I'll take it.

Lost Symbol

I received my copy of Dan Brown's latest. I've had it two days and haven't cracked it open. I know once I start reading it I'll be useless for 5-6 hours until it's done. Hurry up weekend! I'm hoping I'm not disappointed, but it really doesn't matter because I am a Sucker for serial novels.

I Give Up

Stupid formatting is not working right on my first topic. Apologies to my friends that get RSS feeds on my failed update attempts.

While we're on that topic

Subjects

So the trouble with using boxes with their own title is that I have to figure out what to use for the main post title.   So, I'm just going to make the main title relevant to whatever topic I broach first.   I'm not sure why I feel the need to explain this, but there you have it.

Sprinkle!

Somehow Sprinkle turned 9 months old.  I can't believe it!   She's crawling and pulling up now, so we've had to start baby-proofing like mad.  As predicted, she gets into EVERYTHING.    One of her first successful attemps at crawling involved crawling across the living room floor, grabbing a Crayola marker, pulling the cap off (!), and drawing all over her leg. Yes, I did just sit on the couch and watch her while she did this.  For the record, I did take the marker from her as she was about to start sucking on it.  Reese started crawling about the same age, but it was army crawling for the first month.  Madeleine skipped the army crawling and just got on her hands and knees one day.

She is a healthy 21 lb 6 oz and 28 inches long, and let's just say she's got the appetite to support her weight.   Really, we haven't found anything she DOESN'T like to eat.   What's really surpising to me, though, is her love of meat.   We had a difficult time with Reese with meats, and even today she's still picky.  For the most part, she'll only eat chicken or food we tell her is chicken (like fish).    Madeleine, on the other hand, loves all meat from brisket to tuna.  Her favorite school lunches are Salisbury Steak and Soft Beef Tacos.   Her caregivers have labeled those her favorites as she eats them faster than other meals, but she actually polishes off everything put in front of her.

Weezie!

 Reese started the kindergartern program at her preschool.   It's a kinder program for children that did not make the age 5 cut-off for matriculation this year.   I'm a bit concerned about her being bored when she goes to "real" kindergarten next Fall, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.  She brought home a packet of homework this week, and I think she might actually be bored now.   The worksheets consisted of such tasks as circling pictures that start with the letter C.  Reese was doing this two years ago and can actually read simple books at this point.    On one hand I'm glad she's not being stressed out and pushed too hard (really, homework at age 4?), but on the flip side, I do want to keep her engaged.  Gah, the balance between being *that* mom and *THAT* mom.

Sprinkle + Weezie!

I cannot do justice in describing the way I feel about my two girls and their relationship.   It just brings me JOY to watch them.     Madeleine absolutely adores Reese and just giggles and laughes whenever Reese is around.   Reese is fantastic with Madeleine, too.   Part of it is that Reese loves an audience, and Madeleine is her biggest fan, LOL.   She's a great help with Sprinkie - she helps me get diapers, clothes, etc., and keeps her entertained while I get dressed for work or make dinner.   They're going to be thick as thieves, and Jim and I are going to be in trouble, I think.

Cough, cough, sneeze

Sick


I've been feeling off for about a week, but I had to acknowledge the fact that I'm actually sick when the sore throat, sneezing, and coughing started.   I stayed home from work Thursday and Friday because I felt too ill(and contagious) to go into the office.  I was actually able to get some work done Friday morning and answered a few calls from one of my clients.  I made sure to throw in some extra coughing for some sympathy points.  I don't know where Madeleine gets that from...  (If I had been good about posting updates, then you would know Mads is Queen Fake-O Bake-O.   She fakes coughs, sighs dramatically, and get this, fakes CHOKING.   I'll hand her a wagon wheel baby snack, and before she puts it in her mouth she starts pretending to choke.  Her face actually gets red and her eyes watery!   Once someone (me) coos over her with concern ("are you okay, Baby?"), all is good.)

Working out


I've missed two workouts because of this cold thing I have going on, and I feel like a total sloth.   A month ago I WAS a total sloth because, barring a handful of pitiful jogs, I hadn't really worked out consistently since I was about 5 months pregnant.   Um, let's see, Sprinks is 9 months now...   I have a hard time motivating myself to work out unless I have a specific goal in mind (i.e., finish a race), so I called up a trainer I worked with several years ago after Reese was born.   We've been working out for five weeks, and I feel like a new person.  I've dropped some weight which I have to admit is foremost in my mind, but it's also been great for me mentally.   For an hour, it's just about me and the physicality of the workout, and Malik's as good as a hairdresser for gossip and venting.   He's also the perfect personality for me.   I can't work with trainers that are too nice, but I don't respond to the militant boot camp types, either.    He pushes me really hard but doesn't cross the line to being an asshole.  He's also one of very few trainers that does a *good* boxing workout.   I'll probably work out with him for another month or so to cement my routine and I'm back in the groove to continue on my own.

Labor Day Weekend


Nothing planned this weekend, which is nice.  I'm still feeling crappy, so not so nice considering it's a three day weekend that I can't take full advantage of.   <---I'm annoyed that I'm ending a sentence in a preposition but to be grammatically correct I'd have to sound like a pretentious jerk.  Jim just left to drop Reese off at the farm.   We'll all be up there Monday, but Reese is heading up early to hang out with her cousins.   I love that the girls have the farm and all the experiences associated with it.  Reese was there a few weekends ago, and in between the swimming, feeding cows, playing, she and Liz found a family of raccoons in the barn.  She just lit up telling me about how they, with Uncle Bryan's help, trapped the raccoons and then took them to the woods to release them.  You just don't get that experience in the city (unless you count the rat and possum experience which are not quite the same).

Ghost Chairs

I have been coveting Louis Ghost Chairs and want one.  I don't know why I'm so drawn to "a plastic lawn chair" (two guesses on where that description came from).  But I am.  Me want chair.  So if you see any coupon codes for sites like unicahome.com or allmodern.com, please send them my way.  I'm looking for a sign that I should get one ;-)

Jumping back in

 Boxes

Wow, it's been a while. Isn't this how one always starts a blog post after a long hiatus? Well, it HAS been a while. I'd like to say that between having two children and working full-time, I just don't have the time to post, but really, I find the time to fart around on Face book, don't I? I think it's more of a psychological impediment. In my mind, I'm waiting for when I have something "good" to say or when I have time to sit down and write a well thought-out post. So, I'm stealing an idea from a friend who started posting "boxes" around various random thoughts, ideas, and updates. Somehow, it alleviates the self-induced need I feel to post something funny (or at least not stupid). So, let the rambling commence!

Lameness

Well, that's all I got for today.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls...

Five years ago, Jim, nor anyone else for that matter, could not have imagined himself as a father of a little girl, much less two. When Weezie was a baby, he asked me how he should play with a little girl. I told him to play with her exactly as he would if she were a boy.

That philosophy has worked pretty well, and Weezie has enjoyed many games of wrestling, cops and robbers, and pirates. As she gotten older, however, she's taken the inevitable turn to all things pink and princess. Luckily, she still loves playing with cars, dragons, and other "non-traditional" girl toys; I definitely like the balance. Given my druthers I'd rather her be a tomboy than a girly-girl, but I try not to push her one way or the other too much.

Having girls makes for great entertainment (for me) when they talk to Daddy. Sprinks, of course, does not talk yet, but Weeze is a good indicator for the many fun conversations Jim has in store. Take this recent "very traumatizing" (his words) discussion with Reese in his car:

Reese: Do boys get big boobies?

Jim: No, Baby, boys don't get big boobies.

Reese: Will I get big boobies like Mommy?

Jim: Turns up radio louder.

Reese: DADDY!

Jim: Starts singing along with music.

Reese: DAAADDY! WILL I GET BIG BOOBIES LIKE MOMMY???"

Jim: When you get older. Barfs a little in his mouth.

Reese: Tomorrow??

Jim: Turns radio back up.

Reese: DAADDY! TURN OFF THE RADIO!!!!!

Jim: Ask your mom.

Wrestling at the farm

I sent Jim to drugstore, and this is what he brought back.

Note the intense concentration

Nothing but the best for my girls...

We don't have carpet in our house, so I had been looking at floor pillows for the family room for Reese. Most of the ones I found weren't quite big enough or a little too spendy for just a bit of fluff.

Jim and I were at Costco, and we came across a display of dog beds. Perfect! They were the right size, came with a removable cover for easy cleaning, and arguably sturdy since they're meant for, well, dogs. Even better was the fact that they were only $18.99.

I bought a brown one to coordinate with our living room furniture (hah! who am I kidding?!). The girls love it. I knew Reese would, but surprising Sprinkle loves it, too. She will have nothing to do with her fancy Boppy Bouncer or her Arm's Reach Co-sleeper, but the $19 dog bed? Heaven. I can lay her down on it, and she'll lie contentedly for a good 15 minutes. This is killer, people! In 15 minutes I can take a shower, unload the dishwasher, start a load of laundry...or get in some facebook time :)

Baby Hiccups & Smiles

Sprinkle started smiling consistently around 4 weeks. I love it! It makes up for the fact that she's a little more needy than Reese was, but even on that front she's getting a lot better as well. Woohoo!