Friday, August 31, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Full
We had a very full weekend, which was just right. It didn't go by too quickly and we accomplished a lot.
I kind of went a little nuts wanting a change for the living room and so we went out to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up new slipcovers for the sofas, along with all new pillows. (I think I'm preferring BB&B to Linens and Things now.) I am completely in love with my living room again. The change wasn't inexpensive, but was much less costly than buying new couches, which was actually on my mind. Yesterday, C and Mom came over for dinner and I made a nice cranberry roast pork, mashed potatoes (which I still suck at, but they were alright - mashed potatoes seem to be the bane of my cooking existence), green beans and homemade brownie sundaes for dessert. P was supposed to come, too, but he ended up working all day since he's taking this week off to be with his kids before they return to school. Sunday was a good day.
I'm so done with the heat and humidity. I do not enjoy summer - never have, never will. Lately, though, I've been feeling as though I can do anything and it's a pretty great feeling. I'm just kind of enjoying being in this place now. I'm eager for the days to turn cooler and the nights to be longer.
Now, I just need to get cranking on Devin's baby quilt (D and his fiancee, R, have settled on Devin for the baby's name). And, I need to figure out how to get #2 to stop pulling #1's hair. Really, she's rather sadistic about it. Poor #1.
I kind of went a little nuts wanting a change for the living room and so we went out to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up new slipcovers for the sofas, along with all new pillows. (I think I'm preferring BB&B to Linens and Things now.) I am completely in love with my living room again. The change wasn't inexpensive, but was much less costly than buying new couches, which was actually on my mind. Yesterday, C and Mom came over for dinner and I made a nice cranberry roast pork, mashed potatoes (which I still suck at, but they were alright - mashed potatoes seem to be the bane of my cooking existence), green beans and homemade brownie sundaes for dessert. P was supposed to come, too, but he ended up working all day since he's taking this week off to be with his kids before they return to school. Sunday was a good day.
I'm so done with the heat and humidity. I do not enjoy summer - never have, never will. Lately, though, I've been feeling as though I can do anything and it's a pretty great feeling. I'm just kind of enjoying being in this place now. I'm eager for the days to turn cooler and the nights to be longer.
Now, I just need to get cranking on Devin's baby quilt (D and his fiancee, R, have settled on Devin for the baby's name). And, I need to figure out how to get #2 to stop pulling #1's hair. Really, she's rather sadistic about it. Poor #1.
Friday, August 24, 2007
What's Up, Doc?
Yesterday and Tuesday were medical days for the W household...
The Muffins had a check-up on Tuesday afternoon and it was...interesting, to say the least. Usually, our ped's office is pretty good about getting us right in once we've checked in at the reception desk. We were a bit early for the appointments, so I figured we'd have a bit of a wait. 15 minutes after our first appointment was scheduled to begin, I went to the secretary and politely told her that we'd been waiting for quite a while and was wondering if we'd be taken in anytime soon. She checked and we were taken back to the exam room about 8 minutes later. By this time, the kids had been in their stroller for quite a while and were eager to escape. However, #2 seems to have developed some doctor-office-induced PTSD since our last visit in early May. (We're blaming it on the excruciating blood draw that saw #2 vomiting on the phlebotomist and gave us pause for the slightest moment to consider not having any more children just so that we could avoid the hell that was the one-year blood draw.)
The second that the stroller was pushed over the threshold of the exam room door, the poor thing started screaming bloody hell. I kid you not. The very second. J and I went about the business of stripping the kids down, I answered the nurse's questions over #2's wailing, and we got measurements on the kids (which was a bit of a challenge with the screaming girl, but the nurse finally wrangled her enough to get the numbers down). #1 decided that something must be wrong if his sister was crying, so he decided to start crying, too. Fortunately, this didn't last terribly long. I know that the staff have dealt with screaming kids before, but still.
Aside from the doctor declaring, upon entering the room, that he'd called a priest for an exorcism, all went well and the kids are in great shape. #1 is above the 50th percentile for height, slightly below on weight and his noggin is big, as always (hovering in the 75th percentile range). #2 is 50th for height and weight and just slightly above for head circumference. #2 even decided that El Doctor wasn't so bad and determined that he clearly wasn't the mousy, pasty-faced woman who had tortured her so mercilessly a few months ago and she started trying to get him to pay attention to her. That is, until it was time for him to examine her. Then it was time to scream again. The screaming continued during the shots...and the redressing...through the lobby - where every head turned as J walked out with the kids, each parent silently thanking God that those weren't their children - and out into the parking lot. I had to stay behind to make our next appointment. And that was that.
Yesterday was the big day for me as we were hoping to get some final word on what the hell happened to me in late January/early February. The short history is that I had my first ever migraine(s) combined with an episode of total-kick-you-in-the-ass vertigo. The migraines went away, but the vertigo lasted for a very long time. Months. I ended up being hospitalized and having a head CT, an MRI and a MRA of the brain, but nothing showed up. Always a good thing. For good measure, I went to physical therapy throughout March to try and kick the vertigo, but nothing doing. There's a family history of Meniere's disease and migraine, so it was assumed that I presented with some weird combo of both and have been being treated for Meniere's since May. So...I was referred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (it was there or Boston, and I chose the route with less traffic). I've been feeling pretty good for the past couple of months, but kept the appointments (had to see another physical therapist, get my hearing checked and then be seen by an ENT - and, holy hell, is it ever hard to get into that place!).
The vertigo finally went away competely by early July (I thought it had gone away by mid-May, but I had a smaller attack in mid-June that lasted until just before July...I've been vertigo-free since then). The specialist declared that it was not Meniere's, but that my symptoms are "all over the place" and he wasn't comfortable nailing down one diagnosis for me. His best guess is that it was some sort of migraine-related vertigo, perhaps crossed over with benign positional vertigo, but the main culprit, he thinks, was vestibular neuronitis, an inflammation of the vestibular nerve (the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain). I think, though, that it sounds more like this. I have a follow-up in November, so hopefully I'll keep feeling well from here on out. In the meantime, the ruling out of Meniere's means we can progress with the baby making discussions for this fall (apparently, Meniere's can get very bad during the first trimester and J was a little nervous about the prospect of me being out of commission for 3 months - or more). Bonus!
The Muffins had a check-up on Tuesday afternoon and it was...interesting, to say the least. Usually, our ped's office is pretty good about getting us right in once we've checked in at the reception desk. We were a bit early for the appointments, so I figured we'd have a bit of a wait. 15 minutes after our first appointment was scheduled to begin, I went to the secretary and politely told her that we'd been waiting for quite a while and was wondering if we'd be taken in anytime soon. She checked and we were taken back to the exam room about 8 minutes later. By this time, the kids had been in their stroller for quite a while and were eager to escape. However, #2 seems to have developed some doctor-office-induced PTSD since our last visit in early May. (We're blaming it on the excruciating blood draw that saw #2 vomiting on the phlebotomist and gave us pause for the slightest moment to consider not having any more children just so that we could avoid the hell that was the one-year blood draw.)
The second that the stroller was pushed over the threshold of the exam room door, the poor thing started screaming bloody hell. I kid you not. The very second. J and I went about the business of stripping the kids down, I answered the nurse's questions over #2's wailing, and we got measurements on the kids (which was a bit of a challenge with the screaming girl, but the nurse finally wrangled her enough to get the numbers down). #1 decided that something must be wrong if his sister was crying, so he decided to start crying, too. Fortunately, this didn't last terribly long. I know that the staff have dealt with screaming kids before, but still.
Aside from the doctor declaring, upon entering the room, that he'd called a priest for an exorcism, all went well and the kids are in great shape. #1 is above the 50th percentile for height, slightly below on weight and his noggin is big, as always (hovering in the 75th percentile range). #2 is 50th for height and weight and just slightly above for head circumference. #2 even decided that El Doctor wasn't so bad and determined that he clearly wasn't the mousy, pasty-faced woman who had tortured her so mercilessly a few months ago and she started trying to get him to pay attention to her. That is, until it was time for him to examine her. Then it was time to scream again. The screaming continued during the shots...and the redressing...through the lobby - where every head turned as J walked out with the kids, each parent silently thanking God that those weren't their children - and out into the parking lot. I had to stay behind to make our next appointment. And that was that.
Yesterday was the big day for me as we were hoping to get some final word on what the hell happened to me in late January/early February. The short history is that I had my first ever migraine(s) combined with an episode of total-kick-you-in-the-ass vertigo. The migraines went away, but the vertigo lasted for a very long time. Months. I ended up being hospitalized and having a head CT, an MRI and a MRA of the brain, but nothing showed up. Always a good thing. For good measure, I went to physical therapy throughout March to try and kick the vertigo, but nothing doing. There's a family history of Meniere's disease and migraine, so it was assumed that I presented with some weird combo of both and have been being treated for Meniere's since May. So...I was referred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (it was there or Boston, and I chose the route with less traffic). I've been feeling pretty good for the past couple of months, but kept the appointments (had to see another physical therapist, get my hearing checked and then be seen by an ENT - and, holy hell, is it ever hard to get into that place!).
The vertigo finally went away competely by early July (I thought it had gone away by mid-May, but I had a smaller attack in mid-June that lasted until just before July...I've been vertigo-free since then). The specialist declared that it was not Meniere's, but that my symptoms are "all over the place" and he wasn't comfortable nailing down one diagnosis for me. His best guess is that it was some sort of migraine-related vertigo, perhaps crossed over with benign positional vertigo, but the main culprit, he thinks, was vestibular neuronitis, an inflammation of the vestibular nerve (the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain). I think, though, that it sounds more like this. I have a follow-up in November, so hopefully I'll keep feeling well from here on out. In the meantime, the ruling out of Meniere's means we can progress with the baby making discussions for this fall (apparently, Meniere's can get very bad during the first trimester and J was a little nervous about the prospect of me being out of commission for 3 months - or more). Bonus!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Some Days Are Better Than Others...And Today Was Pretty Great
I feel super productive.
For the first time, the kids and I went to the grocery store alone. Don't give me any crap. Grocery shopping with two very curious and mobile toddlers is not high on my to-do list. I won't put them in one of those carriages with the TVs, and the other carriages - the ones that look like race cars - have a basket that would hold about half of what I'd need on any given shopping expedition and that just seems kind of pointless. (Plus, my kids are really amazing at reaching anything in sight. Seriously.) Anyway. On to today. I was planning on making lasagne for dinner and needed ground turkey for the sauce and the only way to get it was to go to the store. So off we went.
I saw one of those race car carts in the parking lot and though I'd give it a try (and it was parked at the faaaar end of the parking lot, but I didn't mind the walk). Well, when I approached it I saw that one of the play steering wheels was missing and there was just a big bolt or something potentially dangerous there (and, #1 would take great delight in trying to suck on it) so I ruled out the race car idea. I didn't want to repark and we were actually in a low-traffic part of the lot, so I plopped the kids in their double stroller and headed for the store. I only needed a few items, so I grabbed one of the handheld baskets and pushed the stroller through the store. I know about the push-the-stroller-pull-the-carriage trick and it works great at Target (a place I've been to several times by myself with the Muffins, thank you), but there just doesn't seem to be as much room to negotiate around the grocery store while employing said method. #2 loves loves loves to try and escape from the stroller and both kids are fantastic reachers, but I deftly maneuvered through the aisles, carefully selecting my few groceries with neither a complaint from the babes, nor a random item pulled from any of the shelves. I was thrilled.
Once home, I settled the kids in the living room and popped downstairs to do laundry. Yes, you read correctly. Now that I've cleaned the unfinished part of the basement, I'm actually motivated to do laundry. 3 loads today alone. Woohoo for me.
M stopped over for a quick bit, bringing with her the requisite price of admission (a large Diet Coke w/o ice from McDonalds, naturally - but, yes, I am still being very good about cutting back!). She played with the kids, I showed off the basement, I emptied the dishwasher, M left and I got the kids up for their nap. I started on the homemade sauce for the lasange, mixed up the cheese mixture and still managed to relax a bit before the kids woke up.
I had invited Mom for dinner and she arrived just as J was getting home from work. It was a lovely time; the kids enjoyed the double surprise of Nana and Daddy coming into the house at the same time and then A stopped in on her way home to Vermont. (She'd been in Seattle for the past week visiting friends and was driving home from the airport.) So many people to play with! I managed to tidy the house, make a great dinner (we ate at the table like civilized adults, always a plus!) and, later, J bathed the kids. All in all, we had a nice evening.
Tomorrow we go to the doctor for a check-up for the kids. Wednesday, we're off to Dartmouth for my head. Hopefuly, we'll have a better idea of where things stand so that we can progress with the future baby making discussions (I go to the OB/GYN on September 12th and I'd like to be able to tell her what are plans/thoughts are).
On a kind of sucky note, we've finally decided that we might want to go away for our anniversary (our 11th, thanks for asking) in October (read: we think we are in a place where we could leave the kids for more than a few hours). C's already put in for time at work so that she can watch the kids (that C, she's swell), but every place that I've looked into so far...already booked! We're still looking, but I'm a little bummed thus far.
For the first time, the kids and I went to the grocery store alone. Don't give me any crap. Grocery shopping with two very curious and mobile toddlers is not high on my to-do list. I won't put them in one of those carriages with the TVs, and the other carriages - the ones that look like race cars - have a basket that would hold about half of what I'd need on any given shopping expedition and that just seems kind of pointless. (Plus, my kids are really amazing at reaching anything in sight. Seriously.) Anyway. On to today. I was planning on making lasagne for dinner and needed ground turkey for the sauce and the only way to get it was to go to the store. So off we went.
I saw one of those race car carts in the parking lot and though I'd give it a try (and it was parked at the faaaar end of the parking lot, but I didn't mind the walk). Well, when I approached it I saw that one of the play steering wheels was missing and there was just a big bolt or something potentially dangerous there (and, #1 would take great delight in trying to suck on it) so I ruled out the race car idea. I didn't want to repark and we were actually in a low-traffic part of the lot, so I plopped the kids in their double stroller and headed for the store. I only needed a few items, so I grabbed one of the handheld baskets and pushed the stroller through the store. I know about the push-the-stroller-pull-the-carriage trick and it works great at Target (a place I've been to several times by myself with the Muffins, thank you), but there just doesn't seem to be as much room to negotiate around the grocery store while employing said method. #2 loves loves loves to try and escape from the stroller and both kids are fantastic reachers, but I deftly maneuvered through the aisles, carefully selecting my few groceries with neither a complaint from the babes, nor a random item pulled from any of the shelves. I was thrilled.
Once home, I settled the kids in the living room and popped downstairs to do laundry. Yes, you read correctly. Now that I've cleaned the unfinished part of the basement, I'm actually motivated to do laundry. 3 loads today alone. Woohoo for me.
M stopped over for a quick bit, bringing with her the requisite price of admission (a large Diet Coke w/o ice from McDonalds, naturally - but, yes, I am still being very good about cutting back!). She played with the kids, I showed off the basement, I emptied the dishwasher, M left and I got the kids up for their nap. I started on the homemade sauce for the lasange, mixed up the cheese mixture and still managed to relax a bit before the kids woke up.
I had invited Mom for dinner and she arrived just as J was getting home from work. It was a lovely time; the kids enjoyed the double surprise of Nana and Daddy coming into the house at the same time and then A stopped in on her way home to Vermont. (She'd been in Seattle for the past week visiting friends and was driving home from the airport.) So many people to play with! I managed to tidy the house, make a great dinner (we ate at the table like civilized adults, always a plus!) and, later, J bathed the kids. All in all, we had a nice evening.
Tomorrow we go to the doctor for a check-up for the kids. Wednesday, we're off to Dartmouth for my head. Hopefuly, we'll have a better idea of where things stand so that we can progress with the future baby making discussions (I go to the OB/GYN on September 12th and I'd like to be able to tell her what are plans/thoughts are).
On a kind of sucky note, we've finally decided that we might want to go away for our anniversary (our 11th, thanks for asking) in October (read: we think we are in a place where we could leave the kids for more than a few hours). C's already put in for time at work so that she can watch the kids (that C, she's swell), but every place that I've looked into so far...already booked! We're still looking, but I'm a little bummed thus far.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
All In A Day's Work...
I had my work cut out for me, big time...
This was the easiest part of all.
It was almost ridiculous how much crap I let pile up down there.
It took hours and hours, but the unfinished part of the basement is organized and tidy! I killed a gazillion spiders and sucked up cobwebs too numerous to count. I have a ton and a half of laundry to do (I set up 2 3-section laundry organizers and they are both full - seriously), but it's done.
The ultimate goal is to clear out the partially finished side of the basement so that we can strip the wallpaper, paint the walls, get new carpeting and install a third heat zone (hence why I call it "partially finished"...there's no heat down there and therefore we've let it become a storage area rather than utilize the space). So...we need the unfinished side of the basement cleaned and organized so that we can store the stuff from the finished side while we do the renovations. My vision is that the new finished side will primarily be a kid zone, but with an area for me to set up my quilting on a permanent basis. Also, J and I have been talking about getting a recumbent exercise bike, so that'd be there, too. I came up with this idea one night in bed when I couldn't fall asleep and it is a great idea, but God does it seem easier when I'm upstairs and only talking about my plan. For a while, I would get so overwhelmed whenever I would go downstairs and try to envision what I wanted (not to mention needed) to do. Now the ball is rolling, however, and I'm hoping that I can keep up the pace (I'd like to work downstairs on Saturdays and then have Sundays be for the four of us) and hopefully have everything done by the time snow flies. After today's success, I don't think that's too ambitious and I'm feeling less overwhelmed by the project.
The ultimate goal is to clear out the partially finished side of the basement so that we can strip the wallpaper, paint the walls, get new carpeting and install a third heat zone (hence why I call it "partially finished"...there's no heat down there and therefore we've let it become a storage area rather than utilize the space). So...we need the unfinished side of the basement cleaned and organized so that we can store the stuff from the finished side while we do the renovations. My vision is that the new finished side will primarily be a kid zone, but with an area for me to set up my quilting on a permanent basis. Also, J and I have been talking about getting a recumbent exercise bike, so that'd be there, too. I came up with this idea one night in bed when I couldn't fall asleep and it is a great idea, but God does it seem easier when I'm upstairs and only talking about my plan. For a while, I would get so overwhelmed whenever I would go downstairs and try to envision what I wanted (not to mention needed) to do. Now the ball is rolling, however, and I'm hoping that I can keep up the pace (I'd like to work downstairs on Saturdays and then have Sundays be for the four of us) and hopefully have everything done by the time snow flies. After today's success, I don't think that's too ambitious and I'm feeling less overwhelmed by the project.
Isn't it lovely now? (You know, for a basement...)
More storage!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
It's Friday Already?
This week has flown by in a whirl of bananas and sippy cups. No, actually, it's just kind of surprising that it's Friday already.
On Tuesday, Mom visited with P's youngest son. P and his wife are separated and Mom helps P out on the weeks when the kids are with him. P's two oldest children are teenagers and pretty much do what they please. His youngest, E, is 9 and therefore needs more adult companionship and he loves his Nana, so it's all working out. Mom and E came over a couple of weeks ago and it went really well. The Muffins love E and had a great time playing with him. E had a great time playing X Box once the Muffins went down for their nap. So Mom decided a repeat performance was in order. Well, the Muffins were thrilled to see E and he was thrilled to play X Box (although this time the kids were awake and wanted to help E play - it was really rather cute). In an attempt to get out of the house for a bit and play the role of Cool Aunt, I suggested an ice cream run. E was all for it. Off to ice cream we went. E was sitting in the back of the van, enjoying his Moose Tracks, when I decided to pick up a Diet Coke on the way home. Mom, convinced E doesn't eat enough, had me pick something up for E. Well...he was all for that, too, and pretty much discarded the ice cream upon receipt of usually taboo french fries.
When we got back to the house, I had to round up Little Dog and tuck him away since Mom had to come in the house. While I was doing that, Mom let E out of the back of the van, P (who was in town and decided to meet us at my house to pick E up) got #1 out of his car seat, and Mom got #2. P, E and I visit for a while and Mom rushes off. Meanwhile, M calls and asks to come over. Welcome to my home. Also known as Grand Central Station. I tell M she can come over and she does. Eventually, P and E leave and J comes home from work. I whip up quiche and green beans for dinner and M takes her leave. J and I eat, feed the kids and hop in the van to go grocery shopping. At the stop sign at the end of the street I turn around to smile at #2 and see E's ice cream cone and dish and dirty napkins all over the back seat. Melted. Gooey. A mess. We turn around and J spends the next 20 minutes cleaning up the mess while I wipe up #2 who decided that she was a fountain and was spitting up (is it still spit up once they're not babies anymore?) every few minutes (and man did it reek). OK, mess cleaned up, baby periodically wiped down, groceries purchased. That was Tuesday.
M came over again on Wednesday and I took advantage of her visit to run some errands and get some packages off that I hadn't had time to send yet. I love you, UPS Store. I love that I don't need to package anything, that you'll measure and carefully pack and ship my items for a fee. The convenience is so worth it. I also did loads of baby laundry and realized that I could utilize the furniture in the guest room to store said baby laundry. (Because, you know, just shoving the baskets of folded - at least it's folded! - laundry in the room, while it did work for me, kind of led to a lack of available laundry baskets.) Wednesday was a rather productive day, all in all.
Yesterday was a long day, but I whipped up a great tofu casserole for dinner and, for a change of pace, I made cookies in the evening and called C up and had her come over to spend the night. The kids love it when C comes over. It was good visit and the cookies were yummy, as always. I had a difficult time falling asleep last night and then, just as I was dozing off, the power went out for more than two hours. I really couldn't get to sleep then. The ringing in my ears was louder than ever and the house was too quiet. J couldn't sleep either so we went downstairs and sat and waited. He finally gave in and went upstairs to wait it out. I relaxed on the couch and waited and waited. The power finally came back on about quarter to 4 and I was able to get some sleep. C slept peacefully, completely unaware of the power having gone out at all.
#1 learned a new trick today. In our living room, we have a four-shelf barrister bookcase. Having quickly explored the bottom two shelves by banging the doors incessantly and trying to push the books in, we removed the books and the doors to those shelves. He's working on the third shelf, too, and I think that'll most likely be gone by the end of the weekend. So tonight, relaxing in the living room, I hear a little hand slapping on wood and some heavy breathing and a little grunting. Being able to ascertain that no one was hiding in a corner discreetly pooping, I quickly figure out that #1 is somewhere near the bookcase. Well, I was mostly right. He was actually up in the second shelf. And he couldn't figure out how to get down. So we did what any good parent would do. I ran for the camera, and the battery died on me the moment I tried to snap a picture. I flipped open my cell phone only to be greeted with the message that my memory card if full. So J jumps up for the camcorder and records #1 in the bookcase as he tries to figure out a way out. He didn't. J helped him out and he proceeded to get up on the shelf four more times before the night was through.
My goal for tomorrow is to attack the unfinished part of the basement to clean it up and organize it with the ultimate goal of beginning work to clear out the finished part of the basement in the hopes of redoing it over the next few months. Sunday we're off to this and then out to dinner with P.
And then I'll be saying, it's Monday already?
On Tuesday, Mom visited with P's youngest son. P and his wife are separated and Mom helps P out on the weeks when the kids are with him. P's two oldest children are teenagers and pretty much do what they please. His youngest, E, is 9 and therefore needs more adult companionship and he loves his Nana, so it's all working out. Mom and E came over a couple of weeks ago and it went really well. The Muffins love E and had a great time playing with him. E had a great time playing X Box once the Muffins went down for their nap. So Mom decided a repeat performance was in order. Well, the Muffins were thrilled to see E and he was thrilled to play X Box (although this time the kids were awake and wanted to help E play - it was really rather cute). In an attempt to get out of the house for a bit and play the role of Cool Aunt, I suggested an ice cream run. E was all for it. Off to ice cream we went. E was sitting in the back of the van, enjoying his Moose Tracks, when I decided to pick up a Diet Coke on the way home. Mom, convinced E doesn't eat enough, had me pick something up for E. Well...he was all for that, too, and pretty much discarded the ice cream upon receipt of usually taboo french fries.
When we got back to the house, I had to round up Little Dog and tuck him away since Mom had to come in the house. While I was doing that, Mom let E out of the back of the van, P (who was in town and decided to meet us at my house to pick E up) got #1 out of his car seat, and Mom got #2. P, E and I visit for a while and Mom rushes off. Meanwhile, M calls and asks to come over. Welcome to my home. Also known as Grand Central Station. I tell M she can come over and she does. Eventually, P and E leave and J comes home from work. I whip up quiche and green beans for dinner and M takes her leave. J and I eat, feed the kids and hop in the van to go grocery shopping. At the stop sign at the end of the street I turn around to smile at #2 and see E's ice cream cone and dish and dirty napkins all over the back seat. Melted. Gooey. A mess. We turn around and J spends the next 20 minutes cleaning up the mess while I wipe up #2 who decided that she was a fountain and was spitting up (is it still spit up once they're not babies anymore?) every few minutes (and man did it reek). OK, mess cleaned up, baby periodically wiped down, groceries purchased. That was Tuesday.
M came over again on Wednesday and I took advantage of her visit to run some errands and get some packages off that I hadn't had time to send yet. I love you, UPS Store. I love that I don't need to package anything, that you'll measure and carefully pack and ship my items for a fee. The convenience is so worth it. I also did loads of baby laundry and realized that I could utilize the furniture in the guest room to store said baby laundry. (Because, you know, just shoving the baskets of folded - at least it's folded! - laundry in the room, while it did work for me, kind of led to a lack of available laundry baskets.) Wednesday was a rather productive day, all in all.
Yesterday was a long day, but I whipped up a great tofu casserole for dinner and, for a change of pace, I made cookies in the evening and called C up and had her come over to spend the night. The kids love it when C comes over. It was good visit and the cookies were yummy, as always. I had a difficult time falling asleep last night and then, just as I was dozing off, the power went out for more than two hours. I really couldn't get to sleep then. The ringing in my ears was louder than ever and the house was too quiet. J couldn't sleep either so we went downstairs and sat and waited. He finally gave in and went upstairs to wait it out. I relaxed on the couch and waited and waited. The power finally came back on about quarter to 4 and I was able to get some sleep. C slept peacefully, completely unaware of the power having gone out at all.
#1 learned a new trick today. In our living room, we have a four-shelf barrister bookcase. Having quickly explored the bottom two shelves by banging the doors incessantly and trying to push the books in, we removed the books and the doors to those shelves. He's working on the third shelf, too, and I think that'll most likely be gone by the end of the weekend. So tonight, relaxing in the living room, I hear a little hand slapping on wood and some heavy breathing and a little grunting. Being able to ascertain that no one was hiding in a corner discreetly pooping, I quickly figure out that #1 is somewhere near the bookcase. Well, I was mostly right. He was actually up in the second shelf. And he couldn't figure out how to get down. So we did what any good parent would do. I ran for the camera, and the battery died on me the moment I tried to snap a picture. I flipped open my cell phone only to be greeted with the message that my memory card if full. So J jumps up for the camcorder and records #1 in the bookcase as he tries to figure out a way out. He didn't. J helped him out and he proceeded to get up on the shelf four more times before the night was through.
My goal for tomorrow is to attack the unfinished part of the basement to clean it up and organize it with the ultimate goal of beginning work to clear out the finished part of the basement in the hopes of redoing it over the next few months. Sunday we're off to this and then out to dinner with P.
And then I'll be saying, it's Monday already?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
I'm Just Wondering...
Is there anyone out there who would really be inspired to purchase a car after essentially being told that they were stupid if they didn't?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
At Least I Recognize That I'm Losing My Mind...
The scene: I'm sitting on the couch, laptop perched in my lap, reading blogs. J is sprawled out on the living room floor, reading a chess book.
H: *sniff* *sniff* *looks down at computer* *lifts computer up thinking it's overheating*
J: *muttering to self* OK, so that's a check there.
H: *sniff* *sniiiiiiiiiiff* Why does the computer smell funny?
J: I don't know. *comes over and sniffs at the computer from various angles*
H: Oh wait, is it skunk? Did that damn skunk spray again?
J: I don't know. *sits back down on the floor*
H: Uhm.
J: Oh yeah, that's skunk. I smell skunk.
H: I think I need to blog about this.
H: *sniff* *sniff* *looks down at computer* *lifts computer up thinking it's overheating*
J: *muttering to self* OK, so that's a check there.
H: *sniff* *sniiiiiiiiiiff* Why does the computer smell funny?
J: I don't know. *comes over and sniffs at the computer from various angles*
H: Oh wait, is it skunk? Did that damn skunk spray again?
J: I don't know. *sits back down on the floor*
H: Uhm.
J: Oh yeah, that's skunk. I smell skunk.
H: I think I need to blog about this.
Phew!
So happy Rock won Hell's Kitchen! I couldn't stand Bonnie and was so pissed she made it into the finale. Ugh.
Monday, August 13, 2007
When Evil Meets Genius
Apparently deciding that he can do no more harm to our country, Turd Blossom is stepping down. I'd rejoice, but I have a feeling that he won't stay away for long. He's most likely already eyeing a campaign to commandeer. And one to destroy.
New 'Do
Whew! The weekend flew by. After Friday's excursion to Land of the Busybodies, we had a relatively quiet Saturday. For me, the day started off with a trip to the salon for a haircut and some color. I love my stylist, but the reception people at the salon are a bunch of skinny bitches. And they're pretty stupid to boot. I have little tolerance for chicas whose conversations only revolve around fashion and whether or not Britney's mother actually slept with K-Fed (oh how Brit actually makes him look like a responsible person). The front desk girls have a way of making you feel as though checking in for your appointment is so very inconvenient. Who knows? Maybe the solution to the crisis in the Middle East really does hinge on finding the perfect shade of lip gloss to match your shoes. Maybe I'm being too judgmental. That said, I'm happy with the color. She went a tad too short on the length, but it'll grow and it won't take long.
#1 had been a crankyboy while I was gone, so we packed up the kids and went out for the afternoon. On a whim, I decided to replace the curtains in the front room, living room and kitchen/dining area. Curtain pulling has been a favorite baby pastime as of late and J and I never really liked the off-white lace (the curtains came with the house and we just never got around to doing anything about them until this weekend). So...to Target we went and we settled on some cranberry valances. What a difference! They're much more our style than what was hanging there, collecting dust; they let in more light and totally change the look of the rooms. We love them! And...they were on sale, so we made a welcome change for little investment.
Today was lovely. Though we're both exhausted, J and I had made plans for C to watch the kids so we could go out. We caught The Bourne Ultimatum and then had an early dinner at perhaps my most favorite restaurant. The movie was very good and held my attention throughout (even though occasional waves of bone-deep tiredness washed over me - the whole insomnia thing has been a bit out of control lately) and our dinner was fantabulous (finished off with a perfect white chocolate brownie sundae that was scrumptious). #1 was still rather cranky today, but C was great with the kids and the night went smoothly.
Oh how the weekends go too soon.
Hey, is anyone watching Damages or State of Mind?
#1 had been a crankyboy while I was gone, so we packed up the kids and went out for the afternoon. On a whim, I decided to replace the curtains in the front room, living room and kitchen/dining area. Curtain pulling has been a favorite baby pastime as of late and J and I never really liked the off-white lace (the curtains came with the house and we just never got around to doing anything about them until this weekend). So...to Target we went and we settled on some cranberry valances. What a difference! They're much more our style than what was hanging there, collecting dust; they let in more light and totally change the look of the rooms. We love them! And...they were on sale, so we made a welcome change for little investment.
Today was lovely. Though we're both exhausted, J and I had made plans for C to watch the kids so we could go out. We caught The Bourne Ultimatum and then had an early dinner at perhaps my most favorite restaurant. The movie was very good and held my attention throughout (even though occasional waves of bone-deep tiredness washed over me - the whole insomnia thing has been a bit out of control lately) and our dinner was fantabulous (finished off with a perfect white chocolate brownie sundae that was scrumptious). #1 was still rather cranky today, but C was great with the kids and the night went smoothly.
Oh how the weekends go too soon.
Hey, is anyone watching Damages or State of Mind?
Saturday, August 11, 2007
It May Take a Village, But Please Mind Your Own Business
A little history: the Muffins were 6 weeks premature and one of the few parenting books that I read while pregnant mentioned that colic doesn't rear it's head in preemies until after their due date (and then, typically, it lasts about 3 months). Well, #2 proved that one right and she was still a bit of a cranky babe in early August of last year. But, deciding to be brave and try something new, Mom, C and I packed up the kids and headed out to the the League of NH Craftsmen Annual Fair in Sunapee. It was a lovely drive and it seemed like it would be a lovely day. The crowd wasn't too large and it's a very family (and stroller) friendly event.
There we were: the sun shining down on us, a slight breeze blowing, beautiful weather - not too hot, and no humidity. Mom, C and I wandered around the grounds, taking our time strolling through the tents, oohing and ahhing at the seemingly endless vendors and their amazing crafts when #2 broke out into a major case of the cranks. She screamed (and man can she scream!) and screamed and screamed some more until we settled on a bench and I could take her out of her seat to try to soothe her. She wasn't hungry, she didn't need a diaper change, she wasn't too hot; she was just unhappy. We were used to this and knew that she would calm down eventually. We were slightly embarrassed to be the ones with the wailing infant, but it's an outdoor event and there were tons of families around, surely people were used to this to some extent, right? Most people stared as they walked by, rather impassive. Some offered knowing smiles, sympathy in their eyes. Others steered clear of us as if a screaming infant was somehow contagious (actually, it seems as though it is to some extent with toddlers).
And then it happened. A woman came over and stood in front of me as I tried to soothe #2. She just stood there, ice cream in hand, and watched me. I maneuvered #2 into different positions, trying to help her to be more comfortable. I shhhed and cooed and offered her anything I could to suck on. And still, she cried. And the woman stared. Finally, she says, "Well, I can see you're not sticking pins in her at least!" I looked up at her, thoroughly confused, and offered a weak, "No, this is just how she is sometimes." Finally, #2 calmed down and Intrusive Lady decided that she could now take her leave. We thought it best to move on and keep #2 in motion so that she'd be lulled to sleep. #2 didn't like that plan very much. When I went to put her back in her seat, she started screaming again. Guess who came out from around the corner? If you guessed rude-and-looming-stranger-lady, you win! Again, she stood within arm's reach and watched as I calmed #2 and worked her into a position that she would tolerate. Satisfied that I had managed to finally calm my child (my child!), she again went on her way. Mom and C were outraged at the woman's behavior and we were all a bit taken aback so that none of us quite knew the appropriate response. When I've told this story to others, they react with similar disdain for and surprise at the woman's boldness and rudeness.
Fast forward to this year...
J took the day off. I ran some errands this morning, packed up the diaper bag (one of 4, but managed to get everything I thought we'd need into 1 bag), packed up the kids, and we headed west. There was some rain this morning and I was a little concerned that it wasn't going to let up, but I needn't have worried. Weather-wise, it was a great day. Temps in the 60s are my idea of perfect. The drive to Sunapee was lovely and we arrived just before Noon. The crowd was larger than last year, but still very manageable. I knew from last year that the tandem stroller could handle the terrain, but we've since acquired a nice side-by-side that's more rugged and would do very well. Plus, it's got netting that zips onto the top and keeps the kids bug free and limits sun exposure. This was J's first visit to the fair and he was looking forward to spending time outside and seeing the various artisans. He was rewarded with an entrancing demonstration of Raku pottery making as we entered the fair. We made it through a tent filled with paintings, small sculptures and some great photography. #2 was happily babbling to anyone within earshot while #1 looked around. People smiled and said how cute the kids were. I smiled politely in return and thanked them. All was pleasant.
Then it happened. At first there was a woman who exclaimed, for the benefit of her happy-as-a-clam toddler, who was perched high up in a backpack on his mother, that our babies were "held captive" in their stroller. "Look!" she says loudly, "they've been captured and can't be free!" The woman motions to the stroller and looks back to her son, "They're being held captive!" I smiled politely, now gritting my teeth somewhat, and tried to chuckle a little, choosing to see her words as creative play for her child, rather than a judgment of my parenting. She looks at me and asks, "how old?" "Sixteen months," I say. "Hmmm, ok." OK? Wtf is that supposed to mean?
On we go...
After a bit, #1 starts getting a little cranky and is sick of the stroller. J takes him out and they walk for a bit. #1 isn't a huge fan of grass and can feel it on his feet since he's wearing sandals so he decides to give up on walking and J carries him around. #2 starts to get a little cranky and I assume it's because she's getting hungry. We grab a bite of food, but neither kidlet is really into it. Regardless, we're having a nice time and look around at more vendors and walk through the sculpture garden. #1 won't really allow us to put him back in the stroller and I know he's getting tired (he has less staying power than she does). #2 becomes increasingly cranky and we know it's because she doesn't want to be in the stroller while her brother seems to be free. We decide to try and switch the Muffins and hope that #1 will pass out in the stroller. #2 and I walk around happily, while #1 cries in the stroller and doesn't let up. I lose sight of J for a bit, but eventually can tell that #1 has stopped crying. I assume that he's given into sleep. No such luck.
#2 and I walk out and see J, #1 perched on his shoulders. #2 decides that she's more than capable of walking around without Mumma's help and, every time I take her hand, she throws herself down on the ground and refuses to move. This continues for about 5 minutes and J and I decide that it's time to head home. I pick #2 up and explain that if she won't hold my hand while she walks then she'll have to be carried. (I know that she can't yet fully understand all that I'm saying, but we always try to explain what's going on.) Of the two kids, #2 is by far the squirmiest and the strongest and the kickiest. I was worn out by the time we made it back to the van, all eyes upon us as, once again, my daughter makes a scene at the fair.
But wait! The best is yet to come (although it had already happened, unbeknownst to me). After we're all packed up and ready to head home, J relays the following: While walking down the other side of the tent, trying to calm #1 in the stroller, J walks by a vendor who says to him, "Well, at least I can see you're not pinching him!" J just kept on walking. I couldn't believe it when he told me! I have no idea if it's the same busybody from last year, but can you believe it?!
It may take a village to raise a child (does that therefore mean that it takes a small city to raise twins?), but back off people.
There we were: the sun shining down on us, a slight breeze blowing, beautiful weather - not too hot, and no humidity. Mom, C and I wandered around the grounds, taking our time strolling through the tents, oohing and ahhing at the seemingly endless vendors and their amazing crafts when #2 broke out into a major case of the cranks. She screamed (and man can she scream!) and screamed and screamed some more until we settled on a bench and I could take her out of her seat to try to soothe her. She wasn't hungry, she didn't need a diaper change, she wasn't too hot; she was just unhappy. We were used to this and knew that she would calm down eventually. We were slightly embarrassed to be the ones with the wailing infant, but it's an outdoor event and there were tons of families around, surely people were used to this to some extent, right? Most people stared as they walked by, rather impassive. Some offered knowing smiles, sympathy in their eyes. Others steered clear of us as if a screaming infant was somehow contagious (actually, it seems as though it is to some extent with toddlers).
And then it happened. A woman came over and stood in front of me as I tried to soothe #2. She just stood there, ice cream in hand, and watched me. I maneuvered #2 into different positions, trying to help her to be more comfortable. I shhhed and cooed and offered her anything I could to suck on. And still, she cried. And the woman stared. Finally, she says, "Well, I can see you're not sticking pins in her at least!" I looked up at her, thoroughly confused, and offered a weak, "No, this is just how she is sometimes." Finally, #2 calmed down and Intrusive Lady decided that she could now take her leave. We thought it best to move on and keep #2 in motion so that she'd be lulled to sleep. #2 didn't like that plan very much. When I went to put her back in her seat, she started screaming again. Guess who came out from around the corner? If you guessed rude-and-looming-stranger-lady, you win! Again, she stood within arm's reach and watched as I calmed #2 and worked her into a position that she would tolerate. Satisfied that I had managed to finally calm my child (my child!), she again went on her way. Mom and C were outraged at the woman's behavior and we were all a bit taken aback so that none of us quite knew the appropriate response. When I've told this story to others, they react with similar disdain for and surprise at the woman's boldness and rudeness.
Fast forward to this year...
J took the day off. I ran some errands this morning, packed up the diaper bag (one of 4, but managed to get everything I thought we'd need into 1 bag), packed up the kids, and we headed west. There was some rain this morning and I was a little concerned that it wasn't going to let up, but I needn't have worried. Weather-wise, it was a great day. Temps in the 60s are my idea of perfect. The drive to Sunapee was lovely and we arrived just before Noon. The crowd was larger than last year, but still very manageable. I knew from last year that the tandem stroller could handle the terrain, but we've since acquired a nice side-by-side that's more rugged and would do very well. Plus, it's got netting that zips onto the top and keeps the kids bug free and limits sun exposure. This was J's first visit to the fair and he was looking forward to spending time outside and seeing the various artisans. He was rewarded with an entrancing demonstration of Raku pottery making as we entered the fair. We made it through a tent filled with paintings, small sculptures and some great photography. #2 was happily babbling to anyone within earshot while #1 looked around. People smiled and said how cute the kids were. I smiled politely in return and thanked them. All was pleasant.
Then it happened. At first there was a woman who exclaimed, for the benefit of her happy-as-a-clam toddler, who was perched high up in a backpack on his mother, that our babies were "held captive" in their stroller. "Look!" she says loudly, "they've been captured and can't be free!" The woman motions to the stroller and looks back to her son, "They're being held captive!" I smiled politely, now gritting my teeth somewhat, and tried to chuckle a little, choosing to see her words as creative play for her child, rather than a judgment of my parenting. She looks at me and asks, "how old?" "Sixteen months," I say. "Hmmm, ok." OK? Wtf is that supposed to mean?
On we go...
After a bit, #1 starts getting a little cranky and is sick of the stroller. J takes him out and they walk for a bit. #1 isn't a huge fan of grass and can feel it on his feet since he's wearing sandals so he decides to give up on walking and J carries him around. #2 starts to get a little cranky and I assume it's because she's getting hungry. We grab a bite of food, but neither kidlet is really into it. Regardless, we're having a nice time and look around at more vendors and walk through the sculpture garden. #1 won't really allow us to put him back in the stroller and I know he's getting tired (he has less staying power than she does). #2 becomes increasingly cranky and we know it's because she doesn't want to be in the stroller while her brother seems to be free. We decide to try and switch the Muffins and hope that #1 will pass out in the stroller. #2 and I walk around happily, while #1 cries in the stroller and doesn't let up. I lose sight of J for a bit, but eventually can tell that #1 has stopped crying. I assume that he's given into sleep. No such luck.
#2 and I walk out and see J, #1 perched on his shoulders. #2 decides that she's more than capable of walking around without Mumma's help and, every time I take her hand, she throws herself down on the ground and refuses to move. This continues for about 5 minutes and J and I decide that it's time to head home. I pick #2 up and explain that if she won't hold my hand while she walks then she'll have to be carried. (I know that she can't yet fully understand all that I'm saying, but we always try to explain what's going on.) Of the two kids, #2 is by far the squirmiest and the strongest and the kickiest. I was worn out by the time we made it back to the van, all eyes upon us as, once again, my daughter makes a scene at the fair.
But wait! The best is yet to come (although it had already happened, unbeknownst to me). After we're all packed up and ready to head home, J relays the following: While walking down the other side of the tent, trying to calm #1 in the stroller, J walks by a vendor who says to him, "Well, at least I can see you're not pinching him!" J just kept on walking. I couldn't believe it when he told me! I have no idea if it's the same busybody from last year, but can you believe it?!
It may take a village to raise a child (does that therefore mean that it takes a small city to raise twins?), but back off people.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Aaah...That Sweet Baby Smell
This morning, as I was trying to get #2 dressed and changed, she threw up just a little bit on my left shoulder. I wiped it up and thought I was pretty thorough. I forgot all about it by the time I got out of my shower tonight and settled back into my comfy clothes. I can still smell it. 14 1/2 hours later.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Just A Few Complaints
Hey, Pizza Man!
When I order a spinach, feta and pepperoni pizza, please don't deliver a spinach, pepperoni and garlic pie! Also, when I ask for ranch dressing for the side orders of pita bread, please don't forget it next time (you know, for the third time in a row).
Thanks,
H
*******
Dear Comcast On Demand,
Please bring back the Noggin and Baby Boost menu options as soon as possible. #1 and #2 really miss the Bilingual Baby French 1 video and we all miss having access to Jack and Sportacus whenever we want (especially Mumma).
Thanks,
H
*******
Dear Brain,
Please shut up at night so I can get some sleep. I'm begging you.
Thanks,
Exhausted H
When I order a spinach, feta and pepperoni pizza, please don't deliver a spinach, pepperoni and garlic pie! Also, when I ask for ranch dressing for the side orders of pita bread, please don't forget it next time (you know, for the third time in a row).
Thanks,
H
*******
Dear Comcast On Demand,
Please bring back the Noggin and Baby Boost menu options as soon as possible. #1 and #2 really miss the Bilingual Baby French 1 video and we all miss having access to Jack and Sportacus whenever we want (especially Mumma).
Thanks,
H
*******
Dear Brain,
Please shut up at night so I can get some sleep. I'm begging you.
Thanks,
Exhausted H
Playtime!
We had so much fun with KL and S today! The kids got along wonderfully and it's just so amazing to see our kids (our kids!) playing together. It's such a big trip to make in one day with a toddler (5 hours round trip) and I'm so happy that KL could come to visit.
The pound cake came out nicely. I bailed on making something for lunch and we ordered from D'Angelo instead (C totally got me addicted to the Thanksgiving toasted - but, no cranberry sauce for me!) and we had a picnic in the living room, followed by toasted pound cake sundaes for dessert. The kids were in heaven.
Today was a birthday times three for some near and dear. D turned 33; our nephew, B, turned 9; and our niece, G, turned 1. I still need to get G's gift out in the mail. Hopefully by this weekend.
J's watching a B movie on FEARnet (he loves the cheese). Actually, it's got Spanish subtitles, so he likes to compare the translation to the dialogue. And, he loves the cheese.
The pound cake came out nicely. I bailed on making something for lunch and we ordered from D'Angelo instead (C totally got me addicted to the Thanksgiving toasted - but, no cranberry sauce for me!) and we had a picnic in the living room, followed by toasted pound cake sundaes for dessert. The kids were in heaven.
Today was a birthday times three for some near and dear. D turned 33; our nephew, B, turned 9; and our niece, G, turned 1. I still need to get G's gift out in the mail. Hopefully by this weekend.
J's watching a B movie on FEARnet (he loves the cheese). Actually, it's got Spanish subtitles, so he likes to compare the translation to the dialogue. And, he loves the cheese.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Catching Up
I've been crazybusy lately. The Muffins have been all over the place and are keeping me on my toes more than usual. Last week, #1 wasn't feeling so well and was cranky more often than not. For the past few days, #2 has decided it's her turn to be a crankcase. So...we've got a lot o' crankiness going on in our house.
Lots of company, too. Last night, after the kidlets were in bed, I cleaned the house in anticipation of a nearly full week of visitors. Today, my niece, Nurse, her partner, L, and Nurse's sister (another niece whose name also begins with J so I need to come up with another pseudonym for her and can't think of one right now) stopped by while on their way to visit A in Vermont (both nieces are A's daughters). The girls came by after spending a lovely weekend at the Newport Folk Festival and we had a great visit. #1 and #2 were highly entertaining and it's always a nice change of pace to have company.
Nurse and L, who live in Philadelphia, have a full week ahead of them making plans for their commitment ceremony scheduled for late next summer. I am so excited for them and can't wait to hear how the week goes and the details so far.
Tomorrow (actually, today), KL and S are coming for a visit. I love watching the kids play together (happily, #2 is not aggressive with other kids the way she is with #1), and it's always a great time when KL and I get to visit. C's coming for a visit, too and I'm planning on making this for dessert.
Mom's visiting on Wednesday. I think Thursday is free (although the kids will most likely be so used to having company that spending the day with me will be booooooring).
J is taking Friday off and we're going here. I'm hoping for good weather.
Totally off topic: A little while ago, J and I watched a Food Network special about the creation of a new flavor for Haagen Dazs ice cream. Well, tonight at the grocery store, I saw a display promoting the new flavor (read: I nearly walked into the display as it was sticking out from the freezer doors) so I decided to buy a container. J and I could finally see what all the fuss was about. Holy God, that shit is good! Dangerously good. Seriously.
Lots of company, too. Last night, after the kidlets were in bed, I cleaned the house in anticipation of a nearly full week of visitors. Today, my niece, Nurse, her partner, L, and Nurse's sister (another niece whose name also begins with J so I need to come up with another pseudonym for her and can't think of one right now) stopped by while on their way to visit A in Vermont (both nieces are A's daughters). The girls came by after spending a lovely weekend at the Newport Folk Festival and we had a great visit. #1 and #2 were highly entertaining and it's always a nice change of pace to have company.
Nurse and L, who live in Philadelphia, have a full week ahead of them making plans for their commitment ceremony scheduled for late next summer. I am so excited for them and can't wait to hear how the week goes and the details so far.
Tomorrow (actually, today), KL and S are coming for a visit. I love watching the kids play together (happily, #2 is not aggressive with other kids the way she is with #1), and it's always a great time when KL and I get to visit. C's coming for a visit, too and I'm planning on making this for dessert.
Mom's visiting on Wednesday. I think Thursday is free (although the kids will most likely be so used to having company that spending the day with me will be booooooring).
J is taking Friday off and we're going here. I'm hoping for good weather.
Totally off topic: A little while ago, J and I watched a Food Network special about the creation of a new flavor for Haagen Dazs ice cream. Well, tonight at the grocery store, I saw a display promoting the new flavor (read: I nearly walked into the display as it was sticking out from the freezer doors) so I decided to buy a container. J and I could finally see what all the fuss was about. Holy God, that shit is good! Dangerously good. Seriously.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Further Introductions
More people I've written about...and some that may come up in the future:
- KL - best friend
- S - KL's daughter and a super cutie
- ES - Eldest sister
- A, K, N & M - the rest of my sisters (yep, there are 5 total)
- P - one of my brothers (he's the one closest to me in age; he's 8 years older than I am)
- D - good friend from high school; we're total and complete opposites; he thinks he's cool, but at least I can spell; he and his fiancee are expecting a baby boy in late October/early November
Experimental Me
Stop the presses!
I went an entire 48 hours (48 HOURS, PEOPLE!) without a Diet Coke! Now, if you know me in real life, this is a monumental achievement. If you don't know me irl, trust me, it's gigunditically HUGE. Seriously. Ask KL. When we were roommates, we had two fridges. One just for my Diet Coke stash.
The predominant side effect of life without DC was a major afternoon slump both yesterday and today that did not coincide with the Muffins' naptime. Other than that, though, it was (brace yourselves) pretty ok.
We went out to run errands earlier tonight and I picked up my usual Diet Coke (you know, because I haven't sworn it off for good or anything) and it was divine, but I also noticed something...I wanted sweets afterwards. I'm thinking perhaps I see a connection... On any given day, I down between 75 to 100 ozs. of Diet Coke. And, yep, I'm usually a sweet-craving, make-cookies-or-brownies-for-no-reason kind of gal. But, over the last two days, I didn't really want anything sweet. Sweets were so not on the radar, that I didn't even notice that I hadn't been wanting them until after I had my lovely large Diet Coke (without ice!) and then was craving ice cream or fudge (oh, who am I kidding - I wanted them both and I actually tried to go to the candy shop on Main St. where you can get homemade ice cream and fudge, but there wasn't any parking).
I'm trying to make a concerted effort to consume less diet soda. According to a new study, drinking more than one soda a day - even diet - can increase your risk of developing, among other things, heart disease. I've long been addicted to Diet Coke, nearly 20 years now. I don't use the term addict lightly, either. I used to tell people that I didn't "feel right" unless I'd had my Diet Coke. I would swear that I could feel it coursing through my body as it helped me to unwind from a stressful situation. It may sound crazy to you, but that's how it used to make me feel. Even still, I down a can or glass of the stuff in a couple a minutes and feel completely refreshed and relaxed. It's kind of sick, I think.
I've often thought it wasn't a bad addiction to have. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't gamble, I don't even drink coffee - so what if I don't feel right until I've had my Diet Coke first thing in the morning? There are far worse things I could be doing to my body, right? Ultimately, though, whether or not diet soda can lead to heart disease isn't the primary reason I decided to experiment and see if I could go without my sweet, sweet drink. I want to set a good example for the Muffins and I don't know how much longer I can go through the drive-thru of McDonald's without the kidlets realizing that they're not just purveyors of "Mommy's drink". Plus, I've already got a pretty good list of risk factors for developing heart disease (thanks to family history), and I didn't need one more. I'm not pretending that I don't feel a little betrayed by my sweet mistress of refreshment, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to quit her altogether, but it's a first step. I'm going to load up on flavored seltzer waters, but I'm not going to try and quit Diet Coke completely, at least not for now. I'm just going to think more carefully about how much I actually consume and try to be better to my body. All in all, I think it's a pretty good plan. And, hey, if my theory pans out and the consumption of sweets goes down, too, that can't be an altogether bad thing either, can it?
I went an entire 48 hours (48 HOURS, PEOPLE!) without a Diet Coke! Now, if you know me in real life, this is a monumental achievement. If you don't know me irl, trust me, it's gigunditically HUGE. Seriously. Ask KL. When we were roommates, we had two fridges. One just for my Diet Coke stash.
The predominant side effect of life without DC was a major afternoon slump both yesterday and today that did not coincide with the Muffins' naptime. Other than that, though, it was (brace yourselves) pretty ok.
We went out to run errands earlier tonight and I picked up my usual Diet Coke (you know, because I haven't sworn it off for good or anything) and it was divine, but I also noticed something...I wanted sweets afterwards. I'm thinking perhaps I see a connection... On any given day, I down between 75 to 100 ozs. of Diet Coke. And, yep, I'm usually a sweet-craving, make-cookies-or-brownies-for-no-reason kind of gal. But, over the last two days, I didn't really want anything sweet. Sweets were so not on the radar, that I didn't even notice that I hadn't been wanting them until after I had my lovely large Diet Coke (without ice!) and then was craving ice cream or fudge (oh, who am I kidding - I wanted them both and I actually tried to go to the candy shop on Main St. where you can get homemade ice cream and fudge, but there wasn't any parking).
I'm trying to make a concerted effort to consume less diet soda. According to a new study, drinking more than one soda a day - even diet - can increase your risk of developing, among other things, heart disease. I've long been addicted to Diet Coke, nearly 20 years now. I don't use the term addict lightly, either. I used to tell people that I didn't "feel right" unless I'd had my Diet Coke. I would swear that I could feel it coursing through my body as it helped me to unwind from a stressful situation. It may sound crazy to you, but that's how it used to make me feel. Even still, I down a can or glass of the stuff in a couple a minutes and feel completely refreshed and relaxed. It's kind of sick, I think.
I've often thought it wasn't a bad addiction to have. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't gamble, I don't even drink coffee - so what if I don't feel right until I've had my Diet Coke first thing in the morning? There are far worse things I could be doing to my body, right? Ultimately, though, whether or not diet soda can lead to heart disease isn't the primary reason I decided to experiment and see if I could go without my sweet, sweet drink. I want to set a good example for the Muffins and I don't know how much longer I can go through the drive-thru of McDonald's without the kidlets realizing that they're not just purveyors of "Mommy's drink". Plus, I've already got a pretty good list of risk factors for developing heart disease (thanks to family history), and I didn't need one more. I'm not pretending that I don't feel a little betrayed by my sweet mistress of refreshment, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to quit her altogether, but it's a first step. I'm going to load up on flavored seltzer waters, but I'm not going to try and quit Diet Coke completely, at least not for now. I'm just going to think more carefully about how much I actually consume and try to be better to my body. All in all, I think it's a pretty good plan. And, hey, if my theory pans out and the consumption of sweets goes down, too, that can't be an altogether bad thing either, can it?
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