Wow! These were so great I just had to share. My favorite ones? When the girls all dressed up in pioneer clothing. I swear! It's like an episode of Little House on the Prairie! lol.
In any case, here tis: Some Pictures from Day 2 Trip to Nauvoo
(and a special thanks to Super J for all the comments!)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Ginormous Creepy Spider Went Up Over the Front Door Fast
Proving yet again that any meal that someone else prepares tastes vastly superior to anything I could have whipped up (and seriously, that they have MAD talent in the kitchen), I and Miss O enjoyed a lovely bbq rib dinner at Cryptic Jennifer's to celebrate Somebody's safe arrival back home from the Land of the Rising Sun. Holy smokes those ribs were amazing. Mayhaps I need to make more ribs to improve my skills...that, or I seriously need to go over for a tutorial (do you get the picture that they make great ribs?).
Here's the recipe from my first attempt at making these ribs. This is Cryptic Jennifer's recipe that she gave me, but now I know how they are really supposed to taste. They are seriously yummy and I encourage you to try it when you get the hunkering for some bbq.
In any case, as all good things do, the evening came to an end and while Miss O and I were getting on our shoes, I noticed a large spider just...hanging out near the front door...not sure what it was doing, but it wasn't moving around much...just looking big and freaky. And, being a squeamish femme when it comes to our eight legged "friends," I called Jennifer over and pointed it out. She in turn called her Alpha Female and Alpha Male (aka: Mom and Dad) over. Alpha Male surprised the HOLY COW out of me by, very zen like, encouraging this HUGE spider to go out the door.
Let's pause here and set the scene, shall we? Miss O is standing RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR, waiting for moi to get my shoes on my feet. When Alpha Male starts poking at the spider to get it to move, I double time my donning of foot apparel and turn around to see this HUGE and FREAKY spider has put it's proverbial pedal to the metal and is scurrying around as if it's life depended on it (and, another narrative pause: if it had been me chasing down huge freaky spider, my intent would not to free it back out into the wild outdoors but to squish it...dead. DEAD. UNMOVING. And now we continue our saga).
I'm a bit freaked out by how fast this creature is moving. And I am not alone. Miss O is FREAKED OUT...mainly because it's dancing towards her at GREAT SPEED!!!! OHHHHHHHTHESHRIEKING. And rightly so, because I am shrieking in my head as this thing is getting close to my 2 year old. Granted, even at 2, Miss O is about 90,000 times bigger than the spider, but man it is FAST!
What I will not do for myself, I will do for others, specifically my children. I step towards her, spider forgotten, and swoop her up into my arms and try to calm her. She is still SHRIEKING, and again, I sure as heck don't blame her.
Alpha Male successfully gets the huge and freakily fast spider out of his house (whew) and out of our way (whew, again). However, for the rest of the evening, Miss O will continue to freak out about any bug she sees...or anything that kinda maybe even resembles a bug, even though it's lint. Or a piece of carpet fiber. Stuff like this. And once again, I can't say I blame her. I'm still a little weirded out myself by it.
But. Man those ribs were worth it. :)
Here's the recipe from my first attempt at making these ribs. This is Cryptic Jennifer's recipe that she gave me, but now I know how they are really supposed to taste. They are seriously yummy and I encourage you to try it when you get the hunkering for some bbq.
In any case, as all good things do, the evening came to an end and while Miss O and I were getting on our shoes, I noticed a large spider just...hanging out near the front door...not sure what it was doing, but it wasn't moving around much...just looking big and freaky. And, being a squeamish femme when it comes to our eight legged "friends," I called Jennifer over and pointed it out. She in turn called her Alpha Female and Alpha Male (aka: Mom and Dad) over. Alpha Male surprised the HOLY COW out of me by, very zen like, encouraging this HUGE spider to go out the door.
Let's pause here and set the scene, shall we? Miss O is standing RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR, waiting for moi to get my shoes on my feet. When Alpha Male starts poking at the spider to get it to move, I double time my donning of foot apparel and turn around to see this HUGE and FREAKY spider has put it's proverbial pedal to the metal and is scurrying around as if it's life depended on it (and, another narrative pause: if it had been me chasing down huge freaky spider, my intent would not to free it back out into the wild outdoors but to squish it...dead. DEAD. UNMOVING. And now we continue our saga).
I'm a bit freaked out by how fast this creature is moving. And I am not alone. Miss O is FREAKED OUT...mainly because it's dancing towards her at GREAT SPEED!!!! OHHHHHHHTHESHRIEKING. And rightly so, because I am shrieking in my head as this thing is getting close to my 2 year old. Granted, even at 2, Miss O is about 90,000 times bigger than the spider, but man it is FAST!
What I will not do for myself, I will do for others, specifically my children. I step towards her, spider forgotten, and swoop her up into my arms and try to calm her. She is still SHRIEKING, and again, I sure as heck don't blame her.
Alpha Male successfully gets the huge and freakily fast spider out of his house (whew) and out of our way (whew, again). However, for the rest of the evening, Miss O will continue to freak out about any bug she sees...or anything that kinda maybe even resembles a bug, even though it's lint. Or a piece of carpet fiber. Stuff like this. And once again, I can't say I blame her. I'm still a little weirded out myself by it.
But. Man those ribs were worth it. :)
The visit to the doctor
So, I'm already dialated to a 1, which is good news but let's face it, means relatively nothing at this point, and probably only 90% effaced (which is not much). I've been swabbed, so we'll see if I have group b strep (I haven't had it before, so I'm doubting I have it now, but you never know), and I've been informed that my doctor is going to be out of town the first week in August. Argh. So if I go into labor that week, I'll be delivered by someone I haven't met OR if I go into labor on the weekend and my doctor isn't on call, I'll be delivered by someone I haven't met. If this was my first baby, I'd probably be freaked out, but I tell you, the amazing nurses in the maternity ward do (quite honestly) much of the work and I haven't met them, so, meh...one way or another, all will be fine.
Anyway, we're going to keep an eye on New Baby and myself and see how things go. We are now 4 weeks from delivery, unless she makes a decision to come before then. Very exciting.
Anyway, we're going to keep an eye on New Baby and myself and see how things go. We are now 4 weeks from delivery, unless she makes a decision to come before then. Very exciting.
They have arrived!!!!
Super J, Grandpa, and the girls actually got to Iowa yesterday afternoon, in plenty of time to catch a nice dinner and then go swimming. When we talked last night, around 10:30 (he said he was trying to keep them up longer to prep them for tonight...hope that theory passes the mustard), they sounded happy but tired.
Here's a photo of the girls (Cousin L, Miss A and Miss E) and Grandpa out at Grandpa's "farm"
Here's a photo of the girls (Cousin L, Miss A and Miss E) and Grandpa out at Grandpa's "farm"
Night of the Living Zombie Meets The Chihuahua
Do you see the time? It's 6:00 in the morning. Between my own inability to sleep (especially the first night) when Super J is gone, getting up to pee because of New Baby, the dog I'm dog sitting, and my own sweet Miss O, I have not had much sleep last night/this morning and really, not much consecutive sleep. And I am tired. So this is probably the very worst time to be posting about this...I'm rarely my best self when tired and grumpy, but I've tried to go back to sleep and I can't because it keeps churning in my head, so I'm getting it out in hopes of getting a nap before I have to go to get my Group B Strep Test at my OBGYN's today. (Update: Got a 2 hour nap...feeling better, though still tired)
It's my own fault for not going to bed early. Putting Miss O down later is also my fault, and she subsequently did not sleep well because she's off her schedule. She started waking up around 3am but settled back down around 5:30. Meanwhile, the dog...is actually a very nice little dog. She's a Chihuahua and has some very sweet qualities, and during the day, she's been basically very good as long as I keep an eye on her. However, the nights have not been the best. I found out on Tuesday that she's somewhat nocturnal...well now, that actually explains alot.
So, I need to take a moment to reassure my friend (for whom I am dog sitting and who may or may not read this entry) that this is NO reflection on her or, really, her dog. Overall, I like her dog--she just really is attached to my friend and misses her. In fact, if I wasn't so pregnant, I'd probably really like her dog, but talk about being off a schedule and routine, poor thing! Consequently, she's just been a bit more work than I expected (especially when I am as sleep deprived as I am), and I probably still don't know all her cues/timetables for needing to go outside and eating and stuff like that. Let me explain.
She (the dog) has some very sweet traits, and yet she also has some really annoying ones...like she pees or has other accidents on my carpet if you don't watch her and make sure she's gone outside, and if you set her outside, she won't go to the bathroom unless you chaperon her and walk her down the stairs from the deck into the yard and then walk her AROUND the yard...even if she has to go really really bad. Then, to complicate things, just last night she's started rubbing her bum across my carpet. I hated that with my own dog. It means her glands need to be emptied and are likely impacted, and she's probably pretty uncomfortable, but...um...that's not my job. I'll let her "folks" know, though.
In the meantime, I set up a pen yard type of thing to keep her in while we are gone during the day and at night, and she's been doing fairly well (I've had her for about 10 days now and she really misses her "mom," to the point that the first few nights she howled like a cat in heat pretty much throughout the night, and then the last few, she just scratches and scratches on...something. I'm not sure, but I think it's the plastic pen yard thing...I hope it's not my wood floors...and the last few nights there has been a mysterious wetness around one side of the pen we found in the morning...is it pee? I just don't know). This hasn't been a real problem because we can close doors and we have "white noise" machines in our rooms. However, that being said, she definitely got on my last nerve last night, probably because every time I'd have Miss O back to sleep and I'd open Miss O's door, the dog would start in again...howling or scratching madly, thus waking her up. I was not happy.
Anyway, her "dad" comes to pick her up today. And while I'll miss her sweet qualities, I think we'll both be very happy she finally gets to go home.
It's my own fault for not going to bed early. Putting Miss O down later is also my fault, and she subsequently did not sleep well because she's off her schedule. She started waking up around 3am but settled back down around 5:30. Meanwhile, the dog...is actually a very nice little dog. She's a Chihuahua and has some very sweet qualities, and during the day, she's been basically very good as long as I keep an eye on her. However, the nights have not been the best. I found out on Tuesday that she's somewhat nocturnal...well now, that actually explains alot.
So, I need to take a moment to reassure my friend (for whom I am dog sitting and who may or may not read this entry) that this is NO reflection on her or, really, her dog. Overall, I like her dog--she just really is attached to my friend and misses her. In fact, if I wasn't so pregnant, I'd probably really like her dog, but talk about being off a schedule and routine, poor thing! Consequently, she's just been a bit more work than I expected (especially when I am as sleep deprived as I am), and I probably still don't know all her cues/timetables for needing to go outside and eating and stuff like that. Let me explain.
She (the dog) has some very sweet traits, and yet she also has some really annoying ones...like she pees or has other accidents on my carpet if you don't watch her and make sure she's gone outside, and if you set her outside, she won't go to the bathroom unless you chaperon her and walk her down the stairs from the deck into the yard and then walk her AROUND the yard...even if she has to go really really bad. Then, to complicate things, just last night she's started rubbing her bum across my carpet. I hated that with my own dog. It means her glands need to be emptied and are likely impacted, and she's probably pretty uncomfortable, but...um...that's not my job. I'll let her "folks" know, though.
In the meantime, I set up a pen yard type of thing to keep her in while we are gone during the day and at night, and she's been doing fairly well (I've had her for about 10 days now and she really misses her "mom," to the point that the first few nights she howled like a cat in heat pretty much throughout the night, and then the last few, she just scratches and scratches on...something. I'm not sure, but I think it's the plastic pen yard thing...I hope it's not my wood floors...and the last few nights there has been a mysterious wetness around one side of the pen we found in the morning...is it pee? I just don't know). This hasn't been a real problem because we can close doors and we have "white noise" machines in our rooms. However, that being said, she definitely got on my last nerve last night, probably because every time I'd have Miss O back to sleep and I'd open Miss O's door, the dog would start in again...howling or scratching madly, thus waking her up. I was not happy.
Anyway, her "dad" comes to pick her up today. And while I'll miss her sweet qualities, I think we'll both be very happy she finally gets to go home.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
...And They're Off!
Whooooooweeeee!
My house is a STY right now, filled with items that are completely out of place and dishes that have been left undone, and a bit of mayhem and chaos are left in their wake, but--
Super J and the girls are on their way! They are locked and loaded in the Red Rocket (brakes fixed and all seems well) and getting ready to go pick up their cousin who, in a last minute decision, was allowed to go with them to the great Nauvoo "outdoor festival" (as the girls are calling it). Can you just imagine the excitement? Seriously. They were almost vibrating they are so stoked by the turn of events. A Daddy/Daughter date? With Grandpa? WITH Cousin L????? Let the Rejoicing Begin!
And we do love Cousin L. She (who, in all seriousness, will be a tremendous help to Super J because a) the girls ADORE Cousin L and b) now there will be someone who can accompany the girls into the various public bathrooms) is 9 going on 24--very mature for her age and very responsible and very sweet and dang-gum smart. Holy cow. If she and Miss A can maintain some Alpha Female balance (they are both the "Oldest Siblings" in their respective families), I think all involved will have a GLORIOUS time.
And, to make things even better, Grandpa doesn't even know Cousin L is coming. It's truly going to be a happy surprise for him, especially since I understand that Grandma was having some issues about "allowing" Grandpa to go to said "outdoor festival" as late as last night. Ohhhhhhhhhhh the family drama. Ohhhhhhhhhhh the opposition to getting things done. But as Grandpa reassured Super J last night, "Contrary to what you have heard, I'm coming."
Super J has said that he will send pictures of their trip. I shall post them for I know we are all eagerly awaiting news of the travel. But first, Super J must get them through Swim Lessons and get on the road for a very long trip in the car.
Let the fun...begin!
My house is a STY right now, filled with items that are completely out of place and dishes that have been left undone, and a bit of mayhem and chaos are left in their wake, but--
Super J and the girls are on their way! They are locked and loaded in the Red Rocket (brakes fixed and all seems well) and getting ready to go pick up their cousin who, in a last minute decision, was allowed to go with them to the great Nauvoo "outdoor festival" (as the girls are calling it). Can you just imagine the excitement? Seriously. They were almost vibrating they are so stoked by the turn of events. A Daddy/Daughter date? With Grandpa? WITH Cousin L????? Let the Rejoicing Begin!
And we do love Cousin L. She (who, in all seriousness, will be a tremendous help to Super J because a) the girls ADORE Cousin L and b) now there will be someone who can accompany the girls into the various public bathrooms) is 9 going on 24--very mature for her age and very responsible and very sweet and dang-gum smart. Holy cow. If she and Miss A can maintain some Alpha Female balance (they are both the "Oldest Siblings" in their respective families), I think all involved will have a GLORIOUS time.
And, to make things even better, Grandpa doesn't even know Cousin L is coming. It's truly going to be a happy surprise for him, especially since I understand that Grandma was having some issues about "allowing" Grandpa to go to said "outdoor festival" as late as last night. Ohhhhhhhhhhh the family drama. Ohhhhhhhhhhh the opposition to getting things done. But as Grandpa reassured Super J last night, "Contrary to what you have heard, I'm coming."
Super J has said that he will send pictures of their trip. I shall post them for I know we are all eagerly awaiting news of the travel. But first, Super J must get them through Swim Lessons and get on the road for a very long trip in the car.
Let the fun...begin!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Screeching Halt
Probably last Friday or Saturday, we first heard it and then it continued, on and off, but since Super J is taking it on his vacation, we decided to get the brakes on the Red Rocket checked because they were shrieking in protest whenever we braked too hard or too quickly.
Sure enough, the pads were worn and the rotors had to be replaced.
Doesn't it just disgust you when you have an unexpected expense like that come up. And yet, you are also kinda relieved because now you know that it's a problem the most precious of passengers won't have to deal with on the road. So, I am immensely glad that it's been taken care of, even though it was a bit of a surprise.
It's also given me an opportunity to practice driving Super J's White Giant...his big ol' truck (makes you kinda want to start singing and humming, "I'm driving down Highway 40 in my big ol' pick-up truck" doesn't it?). Man that thing is big, and I'm not the best judge of spatial relations concerning how to park it because the length of the thing is still kinda mysterious to me, so I always look for spots with PLENTY of room. You should have seen where I parked it for swimming lessons. Ha.
And speaking of swim lessons...one day left. And Super J is going to take the girls and then they will leave from the pool. Can we get a "Hallelujah?" Hallelujah!!!! We made it. Whew.
So here's to getting brakes fixed, having transportation (even though it's massive) to use while the hubby takes the girls on vacation, and a few days of quality Miss O & Mommy time starting tomorrow. Even feeling SUPER tired, life is good. Let's just hope I don't go into preterm labor while Super J is out of town. That would be a bummer, just gotta say. :)
Sure enough, the pads were worn and the rotors had to be replaced.
Doesn't it just disgust you when you have an unexpected expense like that come up. And yet, you are also kinda relieved because now you know that it's a problem the most precious of passengers won't have to deal with on the road. So, I am immensely glad that it's been taken care of, even though it was a bit of a surprise.
It's also given me an opportunity to practice driving Super J's White Giant...his big ol' truck (makes you kinda want to start singing and humming, "I'm driving down Highway 40 in my big ol' pick-up truck" doesn't it?). Man that thing is big, and I'm not the best judge of spatial relations concerning how to park it because the length of the thing is still kinda mysterious to me, so I always look for spots with PLENTY of room. You should have seen where I parked it for swimming lessons. Ha.
And speaking of swim lessons...one day left. And Super J is going to take the girls and then they will leave from the pool. Can we get a "Hallelujah?" Hallelujah!!!! We made it. Whew.
So here's to getting brakes fixed, having transportation (even though it's massive) to use while the hubby takes the girls on vacation, and a few days of quality Miss O & Mommy time starting tomorrow. Even feeling SUPER tired, life is good. Let's just hope I don't go into preterm labor while Super J is out of town. That would be a bummer, just gotta say. :)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Too Much Ambition = Need for Bar of Soap = Probably Need A Nap
Miss A & E are going on a little vacay with Super J and his dad in a few days to visit some church history sites. They are all very excited, even though it means many hours in the car. It also means that I'm trying to pack interesting things to do for many hours in the car for Miss A & E, in addition to sunscreen and bug repellent. THIS means a trip to Target to get some supplies (and because they have this mascara that I want to get, truth be told. UPDATE: got the mascara, tried the mascara. Do NOT like the mascara. Ohhhhhh-yuck. Revlon 3D mascara comes out way tooooo clumpy and gloopy. I look like Tammy Faye Baker Messner, may she rest in peace, for those of you who remember her).
So. Why not go right after swim class, I reason to myself? I can save gas by not coming home AND we can just get these errands run and then BE DONE with them. It sounds so good, especially since Miss O and I are done with that Mommy & Me class, so I will not be soaking wet and utterly exhausted. Ha! However, we still dress in the ol' swimsuits so she can play in the "zero entry" pool area for kids 0-7 yrs old. She's very cute getting a teensy bit wet then running back to me. When Miss A & E are done, they join us for 10 minutes and then I call time and we go off to the "family changing room" to get changed. I do not realize that all the hugs Miss O has given me have saturated the left boob part of my swimsuit top, thus when I put my shirt over my swimsuit, it looks as if I am a nursing mother who has leaked profusely. Nice.
And, this is where *I* start falling apart...in the "family changing room" with my left side of my shirt completely wet and obvious. It is also hot and sticky in this cement hole. Meanwhile, the girls are really just being almost 6, 4, and 2. In other words, they are acting their age by being enamoured with all things in the bathroom, needing to use the toilet, dropping the towels and clothes on the wet floor, telling me I'm doing things wrong and, basically in general, just being kids. *I* do NOT act my age and start grousing (ARGH! Okay, okay...speaking in unkind tones) for them to LISTEN to MOMMY and PUT THEIR SHOES ON and GET DRESSED! AND *&^%$#. Yep. I swear. Right after I told them to specifically listen to me. ARGH!!!!!! It is, admittedly, one of my "finer" mothering moments.
I apologize for losing it and we get out to the car. I continue to apologize for losing it until we arrive at Target. We do some shopping. I get a weird ligament pain and long desperately for a place to sit down. Instead, we have to go all the way across the store to find some bug spray.
Let's pause here and share some annoyance, shall we? Can someone please tell me why they don't put insect repellent next to their many many displays of sunscreen? Both are for the outside activities. Why can they not have both together????? Why must I go to the CAMPING section to find any type of bug spray? And why will I find a perfectly good bottle of it, later after the next incident, suitable for children, tossed in with the $1.00 items at the front of the store? GRRRRRRRRRR.
On top of that, as we are looking, I run over Miss A's toes with the &*^%$! cart (swearing occurrence #2) and the little metal thing that is on the back right wheel catch her toes, which are currently revealed thanks to her swim class Princess flip flops she chose to wear, and it scrapes several of them up. Luckily, there is no bleeding (else, trust me, the mood I was in, I'd be YELLING for a manager to swear at...sigh), but there is pain and I feel TERRIBLE. AWFUL. And what do I say to her? "I'm so sorry honey. Next time, let's wear more reasonable shoes."
ARGH!!!!! Like it's her poor shoe choice that has caused her mother to run over her toes and scrape them up. I swear again (that makes THREE times, but who's counting????) as I hug her and reassure her that I truly am sorry.
And here we see an ugly character flaw of Miss L: besides the swearing and absolute loss of self control, we see that when I feel really bad and responsible for something, like if my kids fall and/or are injured or whatever, and especially if I have warned them to watch out or be careful or some such thing, the overwhelming emotion of concern that I feel mixes with my own guilt that I have failed them somehow and emerges as anger because I no longer have control over the situation. Thus I am not completely reassuring and comforting. In fact, I am the OPPOSITE. I shove most of the blame onto them because if ONLY they had HEEDED my ohsocareful warnings. And, especially, if they are crying, I want them to stop so *I* can calm down. It's incredibly selfish on my part, and I'm trying to be better, but I still slip up.
We end our very very trying trip to Target in their little food court, where of course the Pizza Hut cashiers must give a refund to some woman but neither of them know how, so we are actually stuck in line until almost the breaking point, but luckily we get some food in all of us just in time. And then we have actually a very nice lunch and make our way out to the car when Miss O somehow loses contact with her cup and her refilled medium size beverage slips out of her hands and spills out in the parking lot. Weeping and wailing commences in 3...2...1...now.
Of course. Of course!
Miss A magnanimously offers to share her lemonade with Miss O, and Miss O accepts but that does not stop the WAILING that is going on. Once again, I am not feeling very comforting because I told her to hold it with both hands and she did not listen. We get to the car and I tell Miss O that it's time to dry it up and I do not want to hear any more about it, especially since Miss A is going to share. Miss O complies. We get in the car. We start to drive home. We get caught in a TORRENTIAL downpour from a pop-up Thunderstorm. I kinda laugh maniacally to myself and we get home, get unloaded and here we are now.
We have survived The Errands. I think next time, I'll just come home and assess the situation and maybe go AFTER naps and lunch and downtime. And this is how I gain my pearls of wisdom...sigh.
So. Why not go right after swim class, I reason to myself? I can save gas by not coming home AND we can just get these errands run and then BE DONE with them. It sounds so good, especially since Miss O and I are done with that Mommy & Me class, so I will not be soaking wet and utterly exhausted. Ha! However, we still dress in the ol' swimsuits so she can play in the "zero entry" pool area for kids 0-7 yrs old. She's very cute getting a teensy bit wet then running back to me. When Miss A & E are done, they join us for 10 minutes and then I call time and we go off to the "family changing room" to get changed. I do not realize that all the hugs Miss O has given me have saturated the left boob part of my swimsuit top, thus when I put my shirt over my swimsuit, it looks as if I am a nursing mother who has leaked profusely. Nice.
And, this is where *I* start falling apart...in the "family changing room" with my left side of my shirt completely wet and obvious. It is also hot and sticky in this cement hole. Meanwhile, the girls are really just being almost 6, 4, and 2. In other words, they are acting their age by being enamoured with all things in the bathroom, needing to use the toilet, dropping the towels and clothes on the wet floor, telling me I'm doing things wrong and, basically in general, just being kids. *I* do NOT act my age and start grousing (ARGH! Okay, okay...speaking in unkind tones) for them to LISTEN to MOMMY and PUT THEIR SHOES ON and GET DRESSED! AND *&^%$#. Yep. I swear. Right after I told them to specifically listen to me. ARGH!!!!!! It is, admittedly, one of my "finer" mothering moments.
I apologize for losing it and we get out to the car. I continue to apologize for losing it until we arrive at Target. We do some shopping. I get a weird ligament pain and long desperately for a place to sit down. Instead, we have to go all the way across the store to find some bug spray.
Let's pause here and share some annoyance, shall we? Can someone please tell me why they don't put insect repellent next to their many many displays of sunscreen? Both are for the outside activities. Why can they not have both together????? Why must I go to the CAMPING section to find any type of bug spray? And why will I find a perfectly good bottle of it, later after the next incident, suitable for children, tossed in with the $1.00 items at the front of the store? GRRRRRRRRRR.
On top of that, as we are looking, I run over Miss A's toes with the &*^%$! cart (swearing occurrence #2) and the little metal thing that is on the back right wheel catch her toes, which are currently revealed thanks to her swim class Princess flip flops she chose to wear, and it scrapes several of them up. Luckily, there is no bleeding (else, trust me, the mood I was in, I'd be YELLING for a manager to swear at...sigh), but there is pain and I feel TERRIBLE. AWFUL. And what do I say to her? "I'm so sorry honey. Next time, let's wear more reasonable shoes."
ARGH!!!!! Like it's her poor shoe choice that has caused her mother to run over her toes and scrape them up. I swear again (that makes THREE times, but who's counting????) as I hug her and reassure her that I truly am sorry.
And here we see an ugly character flaw of Miss L: besides the swearing and absolute loss of self control, we see that when I feel really bad and responsible for something, like if my kids fall and/or are injured or whatever, and especially if I have warned them to watch out or be careful or some such thing, the overwhelming emotion of concern that I feel mixes with my own guilt that I have failed them somehow and emerges as anger because I no longer have control over the situation. Thus I am not completely reassuring and comforting. In fact, I am the OPPOSITE. I shove most of the blame onto them because if ONLY they had HEEDED my ohsocareful warnings. And, especially, if they are crying, I want them to stop so *I* can calm down. It's incredibly selfish on my part, and I'm trying to be better, but I still slip up.
We end our very very trying trip to Target in their little food court, where of course the Pizza Hut cashiers must give a refund to some woman but neither of them know how, so we are actually stuck in line until almost the breaking point, but luckily we get some food in all of us just in time. And then we have actually a very nice lunch and make our way out to the car when Miss O somehow loses contact with her cup and her refilled medium size beverage slips out of her hands and spills out in the parking lot. Weeping and wailing commences in 3...2...1...now.
Of course. Of course!
Miss A magnanimously offers to share her lemonade with Miss O, and Miss O accepts but that does not stop the WAILING that is going on. Once again, I am not feeling very comforting because I told her to hold it with both hands and she did not listen. We get to the car and I tell Miss O that it's time to dry it up and I do not want to hear any more about it, especially since Miss A is going to share. Miss O complies. We get in the car. We start to drive home. We get caught in a TORRENTIAL downpour from a pop-up Thunderstorm. I kinda laugh maniacally to myself and we get home, get unloaded and here we are now.
We have survived The Errands. I think next time, I'll just come home and assess the situation and maybe go AFTER naps and lunch and downtime. And this is how I gain my pearls of wisdom...sigh.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Parade of Cakes 2008
I made this "Imagination Friends" cake for Miss E's 4th Birthday back in May, on the day of her real birthday.
When she saw it, she was so disappointed, she threw her hands in the air and wailed, "You made the wrong cake!!!!" Argh. Luckily, Super J was home and he said, "But that's not your 'Birthday Cake.' Mom's going to make an Astronaut birthday cake for your party." And she was fine with that and all ended well.
This was the "Astronaut Cake"...the one Miss E REALLY wanted, which was served at her appropriately themed, "Astronaut Party."
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It's a good thing Super J was not as picky.
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In fact, if we all remember correctly, I was craving the Lime in the Coconut cake...it was not necessarily the cake Super J was craving for his birthday. Thus, we see yet again why Super J is thusly named. He really is super. And he liked the cake, which makes him even more stellar in my esteem.
When she saw it, she was so disappointed, she threw her hands in the air and wailed, "You made the wrong cake!!!!" Argh. Luckily, Super J was home and he said, "But that's not your 'Birthday Cake.' Mom's going to make an Astronaut birthday cake for your party." And she was fine with that and all ended well.This was the "Astronaut Cake"...the one Miss E REALLY wanted, which was served at her appropriately themed, "Astronaut Party."
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It's a good thing Super J was not as picky.
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In fact, if we all remember correctly, I was craving the Lime in the Coconut cake...it was not necessarily the cake Super J was craving for his birthday. Thus, we see yet again why Super J is thusly named. He really is super. And he liked the cake, which makes him even more stellar in my esteem.
Black-Eyed Pea Salsa
Here's that great recipe I told you I'd post yesterday. My sis-in-law made this for Super J's birthday after enjoying it at a 4th of July BBQ (she hunted down the recipe from the lady who made it and we will forever be grateful. :) ). It's based off of a recipe from (yes! You know where) Allrecipes.com. I made it tonight and followed her directions (because of course the 4th of July lady's recipe had a bit of variation to it) and it's currently chilling. I probably should have headed some unread advice and added only half of the Italian Seasoning (aren't you intrigued now???), but I'll update and let you know how salty it is or isn't.
UPDATE: After chilling for 2 hours, I didn't find it too salty at all. It tasted just fine. If it *does* seem salty, it will be because a) the salsa you use has lots of salt in it and/or b) your tastes do not require the whole packet of Italian seasoning dressing.
Enjoy!
Here's the recipe:
Black-Eyed Pea Salsa (with helpful hints from Deb)
INGREDIENTS
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 1/3 cups medium salsa (know your audience. We served this to kids so Deb used Mild salsa and used pretty much the whole jar)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped ripe olives, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped** (OR use 1 TBSP of the canned stuff and spare your eyes)
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (use half-ish of the packet...depends on your salt tastes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can Rotel (tomato and green chili...you can use mild or medium...again, know your audience)
Cilantro (used about half a big bunch)
Tortilla chips
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients.
2. Chill for 2+ hours
3. Serve with tortilla chips.
**When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands. Avoid touching your face. (Super J's sister is an optometrist. She's the one who recommended the canned jalapenos because she says she see loads of patients come in because they've touched their eyes with pepper oils still on them. Full disclosure from Miss L: I goofed and got green chili's instead of Jalapenos and it turned out just fine.)
Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1/4 cup salsa, calculated without chips) equals 58 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 411 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch.
UPDATE: After chilling for 2 hours, I didn't find it too salty at all. It tasted just fine. If it *does* seem salty, it will be because a) the salsa you use has lots of salt in it and/or b) your tastes do not require the whole packet of Italian seasoning dressing.
Enjoy!
Here's the recipe:
Black-Eyed Pea Salsa (with helpful hints from Deb)
INGREDIENTS
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 1/3 cups medium salsa (know your audience. We served this to kids so Deb used Mild salsa and used pretty much the whole jar)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped ripe olives, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped** (OR use 1 TBSP of the canned stuff and spare your eyes)
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (use half-ish of the packet...depends on your salt tastes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can Rotel (tomato and green chili...you can use mild or medium...again, know your audience)
Cilantro (used about half a big bunch)
Tortilla chips
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients.
2. Chill for 2+ hours
3. Serve with tortilla chips.
**When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands. Avoid touching your face. (Super J's sister is an optometrist. She's the one who recommended the canned jalapenos because she says she see loads of patients come in because they've touched their eyes with pepper oils still on them. Full disclosure from Miss L: I goofed and got green chili's instead of Jalapenos and it turned out just fine.)
Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1/4 cup salsa, calculated without chips) equals 58 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 411 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch.
Miss O's Big Day
Since Super J and Miss O practically share a birthday, I thought it'd be fun to see some "before" pictures
...and an "after" picture.
This is from Super J's celebration yesterday, but can you see Miss O's expression? This cake (especially the candles) might as well have been for her. It's being 2 years old in all it's glory. You should have seen her trying to blow out the candles. Hilariously sweet.
Happy Birthday, little girl. We're glad you are part of the family.
How's YOUR morning going?
I need to start this post by saying, "Happy Birthday, Miss O!!!!"
Thank heavens you are now 2 and still have NO expectations about birthdays, because this one has sure started out in an interesting way.
That being said, I wish I believed that there would only be five or six...maybe seven...tests that we had to pass to gain life experience and then we could be through and we could enjoy the beaches and sunsets of the world. Wouldn't that be nice? I mean, I'm a really good test taker, especially when I know how many to expect and what kinds of tests are coming at me. There's a reason I loved school so much.
But then there are other tests that you just aren't prepared for, when you are often literally standing in the crap that life throws at you.
Do you know where I am going with this? No?
One of our toilets overflowed this morning. And I am the Parent at Home.
When I realized what had happened, I kinda had a stupor of thought along the lines of...what on earth do I do next? Where was the magic Sanitation Patrol, who'd come and take care of this. Ohhhhh, wait. That would be ME. I had COMPLETELY forgotten that toilet overflow clean-up was in my job description. Man, it's a good thing I am completely hooked on the emotional buzz of this job, because I am NOT getting paid enough to deal with this! The silver lining? At least it's not the sewer backing up in the basement (please knock on whatever wood is near you right now. Thank you).
And furthermore, like I said, I'm a pretty good test taker and after the initial shock, I set about working to get it cleared up, literally and figuratively. I also am still having a prayer in my heart that the magical bottle of Lemon Cleaning Liquid really does kill 99.9% of bacteria. PLEASE let that be right. UGh.
I'm comforting myself that soon, I shall be doused in so much chlorine at swim lessons that anything that I happened to have missed will be killed on contact.
In the meantime, hope your morning is going, if nothing else, a little better than mine. :)
Thank heavens you are now 2 and still have NO expectations about birthdays, because this one has sure started out in an interesting way.
That being said, I wish I believed that there would only be five or six...maybe seven...tests that we had to pass to gain life experience and then we could be through and we could enjoy the beaches and sunsets of the world. Wouldn't that be nice? I mean, I'm a really good test taker, especially when I know how many to expect and what kinds of tests are coming at me. There's a reason I loved school so much.
But then there are other tests that you just aren't prepared for, when you are often literally standing in the crap that life throws at you.
Do you know where I am going with this? No?
One of our toilets overflowed this morning. And I am the Parent at Home.
When I realized what had happened, I kinda had a stupor of thought along the lines of...what on earth do I do next? Where was the magic Sanitation Patrol, who'd come and take care of this. Ohhhhh, wait. That would be ME. I had COMPLETELY forgotten that toilet overflow clean-up was in my job description. Man, it's a good thing I am completely hooked on the emotional buzz of this job, because I am NOT getting paid enough to deal with this! The silver lining? At least it's not the sewer backing up in the basement (please knock on whatever wood is near you right now. Thank you).
And furthermore, like I said, I'm a pretty good test taker and after the initial shock, I set about working to get it cleared up, literally and figuratively. I also am still having a prayer in my heart that the magical bottle of Lemon Cleaning Liquid really does kill 99.9% of bacteria. PLEASE let that be right. UGh.
I'm comforting myself that soon, I shall be doused in so much chlorine at swim lessons that anything that I happened to have missed will be killed on contact.
In the meantime, hope your morning is going, if nothing else, a little better than mine. :)
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Happy BIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRTHHday dear Super J
...Happy Birthday to you!
Today is Super J's big day and we have celebrated with a delightful array of church, food, friends and family. The best kind of gluttony, if you ask me. :)
And, can I just say, we got a GREAT new recipe for this great bean salsa which I will post tomorrow because, trust me, you'll want it.
OHHHHH! I made the lime coconut cake just for Super J. And OHHOLYCOW, it's a KEEPER! Yummo...I mean, really. Yummo. AND, thanks to Cryptic Jennifer, we have PICTURES! I know. Recipes and pictures. Can you even imagine?????
So, tomorrow I will be adding all sorts of great recipes and pictures, but for now, Happy Birthday, Sweet Super J. You are the best. :) And as always, thanks for asking. :)
Today is Super J's big day and we have celebrated with a delightful array of church, food, friends and family. The best kind of gluttony, if you ask me. :)
And, can I just say, we got a GREAT new recipe for this great bean salsa which I will post tomorrow because, trust me, you'll want it.
OHHHHH! I made the lime coconut cake just for Super J. And OHHOLYCOW, it's a KEEPER! Yummo...I mean, really. Yummo. AND, thanks to Cryptic Jennifer, we have PICTURES! I know. Recipes and pictures. Can you even imagine?????
So, tomorrow I will be adding all sorts of great recipes and pictures, but for now, Happy Birthday, Sweet Super J. You are the best. :) And as always, thanks for asking. :)
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