checking in

Last week was a lost week. Between work and a sick kiddo, there was no time for anything. This week, if the predictions ring true, may provide lots of time. We're supposed to get between 1-2 FEET of snow. Oh joy.

Perhaps I'll use my time with the shovel to think of something novel to say here. Stay tuned.

rough week

Sick baby. 3 Dr. appt's- 1 orthopedic & 2 pediatric. 5 days of vomit.

FIVE DAYS OF VOMIT.

Lots of help from Grammy. Too many hours of TV. Some sledding and building snow turtles. 1 day in our jammies (until covering them with said vomit.) Many loads of laundry. Several trips to Disney, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico (courtesy of yours truly, the travel planner).

Gearing up for the weekend. Bring it.

on bandaids

I've become something of a budget shopper during this lovely economic downturn, as some of you surely have as well. Here's an experience-based tip for you:

While some things are just fine to buy generic, bandaids are not one of them. For Emerson, I buy fun Band Aid brand bandaids with Hello Kitty, Toy Story, or Mickey Mouse on them. For me, I get boring tan Up & Up (Target generic) bandaids. Mine do NOT stay on. Hers do NOT come off. It's just that simple.

So while you save some cash at the store, you're using twice as many bandaids and then bumming pink bandaids with cats on them from your 3 year-old.

Just buy the Band Aid brand for yourself and save yourself the headache.

a public service announcement

(WARNING- I'M CLIMBING UP ON MY SOAPBOX)

The teacher in me feels compelled to bring this to your attention. After reading these often mixed up words in our YMCA book last week, I would like to offer a little lesson in grammar.

Suppose VS. Supposed-

Example 1: I suppose that it's time to clean the basement, as it hasn't been cleaned in about a month.

Example 2: I was supposed to get milk on the way home, but I forgot.

See the difference?

EXAMPLE OF MISUSE: I was suppose to be there at 8, but I was late. ARRRRGGGHHH!!!! It should say "supposed to be there..."

Use VS. Used-

Example 1: I need to use the phone.

Example 2: If you take a minute to get used to the water, it won't feel so cold.

Now, I know that when you read these out loud, they both sound the same. But, trust me, they are grammatically correct.

EXAMPLE OF MISUSE: Emerson needs a few days to get use to a new routine. ARRRRRGGGGHHH AGAIN!! It should say "to get used to a new routine."

Ok, people...get out there and teach someone!

(CLIMBING DOWN OFF SAID SOAPBOX NOW)

a surprising find

My Mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens for Christmas this year. This was not something we had discussed. In fact, I don't think I've even even flipped through an issue in my adult years. My mom always had a copy laying around when I was younger, but that's as close as I've gotten in this Millennium. So when I got the postcard in the mail saying that a year's subscription was "A Gift For Alison" a few days before Christmas, my reaction was "Huh. Ok."

BH&G always seemed like something for older people. You know, Grown Ups. People with houses and yards and...oh wait. I HAVE a house. I HAVE a yard. I'm-gasp- a Grown Up.

Ok, it's starting to make a bit more sense.

Then the January issue came. It's all about clever storage solutions and cute ways to tuck your clutter away and getting rid of junk. You know, out with the old and in with the new. And I was instantly blown away by the cover. There was a picture of a cozy office and I thought "I want a home office like that." And after reading only a few pages, a spark was lit within me. I read it on the way home in the car about an hour away, and when I got home, I ran around the house like a madwoman. I reorganized Emerson's toy shelf and threw out a bunch of crap that never gets touched. I threw out a bunch of gaudy, never seen Christmas decorations, and started a pile to donate to charity. I dug some storage bins out of the crawlspace and made plans to reorganize Pete's stuff. And all this after only reading 15 pages or so!

Last night, I had a minute and sat down with it again. And once again, it's like someone lit a fire under my bum. I went through the drawers in my nightstand...you know, the ones that I open once every 2 years! I condensed 3 drawers of crap (including my yellow and black Sony Walkman...WHY do I still have that?!?!?!) into one and also made a plan to paint a picture frame and put it in Emerson's room.

I think I'm going to start sleeping with it under my pillow. Maybe I can get inspired while I sleep.

Anyways, long story short, this ain't your mother's Better Homes and Gardens, so check it out sometime.

finally- the gift that keeps on giving

Wanna know something unusual about me? I haven't bought a loaf of bread since December 20th.


Wanna know why? I've been baking my own. Seriously.


My aunt and uncle gave us this book for Christmas, along with a pizza stone, 4 quart plastic container with a lid, and a pizza peel.

It's high on the list of Best Gifts Ever. You know those super yummy bread boules that cost like $5.00 at Panera? Now I can make them at home for about $ .40 each. And they really are just as tasty, if not more so because I can nosh on them right out of the oven.

I'm super-hesitant of anything that boasts "5 minutes a day." In reality, that usually means "5 minutes a day after you take a year to get into the routine, buy the materials, and sell your children so that you have time to yourself to think clearly." But in this case, it's really true. You don't have to do any kneading, forming, or even thinking. In fact, I can attest that the first time I made the bread, both of my kids were not only home, but awake. You don't even have to wash the container...the left over bits turn into a sourdough starter all by themselves.

We've had bread with soup, pot roast, for sandwiches, and Jeff even made ciabatta rolls last night with the same dough to use as hamburger buns. Waaaaaay better than those nasty store-bought buns.

It's almost 100% foolproof. Of course, we did take a loaf to friends on New Year's, and it was our first "bad" batch. It didn't cook right and was all doughy on the inside. Grrr. But that was more a factor of our oven than operator error.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book and this process. There are lots of recipes for sweet breads, savory breads, healthier breads, etc. And I believe the authors have just written another book with more healthy recipes.

Mangia!

one of the hardest parts of being a mom

A number of years ago, when I was seriously considering going back to school to become a teacher, I started working in an elementary school to see if it was the right fit for me. After one year in a split classroom of 4th and 5th graders, I decided it was not for me. I felt that I couldn't "let kids be kids." I wanted too much structure and was too tough on them for goofing around, blowing off homework, and generally being immature and irresponsible.

Flash forward 10 years.

Now, after 7 years working and teaching elementary school kids, (I decided to go for it after all) I've been a stay-at-home mom for about 3 years. And one of the hardest things for me falls under that same category...

I hate clutter.

I don't think you understand. I HATE CLUTTER.

Sometimes, when the dishes get piled up during the weekend when we're all busy having fun and doing whatever, I'll walk into the kitchen and literally yell. Or turn on a dime from a good mood to a wretched one. Messes make me unhappy. There is literally a physiological response in my body when things are untidy that Makes. Me. Angry.

So today, when Hurricane Emerson literally went from one room to another to another to another dumping toys all over the place and burying her brother in a pile of books and stuffed animals in his bed (much to his sheer delight, I must add), I almost needed to go to the ER. I felt myself clenching my jaw. I had fingernail marks in my palms from squeezing tight fists. I was snippy and short and huffy. I wanted to shout "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU DUMP OUT THAT JAR OF FOAM ALPHABET LETTERS, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO PICK THEM UP!?!?!?!?!" In fact, I may have said that out loud.

And yet, a very teenie tiny voice waaaaay in the back of my head was whispering "She's a kid. She's having fun. What is the point of having toys that just sit in their bins all day long? What else have you got going on that you can't play for a while and then pitch in to help clean up? What is wrong with you, Woman?"

So, I tried very, very hard to just breathe, let it go, and let her have her fun. Because she really was having fun. And being so sweet too. She dumped out all the baby toys in the living room and spread them all around Pete because she was pretending it was his birthday and those were the gifts she got him. Very cute. And while I do admit that while I was supposed to be building a bird house out of wooden blocks, I was surreptitiously whisking chewie toys back to their rightful basket. But I did just sit and deal and let her have a good dose of kid fun in the mess. It was hard for me. I know that sounds silly, but it was literally, physically uncomfortable for me. But I love my kids and I love my job, and sometimes, a Mama just has to roll with it.

i have so much to tell you

But, alas, I cannot. You see, it's "Wave Season." The time of year when people look out the window and say "Baby, it's cold outside." Or at the very least "Baby, I need a change of scenery." For a travel planner, this is like Christmas. But it's crazy, CRAZY busy. Like, I-hardly-have-time-to-breathe busy.

So I can't stay long. Can't tell you about the Christmas gift that has literally keeps on giving. Or how Emerson seems to be over the hump of 3 and is now quite enjoyable almost all the time.. Or how I spent a wonderful girls' weekend with my mom and cousin and a bunch of other scrapbookers doing nothing, nothing but scrapping.

Nope, can't tell you about those things. Not tonight. Because I'm off to research cruises from Fort Lauderdale.

Catch up with you soon, I promise!

this one is for meg

A friend of mine wants to hold and squeeze and kiss and snug and cuddle and play and love on Pete. But she wants to do it after bedtime, as that's the only time she is available. I promised her that I'd give her some Petey love via the blog, sooooo This One Is For Meg.

Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is a random smattering of snapshots from the holidays.

pete made me cry today

I had a take-your-breath-away moment this morning. When I went in to get Pete out of his crib, he was sitting up.

He was sitting up.

Now, I know this is just one of a number of milestones that babies reach in their first year. But this one was particularly big for me. Pete is only using one arm to push himself up. He's like Bam-Bam with that one arm, let me tell you.

After more than a month away from therapy, tummy time, exercising, and having us contorting him into all kinds of awkward positions solely so that he can roll out of them, I was quite worried that we had lost major ground. And at his 9 month check-up last week, I was crushed to have to answer "no" to 3 out of 4 of the milestone questions.

nurse: "Is he pulling to standing?"

me: (WHAT?!?!?!) "Um, no."

nurse: "Is he crawling?"

me: "No." {pout}

nurse: "Can he get from laying to sitting by himself?"

me: "No." {sulk}

nurse: "Does he mimic sounds like ma-ma and da-da?"

me: "YES!! Yes, he does THAT!"

So, when I went in there this morning and saw him sitting up like it's an everyday occurrence to do this unassisted, yes, I cried. Well, first I shouted "Jeff, Pete is SITTING," which startled him and caused him to fall over and hit his head. Sorry, Bug.

I'm just so, SO proud of my little man. Love you, Bug!

merry and bright

The holiday merriment is over and done for another year. The Christmas decorations are down and put away. This year, I was actually compelled to say "see you in December, friend" to several ornaments as I wrapped them in tissue paper and placed them in their boxes.

I'm still feeling merry and bright from all the fun and family and friends over the last few weeks. My soul feels like it's sipping hot cocoa in snuggly jammies in front of the fireplace.

We had such a fun New Year's Eve. All 4 of us had a sleepover with friends with twin boys who are also 3. After the kiddos went to bed, the grown ups lingered over a delicious fondue dinner with all the trimmings. And for dessert, our hostess melted Toblerone bars to make chocolate fondue for dipping berries and graham crackers. And when I found a package of cookie dough in the fridge and joked that THAT would be a sufficient dessert, our host suggested that we dip it in the chocolate.

O. M. G.

What a perfect way to end a wonderful holiday season. Now, can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us. Make it a great year!