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Friday, November 30, 2007
My Husband is HOT!
And I'm not talking about in the "you look handsome!" sense!
The other day the Knight bought some new fire starter sticks for our wood stove, ones that we had never used before. When he went to go start the fire, the flames flared up and his face got burnt.
He had hundreds of tiny, tiny blisters all over his face. His skin was hot. and he had a cough.
The Knight's company had recently been bought out, and everyone is a little nervous about what exactly is going to happen to their jobs. On top of that, the Knight is up for promotion. So, although he took one day off to recover, he really didn't want to take more than that off, so he went to work all week. And of course, I was working every night this past week. And of course, the Guppy has two teeth coming in and she is VERY cranky. So, the Knight would work all day in this condition, then come home and have to deal with a very cranky baby and active three year old.
My poor, sweet Knight.
But this story has a happy ending. Last night, my family swept in to the rescue. While I was at work, they came over and caught up on all the housework and tended to both kids while the Knight rested.
When he woke up this morning, the blisters were gone, as well as the cough.
Another thing to add to our list of things to be thankful for this holiday season: wonderful family :o)
The other day the Knight bought some new fire starter sticks for our wood stove, ones that we had never used before. When he went to go start the fire, the flames flared up and his face got burnt.
He had hundreds of tiny, tiny blisters all over his face. His skin was hot. and he had a cough.
The Knight's company had recently been bought out, and everyone is a little nervous about what exactly is going to happen to their jobs. On top of that, the Knight is up for promotion. So, although he took one day off to recover, he really didn't want to take more than that off, so he went to work all week. And of course, I was working every night this past week. And of course, the Guppy has two teeth coming in and she is VERY cranky. So, the Knight would work all day in this condition, then come home and have to deal with a very cranky baby and active three year old.
My poor, sweet Knight.
But this story has a happy ending. Last night, my family swept in to the rescue. While I was at work, they came over and caught up on all the housework and tended to both kids while the Knight rested.
When he woke up this morning, the blisters were gone, as well as the cough.
Another thing to add to our list of things to be thankful for this holiday season: wonderful family :o)
Thanksgiving
I really love holidays simply because I have a blast whenever I get together with my family. This year, Thanksgiving dinner was held at my aunt's house and everyone came. Good food, good company, good times. However, I do not have any pictures to show from that day. Why?
Because the Knight dropped our digital camera that morning, and it broke.
Of course, it had to happen Thanksgiving morning, when I was itching to get some great pictures of the kids and fam. And of course, it had to happen with Christmas coming up, a time of year where every day presents numerous opportunities for fantastic pictures (think Santa, Christmas parties, etc.).
Despite my grief over the loss of my camera, I am fully aware that I have so many reasons to be incredibly thankful for this holiday season. Two wonderful, happy and healthy children. A wonderful and supportive husband who is more than I could ever hope for. My own health. A roof over our heads and food on our table. And every day, I get to experience those moments that make every mom's heart melt. Those moments when the Mermaid throws her arms around my neck and whispers "I love you" into my ear. Those moments when the Guppy laughs and giggles just because she saw me walk into the room. Those moments when the Mermaid watches me get ready for the day, then tells me "Mommy, you look beautiful!"
I am truly blessed.
Because the Knight dropped our digital camera that morning, and it broke.
Of course, it had to happen Thanksgiving morning, when I was itching to get some great pictures of the kids and fam. And of course, it had to happen with Christmas coming up, a time of year where every day presents numerous opportunities for fantastic pictures (think Santa, Christmas parties, etc.).
Despite my grief over the loss of my camera, I am fully aware that I have so many reasons to be incredibly thankful for this holiday season. Two wonderful, happy and healthy children. A wonderful and supportive husband who is more than I could ever hope for. My own health. A roof over our heads and food on our table. And every day, I get to experience those moments that make every mom's heart melt. Those moments when the Mermaid throws her arms around my neck and whispers "I love you" into my ear. Those moments when the Guppy laughs and giggles just because she saw me walk into the room. Those moments when the Mermaid watches me get ready for the day, then tells me "Mommy, you look beautiful!"
I am truly blessed.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Still Here
I'm still here, but unfortunately, so is the virus.
The Mermaid has pretty much recovered. She still has a slightly runny nose, but other than that she is fine. So, of course, when the Guppy woke up this morning, she was sick. Runny nose, slight fever, sore throat.
Of course.
Tonight I have to work and find some time to cook up something to bring to my Aunts house tomorrow. We are having dinner there and then dessert at my In laws. This year in my family, we had a really corny idea that we could dress up as pilgrims and Native Americans for Thanksgiving. I was all for it, but now I find I am lacking in both time and money to go out and get costumes for all four of us. I'll probably just end up making hats and feathers out of construction paper.
Yesterday we had our first snowfall of the season and we found out that our heating system does not work properly for some reason. Until we got the fire going in the wood stove, we were all bundled up in our jackets. Now I am worried that the Guppy will burn herself on the stove, as we can't put a gate up in front of it and she really doesn't understand the concept of hot yet. I just have to be really careful not to leave her in the room alone.
I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!
The Mermaid has pretty much recovered. She still has a slightly runny nose, but other than that she is fine. So, of course, when the Guppy woke up this morning, she was sick. Runny nose, slight fever, sore throat.
Of course.
Tonight I have to work and find some time to cook up something to bring to my Aunts house tomorrow. We are having dinner there and then dessert at my In laws. This year in my family, we had a really corny idea that we could dress up as pilgrims and Native Americans for Thanksgiving. I was all for it, but now I find I am lacking in both time and money to go out and get costumes for all four of us. I'll probably just end up making hats and feathers out of construction paper.
Yesterday we had our first snowfall of the season and we found out that our heating system does not work properly for some reason. Until we got the fire going in the wood stove, we were all bundled up in our jackets. Now I am worried that the Guppy will burn herself on the stove, as we can't put a gate up in front of it and she really doesn't understand the concept of hot yet. I just have to be really careful not to leave her in the room alone.
I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Great Giveaway
Five Minutes for Mom always seems to have great giveaways! So I am so excited that from now until November 25th, they are having their big Christmas giveaway! Head on over to check out what you could win!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
I'd Hate to Say I Told You So...
I think I've blogged about this before. But now I have research to back me up.
One of my pet peeves is when women say that they don't even want to try to breastfeed because it will make their boobs sag. Whenever I hear this, I cringe and two thoughts run through my head:
1. What a selfish reason to deny your infant optimal nutrition. Way to put your looks before your child's health@@.
2. Breastfeeding does not make your boobs sag. Pregnancy and gravity do.
The first thought I usually keep to myself. The second I usually share. And they usually don't believe me, either because they don't want to or because they know of "so and so who breastfed her kids and her boobs are down to her knees".
Nice. Reeeaallll nice.
Well, I hate to say I told you so, but now there's research that states the same thing: breastfeeding does not make your breasts sag. Really. In fact, this study suggests that the real causes of sagging breasts are age, number of pregnancies, and whether or not the mother smokes.
Now, here's my viewpoint. Do my boobs sag? Hell ya. Not down to my knees, but I definitely no longer have the perfect, perky round lovely lady humps that I was graced with before pregnancy. Does that bother me? Not at all. When I decided to become a mother, I decided to embrace all of motherhood, including saggy breasts due to pregnancy. Just like women learn to embrace their stretch marks, their apron of skin, etc. At least I am using my breasts for their intended purpose, by giving my child her optimal nutrition.
So yes, my breasts sag. And yes, if you have children, your breasts will sag, even if you don't breastfeed. The difference is, my breasts are going out with a bang!
One of my pet peeves is when women say that they don't even want to try to breastfeed because it will make their boobs sag. Whenever I hear this, I cringe and two thoughts run through my head:
1. What a selfish reason to deny your infant optimal nutrition. Way to put your looks before your child's health@@.
2. Breastfeeding does not make your boobs sag. Pregnancy and gravity do.
The first thought I usually keep to myself. The second I usually share. And they usually don't believe me, either because they don't want to or because they know of "so and so who breastfed her kids and her boobs are down to her knees".
Nice. Reeeaallll nice.
Well, I hate to say I told you so, but now there's research that states the same thing: breastfeeding does not make your breasts sag. Really. In fact, this study suggests that the real causes of sagging breasts are age, number of pregnancies, and whether or not the mother smokes.
Now, here's my viewpoint. Do my boobs sag? Hell ya. Not down to my knees, but I definitely no longer have the perfect, perky round lovely lady humps that I was graced with before pregnancy. Does that bother me? Not at all. When I decided to become a mother, I decided to embrace all of motherhood, including saggy breasts due to pregnancy. Just like women learn to embrace their stretch marks, their apron of skin, etc. At least I am using my breasts for their intended purpose, by giving my child her optimal nutrition.
So yes, my breasts sag. And yes, if you have children, your breasts will sag, even if you don't breastfeed. The difference is, my breasts are going out with a bang!
Monday, November 12, 2007
Family History
My favorite book of all time is The Red Tent. I love many things about this book, but one thing that touched me personally is how the women in the book would pass down their stories to their daughters so that they would not be forgotten after their death. The author writes:
I think this point is lost in our busy and hectic society today. How many women in this country could tell someone what her mother's dreams were, what her disappointments were, what her triumphs were? Probably a good number, but definitely not all. What about if they were asked about their grandmothers? The number would be significantly less. Their great-grandmothers? I would be surprised if any woman could answer. It seems that today's society has trained it's younger generations to be so focused on themselves and so hectic in achieving their dreams that they fail to realize the importance of learning about the women whom they came from.
I missed out on this chance with my grandmother, as she died about three years ago. I won't miss this chance again. In the coming weeks, my cousin and I are going to sit down with my great-grandmother. We are going to bring a tape recorder, paper and pens, and most importantly, our open ears, hearts, and minds. My great-grandmother is 96 years old, but looks 75 at the most and has the clarity of mind of that of a 50 year old. She writes for a local paper, is active in the senior center, and has a social calender that is busier than most. She has lived through the Great Depression and numerous wars. We will ask her what her dreams were, what her triumphs were, what her life was like. We will record her stories.
I will share her stories with my daughters, along with the stories of my mother and my own stories. I want my daughters to be two of the few women who, when asked about their maternal ancestors, will smile and pull up a comfy chair and pour a cup of tea, because they will have lots to tell.
What about you? Will your daughter know what your dreams were? Will she know about your accomplishments, about your heart breaks, about your triumphs? Will she pass it on to your grandchildren and great grandchildren? Or will your stories die when you leave the earth, leaving only a name and dates on your tomb stone.
"If you want to understand any woman you must first ask about her mother and then listen carefully. Stories about food show a strong connection. Wistful silences demonstrate unfinished business. The more a daughter knows the details of her mother's life - without flinching or whining - the stronger the daughter."
I think this point is lost in our busy and hectic society today. How many women in this country could tell someone what her mother's dreams were, what her disappointments were, what her triumphs were? Probably a good number, but definitely not all. What about if they were asked about their grandmothers? The number would be significantly less. Their great-grandmothers? I would be surprised if any woman could answer. It seems that today's society has trained it's younger generations to be so focused on themselves and so hectic in achieving their dreams that they fail to realize the importance of learning about the women whom they came from.
I missed out on this chance with my grandmother, as she died about three years ago. I won't miss this chance again. In the coming weeks, my cousin and I are going to sit down with my great-grandmother. We are going to bring a tape recorder, paper and pens, and most importantly, our open ears, hearts, and minds. My great-grandmother is 96 years old, but looks 75 at the most and has the clarity of mind of that of a 50 year old. She writes for a local paper, is active in the senior center, and has a social calender that is busier than most. She has lived through the Great Depression and numerous wars. We will ask her what her dreams were, what her triumphs were, what her life was like. We will record her stories.
I will share her stories with my daughters, along with the stories of my mother and my own stories. I want my daughters to be two of the few women who, when asked about their maternal ancestors, will smile and pull up a comfy chair and pour a cup of tea, because they will have lots to tell.
What about you? Will your daughter know what your dreams were? Will she know about your accomplishments, about your heart breaks, about your triumphs? Will she pass it on to your grandchildren and great grandchildren? Or will your stories die when you leave the earth, leaving only a name and dates on your tomb stone.
It Just Never Ends
There's some kind of virus or something going around in our area and it came into our house about two weeks ago. Since then it has decided that it really doesn't want to leave. First the Mermaid caught it, and came down with a congested nose, sore throat, and fever. The kind of fever that had both the Knight and I up at 1:30 in the morning debating on whether or not to take her to the hospital. We settled on calling her pediatrician who gave us some hints on how to bring down the fever, which thankfully worked. As soon as the Mermaid appeared to be recovering, the Guppy came down with the same symptoms. Her illness lasted about a week and yesterday she finally had no fever, no congestion, and was a happy baby once again. So, I really wasn't surprised when, this morning, the Mermaid announced that she wasn't feeling good and then promptly got sick all over the living room floor.
*sigh*
So, as you can imagine, my life lately has been hectic. And not the fun kind of hectic. When the girls are sick, especially the Guppy, they want to be held and cuddled constantly. I am more than happy to oblige, but that means that the housework goes on the back burner for a while, the laundry piles up, and other daily tasks are ignored.
In addition to these adventures in Sickville, my great grandfather passed away this past week. He was 99 years old and would have turned 100 this December. I'll always remember him as the quiet, gentle man who could barely hear and had trouble remembering who was who. He had a long, happy and fulfilled life.
So, now the Mermaid is on the couch watching a movie (I generally throw the no TV rule out the window when she is sick, as it helps keep her calm and distracts her from the fact that she is miserable). She's had her vitamin C, her homeopathic remedies for nasal congestion and upset tummy, and I prepared a lavender mist for her as well to help her relax. Hopefully she will get well soon and this ugly virus will leave our house for good.
*sigh*
So, as you can imagine, my life lately has been hectic. And not the fun kind of hectic. When the girls are sick, especially the Guppy, they want to be held and cuddled constantly. I am more than happy to oblige, but that means that the housework goes on the back burner for a while, the laundry piles up, and other daily tasks are ignored.
In addition to these adventures in Sickville, my great grandfather passed away this past week. He was 99 years old and would have turned 100 this December. I'll always remember him as the quiet, gentle man who could barely hear and had trouble remembering who was who. He had a long, happy and fulfilled life.
So, now the Mermaid is on the couch watching a movie (I generally throw the no TV rule out the window when she is sick, as it helps keep her calm and distracts her from the fact that she is miserable). She's had her vitamin C, her homeopathic remedies for nasal congestion and upset tummy, and I prepared a lavender mist for her as well to help her relax. Hopefully she will get well soon and this ugly virus will leave our house for good.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Pictures, Because They Are So Cute
I Knew It Was Too Quiet...
Earlier today, while I was sitting in the recliner nursing the Guppy, I noticed that the house was awfully quiet.
In our house, silence is not a good thing. The Mermaid is a very active and loud child, and normally she is only quiet when she is either sleeping, or doing something that she knows she is not allowed to do.
I called out to the Mermaid and sure enough, when she finally padded into the living room, I saw why it was so quiet. She had colored her entire face with magic marker.
Not only that, but she had also colored in her teeth to match.
What could I do? I had to laugh and take a picture. Even though it took over an hour to scrub the marker off her face and teeth. And even when I discovered that she had used my makeup brushes to "blend" the marker in, and I had to throw them away.
After all, was it not just two days ago that I, her mother, colored on her entire face for Halloween? And we had had a lot of fun doing it as well. So, in her mind, she was just doing something fun that she had done with me a few days ago. In her mind, her makeup was beautiful.
So, we laughed, we took pictures, and we had fun washing it off. If only I could deal with ALL my messes in life the same way.
Halloween
I haven't been around much. The Knight took the week off from work so we could do some serious house shopping. It was nice having him home all week, helping to school the girls and to get caught up on some stuff that had been on our To Do list for a while.
For Halloween, both girls dressed up as matching clowns. I wasn't really big on the clown thing, but the Mermaid insisted that she wanted to be a clown, and I thought it would be really cute if they matched. Our town always has a parade and costume contests every year, so the girls participated in that and then we took them to about three or four houses for trick or treating. The Mermaid is allowed to keep five pieces of candy and the rest she trades in for a toy or book. All in all, it was a good night.
Mamanista Sling Giveaway
As a lover of babywearing, I am always on the lookout for ways to expand my carrier collection on my tight budget. Mamanista is offering a great sling giveaway that I would love to win! To find out how you can win a Rockin' Baby ring sling, head on over to enter in the contest today!
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