T- Rex Mom and Dad Tales

Saturday Fun...A Wonderful Day

2012-02-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

The week was long but we have the weekend to relax and recharge our fun batteries.

It was a good week at the clinic but Friday ended kind of rough. My last patient was a middle-aged person who was dropped off by a transportation service. This person could not speak due to a health-related issue and was only accompanied by a note from the nursing home saying "check tube". Clearly the person had not been bathed in several days with soiled clothing and disheveled, matted hair. I was glad we were able to take care of the patient and offer some relief from the discomfort. As I left the clinic and walked to my car I saw the transportation service wheeling the patient out to the van. When I reached my car I sank into my seat and cried. That poor person had no one. How many other people are there out there in similar situations with no one to care for them?

Then I picked up my phone and called my dear hubby for some words of encouragement from his soothing voice. He, too, was having a rough afternoon. The CEO of his company died in a plane crash that morning. T Rex Dad did personally know him and had worked with him for many years. It is a huge loss not just for the company but for our community. Despite that my sweet husband still cheered my spirits before I embarked on the drive home. He is quite amazing that way.

That night we all just snuggled as a family. We clung to each other and thanked God for all our blessings and the life we enjoy. There are tough days but as I often say these days remind us of the wonderful days. Thus, we headed out this morning with the goal of having a wonderful day. It was a simple morning - running at the park pond followed by lunch in an abandoned shopping center. We like to keep things simple.

Watching the wild ducks from a distance. You can tell the wild from the local because of their striking colors.

Picking up sticks and rocks and tossing them into the partially frozen pond.

Just a nearby building with some reflections allowing for an impromptu family photo.

Then onto the abandoned mall. We used to frequent this place before the kids were born - back when we had two incomes and no debt. It was a trendy place. Alas, it is now about 80% empty of businesses and on the weekends it is nearly completely empty. However, it is the perfect indoor running place for kids who need to work off their after-lunch energy.

The day ended with a grocery trip to Target - that wasn't exciting enough to merit photos but sometimes the most mundane things can be enjoyable. We had a great day and feel like our fun levels are going back up. We still feel a bit sad about Friday's events but our hearts are not nearly so heavy after reflecting on life and thereafter.

What do you do after a rough day?

Eye of the Storm...

2012-01-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

This week I worked on my written comprehensive to complete my master's component to my family nurse practitioner studies. Sometimes I think how will exercises like this benefit me in providing care to patients? Honestly, I know much of it is an exercise in following instructions added to some tradition. Though, last week I did apply some theory to convincing a patient to seek counseling. Maybe there is something to this theoretical application after all. (Did you ever think when you were seeing a health care provider so much was going on?)

So how did my written exam work? Last Saturday I was given a question for which I was given a week to complete the project. This was the assignment:

Discuss a national rural health issue, propose an intervention, detail how you as an advanced practice nurse would implement such an intervention working with other disciplines, and apply a theoretical framework.

I had three and a half pages just for references. In the end, it came together nicely. I'll spare you the details except to say, I have to pass this in order to advance to my oral exams. Of course, all this is going on while doing intensive clinical rotations at three different locations. I know it's sort of a make or break you thing. Add to this some of the other "T's" and "I's" that need crossing and dotting in order to graduate. Craziness. All I can say is that graduation is less than 100 days away and all is on track and we are surviving.

Oh, this past week when all this is going on would be the week we would all come down with a cold virus. All diamonds must go through intense pressure to be born. As long as I end up being polished and beautiful when the time comes it will be worth it.

In the middle of all this week's craziness, I took the kids to the park. The weather has been mild and fresh cool air can help cold symptoms, so we bundled up and visited a very empty park. I have to say it was 35 minutes of heaven on earth playing with these sweet kiddos. I just wish T Rex Dad could have been in on the fun. He has been logging quite a lot of hours at work. Just more to juggle. Still, though, he manages to pull it together, come home, and help so I can keep up.

There is more craziness to come as in February I start 12 hour shifts three to four times a week and then March brings oral exams. It really is a sprint to the finish line but I can see the end. Hence, the storm continues to rage but for now we'll enjoy a brief break for some giggles and smiles.

Day of Days...

2012-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

It was the day, the day of days. The birthday of our little petite girl we call Lil Sister.

We themed her birthday party after her favorite book which is also the new theme of her bedroom. This book being "Jenny's Birthday Book" - a tale of the little shy black cat with a red knit scarf - Jenny Linksky - and her birthday picnic in the park surrounded by her closest Cat Club friends. The book is by Esther Averil and was published in 1954.

Our little girl discovered this book on her own while browsing the library shelves. After we checked it out over and over again within a 3 month period we opted to purchase the book. It is read at minimum on a daily basis. For a while, we could not get her ready for bed or nap time without at least one reading - sometimes as many as 3-4 readings in a single sitting.

Since her birthday is so close to Christmas during which she and her brother received more than a fair share of toys, we opted to give a different gift. We all went shopping and picked out materials for crafting a Jenny Linsky quilt/bedspread and matching curtains. This to complete set up of her bedroom. This is the work T Rex Dad refers to as my magnum opus. I am not a high level quilter but I have to say it turned out spectacular. I had no pattern except to follow the drawing in the book. (You can click on the image for a closer look.)

Esther Averil's whimsical writing is as charming as her illustrations.The curtains on the quilt window are made from the same material as the curtains in the bedroom. I made a matching decorative pillow and pillow case, too. Those flowers on the quilt are actually for tying the quilt and I did crochet those. My sister did the paintings over her bed. These are replicas from the book. They look almost exactly like the real ones. It makes me smile to see my sister taking up her painting hobby again.

The party itself was also representative of Jenny's party. To familiarize the kids in attendance, we started the party with a viewing of a reading of the book. It's a great video about 6 1/2 minutes long. It's just an old library film strip with someone reading it added with some simply sound effects and music.

Then a trip to the fish shoppe or "bish shop" as Lil Sister refers to it. We set up a stand where the kids could fish for prizes. This was probably the favorite activity. It was especially nice having my brother-in-law, someone I spent many hours fishing with, and my nephew running the shoppe. The fishing pole was made from a stick T Rex picked up on a recent father/son outing to the river.

Next was pin-the-nose on the cat. My sister painted a giant Jenny Cat and the kids took turns trying to put the nose on. I love old style kid games like this. T Rex does, too.

The activities ended with dancing "The Sailor's Hornpipe". It was Jenny's birthday wish to dance the Hornpipe. We turned on the actual "Sailor's Hornpipe" music, an Irish tune, and we did some jigging in a circle. When the music stopped, the kids were to find a number and stand by it. If that number was called they won a prize.

As you probably noticed, several of the kids and even some of the adults wore cat costumes - we even had a lion and Pickles the Famous Fire Cat. T Rex wore his Checkers costume. In the book and the Cat Club series, Checkers is Jenny's spotted brother and his special talent is retrieving a red ball. I did crochet the cat ears and the Jenny scarf, too. Some of the party favors were also crocheted - I made necklaces for the kids - flowers in red and yellow for the girls and red stars for the boys - much like T Rex's red ball necklace also handmade.

We opted for a "no gift" policy at the party because she had just received so many things for Christmas. Instead, I took the kids shopping for the prizes and favors which would be handed out instead of gifts being received. Most were non-toys like stickers, books, crayons, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, with just a few cars or rubber animals/dinosaurs. All were well received and I enjoyed seeing the kids give rather than always receiving.

The food, cake, and ice cream were all homemade. Since the Fish Shoppe was a major decoration we did some seafood - tuna sandwiches and shrimp cocktail. My mom's tuna and her macaroni salad have long been favorites of mine and also of the crowd as I did not get a single sandwich. I added some deviled eggs and turkey cream cheese wraps to the mix, too. My sister did her homemade salsa with chips and her famous ranch dressing dip with veggies.

The cake was a Better Homes devil's food cake with butter-cream frosting. It is actually just to round cakes with one with a part cut and used as the tail - extremely easy. Honestly, getting the frosting the right color was the toughest part. The frosting was deceptive because it was colored black and one would expect it to be a chocolate chocolate cake but it actually wasn't. I was amazed at how much black food coloring it took to get it this black.

Our little girl LOVES anything sweet and she had no issues putting the cake or ice cream away. I made a batch each of chocolate and vanilla ice cream - nothing compares to homemade. T Rex would not even go near the cake. His auntie was kind to make him some sugar cookies which I think he ate about a half dozen without us even knowing. I guess that's what celebrating is about!

It was a wonderful celebration and made even more memorable having those special to us and our little daughter there to witness the event. That night, after her party, like Jenny, she said her prayers of thanks and drifted into sleep - dreaming of her birthday...

Snow Day...

2012-01-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday we finally had some much needed and welcome snow. We are significantly low on snow pack this year. Usually by now we've had many days like this. The kids were so excited to finally get to wear their snow suits in the snow and test their snow boots out, too.

Because we knew in advance it was going to be poor driving conditions I arranged with my clinical preceptor to stay home to avoid the roads. Plus, this allowed for T Rex Dad to take my vehicle to work and for me to be home with the kids enjoying the blustery white conditions.

Snow angel.

We had about 5-6 inches of snow in a short amount of time. It was totally gone the next day as it then started to rain. The kids have been extremely sad their snow creations are long gone. However, much fun was had before then - building a snowman and snow car, catching snowflakes on the tongue, eating snow, throwing snowballs, making snow angels, the list is almost endless with fun things we did.

"Mano de nieve"

Snow car.

Even our geriatric canine citizen enjoyed the snow. The other canine child could only walk the paths that had been shoveled as the snow was at about her nose level and it mats to her hair.

Fun times...I'm glad we enjoyed it as it might be the only good snow we get this year. We hope you are enjoying the weather conditions where you're at whether rain, snow, or sunshine.

Tomorrow, Lil Sister's 2nd birthday party celebration. I anticipate lots of great photos and the kids are just too excited. Off to prepare as I am completely caught up on school work. Of course, it all starts over again tomorrow but a girl can enjoy the moment while it lasts - less than 4 months until graduation.

Perfect...

2012-01-14T22:49:00.000-08:00

Our little bean turns 2 years old very soon. We were truly blessed with the right child at the right time. I don't think we would have survived professional graduate school, having a baby while raising a toddler had we been blessed with a different child.

In a way, I can log my advanced nursing practice studies by my little girl's age. The ovum she was developed from was released the same week I was accepted to nurse practitioner school. When I began classes the morning sickness kicked in with full force. Then just shortly after I started my third session of classes, she made her entrance being born on the three day weekend. Even her illnesses have coincided with my school breaks. This past summer break we completed her toilet training and this past winter break we made the tough transition to her big girl bed. In May I graduate, I'm not sure what big milestone she will achieve then (finish cutting two year molars?), but this little girl will have been with me through the whole professional school thing. This I will always hold with me. I wonder if this earns her an honorary degree?

Admittedly, I am bragging a bit about her. However, during her birthday time, it's just merited. I am not claiming she's perfect, just perfect for us. Yes, the total angel baby according to The Baby Whisperer. A welcome thing after Mr. Sensitive. Both child types have their benefits but for this particular time in our lives, an angel baby was just what was needed.

This tiny (22lbs) person continues to amaze us eating everything and demonstrating an independent, self-driven, self-motivated, opinionated personality - "I do it SELF" - very commonly heard around here, as are, "Brother's turn", "Thank you welcome!", "Want to go bye, bye and see...(insert various family members)", "Mommy's bean, Daddy's boo", "Love you...Much" or singing "Happy Birthday, Dear Jenny" (referring to Jenny Linsky, the cat, from her most favorite book - Jenny's Birthday Book.

We are doing her birthday party with the theme of Jenny Linsky. For her gift, I am making her a bedspread and curtains. This is what T Rex Dad refers to as an heirloom in the making. I'll post more photos as the project becomes complete. However, my little bean climbed over the stairs gate and found her gift in the making. The photo is so charming, especially since she was wearing her Jenny Cat outfit. It turned into an impromptu photo session. More of those photos will be posted on her blog. I am not a professional photographer and not even a hobby photographer, just a mom with a point and shoot camera.

She's almost two and if I remember from T Rex at age two it is terribly terrific. It has all been wonderful. The transition to the big bed has been rough. I recall its toughness from T Rex. However, observing that exact moment when she drifts into dreamland and hearing the sigh of sleep, that is an incredible moment to witness - a perfect moment. This week we celebrate her birth and all these perfect little moments she has brought into our lives starting before she was even born.

Where We've Been...

2012-01-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

My break away from school ends as of tomorrow. This past week I wanted to focus on the kids and spending time with them - getting into good rhythms and working out the last of those napping difficulties Lil Sis is experiencing. Plus, I also started a couple of crafting projects that have been keeping me occupied during nap times.

I can say I finally feel like a normal person again - rested and relaxed. Guess it is time for the craziness to begin again. I am trying to keep my schedule to only 3 days per week being away from the kids. Over break I did have discussion with my future employer and I was adamant that I did not want to work more than 2 days per week leaving some room for covering for others' vacations but for the most part, I want to be home with the kids while still allowing my brain some exercising as well. I think it will be a good balance.

We certainly kept busy. Here are photos from an outing to the Discovery Center followed by play time at the park. It has been amazingly warm - no decent snow. The kids did not play on the jungle gym at the park as they were more interested in the ducks and collecting sticks to throw into the river. The ducks were very interesting as there were some wood ducks which are fairly shy so odd to find in a park. Some of those wood ducks had cross bred with mallards which gave them a really odd look, too. Probably my brother and brother-in-law are the only ones who appreciate my attention to detail there.

It's been wonderful hanging with the kids without the stress of knowing I have to study or be at school. I know I am going to miss them so much this week working Monday through Wednesday but they are in the very capable hands of my mother plus an ample supply of playdough, stickers, books, and lesson workbooks.

Enjoy the photos.

Stay tuned - I am planning Lil Sis's 2nd birthday party and crafting her gift - it promises to be a most memorable party. T Rex Dad is calling the gift a family heirloom.

House Fire...Drill...

2011-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Remember when T Rex pulled the fire alarm at T Rex Dad's company health center? That pales in comparison to this. At least none of us are to blame this time. Here are two versions of the same story.

T Rex Dad's version...

Did you know that it's standard procedure to send two fire trucks, a hook and ladder truck, and a command vehicle to a 911 call for a fire alarm at home? We didn't either, until last night when we were forced to call because every smoke alarm in our house went off for 30 minutes starting at 2:50 AM (of course).

After evacuating the kids and dogs to our most excellent and kind neighbors, we called 911 and the firemen arrived in about 4 minutes. They were super friendly and kind, and searched the house from bottom to top, finding no fire or hot spots. Weird? They said it's very common for dust or even a spider to trip the detectors. The detectors stopped screeching about the time the firemen arrived.

In case you are wondering what this is a picture of, it is a spider emerging from a smoke detector in our bonus room at 3:27 AM....

Much embarrassment and very little sleep for all involved. Thanks Mr Spider..... Glad this was only a 'drill' though.

T Rex Mom's version...

Awakened to a single, loud chirp of a fire alarm at around 2:50 am, I asked T Rex Dad to investigate. As he emerged from bed all the alarms started to go off. I reached for my glasses, robe, and slippers, took a quick sniff and look around. The kids were still sleeping. T Rex Dad raced around the house looking for the fire which he could not find. We decided we could not stay in the house in case there was something smoldering somewhere. I bundled up the kids and with little Bebe Sister wrapped in blankets ran over to the Good Neighbors' house and rang the door bell.

They emerged and heard the alarms and whisked us inside to a warm bed. I can only imagine what they were thinking seeing the kids and me in our PJs outside their doorstep at 3:00 am before they heard the alarms.

While we comforted and warmed the kids, T Rex Dad called 9-1-1. T Rex was a bit upset by all the noise in our house. Bebe Sister woke up the moment I laid her in the soft, cool bed (silly girl). We could hear the fire trucks arriving and T Rex kept asking to go see. Neighbor D went to see if T Rex Dad needed assistance. He also grabbed his camera and took the firetruck photos knowing it would be great blog fodder - seriously, these people are always thinking of others.

Neighbor M, beloved of the kids, stayed with us and kept us company. Finally after about 30 minutes we bundled back up and went home. Verdict - something tripped the alarm system - dust or spider. Alas, we could not ignore the alarms knowing we have small kids and pets that rely on us in case there was truly something wrong. The firemen said it was the right thing to do and it happens more often than people think. Sometimes, the house really is on fire and all those trucks are needed.

We are so glad everything was alright. Also glad to know our tax dollars cover this house visit, too - I was not looking forward to that bill. I kept telling T Rex we could take him to see the fire engines this year. Guess we had to sneak this in on the last day of the year! The fire chief personally invited him to tour the fire house at his convenience. T Rex was most gracious and shook all their hands and thanked them before bidding them farewell.

Here's a little interview I took just as the fire trucks were pulling away:

Well, we needed a fun and exciting story for 2011. We bid thee farewell and express our gratitude and thanks to all those who have made this year a wonderful one.

Onto 2012 - here's hoping the excitement we have is equally innocent.

Christmas 2011...

2011-12-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

Wearing Christmas PJs.

This year we declared we were keeping things as simple as possible. We also wanted to be home as much as possible to enjoy our little ones while they are still little. Our families were most kind to understand our feelings in the matter and helped to accommodate as such, too.

Here's a little recap:

(be forewarned - lots of photos)

December 23rd - Christmas Eve Eve:

Dinner with my family. My sister always sets a beautiful table. This year was no exception. We had surf and turf - organic beef and wild caught snow crab.

The kids had so much fun playing with their cousin Dede. T Rex was literally jumping and pouncing on him. He is really great with them and can always make them laugh. Actually, we were all laughing non-stop.

Dede found a basket with and handle and offered to pull them around like it was a wagon - poor kid, he was doing that for about 20 minutes. Good thing he is young.

T Rex was fascinated by my sister's Christmas village. I have not put ours up in a couple of years so T Rex has no memory of ours. Yes, my mom has an eye shield on as she had surgery a couple days prior. She is doing great and can see significantly better.

Christmas Eve:

We were up early as Bebe Sister is still adjusting to her sleeping situation. Getting up early worked out fine because we had a house full of guests who stopped in for Christmas Eve brunch - T Rex Dad's sisters and their families. I felt bad as they were earlier than expected and I was still in my PJs. Luckily, family is forgiving and the kids, who were dressed, were kind to entertain while the adults dressed and prepared the food. No photos of this are posted as I did not obtain permission to post. It was a nice gathering and the kids love hanging with their aunties, cousins, and Uncle Doc. Grandma and Grandpa were certainly missed. When our guests departed, the kids and T Rex Dad took naps while I did some last minute preparations.

The evening brought Christmas Eve dinner. Alas, I do not set beautiful tables like my sister. I forgot to make the bread or even prepare a dessert for our meal but the roast was delicious and our wonderful neighbors brought over these frosted sugar cookies that were decadent and severed perfectly as dessert. Then the kids and I made gingerbread cookies. T Rex has this book he loves to read called "The Smells of Christmas". In it, the young bear makes gingerbread boys. T Rex gave this request and since we are working on developing some of our own traditions, I complied.

The cookies took a while so afterward we quickly bathed and checked the Santa tracker one last time before departing to bed. Yes, Bebe Sister is naked - she insisted on no clothes and these days she is very opinionated and strong willed. We're fine with our independent girl.

Bebe Sister went to bed and T Rex set out cookies - some of Auntie J's homemade ones and some of the gingerbread boys he cut and decorated. Then a viewing of Charlie Brown Christmas.

It was tough to wind the little guy down but he finally went to sleep. Fortunately, everyone was so tired we had a lovely Christmas morning not waking before 8:00 am.

Christmas Day:

By the way, T Rex reported hearing Rudolph's nose and that it woke him during the night. (I'll try to post a video interview with him on his blog soon along with other Christmas photos.)

This is the photo of the tree as we saw it first thing in the morning.

The kids delighted in opening their stockings. Bebe Sister would have been fine unwrapping one gift and just being allowed to play with it. T Rex had fun in the opening so it was a lovely partnership.

T Rex was most excited about the small Jeff Gorvette Cars Car that Santa brought. Oh, the little things...I love it.

A few of the gifts the kids received...

Handmade vest from Auntie J

Driving the new Jeff Gorvette on Ms. Julie's car roll she made for T Rex - thank you!

From Grandma and Grandpa

New mitt with soft balls from cousin Dede.

Then off to ride that new scoot(er) that Santa brought T Rex, as requested. After T Rex Dad helped T Rex get started he wanted to give a demo to his cousin Dede.

Everyone was far too generous to us. Honestly, having a healthy Christmas was more than enough as last year we were all too ill to do much other than watch a Christmas show. Thank you all for sharing these Christmas photos, moments, and memories. We hope you also had a wonderful and blessed Christmas, if you celebrate it.

Onto the new year...

Crafted Gift Preview - 2011...

2011-12-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Be prepared. Many, many photos. I've had many ask about my various crafting projects so this is a preview of many. Some I shipped without photographing and some are gifts that cannot be shared until a later time.

If you're like to recall some of last year's projects, you can go here.

These are for keeps. Next year I'll make them some snow kids.

In all these instances, every item had a predestined home. There is always great love and care which goes into each item.

Most commonly I am asked how I find time. Yes, I'm a mom to two very busy kids but I'm also a full time graduate student. Well, I'd like to say I'm pretty good with time management. But I also have help from my wonderful and very supportive husband, a mom that sometimes helps with the projects or just plays with the kids so I can finish them up, and kids that are also good about playing and allowing me time to finish. They know these projects often mean new things for them to play with.

Here are some other methods I use to find crafting time:

- Stay up late. (Julie in CT, you can attest to this!) Rarely am I asleep before midnight.
- During breakfast. I always drink protein shakes. I cannot eat breakfast. After 8 months of morning sickness while pregnant with Bebe Sister, I still cannot bring myself to eat in the morning. Crocheting and drinking my shake are the way to go for me.
- While sitting at the foot of my little girl's bed waiting for her to drift off to sleep - sometimes this takes 15 minutes and sometimes it takes 2 hours. I just keep a tiny light handy so I can work.
- During arts/crafts or playdough time with the kids. Alas, one of my major projects ended up with markers on it. Such as it is. Still, I could not get too upset as the little bean said she wanted to help.
- While listening to school lectures. This past semester I usually had 2-4 hours of lectures each week so I would often crochet during some of the not-so-challenging subject matters. Actually, it did a great job keeping me from falling asleep.
- While working out - while I'm on the elliptical I can do some simple crocheting.

Needless to say, often my items are not perfect (and I'm a perfectionist - hence, a life learning lesson to deal with less-than-perfect work). As I said, sometimes there are marker stains or even dropped stitches due to poor lighting conditions. However, each item is crafted with love and care for the person who will be receiving it. At this point in my life, I don't have much in the way of monetary items to give but I do have my crafting skills and very precious time and that I can share.

I hope you enjoy seeing the projects as much as I had making them.

I present to you the 2011 Crafted Gift Preview...

My nephew wears this sock monkey hat in his favorite team's colors. Thus, I made him a matching sock monkey. This one is my own design. I used a pattern for another one I made in the traditional sock monkey colors but I cannot seem to find a photo of that one.

I also made a bag to wrap his gifts in. I kept with the blue and orange theme. (Don't worry, he does not read the blog.)

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, I restored one of my old dolls to pass along to Bebe Sister. This was my most treasured Cabbage Patch Doll from 1985. Yes, I know some of you were not even born then. Well, I was about 7 years old when I was given this doll. I loved her for so many years. Actually, she was quite dirty. I read a few online tutorials about cleaning and restoring dolls. She came out looking great. I dressed her in an outfit I purchased months ago on Etsy. I cannot take credit for her outfit. However, I did make her more clothes which I can take credit for. Her name was Julie. We'll see if Bebe Sis wants to keep the name or change it.

Then, I made a dress and some pajama pants for Bebe Sister with matching clothes for her dolls. I had to also make a Hello Kitty to go with that particular set of clothes. I was very pleased with that result.

I found a local artist who made this baby doll cradle. It was only $15. Love shopping local. I went ahead and made a mattress pad for it and a doll blanket. The blanket will match one of Bebe Sister's which she received from her great-aunt L, a very treasured item.

I used one of T Rex's old long sleeve shirts along with a snowflake I made to pull this little item together. This took such a small amount of time yet our daughter has LOVED wearing it. I gifted this to her early so she could enjoy it this winter season. I also made several more of these snowflakes to tie around gift packages. The snowflake is an "advanced pattern" - I guess I am achieving higher crafting status!

These little mailboxes filled me with giggling glee as I made them. I saw these somewhere online and thought they were really cool but I was not going to pay a stitch of money for something I knew I could make with some felt that was crowding my closet. They are a little on the small size but only because I was using tiny scraps of felt. I really think the kids are going to get a kick out of them as they've pulled the three mailbox ornaments we have off the tree and have been trying to mail letters out of them.

Another project with the kids in mind - baking/crafting aprons. I really wanted to find a set at the local craft show but there was nothing with full clothing coverage which I think is needed - my kids make huge messes. I basically used an appropriately sized t-shirt as a template and made these. Little crowns for my girl and rockets for my little guy. Again, I think they'll get a kick out of them - especially with the pocket in front.

I made several of these wash cloth/face cloth sets to pair with my homemade lavender frankincense soap. I am not terribly happy with the soap but at least it turned out alright. Next time, I'll double check my recipe so I don't have to rebatch it. It does sud up nicely but I don't like the fragments of lavender in it - clogs up my sink. It does smell nice, though.

Every year for the past 15 years, my dearest friend and I trade packages. It's really become a tradition and we look forward to seeing what we come up with each year. Before kids the packages were really about us. These days it's more about the kids. She has four so I always need to start early so I'll be able to get the package sent out in advance. This year I asked her to have her kids send me a list of their favorite animals. The list included: elephant, baby elephant, King Cobra, and a shark. It took some creativity for some of these (the snake pattern is my own design) but these are the end results. Note the baby elephant has a pacifier around it's neck.

The yarn on the shark was awesome to work with. I used it to also make this wolf for Bebe Sister's little friend who's in the UK celebrating his 2nd birthday this week.

Another dear friend received this before she embarked on her Europe trip. I thought it would be the perfect size for her passport. It's 100% wool. I just loved the color.

On the past couple outings to "the big Joann's store" T Rex has spotted this red monster. I think a child stitched it during a crafting class or something as it really is asymmetrical and kind of ugly. But he just loves it and always goes on and on about. So, last time we were there I looked at it, made some mental notes, and made one for him. I tried to make it a little less hideous and at least kept the eyes about the same size (unequal pupils are not a good sign when I see someone in the clinic with them). Here's the result. Behind him is the fabric bag made to go along which I'll be wrapping T Rex's homemade gifts in. He loves the Rudolph movie.

Taking an idea from Caboose Cloth, I devised this Cars carrying case for T Rex. It folds up so he can take his Cars on the road or unrolls to reveal little slots for up to 5 Cars. It is intended for the larger Pixar Cars but will also hold the smaller Hot Wheels. Honestly, I think he'll be most excited about the fabric pattern.

I still have a couple of items to finish up this week. My goal is to not be crafting on Christmas Eve. Dear T Rex has big baking plans for us that day so I don't want to be sewing and missing out on baking.

This will likely be my last posting until after Christmas. Please let me wish you and your family the very best this holiday season. We celebrate Christmas so a very merry Christmas to you. Thank you all for the kinds words and support you bestow upon us here. It does warm our hearts.

Winter Garden-a-Glow 2011

2011-12-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

Since I'm on break from school the fun can begin. Actually, T Rex Dad and the kids wanted to take me out to celebrate a successful school semester.

Some dear friends, before departing for the UK for the holidays, gifted us with tickets to the local botanical garden's Winter Garden-a-Glow. (Thank you!) We go every year and especially love to go the week before Christmas as the lights just seem to bring out the Christmas cheer in all of us. If you'd like to see our trip from last year, you can go here.

There are many photos so I will keep the commentary short.

Both the kids ran around and had the best time. Bebe Sister looked like a little State Puff Marshmallow in her snow suit. She was well padded too as she kept falling down. She does has a pretty ugly scratch on her nose which will hopefully heal up before Christmas. It did not seem to stop her or even make her cry. She just keep going and going. It was her first time running the Garden. (Yes, she slept well - we had to wake her at 8:40 the next morning.)

"The Bridge" - a favorite of Bebe Sister's. She loves saying the word "bridge" and we love hearing her say it.

Our little daughter is becoming a bit of a prankster - see how she's peeking through the bars of the bench in the first photo? T Rex is becoming our great poser and will actually hold still long enough for us to take a photo.

T Rex taking a break. He did a fair amount of running around, too. He was most proud, though, that his listening ears were working that night. He was certain to remind us several times before departing to bed.

The kids rang the bell - Bebe Sister's first time.

Complimentary cookies for the kids and hot cider for the adults. Mmm. Somehow they always taste better there in 25 degree weather. Bebe Sister had a death grip on her cookie which she took before we had even given a donation. T Rex went back for seconds on his sugar cookie.

Meeting Prancer - she is very sweet and soft.

Truly a wonderful time. The trip seems to just get better every year and even more fun having little ones to enjoy it with.

Santa Visit 2011...

2011-12-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

After my last posting we need something more light-hearted.

Today I took the kids to visit with Santa. They've been preparing for this moment for quite a while. The conversation went something like this:

T Rex: Hi Santa. How are you? How is Mrs. Claus?

Santa: Thank you. I am well and Mrs. Claus is baking me cookies at home at the North Pole.

T Rex: I've been wanting to tell you about the new foods I've been trying.
Santa: Really? Well, you're the first child I've had that has wanted to talk about that and not toys. Tell me about those foods.
T Rex: I like spinach and I tried papaya but I don't like it.

Santa: That's great. Mom, has he been a good boy?

Me: Exceptional.

Santa: Tell me, what would you like for Christmas?

T Rex: Just two things. A scooter and a Jeff Gorvette.

Santa: Wonderful.

T Rex: Here's a snuggle and now Sister wants to tell you what she wants.

Bebe Sis: No, not sit, Mama. Hold me. Hold me.

Santa: Come now, young lady, what do you want for Christmas?

Bebe Sis: Coupe Cart.

Me: Here's the translation, Santa. A cozy coupe shopping cart.

Santa: Oh, so she can go shopping with her mama.

Bebe Sis: Yes, shopping with Mama. Bye, bye, Santa...'Mas. (translation - " 'Mas" means Merry Christmas)
T Rex: Thank you, Santa.

I know our son sounds SO polite. He is actually a pretty polite little kid. His sister is really polite - I've never met a child who says "thank you" and "welcome" so much. However, when we talk about Santa, it's often a way to remind the kids to be on good behavior so I think T Rex was trying to be really polite and sweet so he stayed on the nice list.

When it was time to get a photo it was actually quite a chore. I had to be cropped out of the photo so it's a close up - you can really notice the difference in eye color between the kids. (Love genetics - always keeps things interesting. We're still debating as to where those blue eyes came from.) In the end, I did not think the "official" photo was very good. It will probably go right into their books.

The distance photos were my favorite. I love how the conversation was captured.

Always an adventure with the kiddos but so many wonderful and priceless memories.

Buttons

2011-12-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of my niece - permission obtained.

When I was a kid, my Grandma Moda, as I called her because I could not say her full last name, had a tin that seemed to be eternally full of buttons. This was my mother's mother.

From a very early age I remember being dropped off with her and Grandpa. My mom who was recently divorced and worked during the day as a preschool director and went to community college at night taking child development classes. Grandma and I hung out. She had no toys. Usually I would "help" her make tortillas and then enjoy the fresh ones with some of her style pinto beans. Or even better than that - her cream of wheat. Occasionally, I would get to go explore Grandpa's tool shed and help him fix something but usually I would stay close to Grandma - she had the good food and the buttons.

She lived in a horrible part of town. To put it in perspective when I took T Rex Dad to see her at her home after we were newly married we showed up and he stated, "Ah it's not so bad.... There's only one bullet hole in the house..." I inquired of Grandma where the others had gone. She stated, pointing to the living room around the wood burning stove, "Well, this wall caught on fire so all the walls were replaced." Drive by shootings were not that common but they were also not uncommon. Still she continued to live there because she remembered when it was a charming little neighborhood where everyone knew everyone. Oddly, I never felt unsafe there. I am sure my mother had some reservations about the location, but as far as leaving her toddler daughter with someone, she could imagine no one more competent than this woman who had raised 8 children and birthed 12 (high infant mortality in those days).

Grandma Moda had a huge love of animals and seemed to always be taking in strays. She seemed to always have a couple of different cats. For many, many years she had a sheep dog she called Gringo. He was huge. I always chuckled when he would try to sneak into the house when someone came in from the back yard. Rarely did he get in because she would stop him at the door, pick him up, and carry him back out the door. May not sound too impressive unless you factor into the equation she was four feet seven inches tall and about 78 pounds. She was smaller than the dog. Toward the end of her life she carried a came. I recall picking her up and helping her into the vehicle. In doing so, it was clear she did not need the cane but it was more of a highly effective defensive weapon. Think Yoda - tiny, unassuming, yet powerful and strong. Strong physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually (she was deeply religious and a dedicated Catholic).

She also had no teeth. Well, technically she did but when I about five years old and asked her where they were she took me to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Inside in a glass jar were her set of false teeth. Goodness, I had nightmares about this for years. She felt bad for scaring me but also chuckled. She was a bit of a jokester, too.

Grandma and Grandpa were also people of little means. They seemed to always give whenever they received. It left them with little to their names, but they seemed to always get by. I never received a Christmas gift from them. I do remember they would hide money in my bag for me to sneak into my mom's purse when they knew she was struggling to make ends meet. Grandma knew my mom would refuse the help. When I graduated from high school she gave me a quilt entirely hand sewn and made with various scraps and pieces of her old dresses. Today I will not even use it because it is too highly prized.

As I said, Grandma had no toys but she had a tin of buttons. When we were not cooking or cleaning, she would pull it out and let me sort through it looking for interesting ones. My favorite, though, was to try and guess how many were in the tin and then empty it out and see how close I was. It always seemed the tin had different buttons. I could never figure this out. Years later I realized she had about 6 different bins full of buttons which she would rotate through.

I still love collecting buttons. I still enjoy going through other people's button collections. To this day I have yet to encounter a woman with as much compassion and forgiveness matched with hard-working and happy demeanor. When I was older she would always cry when we parted company. She lived for her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. Rarely could she travel to them as she never learned to drive but she always prayed for all of them.

It's been almost five years since she went to heaven and let me tell you, I'm not sure how He survived without her for nearly 99 years. I do know that someday when my time comes, it will be one sweet reunion.

For now, though, I will have lots of memories many of which I am reminded of when sorting through tins of buttons - either my own or someone else's.

This above portion was written months ago but it just did not seem finished. Now it does. Keep reading...

Until recently, I had no buttons from Grandma's collection. Well, remember that incredible gift my sister gave me? This is it...

She made a Christmas tree decorated with buttons from one of Grandma Moda's button tins. I had no idea she even had these. I am still in awe when I look at it. I've actually really missed Grandma lately and this has a nice reminder of her . Now I have a piece of that happy memory.

A Day of Treats and Rare Treats...

2011-12-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

For my birthday celebration with my family I asked that my mom and sis come over for the day so we could make tamales and Christmas treats and then end the day with dinner. On Saturday morning, we started our cooking and baking. If you want a refresher on this annual holiday baking, you can go here. We did have one person, a teacher friend, that came over to help with the beef tamales. It was quite the process and my hands were always occupied or full of masa hence few action photos.

The ladies washing corn husks.

While we worked, T Rex Dad took the kids on an outing to Hobby Town USA and a meet up with the lady making the baby doll cradle for Bebe Sister's gift. It's perfect - so excited and she doesn't suspect a thing. What a guy managing those two kids and not a single potty accident!

By lunch time, the tamales were done and T Rex Dad arrived home with sandwiches for all. (Seriously, what a guy!) We enjoyed our lunch together, our tamale helper went home but not before she left a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me, the kids and T Rex Dad took naps, and Mom, Sis, and I started the sweet treats making portion of the day.

Cake balls can sometimes cause me a bit of stress so this time I prepared them the night before, chilled them outside (yes, it's that cold), and then when we were ready I just needed to dip them in chocolate. It went much smoother this time around. My sister, using her mother-in-law's unbeatable sugar cookie recipe, started on those. We listened to some traditional Christmas hymns and carols - love Mr. Bing Crosby's "Oh Come All Yea Faithful". The baking part actually went quite fast. It was the packaging portion that took a while. My sister is incredible when it comes to presentation of gifts. She kept thinking up ideas and I just kept crocheting and tying. The finished products were most pleasing.

We had a couple of eager taste-testers, too. (Sugar cookies for T Rex and chocolate cake balls for Bebe Sister.)

We found these little gingerbread house boxes. With those we included a battery operated tea light so when the goodies are gone it can be lit and serves as a decoration. I also made various crocheted snowflakes and stars as ornaments to go along with the packages. (See my lovely flowers in the background? Another are treat.)

Around this time T Rex Dad and the kids woke from their naps. T Rex was a great helper. Bebe Sister was more interested in Dada snuggles. Later when my nephew arrived the kids were very excited to rough-house and play ball.

While my sister and I were baking my mom made fresh flour and corn tortillas. She rarely makes corn, which I actually prefer, so this was a rare treat. Did I even mention my mom has her own tortilla business? She does and is becoming quite famous in our little city. Seriously, these are amazing tortillas. Back on topic, dinner was oh so delicious. We get tamales about once or twice a year usually reheated from the frozen ones we've made. Fresh and hot - wow and a rare treat!

My brother-in-law stopped and picked up caramel and chocolate apples from our local chocolate factory. Another treat. Again, we usually have these once a year. We enjoyed dinner conversation and proceeded to gift opening. T Rex was more than happy to help. My mom crocheted me a beautiful angel and found some antique hair accessories as I've been wearing my hair up quite a lot, particularly when working at the clinic. My nephew added some more Christmas tunes to my playlist, and my sister...wow! Her gift was the rarest of rare treats.

I actually have a blog post that I wrote months ago but I have not published it. It just did not seem finished or completed. Without going into details, I'll work on posting it later this week with a photo of the gift. It was the best gift my sister has ever given me and let me tell you over the years, particularly as a kid, she gave me some pretty cool ones. It's not diamonds or money or anything of significant real value except to a select few individuals. I look forward to sharing more with you.

It was indeed a day of many, many treats. Thank you to all who made it possible. I look forward to sharing my actual birthday with my two little kid treats and my sweet, sweet husband. How fortunate and blessed I am.

Alas, December...

2011-12-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to like December more. Really, I am.

Some day I hope the month is not fraught with hectic schedules and frantic hustle bustle. Add to this impending finals and a toddler who is struggling with napping in her new bed. Seriously, potty training is a piece of cake compared to transitioning out of a crib. They don't cover this in any of my child psychology books or my pediatric texts. Guess I'm on my own.

We have managed to have a nice celebration for T Rex Dad's birthday as well as put up the tree. First, though, I took the kids with me to the Christmas craft show. I think I'm becoming a higher level parent as I managed to take them through the show without them breaking anything and no major melt downs or potty accidents. Actually, we all had a delightful time and I found the baby doll cradle I want for Bebe Sister's gift. $15 - wonderful deal. I'm restoring one of my old baby dolls for her. More on that later. Honestly, there was not much there I wanted. I suppose my craft skills are evolving to where I can usually make most things I want for the kids. Most of the Christmas gifts for the kids are homemade this year. More on those later, too. I've just been so busy crafting in my limited free time there is not much time for anything else. Hence the lack of blog posts. I'll catch up, though. I still want to post that info on pediatric UTIs, as well as, the info I researched on shingles.

At the craft show - huge interest in the flocked tree.

We celebrated T Rex Dad's birthday with a blackberry pie and a gift from the kids. Honestly, the best gift was they did not reveal the chosen present ahead of time. Asking a four year old to keep a secret like this is quite an undertaking.

After T Rex Dad's birthday, we can officially start Christmas decorating. We're keeping it very simple this year. We have our small tree. My mom made the kids a very kid-friendly Nativity set. The kids love to carry around the Baby Jesus. Today I found him in the doll house in a cradle and later in the doll house swing.

Here's my advent calendar I made for our family. It's actually a spool holder for thread. Each day the kids add a star. I have 25 stars all different colors. At the top are a Joseph and Mary.

Here is our finished tree. It is about 4 feet tall, if that, and prelit. All this saved us quite a lot of time with tree trimming and selecting a tree. I wish we had more time to plan an extending outing to choose that perfect tree and then bring it home and string lights on it. Alas, too many obligations. I guess I just cannot say "no" when a friend or family member comes into town and we haven't seen them in several months or even years. I'd rather see them and enjoy their company than invest time in a tree that will have to be tossed away when the holidays are past. Though, I am sad we did not visit our favorite tree vendor and let the kids run through the trees and enjoy the warmth of the fire. Also, our special Christmas angel is staying in storage for fear of damage due to little hands.

Alright, back to school work. Plus, I have a dinner to prepare for some friends we haven't seen in ages. It will be oh so wonderful to have them. I told them to wear clothes they don't mind getting dirty as T Rex Princess may decide to paint the table with mashed potatoes or fling some meat loaf. She's in rare form these days! However, all is forgiven as she is sitting next to me as I type, eating a stick of cheese and saying, "Mama, luv you...much."

How about T Rex? He is at a great age - not without challenge but today before naps I thanked him for being an amazing kid and thanked him for being born. He replied, "Thank you, Mama, for having me in your tummy."

December may be hectic but it's these kinds of moments are what life is about - not trees or decorations or even birthdays. I won't miss the food flinging or the two hours to induce a nap. But I'll take them all as it also includes the amazing moments, too.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Our day of thanks...

A little parade watching in the morning - the last 5 minutes - just in time to see the giant Kermit the Frog and Santa. T Rex was more impressed with the giant frog than Santa (whom he adores so that is saying something). Bebe Sister was just impressed to see a video.

While they watched, played, and ate breakfast, I began my pie baking. Did I ever mention I learned to make pumpkin pies from a professional pie baker? I did. While the pies cooled, we cleaned the house and the kids had naps.

There are some benefits to having a large crowd. One can "out-source" everything. I would love to say I cooked everything but I did not. I know my limits and as hosting the giant family gathering only happens every 8-10 years, I wanted it to be perfect but there was no way I would be able to pull it together on my own with my school obligations even during the break.

Enter my sister, technology talent manager by day, hobby event planner by night. Remember that baby shower she and I threw this past spring? Well, this could certainly rival that event. She and my mom cooked the core of the meal - turkeys (yes, there were two), stuffing, gravy, and pomegranate salad and brought them over before everyone else arrived. She even supplied center pieces to go with the lovely flowers my mother-in-law brought over. I thought the table looked lovely set for 20 people

Bebe Sister thought the whipped cream beater was delicious.

Others in the family arrived - it was a combined event with both T Rex Dad's family as well as my local family. Everyone brought a dish or two. In fact, I only baked two pumpkin pies and everything else was brought in - green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, 4 dozen rolls, more pies, veggie platter, in addition to the stuff my mom and sis already brought. Even our Thanksgiving prayer and food blessing was "out-sourced" to our nephew who is minister at his church. T Rex Dad took this photo calling me the "officer in charge".

The food was all delicious. Before we had dessert, we sang "Happy Birthday to T Rex" in celebration of his birthday. He, like his mom, struggles a little with big crowd situations. Thus, I had to coax him out of his box fort in the playroom. In the end, Auntie J's sugar cookies (remember, T Rex does not do cake), candles, and opening presents peaked his interest enough to overcome his shyness.

We enjoyed cookies and pie and played some party games - Turkey BINGO, Thanksgiving word search, and chopsticks racing - T Rex Dad still continues to be reigning champ but Uncle Doc is quickly catching up to him. T Rex played his first round of Turkey BINGO but once he won, he wanted to continue playing with his newly acquired toys, particularly those that involved cars.

A major holiday is not complete without a homemade dress for Bebe Sister. She wanted her dada to pose with her for this photo. There is a belt and bonnet to go with her dress but she strongly declined wearing them. In fact, she hid the bonnet and I still cannot find it.

It was a beautiful evening and event. I think everyone had a great time. We have so much to be thankful for and how wonderful to have an entire day to reflect with loved ones. Plus, a huge thank you for all the help I had with the food, decor, games, and clean up.

Oh, I also have to say how thankful I am that the washing machine decided to die again after all the laundry was caught up. This time, however, it seems to be an issue that T Rex Dad can repair.

Today is my sewing Black Friday - I spend the entire day crafting Christmas gifts. I look forward to it every year. I cannot wait to show you all the fun projects.

We hope you and your family had as lovely a day as we had.

Cookie Baking...

2011-11-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been quite busy. I've had many school projects, papers, and other obligations. I cannot believe the vast knowledge I am gaining. What has been tough is being away from the kids. When I finally had some time with them during the day I asked what they wanted to do. Both exclaimed - COOKIES!!! Then T Rex ran to the pantry chanting, "I'll get the flour, Mama..."

Sugar cookies (not frosted) are a rare type of cookie T Rex actually will eat. Bebe Sister? Well, she has yet to meet a food or soap she doesn't like to eat. How she maintains her 24 lbs figure I do not know but that girl can eat. In fact, we could not share any of these cookies because we were not sure how much of the dough she tasted and licked before it was rolled, cut, and put into the oven.

We each chose a cookie cutter shape to use. I selected a turkey shape utilizing the kids' great-grandma Besta's cookie cutters. T Rex wanted to make trains and Bebe Sister wanted to make dinosaurs (she is really into dinosaurs and has the best little dino "roar"). I pretty much let the kids do it all. Yes, it was a huge mess but I needed to thoroughly clean the kitchen and mop the floors so it worked out well. (I'm working on being more patient with little kid messes. I give myself a B+ for dealing with this one and it was a big one.)

I'm learning that parenthood is not about teaching my kids but rather learning from them. I believe when the kids are grown and gone I will look back and realize they taught me far more than I ever taught them. Hence, I am trying to embrace this and just go with these little messes. Trying being the operative term.

Here are the photos:

This little one is becoming quite naughty and mischievous. Watch what she does with the flour...

Enjoying the warm, out-of-the-oven cookies...

By the way, in case anyone was hanging on the edge of their seats as I was, the washing machine is officially fixed - 3 weeks, $600, and 2 missed naps later it is humming along and the laundry pile is finally shrinking noticeably.

11th on 11-11-11

2011-11-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

This week, on 11-11-2011 T Rex Dad and I celebrated our 11th engagement anniversary. We were engaged on 11-11-2001 at a wonderful fondu restaurant named Mona Lisa.

Yesterday our wonderful neighbors D&M watched the kids and we went to the same restaurant and sat at the same table where the event took place. We even had the same server we had 11 years ago.

There we celebrated with our favorite fondu dinner for two - garden salad, Old World cheese and bread, meat/shrimp, and dark chocolate dessert.

Three and a half years ago we wrote messages to each other, placed them in a bottle and the restaurant kept the bottle for us. At dinner we opened our bottle.

Here are some photos of us getting ready to leave and then at the restaurant. The middle photo was me wanting to take a little different photo utilizing the mirror in the Board Room where we had our private dinner.

As always we left feeling like we at far too much. The food is so delicious one cannot help oneself. Sadly, though, the restaurant is closing at the end of the year so this will be our last anniversary celebration there. We knew the day would eventually come when we could not celebrate there. However, we do have so many wonderful memories and photos. The food, though, I am not sure it is replicatable.

All the 11's was completely unintentional but we will certainly remember all the number alignments. Maybe it will bring us just enough luck to get the washing machine fixed tomorrow. If not, then luck to purchase another that will not break after 5 years.

The luck did hold with soap making, though. I made a really huge batch and initially it did not set up. Then I chatted with a chemist friend who suggested adding a bit more lye - with T Rex Dad watching the kids, I did the lye add-in and mixed everything together. Thus far the batch seems to be wonderful. I was concerned the combo of lavender and frankincense would be weird but I had to combine the batches when adding back the lye. Actually, the combo is wonderful.

Thank you to my sweetheart - for the beautiful engagement 11 years ago, the years since, and the wonderful anniversary celebration.

The Month of Thanks...

2011-11-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

It just seems that when one thing breaks, they all seem to. Eleven days ago it was the washing machine. Yesterday it was fixed. Then today I started a large load, the machine filled with water and soap, and then died again. I was not too happy it died after soaking all the clothes.

Sounds like the Jetta all over again - it was fixed, then broke again, then several days later, it was fixed again. This week, T Rex Dad and I shared a vehicle which would not have been a big deal except I had four days straight of clinic and school.

I think my poor mom picked up on the chaos as she had a flat tire this past weekend and when she went to change the tire there was no jack. Can you imagine my 72 year old mom changing a tire. I was actually glad there was no jack.

Luckily, the photo above is not real. Well, it is a real cast but not for anything broken. We had a casting and splinting class this week at school. My classmate was kind enough to take photos since I did not think to pack my camera. I believe I look a bit tired in the photo - probably after an entire morning of EKG training. If you were looking at photos like the one below for four hours, your eyes might be a bit tired, too.

Truly, though, I am blessed.

I thought I would list some of the small ones I'm grateful for today...

- I do NOT have any broken bones (boy, do I have sympathy for my patients, though).
- The Jetta is fixed and we once again have two working vehicles.
- We are all healthy and finally free of the cold that's been occupying the house for the past two weeks and keeping us from sleeping.
- We survived the time change and the kids are adjusting adequately.
- T Rex never acquired the cold and his asthma is completely under control.
- My pediatric assessment exam today went great. I had a 4 year old who presented with asthma - how ironic to get this random patient for this graded exam, something I know so much about in a child of an age I also know plenty about. (They should have had T Rex as a sample patient!)
- At least I have a working dryer to handle the hand washed loads of clothes.
- My frankincense essential oil came and the house is smelling so wonderful. (I'm making soap this weekend for Christmas gifts - how fun would frankincense soap be for the season?)
- Tomorrow T Rex Dad and I celebrate 11 years since we were engaged and Saturday night we get a date to the place where it took place.
- Tomorrow we honor Veterans like my father-in-law who served this country to preserve our freedoms.
- Plus, a weekend with limited studying (3 of my papers that are due are done and ready to turn in thanks to my sweetheart who helped me edit them) and family and birthday gatherings.
- And the countdown to graduation is now officially less than 6 months.

Indeed, there may be some chaos reigning in our home right now but I still say it is a month full of thanks.

First Snow...Weekend Update

2011-11-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first bit of snow. It was nice that we planned on staying home today. All of us, except T Rex have been fighting a not-so-fun cold virus. T Rex's new asthma treatment plan must be working quite well as he has been symptom free and somehow escaped the virus. He's been kind to help take care of all of us.

Other happenings this week...

T Rex Dad's Jetta decided to not shift out of 3rd gear. That made for an interesting time for my sweetheart who handled it like a virtual James Bond. Then after it was supposedly fixed at the VW shop and he was headed home, it suddenly would not shift out of 4th gear. It's back at the shop. Once again, some stealthy driving moves to get there.

Our washing machine also picked this week to stop working. Apparently, there is something wrong with the thermostat which caused it to start smoking and then stop working. Now we've been a week without it. That Flats Challenge helped me prepare for living without it. I've done 3-4 hand-wash loads. My hands are not too happy but at least we all have clean underclothes made possible by a functioning dryer. Also fortunate our daughter is toilet trained.

I only missed one clinic day this week due to illness. It was amazing how much of my book work I completed by having that extra day. Although, I was really sad to miss seeing the kids at the pediatric clinic dressed up on Halloween. However, my little kids were happy I could be home for Halloween preparations.

I've been refreshing my EKG (ECG) skills. I purchased this awesome book which has been worth every penny. In the evenings, T Rex Dad has been cleaning up the kitchen from dinner and watching the kids. I've been hiding away in a quiet place reading my book for about an hour. What seemed like such a mystery now seems relatively simple. Emphasis on relatively. Maybe someday (in about 183 days) this will be my sneak-away-for-a-bath time.

We also started preparing for Thanksgiving. Yes, some planning, but also in decor and story time. We picked out a couple of books from the library telling of the first Thanksgiving. We took in a puppet show while we were there, too. Bebe Sister was so excited as the puppet show was titled, "Happy Birthday". Every night she insists I sing the Happy Birthday song. We've all been enjoying reading the adventures of Jenny Linksy and the Cat Club. Bebe Sister is quite obsessed with Jenny's Birthday Book.

I also recently made a pilgrimage to Joann fabrics with help from the kids. They were amazingly well-behaved. I made my list of Christmas gifts I plan to make and armed with my 25% off coupon, we purchased nearly everything on my list. As a little reward for their patience at the fabric store, I made the kids a little something to mark the month of November.

T Rex Dad and I also had a little time to start a new show - Ringer. We watched the first few episodes this week and we are hooked. We've been watching it off the computer so if you're like us and don't have cable you can still see it. Highly recommend, especially if you enjoyed Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy.

Cold and snowy outside - watching a show with my sweetie and sipping some tea - oh so lovely. Add in some knitting and crocheting while the kids are snoozing in their beds, also lovely. Alas, come Monday back to the books as I have one clinical day and three straight days of school including oral exams.

I know this all a little random but with my mind so full of school stuff these days I find just writing about the simple mundane happenings in our life helps me reflect on how truly blessed I am to live the life I do. I am especially grateful to have electricity this week as I know some of my readers and friends are still without. Our prayers are with you. And as always, thank you all for sharing our adventures with us.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

This kids were quite excited and had a very fun weekend ending with Halloween and trick-or-treating.

For comparison, you can click here to review our Halloween weekend 2010.

This year, T Rex hosted a Halloween party for friends and family. It started out being just a few of his friends. He only sent out 4 invitations. However, he just kept inviting people. Before we knew it, we had over 50 people on the guest list. Luckily, all of them could not make it. Actually, I was not even sure who was going to show up. The other day at the grocery store, the worker at the children's playland stopped us while we were shopping to let us know she could not attend the party. (I did not know he had even invited her.) In the end, his party was a huge success.

I will not be posting photos as I did not obtain permissions from everyone in attendance. However, you can imagine 11 kids ages 9 months to 4 years, running around in costumes (bumble bees, butterfly, dragon, tiger, wizard, princess, Minnie Mouse, witch, Show White, and skeleton), playing with toys, doing crafts, playing pin the nose on the pumpkin, and breaking a pinata. (Bebe Sister still enjoyed the pinata despite getting the plastic bat right in her face.) I'd say a very successful party.

Oh, at Bebe Sister's request, I finished this Halloween kitty as part of our party decorations. Below it is our pumpkin for pin the nose on the pumpkin. T Rex originally wanted a pumpkin with 10 teeth. Alas, my pumpkin carving skills are not what they used to be. Plus, the skin to this pumpkin was at least 3 inches thick. T Rex was a good sport and did not mind. When he woke up the morning of the party and saw the pumpkin he exclaimed, "I LOVE it!"

Then a much needed break until Halloween night. We did watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin with T Rex - he definitely enjoyed it, probably more so this year than last. In fact, tonight he was quite concerned that his sister not get any rocks in her candy sack.

Last year, Bebe Sister could barely sit unassisted. She was not really mobile. This year, she trick-or-treated on her own. It was wonderful. She just followed her brother and if anyone said anything to her she would say, "treat?" It was fairly chilly outside so I had the kids layered extensively under their costumes. It seems to always instantly get cold here on Halloween. This year was no different.

After only visiting a few houses in the neighborhood, we went home to greet the kids who were visiting our house. I am certain in a year or two they will insist on visiting the entire block but for now, 5 houses is sufficient. Especially since one child does not like candy and the other likes it a bit too much. However, prepare yourself for this...(insert drum roll) T Rex will actually now eat a little bit of candy - skittles, taffy, and gummy bears. Earth shattering news, I know. Bebe Sister, on the other end, she almost ate one of my dice tonight thinking it was candy. That girl will eat anything resembling food and most of the time she likes it. (Amazing that she is still only 22 lbs.)

Alas, all the fun had to come to an end. The kids hung up their magical hats, staff, and wand before heading to dreamland. Such a fun time. How fortunate and blessed we feel to enjoy these moments with our children. They just make life more, well, everything.

One other thing, Happy Nevada Day! (My home state - we always had the day off of school.) If you want to see more of the kids in their costumes, I'll be posting more photos on their personal blogs.

And as always, thanks for sharing in our family adventures and fun.

Halloween Projects...

2011-10-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

I posted the Halloween projects I've done. Now it's time to show one the kids did.

T Rex is especially excited about his Halloween party coming up on Saturday. The un-haunted, Halloween house is one of the decorations. What started out as a simple, intimate party where only a few invitations went out has turned into quite the social event. He just kept inviting people. A library book "Mouse's Halloween Party" really made an impression.

For this project, I actually took a box, taped it, and covered it with chocolate frosting. This way nothing would collapse while they were decorating. Worked like a charm. Bebe Sister especially liked tasting the goods before placing them on the house. T Rex sternly declined as he does not like chocolate. Neighbor M was kind enough to give us the stuff for our project (thank you, M).

The kids did a great job. Here is the finished project...

The kids just make these kinds of things oodles more fun than they otherwise would be. Stay tuned...I am sure there will be more about this party. Goodness knows I need the fun - school has been crazy hence the ticker on the sidebar counting down until graduation. I've also started listening to review CDs for my certification exam next summer. I have them playing in the car and the kids like to try to guess the answers to the questions or alternatively, T Rex will ask me questions like, "Mama, what do you want for dinner? A - Mac n Cheese, B- Carrots, C- Breakfast, or D - all of the above." Maybe they can take the exam, too.

Sunday Drive...

2011-10-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

With the beautiful, yet limited autumn days we've been experiencing we decided it was the perfect time to take Lightning McQueen for a spin down the street. This time, however, Bebe Sister wanted in on the action. Her brother was kind enough to assist. It was a bit of a leap of faith for us parents letting him have charge of the controls with her riding but they did great. When he grew tired and she wanted more, I stepped in a helped. I guess there are a few perks to my size.

I love that last photo - I'm thinking header for November.

Keeping it short - back to back clinic days starting tomorrow, girls' night on Tuesday (Sarah will also be joining me - our first girls' night), and the kids' Halloween party. However, I do have another fun post planned this week. The kids and I made an unhaunted, haunted house.

(P.S. Bebe Sister's helmet is not on properly but I was a bit relaxed about it since she was no longer on the trike. Usually T Rex does not wear a helmet in the car. Try finding a helmet that fits a child with a head in the 5th percentile.)

Eye Exams...

2011-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

This week the kids had their ophthalmology appointments. T Rex went in for a follow-up. Due to his amblyopia and strabismus, he sees the pediatric ophthalmologist every 3-5 months. They keep very close watch on him. Bebe Sister is at risk for the same disorder due to the nature of genetics so she needed to have an initial screening between 18 and 24 months. She just turned 21 months so the timing was perfect. We decided it would be best to deal with two grumpy kids at one appointment than separately.

Actually we were preparing for the worst since T Rex was the same age during his first ophthalmology appointment and it was disastrous. We were all in tears after it was done. I would have been mortified if we would have had to do patching at that point. However, now we are doing patching with him for 1-2 hours per day. This has been part of the routine for at least a year and with the homemade patch I have for him, he doesn't mind too much. The best news - his vision is now 20/20 in both eyes. His right eye is still dominant but his left (weak) eye is fully functioning and the brain is recognizing it. He still does not have depth perception, but we're getting there. The doctor commended him on his progress and good work - patching is tough. It makes his weak eye work hard, he sometimes complains of headaches, and I know the patch can be uncomfortable as well as a bit embarrassing to wear. However, we are all so proud him and his progress.

Bebe Sister watched her brother during the exam. Because she has dark eyes and not blue like her brother (another one of those weird gene things - where did his blue eyes come from?), she had to have two separate drops for dilating rather than one type. She barely flinched while the drops were put in. She never complained once except to say she needed to use the restroom. She happily watched her brother during his exam and when it was her turn she jumped up and climbed onto the chair. She was perfect for the doctor - not a peep. Dr. KW was able to get a thorough look inside her eyes. The verdict - she is 100%. No refractory problems, no crossing, nothing. We do need to continue to monitor her with annual exams but at this point, she is good to go. I think she was disappointed to not get glasses like her brother but she did perk up when she was given special sunglasses due to the pupil dilation that would remain for up to 24 hours.

Initially, I think both kids were a little nervous for their exams (see first photo). However, by the end, they were all giggles.

We celebrated by visiting the fish tank at another medical office in the same building (where T Rex goes for his allergy/asthma appointments) and then lunch with Nana.

My mom accompanied me to the appointment as T Rex Dad has a deployment at work this week and has been working long hours. I was really expecting the worst for this appointment but was more than pleasantly surprised by the outcome and the ease of the exams. All those prayers we said paid off!

School update: I survived midterms last week and T Rex Dad and the kids survived my high stress. I even managed to turn in a paper during that week, too. This week I saw a patient that looked a lot like Abraham Lincoln - bonus points for the person who can guess what kind of disorder one might have that would make him resemble my favorite President. A homemade treat/craft if you are correct and did not have to look it up.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Waiting to load up and wearing their hats.

Once again, we went back to the V Family Farm, courtesy of Good Neighbors D & M. There we had some farm fun and pumpkin picking. This is a special farm for raising tractors. So you can probably guess what the kids did.

First, I want to thank our hosts - Mr. and Mrs. V - for opening their home to all of us and being so generous. Secondly, a huge thank you to our Good Neighbors for planting and tending the pumpkins. There were so many amazing ones to choose from - no surprise we came home with five! Plus, all the food was delicious. You guys are too good to us. Thank you.

We had just a spectacular time. If you recall, we had an incredible time last year, too. Of course, Bebe Sister was not really mobile and T Rex was terrified of the tractors. However, this year, we were all more participatory making the experience that much better.

Here are the highlights. I will also post individual photos on the kids' blogs, too, so visit them here and here, if you'd like to see more including T Rex's tractor ride.

Fair warning, lots and lots of photos...

Before we left, at T Rex's insisting, I managed to finished his beloved Daniella the Striped Tigress' costume - a non-scary witch costume was the request (note the broom she is holding, I certainly could not forget that, at least according to T Rex I could not). This to go along with Daniel Stripe-less Tiger's pumpkin costume. My hand is numb from all the crocheting I've been doing. Yes, they made the trip. Buzz Lightyear went last year but this year it was the meows.

Picking pumpkins was first on the agenda. T Rex insisted Bebe Sister get a green one. This is the one he chose for her. She approved and allowed him to cut the stem for her.

We also saw some fun bugs while we were there. Here is the first - a lady bug resting on Bebe Sister's pumpkin.

Then just some fun family photos in the patch. The kids were quite distracted looking at all the amazing pumpkins.

This one is my favorite photos of the day. These were our chosen pumpkins.

Then onto some of the tractor riding fun. Both kids were a little apprehensive about getting on the little gator truck but once Bebe Sister took a ride, T Rex was interesting in giving it a try. Then all the kids piled into the back and offered their support and encouragement and he was fine. It was cute to see the kids asking him if he was alright and telling him he was doing a good job. Then T Rex drove the big tractor with some help from Mr. V. He said it was "a bit scary" but he was brave and made the loop.

On our gator ride we spied a super cool bug. We went back to check it out. We were all impressed how it resembled a leaf and also at its surprisingly large size.

After a delicious lunch, the kids settled in for some rock collecting after which it was time for naps before the kids turned into pumpkins.

Thank you again to our planners and hosts. We certainly appreciate it and will forever treasure these memories.

Halloween Projects...

2011-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a few projects here and there for Halloween. Since this holiday can be a bit scary for little kids, and especially my sensitive T Rex, I've been crafting kid-friendly things. Here are photos of what I've accomplished thus far. I still have a couple more to finish up before Christmas crafting begins.

School is going well. I still feel like there is so much to learn. Some days at the clinic I think, "Gosh, I can do this, I know what I'm doing." Other days I look at an EKG strip of cardiac rhythms and think, "Wow - this is way over my head, I'll never get this down." At least mid-terms are just about done. One of my tests is open book. This one I am still working on. Those always end up being the hardest because the professors ask really tough, in-depth questions. I guess sometimes I'd rather study in advance and have a closed book exam with slightly easier questions. Alas, it's all part of the learning experience.

We head to the pumpkin patch this weekend. Our good neighbors planted pumpkins at Neighbor M's folks' farm so we'll be heading there for a morning of fun. The kids are really excited and are all ready to wear their fall hats - pumpkin hat for Bebe Sister and candy corn hat for T Rex. Both patterns were free patterns I found online with a few modifications by me.

I also crafted a Halloween wreath for our entry way. I was originally just going to be black tulle with an orange ribbon but when I saw the little "boo" ghost ribbon at the store, I came up with this. T Rex helped me make the ghosts. We made several more to hang outside as well as in the house.

T Rex also insisted that his beloved Daniel the Stripe-less Tiger have a costume this year. T Rex said, "Daniel would like to be a pumpkin and Daniella would like to be a happy witch." Daniella's costume is not yet made so I'll post photos of it when I'm done, but here is Daniel's.

Then I saw these adorable pumpkins online and just had to recreate them. I used the hat pattern with some modifications to make them. I am pleased with the end result. I hope to make another big one and another little one so we have a pumpkin family similar to our own family. That $2.50 for orange yarn went a long way.

Then, I made a prototype cat. Bebe Sister LOVES "meows". A bit obsessed. In fact, she kind of speaks her own cat language meowing when she wants things and me-oowing when she is sad. She loves the book "Jenny's Birthday Book" - a story about Jenny Linsky and her cat club. It's a charming series of books. We found the book at the library. I think we'll get the series of books for Bebe Sister for Christmas or birthday and I'll put a Jenny Cat with them.

Here is the prototype model. It's made with super-thin quilters cotton so the polyfil has a tendency to come through it. Thus, the real one will be made from suede cloth or something similar. However, if the real one gets as much love as this one, it will be a highly successful project. Again, the pattern was found online. Actually, it was a pattern for a monkey but I just changed up a few things and then we had a cat.

I just love crafting for the kids. It just adds to the reward of being their mother.

Raising Engineers...

2011-10-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

T Rex Dad is notorious for repairing our broken household electronics. Of late, his cell phone needed some repair. We both have old cell phones. How old? Recently, I was with the kids and a friend and T Rex was doing something charming. I had forgotten my camera which is rare because I take it everywhere. My friend suggested I take a photo with my phone. I pulled out the phone and tried to figure out how to take a photo. I never could. Later I realized, it has no camera.

Well, T Rex Dad would not give up on his broken phone, and by compiling parts from a couple of old phones he pulled a "new" one together. It's working perfectly. The kids insisted on getting in on the action, too. I think this is how engineers are born.

Here are some photos.

School update - Midterms start tomorrow. I spent much of the weekend preparing. Send me good wishes this week. T Rex asthma update - significant improvement. He went on a run last night - it's been a while since he wanted to do that. I'll try to post photos of my Halloween crafts soon - all very kid friendly. Even one of T Rex's beloved stuffed animals has a costume.

Early October Happenings...

2011-10-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

October is already here and we're a week into it. Time seems to be going by at an incredibly fast rate. School has me quite occupied. All of us actually. We're doing alright though. A little entertainment deprived but hanging in there.

This past week I had eight lectures to watch for school in addition to about 20 hours at the clinics. It was an interesting week at the clinics. Definitely learning a lot. Ever meet someone with an artificial heart valve? It clicked so loud I could hear it the moment I walked into the room. That night I came home and told the family about it. T Rex wanted to listen to my heart. I could see on his face he actually hear heart sounds so I inquired as to what he heard. His response, "Goats". If I heard goats inside someone's chest, they'd be headed to the cardiologist ASAP.

Speaking of specialists...Having T Rex listen to my heart and lungs was also to prepare him for a visit to the allergy/asthma office. His asthma has been particularly bad. His coughing has been causing small blood vessel ruptures on his neck. For now he's on quite the regimen of drugs to get things under control - Pulmicort inhaled steroids, Singulair, and albuterol. We're waiting on the azithromycin antibiotics to see if the other less systemic acting drugs improve things. There is some concern he could possibly have an atypical pneumonia that's exacerbating things. He actually seems fine aside from bursting into coughing fits while playing on the jungle gym or waking all of us at 4:00 am. I'm fairly confident this new regimen can be decreased when his symptoms are under control.

I have been trying to sneak in a few crafting projects here and there. Very little time to do so. Actually, those many lectures are times when I can sometimes crochet. Generally, though, I try to focus on the more complicated disease processes. Don't get me wrong, I take my studies very seriously. Once someone asked me if the many, many chapters I had to read that week were necessary or if I could skim over or even skip some of them. Honestly, I did not know how to reply to such a question. I could only reply, "Yes, they are all necessary. When you go to a health care professional, would it be acceptable to you if they told you they did not know what was wrong with you because they may have skimmed over that week's reading?" What I'm learning is utterly important. With that being said, maintaining my sanity is also important, too. Crocheting has a calming effect on me and school is heating up the stress level as mid-terms start Monday. So when the opportunity presents itself, I try to multitask.

I have a few projects in the works but here's a small preview.

More to come. In the mean time, I guess I better get back to work as it's late, the kids are sleeping, and that's when most of my studying is accomplished.

North End West Side...

2011-10-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

This past, past weekend (I'm a little behind posting this) we wanted to do something outside our usual bubble. We tend to visit the same places and parks. Feeling a little stir crazy, T Rex Dad suggested we drive to his old stomping grounds and visit a park he grew up playing at.

So we did.

We made the drive to the North End and visited a favorite park from T Rex Dad's childhood. The kids loved it. Bebe Sister was especially excited to make a new canine friend - Katie.

Then we headed out on a walk. Before the kids were born, T Rex Dad and I used to take walks in the North End all the time. It was fun to get to do this again. Since our daughter is absolutely enamored by cats or "meows" we went "meow spying". Historically we used to see at least 6-8 cats during one walk. That night, we only saw one. However, we did encounter a lovely elderly woman, Mrs. H, sitting on her porch. T Rex walked up to her and started talking with her so we stopped and had a nice chat for about 20 minutes. Always refreshing to get to visit with someone from the greatest generation. It made up for the lack of "meows" on the walk.

After the walk was concluded, we went for dessert at the West Side Drive In.

Of course, T Rex does not eat ice cream or like sweets, so we ordered him some fries or "crisps" as he calls them. He was kind enough to share with the rest of us. His "dessert" did come with a fortune cookie which he also kindly shared (he will eat fortune cookies). It read, "This world will look a little better with some love given by you." It was not a prophetic fortune. It was retrospective after his encounter with Mrs. H.

Bebe Sister LOVED sharing a banana split with her dad and myself. She's totally fine with sweets or salty.

This was a fun outing. We need to get our of our bubble more often. Plus, it was nice to celebrate being done with my school presentation.

(P.S. No that sporty vehicle in the background is not ours.)

Ruminations - I Hope I Remember...

2011-09-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I "rocked" my little daughter after a long but good day at the pediatric clinic, I held her tiny little hand in mine and listened to the sound of her sucking her thumb. She's still quite a wiggle worm so all these thoughts occurred to me within seconds. Amazing how the brain works.

I hope I can remember...

I hope I can remember these tiny, soft hands and chubby Flintstone feet,

and breath so sweaty sweet.

I hope I can remember nursing my tiny babes and their favorite solid foods -

sweets for her, salty for him - suit their moods.

I hope I can remember playing trains, tea parties, pretend forts, stacking blocks,

and Bebe Sister wearing snowmen socks.

I hope I can remember bed head hair and rosy cheeks after a nap,

and snuggles on my lap.

I hope I can remember the pitter patter of little feet

padding along the wood floors so sweet.

I hope I can remember little voices saying blue, ye-ah, duck, balls,

and non-stop questions filling the halls.

I hope I can remember crayons, coloring, play dough, painted hand prints,

and various other artistic stints.

I hope I can remember reading favorite stories before bedtime in the room, -

especially the ever popular Good Night Moon.

I know I will always be grateful for this honor and call,

being their mother is best of all.

I know some day I'll be old and sitting in a rocking chair remembering these days. I just want to snap shot these memories so I can revisit them in my elderly days - knowing these really were the days.

Snow, Snow, Snow...Snow...

2011-09-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Snow
It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow
Snow
I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow

Snow
I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow
Snow
Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow

Ah, yes, soon, we will be living Mr. Bing Crosby's words. Just not quite yet.

Last weekend I had 40lbs of organic pears that needed to be canned. The usual helpers were not available so it was up to me. T Rex Dad took charge of toddler wrangling while I worked for 5 hours straight.

My mother-in-law recently shared with me a few ideas that she used to keep young T Rex Dad occupied while she was working in the kitchen. We tried one of these out during canning time.

We put a couple of cups of flour into my left over canning boxes. Then the kids brought over their cars and drove them in the "snow".

It was sort of like having a mini sandbox of flour in the kitchen. It sounds kind of messy. Not too bad. Flour does clean up pretty easy. And we have a lot of it. Best of all, though, the kids were occupied for over 2 hours. When we were done, we dumped the left over flour into a plastic container and labeled it "play flour" and have since used it again and again. It's a big hit with the kids - especially easy clean up when used outside.

A big thank you to my mother-in-law for this idea. We owe you some pears!

P.S. 40lbs of pears yielded a full 3 loads of 1 qt jars - that's 21 jars. Thank goodness my good neighbor loaned me her super awesome peeler. I've added a couple of those to my wish list.

Costume Preview...

2011-09-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Knowing I would be too busy with school to make the kids their Halloween costumes, I opted to finish the the last week before I started back at school. It was a bit of a race to get them done but complete they are and I have to say I am very pleased with the end results.

Bebe Sister, at the request of her dad, is going to be a medieval princess. Not feeling like I could tackle this on my own without a pattern, I did hit the fabric store and find a pattern. It called for satin and tulle. If you are a sewer or have never sewn anything with either of these, then you can appreciate how tough this project was. Satin un-wravels like crazy and tulle just won't hold its shape long enough to do what you want it to do. There were a lot of sighs and deep breaths during this project but in the end, it was a success.

I estimate this project took about 20 hours total to finish complete. Just cutting the pattern and the fabric took 3 hours. Lots of little pieces. Had I seen this cool Snow White dress tutorial, I probably would not have undertaken such a task and gone with a simple Snow White dress. In the end, I am glad I did this. It really stretched my sewing abilities allowing me to learn and grow as a seamstress. Plus, now I have the "to die for cute" costume. I suspect this will be used for dress-up for many months following Halloween.

T Rex's costume was quite a bit easier. He's a medieval wizard. It took only about 3 hours to complete and there are three separate pieces. Basically a pair of toddler pants, the hat, and the cape. He was particularly excited to try on the cape. I found him standing on his bathroom counter top modeling it. Initially he wanted to be Lightning McQueen but I really did not want to paint a box red and hang it onto him. When we suggested the wizard costume he eagerly agreed. He's still pretty excited about it. Poor dear, Halloween is still over a month away. But again, another costume the kids will have a great time pretending with long past it's initial use.

I just know the dress up bin in the play room is only going to continue to grow. It warms my heart the kids enjoy playing dress up and wearing costumes. I think it's good for the imagination.

Do you have a costume bin for your kids? Or have enjoyed playing dress up either as a kid or adult? (T Rex Dad and I still cannot resist a good costume party or dinner.)

"My Soap Will Make Soap Suds...I Hope"

2011-09-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

After some wonderful encouragement from a sweet lady, I made the plunge and finally made my first ever batch of homemade soap. Back in May I purchased all the necessary makings based on the recipe my friend sent. However, I was terrified of working with lye. Honestly, overall it seemed like such a challenging and unknown task.

Then I found myself about to start back at school and I realized, the one project I really wanted to complete during my break I had not completed. I contacted my soap making mentor, watched a couple online tutorials, purchased a stick blender, and whipped up a batch of soap while the kids took their three hour naps.

The lye, when mixed with cold water, caused quite the heat reaction. Because of this I made sure I wore my gloves and safety goggles. I chose coconut and olive as my oils and shea butter as my "nutrient oil". For my essential oil, I opted for lavender as it was the only one I had in sufficient quantity. I had to keep reheating the oils so they stayed warm while I waited the 30 minutes for the lye to cool to 100 degrees F to match the temperature of the oils. Once this happened, I used my stick blender for about 4-5 minutes. When it started to firm up, I added the shea butter and lavender oil, stirred one last time, and poured into my molds.

As worried as I was that I would harm myself in the process, I suffered only minor injuries - a tiny oil burn from a droplet and a small abrasion from cleaning the stick blender. Nothing from the lye. I guess I need to be more vigilant during the non-lye steps, too. I also completed much of the process outside with the dogs locked in the side yard. I believe keeping safe was probably the toughest part of the process followed by matching temperatures simultaneously between the oils and lye/water mix.

Twenty four hours later, I cut the soap loaves. The smell was delicious - I almost wanted to eat it. Alas, I do not have pica and therefore did not end up eating any of the soap. The kids were so excited to finally see the almost finished product. Both kids just kept sniffing it and saying, "Mmmm".

Then the wait. It takes 4-6 weeks for the soap to finish curing and then it can be used. However, I did get some instant gratification as there were some soap bits left over from cutting and cleaning. WOW! They left my hands feeling so soft and as T Rex said while I was cutting it, "My soap will make soap suds, I hope" (quoting from "My World", a favorite book the kids read). My dear little guy, "Mother's Soap" is looking pretty good thus far. In the mean time, my laundry room, where the soap has been curing, smells wonderful!

It's been four weeks since the soap was completed and I have gifted a couple of bars and used one for myself. I love it. I cannot believe I did not get into this sooner. I am already plotting my next batch. I even have a couple people asking to watch so they can also learn.

To my dear sweet son - my soap does indeed make soap suds.

Toddler Tales

2011-09-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, I have specific mornings dedicated just to the kids and spending time with them. One of the activities we do every week without fail is visit the library. I try to time our visits with designated reading times. A couple weeks ago we went to a puppet show. However, every Monday morning is Toddler Tales reading time. The librarian, Ms. Tammie, always has a theme for the stories and she is just amazing with the kids.

This past week the theme was "frogs". The mascot for toddler story time is Freddie the Frog. T Rex LOVES him and after every week's story time he wants to see Freddie (he's a puppet) and talk with him. Plus, he always has some kind of tale for Ms. Tammie, his favorite librarian. Always before we leave he asks her if she can please order more Thomas the Tank books and then hugs her telling her, "See you next time. Thanks for the stories."

It's a wonderful reading time. Generally there is a pretty good turn out of kids in attendance. I do like how our local library is very kid friendly and has areas where the kids can play and read and can browse through the books on their own.

I believe story time has really made my kids love reading even more. Of course, they don't watch TV and only rarely see some videos like old style Thomas the Tank. Bebe Sister still rarely sees any kind of shows. Because of this, I believe it has really impacted their desire for reading. Plus, they see their father and mother reading all the time and we always read to them - it's the first thing they do in the morning and the last thing at night.

Me? I'm looking forward to some lighter reading days - something somewhere between "Good Night Moon" and Pediatric Primary Care (20th edition). I did just submit my presentation on pediatric urinary tract infections. If there is any interest I might post some of the highlights from that presentation here.

For this weekend, though, we're painting my mom's house and canning pears. Sigh...I guess my entertainment reading will remain with "Big, Little", "Little Quack", and "James and the Red Balloon" as well as some Dr. Seuss mixed in. (I think T Rex thinks it's funny to hear me try to read some of those tales fast and get tongue tied.) I'll just have to keep living vicariously through Jenners and her Life with Books.

Bye, Bye...

2011-09-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Mondays are hard for the kids. Their Dada has to go back to work after being home for the weekend. This is always tough for the kids. Bebe Sister LOVES her dad and walks around the house calling for him all day. She'll point to the stairs and ask if he is upstairs napping.

T Rex just keeps asking questions, endless questions: Is Dad at work? Why does he work? Are their machines there? Is it hot? Is it cold? Is it just right? Does he miss me while he's there? Is it almost the weekend? Will he be home for the witching hour? The questions just keep coming until I ask him to think about more questions with his inside thinking voice.

Last Monday I captured a photo of the kids waving goodbye to their dad as he drove away to work. These photos make me feel so sad for them because I know how they are feeling knowing he will be away from us for the day. However, the photos also warm my heart because they remind me these little kids have such absolute, perfect, pure love for this man who so tenderly loves and cares for them.

Then, the daddy-detox begins...

Quick update regarding school - I catch up just in time for the week to start again. This past weekend I spent the majority of my free time working on a pediatric urinary tract infection presentation. Thank you T Rex Dad for toddler wrangling the kids so I could endlessly work. I also spent 2 hours at the health center waiting to get a TB test (glad I took my textbook, such a waste of time otherwise). Last week was a great couple days at the internal medicine clinic and later at the pediatric clinic. My heart broke as I told an elderly couple there was nothing more that could be done for this gentleman's condition and hospice should be considered. However, the week ended much better as I did a set of pediatric well checks - one on a 10 day old newborn and one on a seven year old boy (with his 2 year old brother helping). Ahh, the peds days I feel like I'm in my element. I guess I'm used to the chaos. I learn so much every week. My brain is on overload. I wish it absorbed things like my kids' brains do. I think I should send my kids to graduate school now while their brains are so plastic and mold-able. Alas, this Monday is over and I need to get to bed for a couple of long clinic days.

Are Mondays tough in your house, too?

Fall Clothing Preview...

2011-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have expensive taste in kids clothes. Me, I will happily wear whatever I find at my favorite thrift store or hand-me-downs from my sister, but for my kids, I do enjoy dressing them up. Oh, they wear their fair share of used clothes, too. Goodness knows Bebe Sister wears a lot of boy-style clothes. However, I like to have some nice things for key occasions and events.

My friend introduced me to Hanna Andersson a couple years ago. (Bad, Caitlin, bad!) I love their stuff. However, as much as it wears beautifully and stays new looking forever, I cough every time I see the price tag. Costco will sometimes carry leggings or pajamas and I'll get new Hannas there but that's about all the new of that brand I will pay for. Last summer I found several play dresses for Bebe Sister and some sweatpants for T Rex on eBay. However, this year, it seems everyone has that idea. There are few deals to be had.

I still get the Hanna catalog, though. I saw this dress and thought it would be so lovely on Bebe Sister but at $46 plus shipping, no go. Even if I was not on a super tight budget I probably would not pay full price for this. The catalog does give me lots of ideas and with that dress in mind I set out to make one as close to it as I could with what I had in my sewing stash. Then others followed. Before I knew it, I had a clothing line designed and sewed by me.

So here I present to you Bebe Sister's fall clothing preview...

This first dress is the one I made using the Hanna dress as inspiration. I should have taken photos of the process as I made my own patterns for almost all of these, too. It would make a nice dress tutorial for you crafty people out there. Alas, I was sewing during nap times so time was precious and limited. This material is cotton. It was a remnant fabric piece. The almost one yard cost less than $3.

Then I finished a pillow case dress that had been cut for months. It was supposed to be ready for summer but since fall is fast approaching I put it with a black body suit making it perfect for fall. I also made some short bloomers to go with it.

Then my mother-in-law gave me some scraps left over from one of her mother's square dancing dresses. The material is probably from the late sixties or early seventies but it was still in excellent shape. Fabric these days is rarely so nice. These scraps were made into a skirt and matching purse. Bebe Sister loves purses/bags. I paired these with a basic white girls' shirt. What is cool to me is that I kept the original stitching for the hem of the skirt. Bebe Sister never met her great-grandma Besta but she was a pretty special lady and lived nearly 102 years.

When I work out I watch Little House on the Prairie videos. I just love the clothing from that period. I wanted to make something for our daughter with a pioneer flair. This is what I came up with. I had some wooden buttons that completed the look as when I tried the dress on her it was way too big. The pleats in front needed a little clean up and this worked perfectly. Bloomers were a must, too. Additionally, and not pictured here, I made some pajama pants for me with the left over bloomer fabric. It was actually quite fun to finally have a pair of my-style pants for me. They really are comfortable! Now I know why the kids like them so much. (I'm wearing them right now actually.)

In January I made an outfit with this really cute black cat print. You can see what it looked like here. I still had some fabric left over. I saved it intentionally because it was so cute. I turned it into a dress. I think this one is my favorite as it is also Bebe Sister's, too. When she tried it on I could not get her to take it off. I think the silver belt adds just the right touch. Currently, I am looking for some matching silver shoes on eBay - hoping to score some barely used ones.

In a later posting, I will show you the kids' Halloween costumes. They are complete and I have to say I am pretty excited. Bebe Sister's costume is the one of the hardest things I've ever sewn - it took me 3 dedicated days to get it done. T Rex's took about three hours. Both turned out exactly how I wanted. Here's a sneak peek...I made this dress using the pattern from Bebe Sister's costume dress (with some changes, of course) using the left overs from the material from T Rex's costume.

Remember that $46 dress as inspiration? I made all these things, plus a couple of pairs of shorts for T Rex (which will be posted on his blog) for less than the cost of that Hanna dress. Not too shabby.

Oh, and in case you were curious, I did all this the week before school. I have had zero time for crafting since this fall semester started almost 3 weeks ago.

What do you think of Bebe Sister's fall clothing styles? One you like? How do you dress your kids or yourself on a budget?

Last Day at Pool This Season...

2011-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

From our last day at the pool this season...

This was from over a week ago (my fourth day of school). We were hoping to go once more before the neighborhood pool closed but the temperatures have been quickly dropping and since the pool is not heated, we did not go again. Yes, Bebe Sister chose her outfit. We think she likes the sunglasses not because they are girly or she's accessorizing but because she's wearing glasses like her brother.

Labor Day Weekend...

2011-09-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

It was such a simple weekend but also just fabulous. Warning - LOTS of photos...

Remember those 60lbs of peaches? Well, they found their homes in many, many jars (about 30). My sister, mom, and good neighbor were kind enough to offer their morning helping me. T Rex Dad took the kids on an outing. What was so nice about their help was rather than the entire day being consumed by canning we were done by nap time which meant I had those three hours for studying.

Sunday was pretty quiet. Normal stuff. However, since I am lacking 2 days worth of works-outs with clinical days we decided a hike down the Oregon Trail might burn a few extra calories while still keeping our Sunday quiet and family oriented.

After our hike we walked down to the "house of 'structions" as T Rex refers to it. It's just a house that's under construction. The coolest part is there is a big pile of dirt in the back area. This was great fun for the kids. They immediately went for showers after this.

Monday was just the best. I spent the morning studying and preparing for another intense week of clinical rotations. After nap time we met T Rex Dad's sister and brother-in-law (aka Aunt T and Uncle Doc) at the lake. They offered to take us on the boat so the kids could have some water fun before summer time was officially over. It was a spectacular time. We didn't have to do a thing. We arrived and they picked us up at the dock along with their new English Springer puppy named Pippa.

Kids tend to keep things simple. We did not do much more than play on the small patch of beach, dig in the dirt with Pippa, and swim. Bebe Sister loved floating in her life vest. Later before dusk, the kids took turns driving the boat. We all smiled watching Pippa's ears blowing in the wind. Before she is one year old she will be completely blind. Such a sweet puppy. And SO soft. As the sun started to set in the West the temperature started to drop hence the swaddled Bebe Sister. Later on the way home T Rex insisted we take a photo of the monster truck that Aunt T found for him.

Thank you Aunt T and Uncle Doc for just a fabulous end to our Labor Day weekend.

Thanks to our readers for sharing in the adventures. Now onto bed for a an early day at the clinic. Send me good luck and lots of positive thoughts...

Juggling Mama...

2011-09-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

I borrowed the title for this from a long time blog follower - Juggling Mama. It's what I feel like right now.

Week two of school is complete. I am caught up on all my assignments but still have 5 chapters of reading for the week. As T Rex Dad says, "It's like this never ending thing...Jiminy Cricket!" (he makes me smile). My first week of clinical rotations was fine, in the end.

Tuesday at the internal medicine clinic was horrible. It had been over five months since I'd been in a clinic working and I was so rusty. Plus, my brain was just getting fired up and back into the swing of things. My preceptor kept asking questions and no answer seemed good enough. Plus, every patient was taking at least 20 medications and had at least 2-3 chronic illnesses. One patient was on 42 different medications and some were taken more than once per day. If I took that many drugs I'd feel horrible, too. I'm trying to do some extra reading and testing myself so I'll be ready for weirdly random questions on my next day there.

My time at the pediatric clinic was simply delightful. I smiled all day. Kids are just amazing. I know because I think mine are just delightful treasures. However, it was an incredible feeling taking care of other people's little treasures. Lots of rashes and I think the beginning of respiratory season is fast upon us - one diagnoses of bronchitis and one of croup.

T Rex said he was proud that his mama is " a healer and makes people feel better." This eased my sadness as I drove away on Tuesday and Wednesday. My mom said the kids were great and T Rex enjoyed doing his preschool lessons with Nana. He is so close to reading. He is doing great with rhyming words and can read and name them. He is still 2 years away from kindergarten. I worry he is going to be bored when he finally does go to school. We'll see...

As I drove home Tuesday night after my first day, I saw smoke over the neighborhood. As I drove closer and closer to the house, the smoke became thicker and thicker. I drove into the driveway and it was so smokey I could hardly see. I ran into the house and everyone was fine. The fire was actually along the trail below our house. Shortly thereafter the police and fire department arrived. We left and ate dinner out while they worked on the fire and discovered that some 12 year old kids were smoking and accidentally caught the dessert on fire. Let me tell you, though, for a few minutes my heart was beating pretty fast (or "tachycardic" as I should properly say) and I thought it was a sign I should not continue my studies, especially after my rough day.

In an attempt to ensure quality time with the kids I have designated Monday, Thursday, and Friday mornings as fun times with the kids. This week we went to the library on Monday and later on Friday for a puppet show ("Baby Bebe" was the show). Both outings were followed by trips to a local park where we also had lunch. Thursday I took them in the bike trailer to another park - I needed to work out but I also knew I needed the 3 hour nap time for studying. Hence, the bike ride was a good 45 minute work out (ever pull a bike trailer - it is tough work especially with mountain bike tires). Thursday was fun because we took the soccer ball and T Rex had a great time doing some soccer drills. Even Bebe Sister got in on the action, too. (Yes, they checked out that yellow dinosaur from the library.)

School seems so much more difficult. Likely because I am expected to know more and also I've moved from part-time to full-time. Add to that two very mobile, trouble seeking toddlers...it certainly is a juggling act - juggling school, kids/family, and trying to stay fit and healthy. Certainly a lot going on.

So it seems I'll be T Rex Juggling Mom for the next 8 1/2 months while I finish up school. I still have lots of postings planned, however, there has just been little time for logging onto the computer for non-school stuff. Hang in there with me and thank you for all your support.

Tomorrow...60lbs of organic peaches to jar. Luckily my sis, mom, and good neighbor will be stopping in to help while T Rex Dad is the toddler wrangler.

To Nana's House We Go...

2011-08-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went over to my mom's place for a little Saturday night pizza. The kids enjoyed the different toys, especially Bebe Sister who loved all the "bebes" (dolls) and "BEEEAAARSS" (bears).

Bebe Sister looked so grown up in her braids and jeans sitting up on Nana's step stool. T Rex enjoyed wearing his mom-made Buzz Lightyear shorts.

This was a fun departure from my studies. At this point I am overwhelmed by how much school work I have each week in addition to my clinical days. I have designated Monday and Friday mornings as kid time. More on that later. For now, I better get back to the kids, school, and be grateful that the 60 lbs of organic peaches arriving tomorrow morning does not have to be canned until the long weekend.

Thank you all for hanging in there with me as I launch into this tough semester.

Emergency Preparations...Thoughts on Irene

2011-08-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

In watching all the folks gear up for Irene, it has made me look inward as to what my emergency preparation status is. I ask you as well as myself, "If Irene were hitting your home today, would you be ready?"

From last week's pickle canning. 25lbs = 24 jars.

Last year I did a series on some of our emergency preparations. I told you about the time we were evacuated from our home due to fire and how our preparations saved us from undue discomfort. It certainly reaffirmed our need to update some of those preparations which we have since done so.

I was first introduced to "prepping," as it is called, when I was asked to be the emergency preparations coordinator for my church group while at college. At that point I had little experience preparing for emergencies aside from some dry and canned goods that we kept around the house. Really, though, Mom and I had little extra funds for such preparations. Had I known then what I do today about such preparations, we probably would have moved its importance higher on our scale of priorities.

I know sometimes folks scoff or even joke at our preparations. Some just say, "I'll just come to your house if there's ever an emergency." Some are curious and ask questions. Some reply and say, "Which is your favorite website for food purchases?" And some give the blank stare of bewilderment like we subscribe to some odd cult.

For us, self sufficiency is of utmost importance. We are not in a place in our lives right now to be completely self-sustained. However, we strive to ensure that we have enough food, water, and other supplies so if there were an emergency situation, we would be prepared. Even a disruption in food supply chain makes a huge impact as more and more agriculture is taking place great distances from where it will eventually be sold. We want to ensure that our family is provided for in case of emergency - period.

We encourage others to do the same. I've taught home canning classes and tortilla making from food storage supplies. T Rex Dad has taught others how to store dry goods. And yes, we do have some "refugee rations" for folks who say they'll just come to our place in case of an emergency. However, when the refugee rations run out, you better hope the disaster has past or have other plans.

So, in answering my initial question, the absolute honest answer would be a resounding "yes". We have plenty of food, water, batteries, flashlights, candles, fuel, diapers, wipes, toilet paper, medical supplies, radios, communication devices, plus many other items I cannot think of off the top of my head. We are ready. This has taken many years to achieve. It was not something we did overnight or in one day. A trip to Wal-Mart would not even begin to cover our preparations. It could be a good start.

(Also a quick note to those folks who are going through Irene, the T Rex Family household will be sending good thoughts and prayers your direction.)

How about you, "If Irene were hitting your home today, would you be ready?" What would it take to motivate you to start preparing for emergencies?

Reading...

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our kids love books. I think it has been one of the benefits of not watching TV and only minimal age appropriate shows. It helps, too, they visit the library for Toddler Tales every week. T Rex LOVES the librarian, Ms. Tammy - she does a beautiful job with the kids.

When T Rex and Bebe Sister want some entertainment without toys or crafts, they reach for a book. T Rex Dad has a mantra he sticks to pretty carefully, if one of the kids brings him a book and asks to read, he stops what he is doing and reads the book. As long as he's not walking out the door, he complies. I often see him mid-dishes sitting on the kitchen floor reading to one or both of the kids. Plus, there is story time before bed time. Good Night Moon gets so much action we have two copies.

The other day I was touched when I saw them reading to each other. One of those priceless moments. Here they are reading Thomas the Tank books checked out from the library. I think we have every Thomas the Tank book on loan at the moment. It's not just T Rex that's into them either. Bebe Sister LOVES trains, too.

How do you promote reading in your home?

School Is Back in Session...

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, school starts today. My nice long summer break is over and it's time to buckle down and get back to work. I have had some of you inquire as to my feelings about going back. Thanks to those who asked; I am feeling scared, excited, nervous, and sad. I'll explain.

I have two separate segments to the semester. Half of my studies will be in pediatrics and half in geriatrics. Nothing like being at two separate ends of the spectrum. I get to work with one of our community's only pediatric nurse practitioners. She is wonderful - so much so that she's actually who my kids see. This I am excited to do. Plus, I do love pediatrics. However, my geriatrics rotation will be at a local internal medicine clinic. Internal medicine is tough - the patients usually have lengthy medication lists and chronic and multiple co-morbidities. This makes me scared and nervous.

Overall, I am sad that I'll be away from the kids two days a week for 10-12 weeks. It has been wonderful being with them every day this summer and I cannot say that there were not days I did not feel I needed a day away. However, when faced with the thought of being away from them 200 hours this semester, I am sad. Their "Nan" (my mom) will be with them, and honestly when she is around I don't exist to them. It's nice for her to have the time with them and they have a great time with her. She has some preschool lessons already picked out to teach T Rex (she used to be a preschool director) and she will also be continuing his Spanish lessons on those days, too. Plus, I usually come home to some kind of art work on the fridge or play dough crumbs on the floor. Knowing all this does ease the sting of being away from them. Still, it's hard.

When I asked T Rex last week what he wanted to do with me knowing it was my last week of summer break, can you guess what he said? Go to the zoo, of course. This time we went just the three of us. (T Rex Dad had to be back at work after our cabin trip.) Rarely do just the three of us go. Usually we go with another family. This time, though, it was just us and it was lovely. I know, I know, you've all seen so many zoo photos but it's just such a great place for the kids.

This was Bebe Sister's first time driving the safari jeep. Her brother was very polite and let the little lady drive.

These elephants are great fun because about every minute or two they spray mist. Always fun to see how it surprises the kids. Don't you love that watermelon dress? Another $0.99 thrift store purchase. I don't know if this Gymboree dress had even been worn.

We recently read Eric Carle's "Panda Bear, Panda Bear". Spider monkeys are one of the animals mentioned. The kids were most excited when this one came down from the tree branches and sat down right in front of them on the other side of the glass. It was as curious about them as they were of him.

As always, the sheep and goats were great fun. They fed the giraffes, too, but it is less structured at the sheep and goats. I was really charmed when T Rex snuggled one of the sheep. It was pretty sweet. The sheep are preferred to me compared with the goats. They are more polite and gentler eaters.

Bebe Sister even used the zoo's public restroom twice with her port-a-potty seat. She has officially transitioned from elimination communication to potty training. How do I know this? She will now say "pee pee" when she needs to go. This happens only about 40% of the time. The rest of the time we just take her, but it's a step in the PT direction. Getting her well on the potty training road was a huge goal of mine during my summer break. It will certainly ease the diaper washing burden. We're now down to washing once a week.

I've also completed many sewing projects this summer. I will be posting about those this week so stay tuned. However, in the end, I do believe I am ready for the semester to begin. Nine months and I'll graduate. Kind of like having a baby except in the end, no sweet newborn snuggles but at least a diploma and a few extra initials added to the end of my name along with not more homework or Amazon textbook purchases.

I'll try to keep posting regularly. I have several posts pre-written but when school gets busy, you might only hear from me once or twice a week. Thanks for being loyal readers and sticking with me on this journey.

"What You Gonna Do When They Come For You?"

2011-08-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Can this be a good thing?

When I was about T Rex's age I went with my mom to the craft store. I was wearing a red pull over sweatshirt with a front pocket that both my hands fit into. I recall there were these pom pom puff ball things that I wanted. When I asked my mom if we could get them she said we could not. Thus, when she was not looking I grabbed a couple of handfuls and put them into my pocket.

Upon arriving back at home I proudly showed my mom what I brought home. She was very cross with me and explained that was stealing and we did not take things that we did not have permission to take or had not been paid for.

She told me she was very disappointed and that I would take them back to the store the next day and apologize. In the mean time, she said I should be very good otherwise someone from juvy-hall would be coming by to take me away. Oh, goodness, every time I heard a siren or a helicopter I was sure they were coming for me.

Fortunately for us we have a friendly family friend police officer who graces us with a visit whenever he's in the neighborhood and might have a break. We promise to always feed him which we do. Unfortunately, the kids are learning that police officers like this one are really nice and friendly, and his arrival does not indicate they are in trouble but quite the opposite.

Look at them waving goodbye...

I guess we won't be using the juvy-hall line on them.

Do you find yourself using or intentionally not using some of the same parenting techniques your parents used on you? Or just saying some of the same things your parents used to say?

Cabin Trip Part III - Nature Walk

2011-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

On the first morning at the cabin we took a nature walk. This particular walk I've done on horseback and it did not seem all that long. Carting a toddler on my back and having our three year old walk on his own made the walk seem quite a bit longer. This would probably explain why T Rex slept so soundly and so easily despite all the adults conversing downstairs. He was a trooper and walked the entire way.

We picked wildflowers and rocks, looked a bugs, and even spied some broken egg shells. For some reason, T Rex was most impressed with the broken egg shells.

It was a great walk - more like a trek. I acquired two mosquitoes bites through my clothing but we did bring home some lovely flowers. The smaller bunch were the ones T Rex picked for his grandma. I think the best were the giant dandelions. I was just glad I've been going through immunotherapy treatment for my allergies. I managed walking through all those pollinating weeds and wildflowers without any sneezing, itchy nose, or hives and absolutely no drugs. I did get a good chuckle when T Rex told us those dandelions would turn into rumor weeds. Sharp mind on that kid!

This is the end of our cabin adventures. Here is T Rex's summation upon seeing his Nana, "There were no fish in the slimy lake and no uncle-berries* but there were mosquitoes and egg shells. It was not fun anymore after Grandma and Grandpa left."

Thank you, G & G for allowing us a get-away. Thanks to our kids for not getting any permanent injuries. Lastly, a huge thank you to T Rex Dad for all his help. It was so very much work being there with little kids. Quite the departure from our pre-kid days when we would go to the cabin and spend days just enjoying the calm and quiet and taking hikes and picking berries. However, I am very grateful to be in this place at this time with this man and these little kids. Sometimes a little trip like this puts all that in perspective.

*Translation - T Rex calls huckleberries "uncle-berries"

Cabin Trip Part II - Fishing

2011-08-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

T Rex has been asking repeatedly to go fishing. So, when we were up at the cabin we had him inquire of his grandpa.

Grandpa set him up with a rod, reel, and some bait and T Rex Dad helped him get started. He threw his line in the water and wait and waited. Not too long because T Rex was torn between fishing and swimming in the lake. Bebe Sister was also torn between the two. Despite her assistance, there were no fish caught.

Bebe Sister played on the tiny bit of sand on the beach but then insisted on chasing her brother.

The dock was under repair so there is a five foot drop. Hence, I did not want Bebe Sister there. In the short amount of time she was near there she acquired a huge scrap full of splinters. These were not fun to remove (and yes, they had to be removed).

In the end, T Rex declared the lake water was "slimy" and there were no fish. However, the next morning he and his sister found great fun peering into the lake from the neighbor's intact dock that had no splinters.

Part III - Nature Walk - coming up next...

Cabin Trip - Part I

2011-08-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who have emailed concern about my lack of posting of recent. We are fine. The cold we had was short-lived. We had a cabin trip planned so there has been a lot of prep work for that. Plus, school starts in 10 days. I'll be a full time graduate student. I know I'll miss the kids the two days a week I am working at the clinic so I've been giving them a lot of attention, and there will be little time for crafting so I've been sewing for the kids' fall/winter clothes, too. (More on that in a later posting.)

We took off earlier this week for a little rest and relaxation at T Rex Dad's parents' mountain lake cabin. We were not sure we wanted to go as the last time we attempted the trip we lasted about 18 hours. We were desperate, however, to get out of town as we have not left a 30 mile radius of our home in over a year. We crammed a lot of stuff into the 40 hours we stayed.

I'll break the trip down into three sections - Fun, Fishing, and Nature Hike. It took me a full day of cooking just to prepare our meals and snacks while we were going to be there. Plus, I just cannot leave the house without it being sparkling clean so I did that, too. Additionally, diapers needed to be washed to pack I should not have worried about diapers as our daughter soiled one the entire time we were gone. Let's just say we did the potty victory dance a lot while we were gone.

Here you go - Part I - Cabin Fun

We arrived just in time for pre-bed bath time. We started the fun there. We closed the curtain so the kids could splash. As you can imagine being in the car, they needed to work some of their toddler energy out which they happily did.

Some of the other various things we occupied our time with included some regular fun things like reading, crocheting, stickers, and playdough. Playdough was ten times funner once Grandma and Grandpa joined us and got in on the fun. Oh, and nothing beats that early 1980's bright orange counter top. What about those curtains behind us? The bowl of cereal on the counter is also retro - probably circa 1960s. T Rex Dad ate from these dinner settings when he was a child. Being at the cabin is like taking a trip back in time. Even some of the bathroom reading literature is dated 1981.

There were also some not-so-normal activities the kids occupied themselves with. Things like prisms on the lamp making rainbows on the wall. How about those spiral stairs? T Rex Dad suggested them to his parents when they were building the cabin thirty years ago. He could not have foreseen that one day they would cause him and his wife a heart attack every time their kids tried to use them? Oh, and both the kids can put their entire bodies through those rails. The spinning wheel was also a big draw for the kids - circa 1869 brought over by T Rex Dad's great, great, great grandma Ann Dumboe of Norway.

After the kids retired for the night, the grown ups had some fun playing poker. We did play with pennies but no winnings were kept. T Rex had no problem falling asleep in the upstairs loft, but the little princess was distracted by the talking so we moved her to the upstairs bathroom where she could have quiet. Alas, she ended up waking up at 11:00 pm and did not go back to sleep until 3:00 am. Hence, that night we did not get much sleep. We suspect she was scared waking up in a strange place. Good thing Grandma and Grandpa had their hearing aids out so they could sleep through the long stretches of crying.

The next morning after Grandma and Grandpa departed we decided the cabin would just not be as much fun without them so after some fishing and lunch we took off for home. We had planned to be up there four full days and nights but it just did not work out for us. We were grateful for G&G for having us there. However, it was not a break for the grown-ups. We were just too busy entertaining little ones and keeping them safe from falling into the lake or falling off the balcony or stairs. Add to this the lack of sleep, we just decided it would be more of a break to be at home. In the end, we agree with Dorothy - There's no place like home. We are not, however, desperate to get out of town any more.

Stay tuned for Cabin Trip Part II - Fishing.

Has that ever happened to you - want to get out of town but find yourself missing home?

Thoughts...

2011-08-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, Bebe Sister had a little runny nose. That night, no sleeping. Then for the next four nights not a stitch of sleep was to be found for any of us. If Bebe Sister was not unhappy, then T Rex was. If they were fine, then I was coughing. It is not a bad cold by any means. And it's been months since we've had any illness around here. However, nothing takes the wind out of my sails faster than lack of sleep.

Before kids T Rex Dad and I thought if we could not get eight hours of sleep a night we would die the next day. Now, if we get four - six hours we're doing good, six to seven we're great, seven or more and we're flying high. I cannot remember the last time we had more than seven hours of sleep.

So, with all that being said, I missed writing about World Breastfeeding Week. If you've been a reader for any amount of time you probably can gather that I'm very pro-breastfeeding. I wrote a paper for my health care policy class last summer evaluating cost savings if 75% of women breastfed their babies for 6 months exclusively. The estimated cost to the U.S. would be just over 3 billion dollars. Now I know that's just a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions we are in debt but more interesting to me is the way the cost is calculated. This is not cost related to purchase of formula - that might hit the trillion dollar mark. No, this is cost savings in decreasing the incidence of childhood illness as well as decreased maternal illness, too.

Oh, let's not forget the more recent research that breastfeeding in the first six months can also add up to six extra IQ points for the child, too.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively until age 6 months and then continuing through the 12 month mark. The World Health Organization recommends very similar things except continuing to 24 months or as long as mother and child are still mutually enjoying the experience.

Where are we at? Bebe Sister is still nursing a tiny bit every morning. I think we are almost done, but I'm waiting for her to be done. With T Rex it was kind of a speedy process as he was about the same age she is now but I was also newly pregnant with her and very ill from nausea and vomiting. Struggling to stay hydrated expedited the weaning process for T Rex. This time, we don't have that concern. (No babies expected any time soon here. It's all about getting through school for the time being.) I also have to say how nice it is to be experiencing the height of crazy toddlerness with Bebe Sister and not having to stop every 15 minutes to vomit. I seriously do not know how I did it 2 years ago.

I could tell you all the wonderful things about breastfeeding that I know. We all know it's best. Certainly my intent in writing this is not to alienate those women who for whatever reason could not breastfeed their babies. For something so natural I have yet to know a single lactating woman who did not have even one breastfeeding issue. Including myself having the knowledge I do and even teaching other woman how to breastfeed, I still suffered a few ills here and there. Teaching and doing are two entirely different things.

However, I do want to offer some simple pieces of advice.

One - get help before things get too rough. Hours can make a difference in making the experience a good versus a bad one.

Secondly, teach your child early on to sign for milk. We did this with both of our kids and it was useful for a couple of reasons. First, it was easy for them to tell us when they were hungry or thirsty. Additionally, it was nice to avoid the hands down the shirt or patting the breasts (either yours or someone else's) in public. Once Bebe Sister crawled up to another mom nursing her baby and signed for milk. I was relieved she did not go up and start patting the woman's breasts. Let's just say it has avoided a few uncomfortable situations. This is especially useful if you continue breastfeeding past that one year mark.

Dads - there is lots you can do too. Don't think putting a formula filled bottle in baby's mouth is the only way you can help. Support in any way, shape, or form is the absolute best thing you can do. Ideas? Bring the baby to mom, take over diaper duty, burp after feedings, bring mom water to stay hydrated, and go to a breastfeeding class with her. Just knowing some of the simple fixes has proven effective in increasing breastfeeding duration and success.

So here we are with Bebe Sister 18 1/2 months old and she is probably close to being weaned. In fact, she's even started giving up her thumb. We joke that she is at that "force of nature" stage but she really is our angel baby - how grateful we are she just kind of eases into things.

Oh, in case you were wondering, I did get 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night. Ahh, life is pretty good today!

What are your thoughts today - on breastfeeding or sleep deprivation?

Downtown Outing Two

2011-08-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos form our second recent outing downtown. This time we met up with some friends who were visiting from Florida. They are delightful and we had a great time chatting and catching up. Luckily, the fountain was running so we had some entertainment for the kids following our meal at one of our favorite eating establishments.

Usually, we go here after a successful well-child exam but this past check up T Rex asked to go over to a friend's house to play and T Rex Dad had to work. Hence, it was just Bebe Sister and me at her appointment. I will say, it was the first time I have dropped off T Rex at a friend's house just for the sole purpose of playing, not because I needed him to be with a sitter so I could go to an appointment. It was sort of a surreal growing up mom-moment for me. He did great and did not even miss me. Guess it was not such a big moment for him, huh?

Before we left the house, Bebe Sister had to model her new $4 outfit. Then her brother had to model his new Lightning McQueen pants that I made for him. I also made him a matching blanket, pillow case, and bag but more on all these in another posting. Lots of projects in the works. Making one last push before school starts in just under three weeks.

Since we missed our trip to the Beanery, we decided this was the perfect place to take our friends for some home-style cookin' outside the home. There is a charming little pond just outside where the kids enjoy wading. No matter how hard me try, they always get completely wet. Oh, and a plug for pocket style cloth diapers - if you need a swim diaper but don't have one handy, pull out the insert and it works like a charm. (I would, however, not use these at the pool as I'd be worried about the chemicals harming my covers. I am certain they would hold in messes nicely, though.)

Then they were off to splash in the fountain. T Rex does not really enjoy getting wet at the pool but he really enjoys splashing in the fountain. The photos say it all.

Finally we managed to drag the kids away from the fountain and into some dry clothes - note T Rex has no pants on. Our emergency clothes in the car are more for cold weather and with it being 99 degrees that day he refused sweatpants. (I don't blame him.) So, boxer briefs and a t-shirt were sufficient. They still found fun dancing on a nearby stage. Our little princess was up on the stage dancing like a super-star tap dancer. I really see a future for that gal.

After two hours of fun, it was nap time and home we went. We shall miss our friends and hope someday to make the trek to Florida. We won't get to see any more space shuttle launches but there is always Disney World, the manatees, and good friends.

Downtown Outing One

2011-07-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

This week we had not just one outing downtown but two - both were to catch up with friends whom we haven't seen in a while. However, we always try to mix in some fun for the kids especially if they are well behaved during long meals. We do our best to pack their food and some entertainment (crayons, playdough, stickers, etc.). Usually we only get about 60-90 minutes total from the time we walk into a restaurant to the time we walk out. It is a mad orchestration of controlled chaos but it gets easier each time. Good preparation is the key. Impromptu stuff is rarely successful.

On this first outing we had sushi with a close family friend who just returned from climbing Mt. McKinley. We heard her husband's version of the climb a couple weeks back. Now it was our turn to hear her version of the climb. If you'd like to read more, visit News From Summit Ridge. It was fun to hear two versions of the same climb. They were on different ends of the rope so what was scary to her was nothing to him and vice versa.

Here are some photos from the first downtown outing this past week. There were so many great photos that I'm just including them all. We actually have a pretty nice family photo, too. This is extremely rare. Also very rare - a photo of just T Rex Dad.

T Rex always insists on riding the escalator so we always do - this time, however, we took a photo of Bebe Sister riding it for the first time.

Then to the wishing fountain to throw in pennies and splash a bit. This is right next to city hall.

Bebe Sister loves riding in her Boba carrier. She totally thinks I'm her pony and kicks her heels in the stirrups to get me to go and pats my back in the direction she wants me to go. I understand now why my horse used to give me some of the looks she would give. I have more compassion for her and significant admiration for her patience, too. Here we are "galloping" - this is her favorite activity in the pack.

All that fun left for some thirsty kids. Luckily, there is a drinking fountain. Bebe Sister enjoyed a drink while T Rex thought it great fun to plug the water and make it spray.

Outing number two coming up...

Do you have success when taking your kids out to eat? If so, what are your tactics for success?

Hummingbird Close Encounter...

2011-07-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes some of the most extraordinary things happen in one's own backyard. First some back story.

The past couple of days my nephew has been staying with us. It's really a big deal for T Rex - he's been wanting to have his cousin over for a sleep over for quite some time. When we scheduled this a couple weeks back it was just about all he could talk about. It has been nice to have a brief break from non-stop chatter about Lightning McQueen and Thomas the Tank Engine. Nana also joined in on the fun, too.

We did library time on Tuesday - Dede was a great sport and kindly sat through toddler tales even thought he could have roamed the huge library (I would have chosen the latter option but he said he wanted to hang with his cousins). Then we had a great Mongolian BBQ lunch before the kids had naps. After naps we headed to the pool. Upon arriving back home, Nana and Dede saw a hummingbird hit one of our back windows. I intentionally keep the feeder away from the windows to avoid this. Up to this point, this was the first time I have seen this happen.

Nana quietly told me about it in case it was a fatal crash and I needed to do some clean up without the little kids being sad. I went outside and this is what I saw (see photo below) - our tiny feathered friend was stunned but alive. I picked him up as I have done many other times with some of the other stunned birds. Remember the last time T Rex was able to hold one and thought he was holding a "real life tweety bird"?

I called T Rex and Dede outside to see the teeny tiny bird. It was so amazing and very small. I have actually always wanted to hold one. These birds completely facinate me. In fact, I have even attended a local bird watching group who bands hummingbirds. I did this with the hope of seeing one up close. However, this is the most up close encounter I could have ever imagined.

I held him for a bit, T Rex held him for a brief moment, and then Dede held him while I snapped this video. However, the coolest moment was when T Rex reached over and kissed the little bird on the head. When I took the video I asked him to do it again which he happily complied with. How many of us can say we've kissed a hummingbird? Pretty amazing. My teenage nephew thought it was pretty cool and if you can impress a teenager then it must be awesome.

The photo of Dede holding it shows you how tiny this little bird was. Its feathers were so soft, its tiny heart beating so fast, such delicate wings, and an impressively long beak. We were most intriqued by how his tiny and sharp claws held on to our fingers.

After a while the wind came up and as it blew through his wings it made them flutter. He fluttered while perched on Dede's hand and then off he went. We did see this same hummer back at the feeder a few hours later so we know he is doing well.

Here's that video of T Rex giving this sweet hummingbird a kiss. Pardon the chaos - we were just not sure what was going to happen from moment to moment.

Have you ever had something unexpectedly wonderful happen to you? Or ever have any cool close encounters?

Spying...

2011-07-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

This summer the kids have been enjoying the fine art of bug spying. Here are some of their finds.

First, we start in our own back yard with a "stinky bug" as T Rex calls them. By the time I snapped the photo, it had hidden in the grass. Wouldn't you if you had such an audience?

Then there was the grasshopper (on the wall next to Bebe Sister). I did not worry about the kids mangling this guy too much - I was more worried about him eating my berry bushes. (Yes, Bebe Sister is running around in just a fitted diaper. She's starting to transition from elimination communication to potty training. And yes, that is one of my original cloth diapers that a long time follower mitchsmom gave me. It has really gotten a lot of use and is still holding up great.)

Then on a park outing, Bebe Sister spotted a giant black ant. Seriously large, although, from the photo it looks like a speck. I love that little pointer finger - my mom often chuckles that it is going to get worn out with as much use as it gets these days.

Then, the greatest find of all. Our first adult preying mantis of the season. For the past couple of years we have not purchased egg sacs but have rather waited to see if any of the off spring of our past mantis residents would be around. Last year we had a good turn out. This year, it has been slow but so many things have been slow to start up so we're hopeful more are to come. This one was only about 3 cm long. Small by our standards. The kids were enthralled. Me, too, actually. Remember Manty who found his way into the diapers and went through the dryer?

After all this bug spying, the kids asked me to make them some bugs they could keep inside. Here is what I came up with. Going with my original statement of "purchase no new yarn but use what I have" I made the larger ladybug. It was huge. I think it would qualify as a small throw pillow. Bebe Sister loves it and has mastered the art of antennae removal. I need to secure those better.

Then I made another smaller ladybug as a gift - alas, I had to purchase some wool for this project so as to avoid another giant ladybug. For the ladybugs I used the same pattern as the turtle except I changed the colors and added spots. The small ladybug is about the size of the turtle. Both large and small are the exact same pattern - just different gauge needle and yarn. The little lady bug seemed so sad all alone that I had to make a bumble bee friend to go along with it. The bumble bee is my own pattern.

I do apologize for the poor quality of these last photos. The only way I can photograph these items is while the kids are asleep. Hence, I lost my natural light. I opted not to use plastic eyes so there would be no concern of choking hazards. (T Rex has become a bit obsessed with choking hazards so he is always reminding me. But he also gets very concerned if something has no eyes - thus, sewed on eyes are our compromise.)

We've also spied several spiders, too. Those, we mostly try to avoid because the kids don't know good from bad. The hobos and black widow spiders are quickly terminated by T Rex Dad. Hobo spiders are very aggressive - once, one was going right for the kids and T Rex Dad smashed it with his bare hand. I could not have imaged him (or anyone else) doing that but I guess I see what happens when something threatens his kids. Other garden spiders and the "jumping" ones we get in the house are relocated outside and are most welcome.

Thank you for joining us spying bugs. How about you - do you like spying bugs?

Revisit...

2011-07-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

This week we revisited a favorite park.

Remember this photo from May?

Well, we went back this week and the tree is full of leaves.

I took the kids to burn off some toddler energy on this warm July day. I made them run to and from the tree -

Once...

Twice...

Three times..

Then we took a lunch break and shared some veggie Pirate Booty with the local resident squirrel.

Later we spied some bugs but more on that in another posting.

In case you were wondering, yes, they took great naps! And I enjoyed a long workout and some crafting. Lots more to show you soon.

Do you have any tricks to getting your kids to take a long nap?

Elimination Communications - Is it time to transition to potty training?

2011-07-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

I first told you about our experience with infant potty training or elimination communication here.

My goal from the beginning was to make our daughter think all just was simply part of her daily routine. This goal has certainly been accomplished. She fully expects to sit on the toilet first thing every morning, as well as after breakfast, after lunch, after nap, and before bath time. We've had many days where she only uses one or two diapers in the day. Sometimes we will go a week or more without changing a #2 diaper. That is saying a lot from a girl who does 2-3 BMs a day.

We started toilet training T Rex at around 14 months and he was mostly done with diapers around 18-20 months. My memory is a bit fuzzy since I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with Bebe Sister and suffering morning sickness basically 24/7. I do remember we were highly motivated to not have two kids in diapers or be paying for two kids in diapers either.

Until recently, I would say our daughter was at about the same point our son was at this age. The big exception, and I feel this is the best part, it that it has been so unbelievably stress-free with her.

With T Rex, there was always the feeling that it was a chore to take him to the toilet. Plus, we were constantly running there. T Rex was not always happy with us constantly interrupting his toddler activities to take a restroom break. With the process we've followed for our daughter, it is more Zen-ful and tranquil and just easier. She knows the routine and does it.

Significantly, in the last week, she has also learned to do #1 on demand. This is huge. She is clearly at a more advanced stage than her brother was at the same age. When T Rex mastered this, we were set. After that, it all fell into place. Hence, this is where I believe elimination communication has given her the edge. It could possibly be a girl thing. I have read and heard anecdotally that girls potty train easier than boys. I'm not sure.

We could probably be 100% if we pushed for it. But honestly, we're not ready to cart a portable potty chair on outings for use in public restrooms. (She cannot stand on the toilet seat like her brother used to.) She is far too small to use a toilet without a seat. Often, she just waits to go when we get home. I think a time is coming soon when she will make the transition to training pants instead of diapers. However, I have already been using a fitted diaper that allows her to feel moisture. I use this on her with just a t-shirt. If I loosen the snaps, it works perfectly as training pants. She is still too small for most training pants, too!

I know a few folks thought we were crazy when we introduced the idea of toilet training via elimination communication with a baby, but I can now report nothing but smiles all around. Well, except that I do get a little sad thinking that all my cute cloth diapers will probably be going into storage soon.

What kind of process did you follow with your kids? How long did it take? Did you have any motivating factors like us or was it just time?

Stay-cation - Part VII - Projects and Odd Ends

2011-07-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here is - the end of the stay-cation postings. T Rex Dad went back to work on Monday. It was tough on the kids. They were in daddy-detox for a couple days. However, Grandma and Grandpa N came over last night and Nana is here today and tomorrow. So, at least this eases the blow and makes the week seem shorter.

It was a really nice stay-cation. We were actually quite busy with events and outings - but we never traveled more than 30 minutes from the house. And most of our activities were outdoors, too.

When were were not out and about, we were home doing projects. I had several I wanted to accomplish while T Rex Dad was off. Here are a few that I did finish...

First, a patchwork quilt. This is the first one I've done is a really, really long time. I worked on it on and off for about 5 months. Here is the finished project. I wish I had made it a bit bigger but I think it will work nicely for our bed. If you click on the photos you can see the fabric prints better - moons and stars. Now we can sleep among the stars!

After the quilt was finished, I also finished several amigurumi animals. My goal with the rest of my projects this year is to not purchase any new material or yarn. Everything needs to come from my current inventory. My mother-in-law heard about this and was kind enough to bring over some of her open poly-fil to use on the animals so I would not have to purchase any new stuff. The elephants are both baby gifts. The pattern is out of this book. I sewed on yarn eyes so there would not be any chocking hazards. T Rex is very concerned about that these days.

Then T Rex requested I make him a William Cat. I tell him made up stories about a ficticious cat family. I intergrate lessons into these stories. For example, T Rex is terrified of storms. So I made up a story about William and Sweet Pea and the tornado. I really do need to write these stories down. Because of these characters becoming endeared to my little guy, he asked that I make a William and Sweet Pea to go along with the stories.

I found this wonderful amigurumi cat pattern and from some very think coarse black yarn I had around the house, I made William. His head turned out larger than I would have liked. And the yarn was not the best to work with. Additionally, I did work on this during a baseball game so I think that might be why some of the appendages are a little oddly shaped. Regardless of its flaws, T Rex loved him. He's already seeing a lot of action around the house.

Whenever I make a new animal for T Rex, I put it out for him to find in the morning. Then when he is about to fall asleep, I go into his bedroom and whisper into his ear that his surprise is waiting for him to find in the morning. You can see how I set out William to be found.

T Rex has also been really into Thomas the Tank train. In fact, he insists on taking at least one train with him everywhere we go. Rather than have him free carry one or more train in the grocery store or park, I thought a little case/bag was in order to save us from losing one. This was pulled together from some scraps I had around the house.

Lastly, one last amigurumi. T Rex requested I make a tortuga for my most recent project. This is where I found the free pattern. I am a little disappointed the shell turned out so large. And this time, I followed the directions to the letter and had no distractions. Once again, I am harder on myself than T Rex. He loved the tortuga and calls him Roger after my nephew's pet tortoise. I was glad I found this shade of green among my yarn stash. Otherwise, Roger would have been Christmas green.

I did complete two rounds of canning during the stay-cations, too. Blueberry and organic strawberry jams. Both turned out great. This week I'll be doing some organic blueberry. And next year, hopefully, I'll have enough blackberries from the garden to use them to can. My blackberry bushes are doing beautifully as are my grape vines. The blueberry bushes are so-so. Anyone have any suggestions for doing something with blue flax?

We did attempt to take T Rex to see Mr. Poppers Penguins but when he heard his sister would be staying with Nana he wanted to stay with Nana rather than go to a movie. Man I love that kid! So, T Rex Dad and I went to see Transformers 3. I love the Transformer movies but this one was a little too long for me but Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, did make a cameo appearance as himself. We thought that was really cool. And Leonard Nemoy was the voice of Sentinal Prime, so that was cool, too. But it was just not as great as the first one.

I also showed T Rex Dad one of my newer favorite movies - The Time Traveler's Wife. He and I managed to get through the movie after the kids had gone to bed. We only had to stop the movie 6 times which is pretty good for us watching a movie at home. And yes, we both cried multiple times.

Lastly, we have made huge strides with Bebe Sister and potty training. I think we've moved from elimination communication to potty training. I'll write about this soon.

So, there you have it. Stay-cation update complete. It was wonderful. I look forward to the next one. And so much less stressful than a full on vacation.