Dinosaur

For the Halloween cakewalk at church, I brought some cupcakes I made with the help of wee one. (Betty Crocker, but hey, still from my kitchen) As I set down my chinet plate of chocolate delights with their messy frosting, but quite delicious, I noted that most of the rest were beautiful store bought creations of halloween perfection. Spiders! Jack o lanterns! Cupcakes with fluffy buttercream frosting in fall colors! Poor kid who will win my plate would be bummed out totally.

Now, I did think about running to the store for mine too, but we bake just about everyday due to wee one's love for making "eggies." I feel like a dinosaur and I am sure on the flip side, if I had bought one, I would notice all the homemade stuff. I never seem to get it quite right, but they still seem to like me! Then tonight, I saw the little girl who won my plate happily running around with them, chocolate frosting around her smiling lips.

Musical love

KOG readers, here's my treat for you today. Go to www.annielennox.com and hopefully you will get to listen to her song "Dark Road." It is also on iTunes. This song just spoke to me. Beautiful, beautiful song...sung by one of my favorite vocalists who looks cool even now 20 years after I 1st saw her in a music video.

My Wee One

I got back to my home airport today and came down the escalator to the baggage claim. At the bottom I saw dh and then wee one holding his hand. Then, she let go and started running towards me, yelling, "Mommy!" I got to her and I started getting tears in my eyes as I wrapped my arms around her. I couldn't even move for a few moments. I regained my composure and told me dh I missed him too. I thought, "How could I have left her, even for a moment?" Tonight I got a welcome home I took my diaper off instead of going to sleep and then I had a poo in my crib but I picked it up to try to throw it out but kept yelling "Stinky Mommy!" Stinky indeed.

Leaving on a jet plane

Well, tomorrow I jet off to a medical conference for 4 days 3 nights and leave everyone behind for a few days. I have been putting off going away for anything since I was about 4 months pregnant. I never felt quite ready to do this until now. My mom is here to help dh and I am going all expenses paid to stay in a large hotel with room service, a spa, and a shuttle to a ginormous outlet mall. So I know I will miss wee one and that she will miss me, but I think this will be good for me in many ways.

Poop in the pot

Well, we were in church and wee one tugged on my arm and said "potty." We made our way to the bathroom and were distracted by the need to climb stairs into the balcony. She came back down and I hear "Uhhgh" and saw her squat a little. Oh crap, I though, thinking this was ok to think in church since that was actually the subject matter and not a swear. No diaper bag, I headed into the women's restroom with her and found an empty diaper wipe box and a bag of newborn size diapers on the changing table. I sighed and we went into a stall. I pulled down the diaper and lo and behold, no poo there but some was beginning to make its way out of her bottom. I put her on the seat and let her do the rest. Wha la! We have contact! Poop in the pot! I congratulated her, wiped her tush, and pulled her pull up (clean) back on. I said a prayer of thanks. Later in the day, we didn't make it for part 2. Oh well. It's a start.

Potty time

Wee one has hoisted herself up onto the kid toilet seat on the toilet seat and has shooed me away so I don't watch. There is a pull up around her legs and she is happy. There has been no actual deposit of wastes into the toilet as of yet, but I am glad to let her practice/ go through the motions. I know we won't even be there until she is three. She is having fun though.

Quick, easy weight loss

Well, I am recovering from the other end of the vomit virus that hit my family earlier in the week. 24 hours of fevers, chills, and an amazing amount of quick, easy weight loss from the most horrible virus that has ever attacked my colon. My appetite is coming back in fits and spurts. Thankfully all others in the house are healthy again.

The Wee One is growing amazingly. She can name all the animals in her picture books. She can run the new DVD player we got (old one wore out after an almost continuous 72 hours playing of the Max and Ruby DVD). She can doff and don her clothes/ diaper at her own will...(needs help with shirts). She knows where all my shoes are "Mommys shoes" and where I hide the Dora snacks.

Ah, my little bottomless, animal - lover snack hungry child...

Vomit Virus

The vomit virus paid a visit to our little family and is finally left as of last night. Totally stressful to watch poor wee one just lie around and throw up. Milk has been off limit, much to her dismay. My dh is finally able to eat solid food again. I was spared so far, but I am tired of cleaning up vomit. I think this is the longest Wee one has ever been sick...poor thing. I was so happy that she finally ate a cookie last night and held it down.

We LOVE shoes

Well, its that really, really fun time again. Wee One's feet have grown bigger and it is time to get new shoes!!! There is such a price range for toddler shoes (also adults). I love shoes. Wee One loves shoes. Cute, stylish, comfy shoes. I found a pair on clearance at the local dept store...$10.99 for white mary jane Stride Rites! Then I remembered the pair I have kept in the closet that I got on the clearance section of The Children's Place $7!. Fits her well! I went to the website today and got a few more pairs...too cute and each under $12 a piece...I couldn't help myself. New shoes are just about the only thing that can tear her away from her Max and Ruby DVD.

I can be a bigger, more persistent PITA

I know I shouldn't raise my blood pressure late in the day, but I logged onto my credit card website to pay bills this month and there was a late fee!!! I always, always pay my bills on time. I never got a statement this month. Nada. I called the company to see why they didn't send a statement and they said they did. I also had a email alert system set up which also did not send me a message. Anyhow, after being on hold 4 different times and different "supervisors" the fee was dropped ($40!) and I still didn't get to talk to anyone or get an explanation of why I didn't get a statement or email from them. Interestingly, I never came out and said "I want you to waive my late fee." I only said that I wanted to know why they didn't send me a statement or an email to let me know that the payment was due. The website has personalized alerts and my info is all in there, but interestingly, when I hit the "show history of alerts" button, it says "No alerts for the last 30 days." So obviously something is wrong with their website, but I can't seem to talk to anyone about it. I was looking for a place to send an email and didn't find one. So much for being a national bank/ cc company. Must have this kind of call more often than not.

Anyway, I was correct and also trying to help them, but they didn't really have anyone working there that was listening to me. Sad.

Lazy calmness

I have been floating through these last 2 weeks feeling lazy and calm. I feel like something should be happening. When actually, nothing much should be happening right now after what I have been through this summer. I have even been having fantasies of getting pregnant but then I swing to the other extreme of thinking I'll be quite happy with one, esp after a really heavy AF came last weekend.

One of my friends reminded me today, hey you went though major surgery 2 months ago and even though your scar is healed on the outside, you are still healing on the inside. She told me not to forget to take care of myself. I am taking baby steps towards that still. My new resolutions:

1. No ironing. I hate ironing. I love ironed things. My dh has made the decision to take our wrinkly things to the ironing store.
2. I will use the microwave more to make simpler meals. Takeout food is another realistic option that I will exercise without cringing at the expense and sodium content.
3. I will delegate, delegate, and delegate as much as I can at work and in my extracurricular activities.

I guess this is what I was wondering about concerning any life changing events that my tumor experience has brought me.

More tricks to portray myself as the perfect housewife

I was tuning in to my current favorite show, "Top Chef" last week and they had to create a frozen entree. They got a bag of Bertoli pasta meal to examine before they started. Of course, the gullible consumer I am, did what the producers and sponsors wanted me to do. As I was cruising the aisles of Wally world yesterday, There on the end cap was a big selection of the pasta entrees. Well, at $5.97 I thought, hey why not, I'll try it. It was simpler than I thought. You open the bag, dump it into a big non stick skillet, put a lid on it, stir it half way through, and in 10 minutes you are serving and eating. There was plenty to serve me, dh and wee one with leftovers. Very tasty and high quality too. I would have liked more chicken, but for the price, it was really reasonable. I have had thoughts about making this kind of thing but after watching the Top Chef episode, where professional chefs were only able to make one successful dish out of 4.

This and that

Bad PMS the last 2 days. Eating constantly, bloating, weight up on the scale, sore boobies. Also, my right shoulder and neck muscles get sore when I have PMS. No Uber - Bi--h moments yet, but I have already warned my dh. Haven't had it like this in a while. So I was munching through 2 cereal bowls worth of cheddar Sunchips (Hey, I like to delude myself that they are healthy...whole grains!) and watching reruns of Sex and the City just now. It is not as good as I remembered. Perhaps as it is edited for language and nudity, it is just not the same show. "F--k buddy is NOT the same as "Sex Buddy." Perhaps it is just a different time in my life and I can't relate anymore. My concerns involve weaning bedtime sippy cups with milk from a 2 year old rather than finding the perfect shoes for a night out on the town. (I have those already...more than one pair even!)

Lazy days of summer

Well, the wee one has calmed down a bit, no more crazy tricks. Just a few loud protestations here and there. I switched the carseat back to the old "baby" one and she seems to be more content in there. I know the tantrums can come and go in the different times in a child's life, so I am going to try to go with the flow. Her 19 months old cousin is here visiting and wee one seems a bit scare of her. She is louder and more physically advanced (can jump into a swimming pool and bob around in her floatie unassisted). She is the 3rd child with 2 older brothers (7&9) so she has to grow up fast to keep up, unlike my one and only. It is nice to have extended family contact and kids around as I never saw my cousins/ aunts very regularly, only in pictures as we lived in a different country from most everyone.

Harriet Houdini

The story I have today is about how my 2 year old live birth climbed out of her carseat and got into the drivers seat with me a la Britney Spears while I was driving. Oh, and of course she was screaming her head off the whole time (I was picking her up from the baby sitter's house and she had skipped her nap) and didn't stop screaming until she was in my lap. At least by the time she made it there I was 1 block from our driveway. Oh my wild wee one...

Mary Lou Retton

Well, I watch in horror and amazement tonight as Wee One used the mattress to vault her leg up on the crib bars to climb out. She was throwing a tantrum in protest of going to bed. My dh was there and grabbed her thankfully before she could hurt herself. Yes, I have a spirited child. Anyway, she has calmed down and is lying in her crib. So, is it time to take the side down to make the toddler bed? What is going to happen then?!

Food "O" face

I have been enjoying food again as I recover. I mean, really enjoying food!!! To the point of "O" face. Last night I had dh bring home some shrimp scampi and pasta from Johnny Carinos our local chain Italian restaurant. The scampi, which I had never tried was SO GOOD. I told him, as I was sopping up the butter, wine, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and shrimp with a big hunk of bread, that he should go get this for me whenever I am hormonal/ PMS. Tonight, I was getting dinner ready and saw a cook on tv preparing mushrooms. I modified it a bit to my taste but the recipe, I had to share with you all. Scrumptious!!!

Sherry Mushroom Tapas

6-8 White mushrooms
2T Olive oil
1 pat Butter
1 clove Garlic crushed
Salt and pepper
1 T Sherry wine
Parsley
Lemon juice
Bread

Heat sautee pan on medium
Add olive oil, butter and garlic
Place mushrooms in pan, top down
When bottoms are brown, flip mushrooms over
Season with salt and pepper
Add sherry and parsley
When cooked, spritz with lemon juice
Serve with bread

Food book - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I recently read the book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. It got me thinking even more about the food I eat and what I feed my family. Since Wee One started eating solid food, (even before, as I was paying attention to what I was eating while breastfeeding), I have been more conscious of what I buy and feed her. It has been a good influence on my diet as I eat her leftovers and she gets a lot of whole grains and fruits because that is what she likes (so that's why I have lost some weight...duh!). She, of course, like any other kid, will eat candy until we run out, but she really prefers fruits, juices, pasta, rice, tortillas, yogurt, peas, corn, cheese, eggs, and milk. Occasionally she'll eat some meat. Not a bad diet for me to follow either.

I have been even more attentive to high fructose corn syrup because I think after a capri sun one day she really crashed into a bad tamtrum (may have just been the 2 year old blues, but this one was really, really bad). Growing up we had liberal access to sodas, chips, etc., but my mom often let them go stale/ flat so that I really didn't care for them any more than any other food. She prepared most of our meals from scratch, chinese home cooking so we ate a lot of veggies, seafood, chicken, and rice. My cooking is an amalgam of chinese/ tex mex/ southern/ quick fix/ italian/ american convenience. I have chips and soda in my house, the soda more for my dh who stopped drinking 3 years ago. We do eat out, sometimes out of boredom/ fatigue at figuring out what to make that will please everyone. It is terrible sometimes what we will put into our bodies to quell the hunger/ keep the routine of a meal.

I do find a lot of pleasure in cooking, preparing meals for my dh and wee one. I have more interest in that than in home decor per se. One of the points of the book that has been sticking with me is the concept of locavore. Now, I live in the desert, not exactly a fertile place, but I do think about and try to buy things that don't have to be shipped from >1000 miles away. So locally, I have noticed tomatoes, melons, and dairy. I live in a big state, but my goal is to try to buy things from in state...like the blueberries I got the other day. It helps that the market I shop at is hq in my own state.

Happy 4th of July!

Right now I am watching a fireworks show from the window in my study. As there are no houses built in front of us nor many buildings (except for a church near us) for a few miles, I can see quite a ways. Pretty nifty to see a show from my house huh! My dh is watching the hot dog eating contest on ESPN2...just your usual July 4th activities for us average Americans with sleep children under 3. Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th!

Moving along

Not much exciting in these here parts. I still have another week of no work (which I actually don't mind too much) and no driving (my SIL says I am like Paris Hilton under house arrest) and have become the world's worst backseat driver (my poor mum). We have been busy planning wee one's birthday celebration (with many of our friends and family big and small). Shopping and gathering cool stuff such as a balloon pump (only 1.99 at a store I jokingly refer to as "Made in China") and napkins printed with flip flops. We are going to let the kids roam around the yard and feed them lots of pizza, ice cream, cake, and fruit (we have lots of healthy friends).

I have been worrying, with many of you, about how Frances is doing, so be sure to hop on over to her site to wish her well = click on link to "Not, Baby in a Corner."