Food Is Overrated Anyway

Cake?  No worries.  THAT we'll eat.

Tonight it took Princess #3 TWO HOURS to eat dinner.

No, not dinner.  That would almost be understandable.  But it wasn't a whole dinner.  Just the chicken.  Just 3 measly bites of chicken.

TWO HOURS.

And this would be the point where my parents burst into side splitting laughter and point their fingers at me saying, "it's payback time!"

Yes, ok.  So it did take me a long time to eat when I was a kid.  I didn't inhale food.  So sue me.  I did have a tendency to chew roast until it resembled... well... something really, really gross and certainly not consumable.  There were nights my dad would encourage me to take a drink of water to try to get me to swallow the meat in my mouth, resulting not in an empty mouth but rather a mouthful of water and um, really, really, gross chewed up watery meat.

Hungry yet?

So I clearly understand that I had this coming to me.  It was bound to happen.  Just as I destined myself to have children crawling into my bed in the wee hours of the morning (yes, I did this too), I apparently predetermined that all my children would be terrible eaters.

Case in point:

Today Princess #4 ate for dinner a cereal bar (her third of the day), 6 goldfish crackers, and a bit of rice.  That's it.  Should I be worried now?

Sigh.  I know.  I turned out ok, so apparently eating like a very picky bird isn't extremely detrimental.

Can a child exist on cereal?  If so, we're golden.

Is There A Sign On My Forehead?

Princess #2 in a what would have been a classic sinkhole moment, were we not in the safety of our own home.  Here I was clearly free to snap pictures rather than attempt to put an end to the madness.  Circa 2007.

Have you ever been caught in one of those less than stellar parenting moments?  C'mon, I know you have them, because no one is perfect all the time.  But have you been caught?   Where a spotlight is shining down on you from above, causing sweat to bead up on your forehead and under your arms?   And a giant neon flashing sign above your head screams:  LOOK HERE NOW!!!  PARENTING CATASTROPHE IN PROCESS!!  Meanwhile you want a hidden sinkhole to magically appear under your feet and suck you under into blissful, anonymous blackness?  Oh, you're reliving it now, aren't you?

Yep.  Been there, done that.

I had one such moment back when I felt compelled to address the punk kid that turned my perfectly fine evening into an ad for the Worst Parenting Awards took my paint order at Home Depot.

Why is it that you always run across people you know (and probably want to impress with your mad parenting skillz) in the most obscure locations and at the worst possible times?

Witching hour around here lasts from about 4pm-7pm.  That's a whole lot of cranky kid time.  I suppose if I wanted to play it safe I could hole up at home during those 3 hours every.single.day.  But then I'd need a padded room for myself, so I figure it's better to take my chances and risk running into someone I know rather than commit myself to insanity.  And cheaper, right?  How much do padded rooms cost anyway?

So here's the deal:  If you see me, and I've got that huge sign flashing above my head, please do one of the following:

1.  Duck your head and keep on walkin'.  I'll pretend I didn't see you.
2.  Tell me I'm rockin' this parenting gig and ask me for all my secrets.
3.  Point me in the direction of your own sinkhole:  Misery loves company.

My friends, have you had a sinkhole moment?  Do share.

My Baby Can Yell "NO!" Louder Than Your Baby

My baby is becoming a child, and all I can say is "Thank God!"

I know that sounds bipolar, considering most the time I'm lamenting the swiftness of time and trying to figure out how to make it stop and keep Princess #4 a baby forever.

BUT.  There are a few things about having a baby that I won't miss all that much.  And for those things, I'm thankful that we are entering the toddler stage.

Words, for example.  Princess #4 is opinionated.  Oh, does she have an opinion.  And wow does she like to express it. Which is quite frustrating for all of us when her expression is limited to screaming and screeching.  Not that it's ideal to have a small child yelling "NO!" at you all the time either, but at least now I know for sure where she stands.  Besides, have you seen a small child the size of your thigh yell "No!" over and over?  It's pretty stinkin' funny.  At least the first few times.

And sleep.  This is a no-brainer right?  The one thing that consumes new parents from the moment their blessed bundled is handed to them.  Precious sleep.  Oh how happy I am to leave behind the nights of waking 2-3 (or in Princess #2's case, 4-5) times a night.  Of course, I'm still up a few times a night, but that's due to my own neurosis and obsession with checking on the princesses while they sleep.

And my favorite part of the baby-turning-into-a-child stage?  They actually do what you ask, most of the time.  Can you pick up your toy?  Sure!  Will you throw this in the trash?  Off she goes running (to the sink, rather than the trashcan, but hey, I'll take what I can get).  There's something about obeying that I think is appealing to a not quite baby anymore, when they're given a big kid task.  Unfortunately, this stage passes in a flash and before I know it she'll suddenly develop selective hearing and all my requests will fall on deaf ears.  Until then...

My friends, do you have a stage of babyhood (or not quite babyhood) that you love the most?

Just Something To Make You Smile

Target Choir from planet pink on Vimeo.

These made the hubs and I laugh so hard.  I don't really know why, but they did!  Even funnier was the hubs and I trying to figure out how to set up my phone so that we could video it and still make them sing at the same time.  Yes, we are big kids in disguise.

But c'mon!  Everyone needs a stuffed animal choir!

Please ignore me in the background.  Hubs didn't tell me he was getting me on camera, the big dork.  :-P

Missing: One Fall Season

Dear fall,

Where are you?

Do you not know that September is more than halfway over?

In my book, as soon as the sun is down on Labor Day, your crisp, cool breezes should start rustling leaves.

The stores have been preparing for you since the Fourth of July.

While I don't think it's necessary to cut summer short, I do think it's fair to meet in the middle and at least show up in early September.

This 95+ degree business is getting a little old.

I am ready for you.

You only have a few short months before Old Man Winter starts getting busy.  And we all know how he likes to overstay his welcome.

Let's make the most of it, shall we?

Don't leave me hanging, please!

Dear friends, fall is my favorite and my best.  Do you have a season that makes your heart sing?

No Words

Please stop aggravating your sister!

Would you please pick up your dirty laundry?

Who made the mess in the kitchen?

PLEASE - stop bugging your sister!

Don't forget to do your homework!

Shh!  The baby is sleeping!

Oh for the love of God!  LEAVE YOUR SISTER ALONE!!!

These are things you could hear on any given day in my home.  The chaos, the noise, the utter cacophony that is my life.  So many times I'm irritated.  So many times I'm annoyed.  So many times I'm just so.dang.tired. of saying the same things over and over.

And then I'm reminded.  Sometimes in simple, easy ways, sometimes in heart-splitting ways - how truly blessed I am.  I have so much.  And some have none.

Today the reminder came in the form of a blog I stumbled across:  glow in the woods

I cannot wrap my mind around it.  I think back to those brief moments following Princess #4's emergency birth, those deafening silent moments that echoed with the uncertainty of her condition.  And I'm grateful I only had to live a mere minute or two of that hell.  To live a lifetime?  Unfathomable.  

And yet so many are sentenced to do just that.

And my heart aches with the knowledge of it.  And I feel guilt over my impatience with my perfectly beautiful, healthy children.  I feel the reproach as one who does not always recognize the magnitude of blessing that I live with every day.  I should know better.

I know it is not possible to go day after day without feeling impatience or frustration at my children.  But I hope I will not be so quick to anger, so quick to lose my cool.

Because today I am reminded that there are those who grieve for that opportunity.

My friends, as we approach the month of October and the official Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, take a moment to remember those who have had to live through such hell and say a prayer of thanksgiving for your own children.  This post is in honor of Leslie and her sweet baby boy Cullen, who arrived stillborn at 34 weeks on Sept. 11, 2010.

Genius!

I think I know what I need.

An automatic clothes washer and dryer.

No, not the kind where you throw in a load of clothes and toss in some soap, then wait around while it swishes for a bit and then the clothes automatically come out clean. Clearly that brainchild has already been developed.

What I need is an automatic clothes washer and dryer that allows me to queue 2-3 (oh who am I kidding? I've got 4 kids, make that 3-4) loads at a time. And while I'm snoozing away in lala land, the machine cycles through the loads, automatically moving the wet clothes (via some sort of conveyor belt contraption thingy) into the dryer and starting the next load.

Then I wake up from dream world to find my own dream come true: 4 loads of laundry finished in my sleep.

Now, if I could figure out how to automatically get the clothes folded and put away, we might be on to something...

Ok, I showed you mine.  You show me yours.  :-)

The Best Ever.

I'm pretty much a realist by nature.  Hubs is the dreamer - he comes up with big ideas and dreams and exciting adventures and my immediate reaction is always, "ok, so how is this going to happen?"  I've worked hard on reigning it in for him, because I have to imagine that as a dreamer it would be a real downer to always have a realist popping your bubbles.

But still, it's a part of me, and try as I might, those tendencies still rise to the surface occasionally (unless the situation has something to do with harm that might come to my children or hubs - then all reality flies out the window and I become "worst case scenario girl".  But that's a whole 'nother post).

And while the hubs' dreaming and planning doesn't bother me at all, there are a few other "non-realist" personality types that really get under my skin.  One in particular has been grating on me the last few weeks, so in true confession style, I'm gonna lay it all out there:

The Best Ever.

I have this acquaintance who suffers from what I term "The Best Ever" syndrome.  Know anyone like that?  Ultimately, it manifests itself in this nature:  They live in The Best Neighborhood Ever.  Their kids go to The Best School Ever.  Their city and state are The Best Place To Live Ever.  Their church is The Best Church Ever.  All the people they knows are The Best Friends Ever.  The toilet paper they use is The Best Toilet Paper Ever.

You get the picture.

Now, I'm all for a little optimism from time to time.  I think it's good to look for the positive things in life and focus on them.  It does no good to dwell on the negative.  But honestly, in this day and age, where social media allows for a new form of verbal/thought over-information, I just don't care if your garbage man is The Best Trash Thrower Ever.  And it begins to strike me as a little inauthentic when EVERYTHING in a person's life is The Best Ever.

Realistically, it's just not possible.  And all the realists with me know that.  We aren't fooled.

I suppose that just as being a realist is intrinsic to my personality, perhaps The Best Ever syndrome is intrinsic to others.  Perhaps it's intrinsic to you.  And that's ok ultimately, I'll still be your friend.  But I might roll my eyes a bit when you go on and on about how your dentist is The Best Driller Ever.  C'mon.  We both know that sucked.

What Is My Problem?

I must sincerely apologize to you.  I am so not feeling the blogging love lately!  I can't figure out what my problem is but the juices just aren't flowing. We were so out of touch while we were out of town over Labor Day, and then I had some health issues take precedence and I'm just starting to feel like I'm ready to jump back into life.

So I'm so sorry I haven't been around.  I hate seeing my numbers drop, I know people are losing interest and I don't want that to happen.  Hopefully I'll find my mojo again soon.  I'm searching for it.  Don't give up on me!

It's My Party...

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I still have to do the laundry,

and the dishes,

and clean up after Princess #3 pees in her pants,

Happy Birthday to Me!

Guest Post: Please Don't Spread The LoveBugs!

Melissa at Confessions of a Dr. Mom is a pediatrician turned mommy to two beautiful children.  She blogs about all things mommy with an occasional doctor twist.  Knowing our battles with viruses and bugs this time of year, I asked her to come today to talk about the causes and prevention of these not so nice interruptions.  I'm thrilled she's here!

Queenie asked me to put on my Doctor hat today and review some of the common back to school bugs and what we, as parents, can do to help contain and treat them when these 'lovebugs' are sent home with our children.

First of all realize it's inevitable. Children will get sick. I have yet to meet a child in school who went the whole school year without coming down with something. That being said, there are measures we can take to lessen the chances of our children falling prey to some of these viruses.

First, I will outline 5 of the most common culprits causing illness in the preschool and school age child during Fall and Winter. Then I will give you some practical tips on containing these viral bugs.

Hand Foot Mouth Disease: This is most commonly caused by the coxsackie virus and peaks in the summer and early Fall. This virus affects mostly young children (children under 10). The symptoms consist of a fever, decreased appetite, and sore throat. Usually painful mouth sores develop on the tongue, inside of cheeks and back of throat. This may or may not be accompanied by the non-itchy skin rash on palms and soles of feet.

The Common Cold: Your child may be afflicted with this a few times a year. The most common culprit here is the rhinovirus though there are several different viral strains producing symptoms of the common cold. Hence, several colds can be caught during one season. The symptoms vary but most commonly include: stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, mild fever, and sneezing.

The Flu: Ahh...the dreaded flu. Influenza and it's various strains cause the dreaded flu symptoms. As opposed to the common cold, the flu gives more pronounced and severe symptoms: high fever (usually over 100.4), sudden onset of symptoms, profound body aches, headache, and general malaise with decreased appetite. With the common cold, respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, congestion and cough are more prominent than in the flu. So far, the only preventive medical defense we have against this is the seasonal flu shot. This year, the CDC reports that there will be a trivalent seasonal flu shot to include the H1N1 strain as well as two other influenza strains. These should be available at the end of September.

Strep Throat: Unlike the above conditions, this one is caused by a bacteria (Group A Strep.) and not a virus. So, this must be treated with antibiotics. So how do you tell the difference from a common sore throat (viral pharyngitis) and strep throat? Here are the key differences: strep throat involves a higher fever (usually above 101 F), red and swollen throat with possible pus formation, absence of cough, and swollen lymph nodes in neck. Strep throat may also be accompanied by abdominal pain, possible vomiting, and a body rash.

Gastroenteritis aka the "stomach flu" is caused by several different types of viruses, most notably rotavirus and adenovirus. The most prominent symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Some children may only have the vomiting, some only the diarrhea, and the unlucky ones will have both. This may be accompanied by fever and stomach ache. Having the so-called "stomach flu" does not mean you have the "flu" as in influenza.

I picked the above 5 conditions because they are by far the most common this time of year and they are highly contagious. There is just no way around it. Okay, so having thrown all that at you, what can you do to help minimize and contain these nasty viruses?

1. Frequent hand washing is the number one way to help prevent the spread of these bugs. Encourage and teach your child to wash their hands several times throughout the day. Before eating, after using the potty, after playing outside, etc. Have them sing a song while washing to make sure they wash long enough (ABC song is a good one).
2. Carry sanitizer. I always wipe my kids' hands as soon as they get into the car from school. This time of year, it's just a good habit. That being said, we have already had 2 of the 5 above and we're only 3 weeks into the new school year. Still...it's worthwhile. Wipe down shopping cart handles too.
3. Encourage children to sneeze and cough into their arms or a tissue.
4. Keep children home if they have a fever, are vomiting, or have significant diarrhea.
5. Teach them not to share drinking cups or utensils with their friends.
6. By all means, sanitize the toys and personal items in your house after a bout with any of the above.
7. Make sure your children get enough sleep, eat well balanced meals, and exercise regularly. All of these will help insure that their immune systems stay in tip top shape.

Good Luck to all of you this Fall and Winter season. Unfortunately, these bugs will make their way into our households just make sure your child gets plenty of rest, fluids, and love. Don't hesitate to contact your pediatrician whenever you're concerned or have questions regarding your child's health.

Thank you so much Queenie for having me here today. It's been a pleasure. Stay healthy.

My friends, I can't help but see the irony that today (the day the lovely Melissa is here to share her wisdom about "lovebugs"), I am home with 2 of my princesses who have conveniently captured and shared their own bugs.  Sigh.  The thrills of being a mom, right?  I hope you found some of this info helpful!  Here's to avoiding a sick(er) fall/winter!

That Morning

That Morning, was just another day.  

The hubs and I were on our way to work.

I had just told him that I thought I was finally getting over my anxiety of flying.

That Morning, I sat at my desk and checked the news websites like always.

I stared at the homepage of cnn.com, trying to make sense of the image I was seeing.

Certain it must be some sick joke.

That Morning, security and confidence and peace vanished in one single, terrifying instant.

I felt like I was living in a different world.

A world I didn't want to be in.

That Morning, silence reigned in the skies.

How eerie it seemed, without the usual roar of an airplane overhead.

For more than a week the deafening silence rang in my ears.

That Morning, a blur of disbelief.

How could this happen?

Why God?

That Morning, a moment in time never to be forgotten.

images of devastation, gut-wrenching heartbreak, astounding loss:

forever etched in my mind.

That Morning, changed everything.

My children will not grow up in the same world I did.

That Morning, 9 years ago.

And This Is Why Charlotte's Web Is Ruined For Me

Did you ever see the live action remake of Charlotte's Web from a few years ago?  You know, the one that starred Dakota Fanning before her vampire days?  Cute flick.  Adorable pig.

Horrific spider.

That scene at the end, where Wilbur is ecstatic as Charlotte's babies hatch and fly about the barn?  That right there my friends is heebie jeebie worthy for sure.  Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny baby spiders released upon an unsuspecting farm.  Shudder.

And that was the scene at my house last night.  There I was, just dutifully finishing my daily chores.  I opened the back door to put a garbage bag out and discovered a HUGE spider sitting on my doorframe.   Since I cannot stand the sensation of the crunch of an arachnid under my shoe, I quickly closed the door and searched for something suitable to do the dirty job with.  I settled on a can of wasp spray.  I figured if it didn't kill him it would at least get him to go away.

I returned to the back door and opened it to not one, but TWO huge spiders.  I immediately unleashed the spray on the second spider that appeared during my absence.

You can imagine my sheer horror when I witnessed a scene worthy of the big screen:  spilling out from that spider's back hundreds of tiny, baby spiders.

I'm itching just typing this.

And oh dear God do those things move fast!  I think I may have emptied the entire can of wasp spray on the door frame.

Surely baby spiders can't crawl through a current of wasp spray?  Right?

So Wilbur, I'm sorry.  I think you're cute.  And your story is wonderful.  But I just can't watch your movie ever again.  After seeing it played out right outside my back door, I have no desire to relive it.

I think a call to the bug guys is in order.

Did Ya Miss Me?

I didn't anticipate being gone this long!  We went out of town for a family reunion/labor day this past weekend and would you believe we had ZERO internet service the entire time?!  I felt so cut off!  I was missing my peeps!  *sniff*

It WAS good to just hang out with family, but I'm amazed at how dependent we've become on the internet.  I was feeling all panicky because I couldn't get online to check the map for our route home, when the hubs reminded me that we had an actual map in the van.  You know, the paper kind that folds?  Ha.

Speaking of panicky, the night we got home I suffered an extreme panic attack while I was driving (alone) and ended up in the ER for observation and a few tests.  Things look fine, but wow that was scary!  I've never experienced anything of that magnitude before.  By the time I had pulled over on the side of the highway, my feet and hands and arms were totally paralyzed.  The Dr. told me that was a result of hyperventilating.

Anyway, I'm working on improving my diet (I'll be the first to admit my diet sucks, I've got so many kids to feed, I'm too busy doing that and forget to feed myself), have totally cut out caffeine for awhile (and if you know me you know what a HUGE sacrifice this is.  Coffee=sanity for me, so this is a big change) and am focusing on getting more sleep.  In addition the Dr. gave me a prescription for a anti-anxiety medicine to take only as needed if, God forbid, I feel an attack coming on and I can't manage it with breathing and relaxation techniques.  I hope I never have to use it.

This has been sort of a wake up call for me in alot of ways.  I've really taken my health and nutrition for granted and it's something I know I can't afford to do.  Because I'm generally a small person I've never worried much about weight which is predominantly what people think of when they think of health.  But the pendulum swings both ways, and I'm discovering that malnutrition can really set some health issues in motion.  The hubs and I are really focusing the rest of this year on getting healthy and taking care of ourselves.  We have 4 babes that we need to be in top form for.  We owe it to them to take care of ourselves.

So, that's all.  I'll be trying to get back into the swing of blogging here the rest of the week/weekend.  I hope you all haven't deserted me!  Along the lines of health, I've got Melissa of Confessions of a Dr.  Mom coming on Monday to post about typical childhood illnesses and what to do when they bring the "lovebugs" home from school.  I hope you'll be back to join us then!  In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you and reading what you've been up to this past week!

My friends, I hope your holiday weekend was wonderful!  I would love to hear from you if you've struggled with panic attacks, or if you're taking steps to improve your health.  Do you have any tips or tricks you use to stay calm or to remember to take care of yourself?

Flashback Friday: What Was I Thinking?

What Was I Thinking?

*originally posted December 13, 2008*

It sounded so simple and made so much sense.  The cabinets were bare.  Starving Princesses were grating on my every last nerve begging for food.  We'd just run to the store for a few quick things.  Nothing major, just the essentials.  Your Majesty started making a list (maybe overkill for just a "few things", but I know that I do much better with the old bottom line if I stick to my list).  Milk of course, then cereal, and bread... so far so good.  Oh and we're out of paper towels, and nearly out of toilet paper... and I should get a few extra things to make the Princesses' lunches with... and maybe I'll be able to grab a few things off my stocking stuffer list....

We finally make it out the door, with a much longer list than "the essentials" would require.  But that's ok.  I'm organized and ready.  We'll hit Super Wal-mart so fast we'll be out of there in no time.  All the Princesses have gone potty, a fresh diaper is donned, My Little Ponies are in tow for amusement - we're good to go.

One small, teeny-tiny detail:  It's Saturday.  December 13th.  A mere 12 days before Christmas.  Before you break into song about swans a-swimming and partridges in pear trees, let's analyze the ramifications of going to Super Wal-mart in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday just 12 days before Christmas:

1.  No parking spaces.  Ever wonder what the entire perimeter of the Wal-mart parking lot looks like?  Go on a Saturday afternoon 12 days before Christmas.  You'll get a chance to drive around it several times, watching every single car in front of you get lucky and snag a spot - only to leave you to drive on, circling and circling until your Princesses are complaining of getting dizzy.

2.  No shopping carts.  Really, I'm not sure what the problem is with keeping the cart corral stocked with carts.  I probably passed 50 out in the parking lot - don't they pay teenage boys to push those suckers back to the building?  Next time I'll grab one on my way in.

3.  More than enough people.  You would think that Wal-mart is the place to be on a Saturday afternoon.  It's like being on a gigantic bumper car ride, except you are pushing your cars instead of driving them.  And as time goes by, more weight is added to your car which makes it even more difficult to steer.  Add in of course a Princess or two and then it really gets fun.

4.  Lack of common sense.  One would think that in a place like Wal-mart, swarming with people and nearly out of control shopping carts, one would take care to see that they stay within their own "space" and offer the simplest basic courtesy to others around them by not blocking aisles, barreling around corners, allowing their kids to  swerve in and out of people on those blasted tennis shoes with wheels in the heel... one would think.  But one would also be mistaken.

5.  Murphey's Law:  no matter what you do, you will always, ALWAYS choose the wrong check out lane.  (just a PSA here:  if you have a line 3 deep behind you and you're nearly done checking out when you discover that you forgot to grab some ornament hooks for your precious ornaments - do everyone a favor and come back another time to grab the hooks.  Really, it's not that big of a deal.  And it's not worth making everyone behind you in line wait an extra 10 minutes while you try to snag down a Wal-mart employee to have them go fight the crowds to bring back hooks for you.  Use paper clips for crying out loud!)

6.  No matter how well behaved, even Princesses can only stand Wal-mart for so long.

We're lucky we made it out alive.

My friends, have a wonderful, relaxing Labor Day weekend and stay away from Super Wal-Mart if you can help it!  I'll see ya back here in a couple of days!

And Now You Are Eight

Not so very long ago, I held you in my arms for the very first time.

You were so small, fragile, the world in my hands.

So many hopes and dreams wrapped up in a tiny body.

And now you are eight.

You no longer fit all curled up on my lap, your gangly legs hang over the side.

Still full of hopes and dreams, some of them close to realized.

Not so very long ago, I watched as you learned to take your first steps.

Desperately wanting to be independent.

Determined to succeed.

And now you are eight.

And now you can fly.

Not so very long ago, I wanted to stop time.

You were growing fast, way too fast.

Stopping time meant you would need me forever.

And now you are eight.

And I'm not sure what I want time to do.

I'll be honest, there are some phases I'd like to fast-forward.

And others I wish would never end.

Not so very long ago, you taught me what it meant to be a mother.

That it's more than feeding choices and sleeping schedules.

It's more than stressing over vaccinations and school decisions.

And now you are eight.

And now I know that being a mother is an amazing gift.

One that keeps surprising me.  Keeps me on my toes.

One that will forever bind me to you.

I love you forever, I'll like you for always.  As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Happy birthday my precious Princess #1!