Advice needed....

I'm 99% sure that Sam has conjunctivitis. I decided to get a head start on treating it and just attempted to put the ointment in his eyes. Yeah, right.

He closed his eyes so tightly that I'm not sure if any if it actually got on his eye ball. Is there a trick to doing this? Is it enough to smear it all over their eyelid (meaning, will some of it work it's way into the eye?) I'm planning to do it again when he falls asleep but any suggestions on getting it in during the day would be oh so appreciated...

True Jeans Giveaway

Those of you who know me in real life, know that I have a gift for finding a great deal. This "gift", has brought many lovely things into my life. A new, $900 Pottery Barn area rug for $200, A three month old, $3,000 Pottery Barn sectional for $800, my $1,500 Nicole Miller wedding gown for $30. If I do say so myself, I'm good.

I'm bad too. As a result of my love for a bargain, I have a fair amount of not so great fitting clothes that I bought simply because they were such a great deal. I'm working on it though, and I've gotten better. Over the last two years, I've adopted the Oprahism of "Would I want it if it were full price?". Usually, the answer is no.

That being said, I probably own 10 pairs of jeans, all purchased on sale, before having children or at some point shortly after. I don't like how any of them look and so, most days, I reach for my Yoga pants. I thought that looking good in jeans was another casualty of mommyhood until I tried on a pair of my friend Christina's 7 for All Mankind jeans. It was right before I got pregnant with Grace. I was back to my pre-baby weight, but not my pre-baby bod and those jeans looked amazing on me. My butt, was back where it belonged. The waist band was in the right place, eliminating my "muffin top". I vowed to get a pair. I began the hunt. I tried on 100 pairs of designer jeans. I fell in love over and over but I couldn't pull the trigger. $150 plus for jeans? Crazy. I told myself one pair of $200 jeans that are worn every day is worth it and better than 10 pairs of $20 jeans. I still couldn't do it.

Then I was pregnant again and my quest ended. I still want a pair though. I've been telling myself that as soon as I lose the last 5 pounds, it's off to Nordstrom I go....who am I kidding though? I'll never spend $200 on jeans.

Imagine my delight when I learned that 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a $200 gift certificate for True Jeans! Excited? Just a little. I could spend that gift certificate in a heart beat. I wouldn't even wait to lose those last 5 pounds.

"Rosanna, He's Alive!"

That's what Sam has been singing for the last week. He is insistent that these are the correct words. Hosanna? No, "that's silly."

Nothing like a Cadbury Eggs for breakfast!

Ready for church!
Fondu...
is
SO
Good!
Meet the Easter Bunny!

AKA "scary monster"
AKA...Grandma

Hope that everyone had a wonderful day.

Out of the mouth's of babes...

Grace has been sick for the last three days. She was more cranky than usual on Tuesday and by Tuesday night, she had a high fever. She slept poorly, and in the morning, she was a mess. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't let me put her down and wanted to nurse constantly. By 10 o'clock, I couldn't believe that we had been up for a mere four hours. I was tired, cranky and very short with Sam.

When Grace finally took a nap I asked Sam to come read with me. He eagerly climbed up on the couch with a stack of his favorite books. I snuggled him close and told him I loved him. Then I apologized for being so cranky and mean that morning. He looked at me with those big, dreamy eyes and said, "Mommy, that was really nice."

"What was nice Sam?'

"When you told the truth mommy, that was nice."

Ouch. Compared to the times that I am cranky and mean and act like it's all his fault?

I love that boy. He makes me smile 100 million times each day.

"Fruit Shower"

"Mommy, when I was in your tummy, how did I eat?"

"The food that mommy ate fed you too."

"Oh, so I just reached out and grabbed it? It was like a fruit shower!"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, I mean Easter.

Not something you see every day.
"I will find more eggs. Do not try to stop me. Roar!"
As close as we ever get to a family photo...
"I really wanted to wear bunny ears, but they didn't fit over my hood. I think I'll just make a rabbit face instead."

Jack, just because he let me take his picture.

I think the pictures say it all. Yesterday was 50 degrees and I had visions of Grace in bunny ears and a tutu (with a pom pom rabbit tail stuck to her bum) participating in her first egg hunt. It was not to be. Instead, we wore boots and tights under our pants...

The kids didn't seem to mind. In fact, snow makes it very easy to spot brightly colored, plastic eggs full of treasure. They found all 325 eggs in about 10 minutes! It was not a competition, but I'd have to say that if it was, Sam won. And he knew it. "I won, I won!" was joyfully proclaimed, over and over and over. I can't imagine where he gets his competitive nature.

Fickle...

"Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind; not firm in opinion or purpose; inconstant; capricious." I'm pretty sure Gracie's picture is right next to the definition in any dictionary published after October of 2006.

I have not been able to get her to where the tutu or the bunny ears for more than thirty seconds. However, the minute I took them out and attempted to put them on baby Alexandra they became her outfit of choice. She wore them all afternoon...

Oh, and the Crocs. Not the shoes that I put on her yesterday morning. She picked those out too.

Things a mother knows and a father should....

This made me laugh and I thought I'd share....

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me. I was about 2.5 years old and a little tea set was my favorite toy. My dad was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought him a little cup of "tea", which was just water.

After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.
My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was "just the cutest thing"! My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy. She watches him drink it up.

Then she says, "Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

Inquiring minds want to know....

On the way home from school today, Sam proclaimed, "Mommy, I'm gonna be a good boy from now on."

I told him that I think he is a very good boy and that I am very proud to be his mommy and then somehow, we were talking about where babies come from.

"Mommy, you're my only mommy."

"Yes Sam, and you are my only son."

"I was in your tummy first and then Gracie."

"Yes, that's right."

Momentary silence.

"Mommy, how'd I get in your tummy?"

"God put you there."

My memory of the exact words get a little fuzzy here. In the past, this has been enough of an answer but the tone of his voice made me suspect that the conversation wasn't over.

"Yeah but HOW?"

Usually, I love to be right. Not so much this time...

"Mommy and Daddy love each other very much and we asked God for a baby and he gave us you."

"Oh, but how did Daddy get me in your tummy?"

Are you kidding? Did my 3.5 year old really just ask how Daddy put him in my tummy? Yes, he did and I lied...just a little.

"Um, I don't know (because truly, I cannot explain the science of it all) God can do anything Sam. Mommy and Daddy asked for a baby and he just put you in my tummy."

"Oh, so you prayed really hard?"

"Yes, we prayed hard."

So my question is, what do you think? When and how have you handled talking to your children about sex? We're pretty open here. We use the real names of body parts and such and I always thought that when they asked, I would just tell them the truth. However, I never thought that they'd ask before they were even pooping on the potty.

Today he was satisfied with only part of the answer, but I have a feeling that soon, he'll be looking for more. I know he's not ready for the whole scoop (and either am I) but how much information should you give someone his age?

More ways to waste time...

Remember the moon survival quiz? Apparently, there is a plethora of useful information to be learned about yourself! For example:

18 But I get the crap kicked out of me every day by one 16 month old! 3.5 years till I'm victorious!

36% Must lose the rest of the baby weight. I think I'm a little too effective!

I Scored a 100%!

Shocking....

18% Geek
Only 18%? There were no questions about wearing retro jeans. If there had been, I am certain that I would be a bigger geek. Or, am I confusing geekiness with nerdiness? I guess it is possible that I am more of a nerd than a geek. I'll have to go back and see if there is a nerd test.

$5275.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth. This may be more than my net worth. It is definitely more than the social security benefit that my family will get if I die.

Off to a good start!

I'm not a morning person. Not even a little. It takes about three cups of coffee for me to even start feeling human. I use a French Press so that I can make strong, hot cups of coffee throughout my day.


For those of you not familiar with the French Press, it's really not all that different than any other coffee maker. Meaning, you do have to grind the beans. I put four scoops (of beans) in and was about to add water before I woke up enough to realize my mistake.
It's oh dark thirty and raining. I wish going back to bed was an option. Instead, I will make French Toast and enjoy my coffee...

Sweetie

In case I have given anyone the impression that she is not....




Thanks for all of the advice. I haven't had the opportunity to try anything yet, because she has hardly screamed at all. Has the blogosphere been praying?

Alexandra

Yesterday I watched my friend Clarissa's little girl Alexandra and got to experience what my life would be like if it was possible to get pregnant a few weeks before giving birth. It wasn't as bad as one might think it would be! In fact, if we could be assured that Twinkle baby number three would be as sweet and well behaved as Alexandra, he or she would already be on the way!

Help!

Anyone who reads this regularly or knows us in real life knows that Grace screams. All the time. Although I have an advanced degree in child development and have taught parenting classes, I have no idea what to do with this little girl of mine. I've tried everything that I can think of and quite frankly, I'm at the end of my rope. It takes every last bit of self control that I have not to get right in her face and scream back.

So, my Works for Me Wednesday (backwards edition) question is this. What would you do was your 16 month old child? (Please believe me when I tell you that any apparent egging on was done strictly for the purpose of getting it on video.)

I hear this scream in my sleep. She does it constantly, when she wants something, when she gets something, when she's happy, when she's sad, when she's tired and when she first wakes up. I'm at a loss. My 3.5 year old son NEVER did this. Is it typical girl or second child behavior?

Any thoughts, words of wisdom, offers to adopt (kidding, kidding, kidding...) would be greatly appreciated. I'd also love to hear from you if you had a child who did this and who has since turned into a normal, pleasant and well adjusted member of society. 'Cause let me tell you, when she walks around saying "Happy, happy, happy!" while doing the scream, I really start to worry.

"As long as we think we can handle it all, we will. Unless we grasp what we can't do, we won't have a clue to what God can do."

Elisa Morgan

So I'd be dead....

48%
Saw this on Lifenut and thought it looked interesting....Turns out, I wouldn't do so well if I ever found myself stranded on the moon. Fortunately, the only travel plans I have at the moment include a trip to CT for Easter, and that's not even certain.

If you take the quiz, let me know how you did. I need to know who to invite in case I ever have the opportunity to go.

Dot, dot, dot....letter!

As I sit drinking my morning coffee and reading some of my favorite blogs Sam comes over and starts climbing into my lap. "Sorry buddy. Mommy just wants to sit by herself and do this." He stands for a minute and watches as I leave a comment and then type my password. "But mommy, you're just doing dots. You can do dots with me on your lap. I'll get down when you do some letters."

Suddenly, letters appear.....