Good morning internet!
I came to the conclusion this morning that I am getting old. Besides the fact that I will hit a new decade on my next birthday or that I'm developing fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead, I spent the last hour on the phone making doctor appointments. I wish I could say it was for the kids, but this time it was all me. First a call to the ortho to make an appointment for my wrist - then a call to the walk-in clinic to arrange to pick up my x-rays. Then a call to the neurologist who never called me back last week. Then a call to my OB to ask some advice on a lovely feminine problem I'm choosing not to share with you.
Pretty soon I will turn into my grandmother...
And what is it with the ridiculous wait times to see specialists these days? I have to wait NINE months to get Athena in to see a developmental pediatrician. The first open appointment that the neurologist has is 2.5 months away. Yet you drive just about anywhere in town and one of the major hospitals is expanding. Seriously? Who is staffing these new offices?
Ah, well.
Pretty boring Wednesday here. Feeling pretty frustrated with my weight loss this week, so trying to kick the exercise up a notch. I have a freelance deadline to make. And I'm expecting a "goose dropping" - yay! So basically the normal, mundane existence that I usually have, LOL.
Hope that the rest of you are surviving your "hump day."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thankful Tuesday
Good afternoon internet friends? I just realized that it was time to feed the kids lunch yet I had neglected to give you an update. Did anyone miss me?
Yesterday was a decently good day. Took Jasmine to run the non-food portion of our errands and checked out the new Dollar Store. Also got my lip gloss that I'd won on an online giveaway and got a shipping notice for my Franklin Goose order! Yippee!
Not much on the books for today - just more stroller reviews and about three loads of laundry. I'm hoping my darling husband comes home soon - if I can get the laundry done early enough I may also be able to go take a walk and enjoy this lovely weather!
This morning I won a greeting card for becoming the 600th fan on a Facebook page. Didn't even realize there was a contest. One of my other Facebook friends had posted that the page was trying to get to 600 fans, noticed that there were currently 599, and so "liked" it as well just to be that even 600 person, LOL. I did go back and look over the page some, and read some of the notes.
This woman is a photographer, which in and of itself isn't anything exciting and unusual. She also happens to be a one-legged photographer who uses a wheelchair. And what really struck me was the good humor with which she approached her situation. She was nearly killed by a drunk driver, had to endure numerous surgeries and extended hospital stays, ultimately lost her leg - so she has plenty of excuses to be bitter. Yet she manages to maintain her faith and her good humor.
Certainly a lesson to be learned, especially after just cursing under my breath because I knocked a bottle of hot sauce off the shelf where it promptly broke across my kitchen floor. All too often we stress the little things.
So that, my good anonymous internet people, is going to be my goal for the day - find something to be thankful for and try to get through the rest of day with somewhat good grace. Hope that you have a lovely day yourselves.
Yesterday was a decently good day. Took Jasmine to run the non-food portion of our errands and checked out the new Dollar Store. Also got my lip gloss that I'd won on an online giveaway and got a shipping notice for my Franklin Goose order! Yippee!
Not much on the books for today - just more stroller reviews and about three loads of laundry. I'm hoping my darling husband comes home soon - if I can get the laundry done early enough I may also be able to go take a walk and enjoy this lovely weather!
This morning I won a greeting card for becoming the 600th fan on a Facebook page. Didn't even realize there was a contest. One of my other Facebook friends had posted that the page was trying to get to 600 fans, noticed that there were currently 599, and so "liked" it as well just to be that even 600 person, LOL. I did go back and look over the page some, and read some of the notes.
This woman is a photographer, which in and of itself isn't anything exciting and unusual. She also happens to be a one-legged photographer who uses a wheelchair. And what really struck me was the good humor with which she approached her situation. She was nearly killed by a drunk driver, had to endure numerous surgeries and extended hospital stays, ultimately lost her leg - so she has plenty of excuses to be bitter. Yet she manages to maintain her faith and her good humor.
Certainly a lesson to be learned, especially after just cursing under my breath because I knocked a bottle of hot sauce off the shelf where it promptly broke across my kitchen floor. All too often we stress the little things.
So that, my good anonymous internet people, is going to be my goal for the day - find something to be thankful for and try to get through the rest of day with somewhat good grace. Hope that you have a lovely day yourselves.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday again
Good morning internet people!
Yes, I am back to reality now with my boring posts on what we've been doing and observations on life. No, Better Homes and Gardens hasn't contacted me to write for them, they must not be among the number of my anonymous readers (and yes folks, that is an attempt at humor). So let's see here...
All in all it was a pretty uneventful weekend. George had to work Saturday, so we ended up staying home all day. Allowed me to stay on top of my freelance writing for the weekend at least. However, while we were putzing around the house he discovered that he had managed to kill yet another Venus fly trap.
Now yes, I know that Venus fly traps are notoriously hard to grow. And I love my husband dearly. But why can't the man at least look up the instructions on how to care for one? Five minutes on the internet, and several swagbucks later* I was able to tell him half a dozen things that he was doing wrong. I know, I know, it's not "manly" to ask for directions, right?
So yesterday we drove out to Gale's, which was crazy busy, and got him another Venus fly trap. This has to be like the 8th one he's brought home. Anyone want to bet how long it lives?
Also stopped by the new Pet Supplies Plus they opened up in the old Ace Hardware location. It definitely feels roomier than the old place and they now offer dog grooming. Though I still can't help but feel a bit bitter - this is the place that when I applied for a parttime job after leaving the vet (hoping to have a little supplemental income to my pet-sitting business) told me that I was overqualified and could only apply for management. Wait a minute, you don't want your sales associates to know something about animals? Raise your hand if that makes sense to you...
Well, it is nearly 10 AM and I still have another 2200 words to get banged out on various strollers. Insane the amount of money people will spend on those things. So I will bid you all a fond adieu until tomorrow.
*If you aren't doing swagbucks yet, why not? It is incredibly easy. Just go to Swagbucks and sign up. Then use their search engine to do all your random internet searches. If you are slightly more ambitious, they also have codes and such that you can search for. But basically just doing searches alone I've made $85 in Amazon gift cards (a $5 Amazon gift card currently costs 450 bucks) since last June. Not bad money for doing something that I would do anyways. And if you sign up under me then I get credit too and we both earn.
Another easy way to earn a bit of spending cash is with Pinecone Research. These guys are a survey website, and you can get paid $3 a survey - each survey takes about 10 minutes and I usually get 2 a month. Every once in awhile you'll be asked to test something that you take a survey about, and they'll mail you a sample - usually it's a full sized item! I don't get credit for you signing up or anything, but if you are interested you can check them out here.
Yes, I am back to reality now with my boring posts on what we've been doing and observations on life. No, Better Homes and Gardens hasn't contacted me to write for them, they must not be among the number of my anonymous readers (and yes folks, that is an attempt at humor). So let's see here...
All in all it was a pretty uneventful weekend. George had to work Saturday, so we ended up staying home all day. Allowed me to stay on top of my freelance writing for the weekend at least. However, while we were putzing around the house he discovered that he had managed to kill yet another Venus fly trap.
Now yes, I know that Venus fly traps are notoriously hard to grow. And I love my husband dearly. But why can't the man at least look up the instructions on how to care for one? Five minutes on the internet, and several swagbucks later* I was able to tell him half a dozen things that he was doing wrong. I know, I know, it's not "manly" to ask for directions, right?
So yesterday we drove out to Gale's, which was crazy busy, and got him another Venus fly trap. This has to be like the 8th one he's brought home. Anyone want to bet how long it lives?
Also stopped by the new Pet Supplies Plus they opened up in the old Ace Hardware location. It definitely feels roomier than the old place and they now offer dog grooming. Though I still can't help but feel a bit bitter - this is the place that when I applied for a parttime job after leaving the vet (hoping to have a little supplemental income to my pet-sitting business) told me that I was overqualified and could only apply for management. Wait a minute, you don't want your sales associates to know something about animals? Raise your hand if that makes sense to you...
Well, it is nearly 10 AM and I still have another 2200 words to get banged out on various strollers. Insane the amount of money people will spend on those things. So I will bid you all a fond adieu until tomorrow.
*If you aren't doing swagbucks yet, why not? It is incredibly easy. Just go to Swagbucks and sign up. Then use their search engine to do all your random internet searches. If you are slightly more ambitious, they also have codes and such that you can search for. But basically just doing searches alone I've made $85 in Amazon gift cards (a $5 Amazon gift card currently costs 450 bucks) since last June. Not bad money for doing something that I would do anyways. And if you sign up under me then I get credit too and we both earn.
Another easy way to earn a bit of spending cash is with Pinecone Research. These guys are a survey website, and you can get paid $3 a survey - each survey takes about 10 minutes and I usually get 2 a month. Every once in awhile you'll be asked to test something that you take a survey about, and they'll mail you a sample - usually it's a full sized item! I don't get credit for you signing up or anything, but if you are interested you can check them out here.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
My response to Better Homes and Gardens
Good evening internet people!
Yes, I know it's Sunday and I normally don't post, but I wanted to get this out while it was fresh in my mind. I promise you that I will be back to my normal boring drivel first thing in the morning.
For those of you that haven't heard of/seen the article yet, here's the link:
10 Commandments of Dining with Little Kids
Now I feel the need to put my two cents in. Let me preface this by saying that an evening out at a 4 star restaurant WITH kids is not my idea of a relaxing evening. I'd much rather ask grandma to babysit or spring for a baby-sitter if the occasion was special. However, over the course of parenthood I've come to realize that not all situations can be avoided - dinners with the boss, close friends in town for just the evening, on vacation so can't cook yourself, etc. Plus I suppose some parents do enjoy it - to each their own. So here's my take.
THOU SHALT NOT BLOCK TRAFFIC WITH BULKY STROLLERS
Ok, when I started reading this article, I was like, ok, that makes sense. Then I started thinking, wait a minute, who takes a stroller into a restaurant? And who the heck considers a stroller to be a status symbol? Last time I checked I used mine as a convenient way to haul one or more kids around and keep the corralled in public.
So I pondered this a bit more. Well, I suppose there are some situations - like being at Disney World - where the stroller is part of the day's activities. Then if you think about it more - many of the finer establishments I've been to have few if any highchairs, and those they do have are so encrusted with who knows what that my child might as well be eating in the bathroom for all the germs. Or if you have a tiny infant, you likely will have them in the carrier still - do people expect you to sit that on the floor and have the waiter trip over it? At least most people can see a double-wide Maclaren.
THOU SHALT NOT ORDER A 10-COURSE TASTING MENU WITH KIDS UNDER 10
Now this seems pretty obvious to me, and honestly, I don't know any parents who would willingly take their children to something like that. But hey, you never know what will happen. If my husband's boss said something along the lines of "Hey, come to dinner so we can talk about your promotion, and bring the family so I can meet that cute kid of yours" we'd sure be there with bells on.
THOU SHALT NOT TREAT YOUR SERVER LIKE A SITTER
Again, when does this ever happen? Aside from simple requests like extra napkins or a spare plate, I've never heard of any parents using the server to baby-sit.
THOU SHALT NOT BREAST FEED AT THE TABLE
So this is the "commandment" that has the internet buzzing, particularly the "lactavist" groups. Even though I don't consider myself a "lactavist", I am a breastfeeding mother, and I find this offensive. For starters, 90% of the women I know are discrete about nursing in public - so much so that unless you are a nosy busybody you probably wouldn't even know what they are doing. And then - the bathroom?! Let's think about this. People go to the bathroom to relieve themselves. And I've seen some of these "nice" restrooms - garbage on the floor, pee on the seats...not to mention the millions of germs that get thrown in the air with every toilet that does get flushed. Would YOU eat your dinner in the bathroom? No? Then why should my child? And that's totally disregarding that mom needs to eat too - why should her dinner get cold just because you have a personal issue with breastfeeding? Her plate cost just as much as yours, often more if they have other kids with them that they had to order for as well.
THOU SHALL FEEL FREE TO ORDER "KID FOOD" OFF THE MENU
Well, duh. Does this author think we are all idiots? Most of the parents I know will order their child something they are going to eat - whether that is the kid's meal or not. Those that don't often have good reasons - they have dietary restrictions that are not accommodated by the offerings on the kid's menu, their kids prefer the adult food, or maybe they are just trying to expose their kids to new experiences.
THOU SHALL NOT TURN DINNER INTO A PHOTOSHOOT
Hmmm...ever heard of Foodie blogs? They will sit there and take pictures of their plates and then come home and critique them. Or how about that birthday celebration two tables over taking pics of Grandma's 100th? Just how does taking a snapshot or two of my child become more offensive than these other events?
THOU SHALT NOT BRING NOISY TOYS
Another "duh" moment over here. But hey, would you rather hear the bleep-blooping of some toy or infant screaming?
THOU SHALL TRY TO QUELL HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMING
Well, this is one of the few posts I actually do agree with. But then I'm also the kind of parent that has no qualms about giving a couple of spanks in the bathroom stall either if they are acting out. But not all kids respond to the same parenting methods the same. Some will quit acting out as soon as they realize no one is paying attention - which generally a lot quicker than they'll recover from a washroom spanking. Plus you should keep in mind that high pitched squealing can be a sign of happiness too. And last I checked my 4 month old doesn't come with a mute switch.
THOU SHALT NOT ALLOW FREE-RANGE KIDS
Another common sense comment. But then the only time I've seen "free range" kids is in the lobby while waiting for a table, not usually the restaurant itself.
THOU SHALL CALMLY DISCOURAGE FOOD FIGHTS
At this point, I'm starting to wonder where this reviewer is eating. Did she take a wrong turn and end up at Chuck-E-Cheese instead of her 4-star cafe. Come on now, food fights?! Random internet people, do tell me when the last time you saw a food fight at a 4-star restaurant was?
Better Homes and Gardens, you can do better than this. This isn't journalism. It's not even informational. It's one writer getting her panties in a bunch because she either doesn't like kids or doesn't have any. Wouldn't surprise me if she was one of those "child free" people. But insulting parents out there with this garbage is no way to encourage reader loyalty.
And if you ever need a real writer, I do freelance. Hint, hint.
Ok random internet people, stepping down from my pedestal now. Feel free to return to your regularly scheduled programming.
Yes, I know it's Sunday and I normally don't post, but I wanted to get this out while it was fresh in my mind. I promise you that I will be back to my normal boring drivel first thing in the morning.
For those of you that haven't heard of/seen the article yet, here's the link:
10 Commandments of Dining with Little Kids
Now I feel the need to put my two cents in. Let me preface this by saying that an evening out at a 4 star restaurant WITH kids is not my idea of a relaxing evening. I'd much rather ask grandma to babysit or spring for a baby-sitter if the occasion was special. However, over the course of parenthood I've come to realize that not all situations can be avoided - dinners with the boss, close friends in town for just the evening, on vacation so can't cook yourself, etc. Plus I suppose some parents do enjoy it - to each their own. So here's my take.
THOU SHALT NOT BLOCK TRAFFIC WITH BULKY STROLLERS
Ok, when I started reading this article, I was like, ok, that makes sense. Then I started thinking, wait a minute, who takes a stroller into a restaurant? And who the heck considers a stroller to be a status symbol? Last time I checked I used mine as a convenient way to haul one or more kids around and keep the corralled in public.
So I pondered this a bit more. Well, I suppose there are some situations - like being at Disney World - where the stroller is part of the day's activities. Then if you think about it more - many of the finer establishments I've been to have few if any highchairs, and those they do have are so encrusted with who knows what that my child might as well be eating in the bathroom for all the germs. Or if you have a tiny infant, you likely will have them in the carrier still - do people expect you to sit that on the floor and have the waiter trip over it? At least most people can see a double-wide Maclaren.
THOU SHALT NOT ORDER A 10-COURSE TASTING MENU WITH KIDS UNDER 10
Now this seems pretty obvious to me, and honestly, I don't know any parents who would willingly take their children to something like that. But hey, you never know what will happen. If my husband's boss said something along the lines of "Hey, come to dinner so we can talk about your promotion, and bring the family so I can meet that cute kid of yours" we'd sure be there with bells on.
THOU SHALT NOT TREAT YOUR SERVER LIKE A SITTER
Again, when does this ever happen? Aside from simple requests like extra napkins or a spare plate, I've never heard of any parents using the server to baby-sit.
THOU SHALT NOT BREAST FEED AT THE TABLE
So this is the "commandment" that has the internet buzzing, particularly the "lactavist" groups. Even though I don't consider myself a "lactavist", I am a breastfeeding mother, and I find this offensive. For starters, 90% of the women I know are discrete about nursing in public - so much so that unless you are a nosy busybody you probably wouldn't even know what they are doing. And then - the bathroom?! Let's think about this. People go to the bathroom to relieve themselves. And I've seen some of these "nice" restrooms - garbage on the floor, pee on the seats...not to mention the millions of germs that get thrown in the air with every toilet that does get flushed. Would YOU eat your dinner in the bathroom? No? Then why should my child? And that's totally disregarding that mom needs to eat too - why should her dinner get cold just because you have a personal issue with breastfeeding? Her plate cost just as much as yours, often more if they have other kids with them that they had to order for as well.
THOU SHALL FEEL FREE TO ORDER "KID FOOD" OFF THE MENU
Well, duh. Does this author think we are all idiots? Most of the parents I know will order their child something they are going to eat - whether that is the kid's meal or not. Those that don't often have good reasons - they have dietary restrictions that are not accommodated by the offerings on the kid's menu, their kids prefer the adult food, or maybe they are just trying to expose their kids to new experiences.
THOU SHALL NOT TURN DINNER INTO A PHOTOSHOOT
Hmmm...ever heard of Foodie blogs? They will sit there and take pictures of their plates and then come home and critique them. Or how about that birthday celebration two tables over taking pics of Grandma's 100th? Just how does taking a snapshot or two of my child become more offensive than these other events?
THOU SHALT NOT BRING NOISY TOYS
Another "duh" moment over here. But hey, would you rather hear the bleep-blooping of some toy or infant screaming?
THOU SHALL TRY TO QUELL HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMING
Well, this is one of the few posts I actually do agree with. But then I'm also the kind of parent that has no qualms about giving a couple of spanks in the bathroom stall either if they are acting out. But not all kids respond to the same parenting methods the same. Some will quit acting out as soon as they realize no one is paying attention - which generally a lot quicker than they'll recover from a washroom spanking. Plus you should keep in mind that high pitched squealing can be a sign of happiness too. And last I checked my 4 month old doesn't come with a mute switch.
THOU SHALT NOT ALLOW FREE-RANGE KIDS
Another common sense comment. But then the only time I've seen "free range" kids is in the lobby while waiting for a table, not usually the restaurant itself.
THOU SHALL CALMLY DISCOURAGE FOOD FIGHTS
At this point, I'm starting to wonder where this reviewer is eating. Did she take a wrong turn and end up at Chuck-E-Cheese instead of her 4-star cafe. Come on now, food fights?! Random internet people, do tell me when the last time you saw a food fight at a 4-star restaurant was?
Better Homes and Gardens, you can do better than this. This isn't journalism. It's not even informational. It's one writer getting her panties in a bunch because she either doesn't like kids or doesn't have any. Wouldn't surprise me if she was one of those "child free" people. But insulting parents out there with this garbage is no way to encourage reader loyalty.
And if you ever need a real writer, I do freelance. Hint, hint.
Ok random internet people, stepping down from my pedestal now. Feel free to return to your regularly scheduled programming.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
A cute carrier and fun giveaway
Ok, did that previous post pique your interest? Then here you go! This Mama Rocks is doing a review and giveaway of the Belle Baby Carrier. If you have a little one then you know how handy carriers can be - especially if you are like me and don't have enough hands, LOL. To enter the giveaway just go to This Mama Rocks, read the post, and follow the directions! Good luck!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Finally Friday!
Good morning internet people!
It appears that we have come to the end of the week yet again. Time flies when you're having "fun" huh?
Not much going on over the weekend that I know of. George has to go in to work tomorrow and I have a bunch of freelance to do, so not much to look forward to.
Survived grocery shopping with Shane yesterday, minus a diaper blowout with Caleb. Went to change him and realized that I'd used my last baby diaper on Sunday at church and forgotten to put more in my bag. So poor Caleb had to wear one of Shane's until we got home. Thankfully no leaks!
Driving home I cut through the neighborhood instead of staying on the main streets - helps to avoid some of the rush hour traffic and the stoplights. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with where I live, it's pretty much smack-dab in the middle of an Orthodox Jewish community. There are a couple of synagogues within walking distance from my house, a kosher grocery store, a big private school, a couple of kosher restaurants - you get the idea. I don't know much about the people, aside from the fact that they are a stricter denomination of Jews - they are pretty quiet and keep to themselves. In fact the men will even cross to the other side of the street if I'm out walking and won't make eye contact. At first I was insulted, but a Jewish friend of mine says that is actually a sign of respect - something along the lines of having limited contact with members of the opposite sex that are not spouses/family.
There is one street in particular that must be completely (or very nearly so) owned by these families for a good 3 block stretch, and this happens to be one of my cut through streets. I actually love driving down this street. If you ignore the oddities of dress (Well, that's probably not the right word. They all dress very formally - women in long sleeves and long skirts, men in suits and often hats and both sexes seeming to favor darker colors - so it stands out against the clothing choices that are more "typical" for this area in late spring) it is almost a blast to the past. Kids run and ride bikes up and down the streets and play in the front yards. Moms sit out on the front lawns with babies, or gather in small groups in the driveways to chat. Most of the men weren't out yet, though I did spy one elderly couple walking down the street together. It seems to be a very close-knit community, with all the moms watching all the kids.
Too bad it is not as simple as throwing on a long skirt to go and make friends. Aside from the differences in religion (I'm a Christian) I think we would get along well - many of the values I see portrayed there are ones I'd like to see instilled in my own children. Maybe one of these days I'll get the guts to take Jasmine for a walk that way and try saying hello. It's a little out of our way, and not really en route to anything on foot, but maybe we could meet someone?
Enough of my rambling, I hear Caleb fussing yet again. I hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Monday.
It appears that we have come to the end of the week yet again. Time flies when you're having "fun" huh?
Not much going on over the weekend that I know of. George has to go in to work tomorrow and I have a bunch of freelance to do, so not much to look forward to.
Survived grocery shopping with Shane yesterday, minus a diaper blowout with Caleb. Went to change him and realized that I'd used my last baby diaper on Sunday at church and forgotten to put more in my bag. So poor Caleb had to wear one of Shane's until we got home. Thankfully no leaks!
Driving home I cut through the neighborhood instead of staying on the main streets - helps to avoid some of the rush hour traffic and the stoplights. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with where I live, it's pretty much smack-dab in the middle of an Orthodox Jewish community. There are a couple of synagogues within walking distance from my house, a kosher grocery store, a big private school, a couple of kosher restaurants - you get the idea. I don't know much about the people, aside from the fact that they are a stricter denomination of Jews - they are pretty quiet and keep to themselves. In fact the men will even cross to the other side of the street if I'm out walking and won't make eye contact. At first I was insulted, but a Jewish friend of mine says that is actually a sign of respect - something along the lines of having limited contact with members of the opposite sex that are not spouses/family.
There is one street in particular that must be completely (or very nearly so) owned by these families for a good 3 block stretch, and this happens to be one of my cut through streets. I actually love driving down this street. If you ignore the oddities of dress (Well, that's probably not the right word. They all dress very formally - women in long sleeves and long skirts, men in suits and often hats and both sexes seeming to favor darker colors - so it stands out against the clothing choices that are more "typical" for this area in late spring) it is almost a blast to the past. Kids run and ride bikes up and down the streets and play in the front yards. Moms sit out on the front lawns with babies, or gather in small groups in the driveways to chat. Most of the men weren't out yet, though I did spy one elderly couple walking down the street together. It seems to be a very close-knit community, with all the moms watching all the kids.
Too bad it is not as simple as throwing on a long skirt to go and make friends. Aside from the differences in religion (I'm a Christian) I think we would get along well - many of the values I see portrayed there are ones I'd like to see instilled in my own children. Maybe one of these days I'll get the guts to take Jasmine for a walk that way and try saying hello. It's a little out of our way, and not really en route to anything on foot, but maybe we could meet someone?
Enough of my rambling, I hear Caleb fussing yet again. I hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Monday.
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