How cute is this jam-face?
I haven't been able to get him to do it again, of course, but whatever.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sweet Sandwich Success
A while back, a friend and I were fantasizing about the day when our difficult eaters could/would eat a sandwich like their playground peers. A few weeks ago, Crew reached this silly, unwritten, long-desired milestone!
How cute is this jam-face?
I haven't been able to get him to do it again, of course, but whatever.
How cute is this jam-face?
I haven't been able to get him to do it again, of course, but whatever.
Helmet Head
Crew loves to wear things on his head and the kids' bike helmets hold a special fascination for him. He is ready for any adventure!
"Danger is my middle name!"
"Danger is my middle name!"
Retail Therapy
I asked our cognitive therapist for help regarding the shopping issue and she gave me some advice. She recommended, as another friend did, to take along a favorite toy for our trips. She also recommended taking him on therapeutic shopping trips. Meaning, I need to start taking him to the store just to get milk and bread and gradually increase the length of our trips as his tolerance returns. For now, I will have to continue doing all major grocery shopping when Justin is home, which I was planning on anyway.
Under no circumstances am I to run out the door when he screams, because that's exactly what the tiny tyrant wants.
Yikes. My apologies in advance, fellow shoppers.
Under no circumstances am I to run out the door when he screams, because that's exactly what the tiny tyrant wants.
Yikes. My apologies in advance, fellow shoppers.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Golly Good Goals
Setting goals this morning was pretty painless. I'm very fortunate to have such qualified and helpful resources at my disposal. I really love both of our therapists and I will miss them when Crew is booted from their department when he turns three.
It was so thrilling to start talking about things like "walking across a room independently" and "speaking 10-15 words". Six months ago those goals would have been laughable; now they seem perfectly reasonable! My, how far we have come! I get chills thinking about him communicating verbally and strutting across the room without assistance. Is that weird?
I wish that I could articulate everything I feel about our journey with Crew. It is such a mixed bag of joy, gratitude, love, peace, excitement, frustration, guilt, concern, and exhaustion. I think they call it "parenting."
It was so thrilling to start talking about things like "walking across a room independently" and "speaking 10-15 words". Six months ago those goals would have been laughable; now they seem perfectly reasonable! My, how far we have come! I get chills thinking about him communicating verbally and strutting across the room without assistance. Is that weird?
I wish that I could articulate everything I feel about our journey with Crew. It is such a mixed bag of joy, gratitude, love, peace, excitement, frustration, guilt, concern, and exhaustion. I think they call it "parenting."
Undisciplined
What do you do with a defiant toddler who likes to be put in time out?
I put Crew in time out to calm himself down during tantrums. I've always done it with my children and it has always worked. As soon as they are calm, I get them out and we move on with our day. The difference between Crew and his older siblings? They wanted to come out. Crew will calm down very quickly in his time out spot and then start screaming when I come to rescue him. He will only calm down when I walk away again and leave him in peace. I have to keep trying and finally, after 30 or 40 minutes, he is ready to come out. This behavior is especially charming at 2 in the morning. Ahem.
What do you do with a toddler who hates hates shopping to the very core of his soul?
When Kinley and Tanner were little, if they ever pitched a screaming fit at the store, we would simply pack up and leave. They learned quickly, it only happened on rare occasions, and they were famously well behaved shoppers from very young ages. (They are trickier now that they are older, at least when they are together. They are such a silly, crazy, and wild team in public! But I digress.) When I take Crew out of a store, he wins. He wants to leave the store. He wants to be in the car. He will arch his back and scream his head off within three minutes of entering a store, whether he is in the cart or I am carrying him. He screams until we leave. Good times. Shopping is a nightmare at the moment.
Don't even get me started on how our long tradition of successful church discipline has totally and completely failed us with this little guy.
He is such a puzzle.
I put Crew in time out to calm himself down during tantrums. I've always done it with my children and it has always worked. As soon as they are calm, I get them out and we move on with our day. The difference between Crew and his older siblings? They wanted to come out. Crew will calm down very quickly in his time out spot and then start screaming when I come to rescue him. He will only calm down when I walk away again and leave him in peace. I have to keep trying and finally, after 30 or 40 minutes, he is ready to come out. This behavior is especially charming at 2 in the morning. Ahem.
What do you do with a toddler who hates hates shopping to the very core of his soul?
When Kinley and Tanner were little, if they ever pitched a screaming fit at the store, we would simply pack up and leave. They learned quickly, it only happened on rare occasions, and they were famously well behaved shoppers from very young ages. (They are trickier now that they are older, at least when they are together. They are such a silly, crazy, and wild team in public! But I digress.) When I take Crew out of a store, he wins. He wants to leave the store. He wants to be in the car. He will arch his back and scream his head off within three minutes of entering a store, whether he is in the cart or I am carrying him. He screams until we leave. Good times. Shopping is a nightmare at the moment.
Don't even get me started on how our long tradition of successful church discipline has totally and completely failed us with this little guy.
He is such a puzzle.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Setting Goals
Tomorrow we meet with our physical therapist, Julie and our cognitive/speech/playskills therapist, Kathleen. We will be setting goals and expectations for the next six months. Acknowledging his delays in quantifiable measures can be a very discouraging process, to tell you the truth. I much prefer to focus on Crew from a standpoint of relativity: how far he has come, how much progress he has made, etc. There is very little to be gained (besides insomnia and anxiety) by comparing him to his peers.
While reviewing our last IFSP this morning, I was pleased to see that he has reached all but one of the goals we set for him! He has fought hard for every single one. The milestone he did not reach was cruising along furniture.
Six months ago (October) he couldn't crawl. At all. He couldn't climb anything; he couldn't even get himself up onto a mattress 8 inches off the ground. He couldn't pull himself to standing position. In fact, he had only been sitting himself up for a few months (since July).
Today Crew climbs up and down the stairs like a mountain goat. He slides himself off our couch and towering bed. He pulls himself to standing position at his own pleasure. He has been making progress with two different walkers.
Six months ago, Crew would not feed himself. Anything. In fact, six months ago Crew hated eating. He would/could not hold his own sippy cup or bottle. Six months ago Crew could not stack any blocks on top of one another. He could not point to an object. He could not ask for something if he wanted it by pointing or gesturing in some other manner. He could not point to anything if asked where it was. "Where's Daddy?" was lost on him.
Today Crew stacks blocks for fun. He also plays with toys and does more than just bang them together or throw them. He is using gestures to indicate his desires and he has lately been pointing at things that we ask him. "Where's Daddy?" "Where's Kinley?" He uses a closed fist with his little thumb poking out and it's very cute.
Six months ago Crew could only point to three body parts. He could not mimic sounds and he had never attempted verbal communication beyond screaming.
Now Crew knows lots of essential body parts. He mimics sounds and even attempts to mimic words. He has recently started trying to use "words" to communicate. He has just barely begun using animal sounds without prompting. He signs "more" and "all done" without prompting.
He has made a lot of progress. The areas of concern remain walking, talking, and eating. Lack of weight gain continues to be a great frustration. Last summer he couldn't handle textures, he had no interest in eating, and he didn't eat enough to grow on. He cried often with hunger, but refused to eat, not understanding that eating would quell that feeling in his tummy. Today he can handle textures very well, he has a great interest in eating, but he still doesn't eat enough to grow on. So, we have made major progress in this area, just not enough. We have proven that he can grow if he eats enough food; two feeding therapists passed our case by because he doesn't have any significant oral issues. It's maddening that he won't just eat a little more. Three or four bites of something would be his average interest, with the occasional voracious binge. Eating is a social thing for him and it's a fun thing for him. That all by itself is a mighty far cry from where we were last summer and fall, so I shouldn't complain. I now need him to eat until he is FULL, not just until he has taken the edge off his hunger. Silly former micropreemie.
I can't help but feel like eating is the time-sensitive issue for us. I don't want to stunt his growth any more than it already is genetically! The longer it takes him to figure out this food thing, the more precious growth time we are wasting. I feel confident that walking and talking will come with time and effort, but this eating thing still keeps me up at night. He has lost weight recently and I'm not very happy about it. He's now two, when many toddlers subsist on very little anyway. He doesn't eat very much and he moves constantly. So he's burning a lot more energy than he is taking in. It's a miracle that he is as tall as he is (80 cm). He's a scrawny little string bean. He needs more meat on his bones to give him strength for walking. I don't want to go back to being more coercive with meals because I know from experience that it's a losing battle.
When we set goals, they usually want me to be as specific as possible. This time I think I'm just gonna stick with the basics. My goals are simple: Let's get him walking, talking, and eating enough to grow. Anything else will be icing on top.
After I wrote this post this morning, Crew snuggled me on the couch and ate half his weight in cashews. He is so unpredictable.
While reviewing our last IFSP this morning, I was pleased to see that he has reached all but one of the goals we set for him! He has fought hard for every single one. The milestone he did not reach was cruising along furniture.
Six months ago (October) he couldn't crawl. At all. He couldn't climb anything; he couldn't even get himself up onto a mattress 8 inches off the ground. He couldn't pull himself to standing position. In fact, he had only been sitting himself up for a few months (since July).
Today Crew climbs up and down the stairs like a mountain goat. He slides himself off our couch and towering bed. He pulls himself to standing position at his own pleasure. He has been making progress with two different walkers.
Six months ago, Crew would not feed himself. Anything. In fact, six months ago Crew hated eating. He would/could not hold his own sippy cup or bottle. Six months ago Crew could not stack any blocks on top of one another. He could not point to an object. He could not ask for something if he wanted it by pointing or gesturing in some other manner. He could not point to anything if asked where it was. "Where's Daddy?" was lost on him.
Today Crew stacks blocks for fun. He also plays with toys and does more than just bang them together or throw them. He is using gestures to indicate his desires and he has lately been pointing at things that we ask him. "Where's Daddy?" "Where's Kinley?" He uses a closed fist with his little thumb poking out and it's very cute.
Six months ago Crew could only point to three body parts. He could not mimic sounds and he had never attempted verbal communication beyond screaming.
Now Crew knows lots of essential body parts. He mimics sounds and even attempts to mimic words. He has recently started trying to use "words" to communicate. He has just barely begun using animal sounds without prompting. He signs "more" and "all done" without prompting.
He has made a lot of progress. The areas of concern remain walking, talking, and eating. Lack of weight gain continues to be a great frustration. Last summer he couldn't handle textures, he had no interest in eating, and he didn't eat enough to grow on. He cried often with hunger, but refused to eat, not understanding that eating would quell that feeling in his tummy. Today he can handle textures very well, he has a great interest in eating, but he still doesn't eat enough to grow on. So, we have made major progress in this area, just not enough. We have proven that he can grow if he eats enough food; two feeding therapists passed our case by because he doesn't have any significant oral issues. It's maddening that he won't just eat a little more. Three or four bites of something would be his average interest, with the occasional voracious binge. Eating is a social thing for him and it's a fun thing for him. That all by itself is a mighty far cry from where we were last summer and fall, so I shouldn't complain. I now need him to eat until he is FULL, not just until he has taken the edge off his hunger. Silly former micropreemie.
I can't help but feel like eating is the time-sensitive issue for us. I don't want to stunt his growth any more than it already is genetically! The longer it takes him to figure out this food thing, the more precious growth time we are wasting. I feel confident that walking and talking will come with time and effort, but this eating thing still keeps me up at night. He has lost weight recently and I'm not very happy about it. He's now two, when many toddlers subsist on very little anyway. He doesn't eat very much and he moves constantly. So he's burning a lot more energy than he is taking in. It's a miracle that he is as tall as he is (80 cm). He's a scrawny little string bean. He needs more meat on his bones to give him strength for walking. I don't want to go back to being more coercive with meals because I know from experience that it's a losing battle.
When we set goals, they usually want me to be as specific as possible. This time I think I'm just gonna stick with the basics. My goals are simple: Let's get him walking, talking, and eating enough to grow. Anything else will be icing on top.
After I wrote this post this morning, Crew snuggled me on the couch and ate half his weight in cashews. He is so unpredictable.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Preschool Bikers
Our regular preschool lesson ended early and it was such a nice day outside, so...
We fulfilled Madison's impassioned request to learn how to ride a two-wheeler!
Our preschool is very flexible that way.
As you can see, we were successful.
I got my exercise running up and down (and up and down and up and down) the street alongside her with my arms on either side while she perfected her balance. I wasn't about to let her tip over on my watch! I'm sure she heard my muttered prayers regarding liability. I wanted to surprise her Mommy Kerrin by taking this dreaded duty off her pregnant and waddly little mind. I accomplished that much... and being a multi-tasker, I also managed to steal her Daddy's thunder in the process. Whoops! He has since forgiven me; he's nice like that.
Tanner, on the other hand, is perfectly content with his brand new bike with training wheels.
Perfectly content.
C-o-o-l. R-i-d-e-r! Coooooooool riders!
Just for old times' sake, Tanner rides Big Red once in a while.
More neighbors spilled outside to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
Madison had her first two-wheeler wreck. After preschool hours and liability-free. Phew.
Owie!
Being so brave!
Ridin' with the big dogs. Mission accomplished.
We fulfilled Madison's impassioned request to learn how to ride a two-wheeler!
Our preschool is very flexible that way.
As you can see, we were successful.
I got my exercise running up and down (and up and down and up and down) the street alongside her with my arms on either side while she perfected her balance. I wasn't about to let her tip over on my watch! I'm sure she heard my muttered prayers regarding liability. I wanted to surprise her Mommy Kerrin by taking this dreaded duty off her pregnant and waddly little mind. I accomplished that much... and being a multi-tasker, I also managed to steal her Daddy's thunder in the process. Whoops! He has since forgiven me; he's nice like that.Tanner, on the other hand, is perfectly content with his brand new bike with training wheels.Perfectly content.C-o-o-l. R-i-d-e-r! Coooooooool riders!Just for old times' sake, Tanner rides Big Red once in a while.More neighbors spilled outside to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.Madison had her first two-wheeler wreck. After preschool hours and liability-free. Phew.Owie!Being so brave!Ridin' with the big dogs. Mission accomplished.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Dental Day
We learned about teeth and dental hygiene during preschool recently. It wasn't the most dynamic lesson, but it was a worthy theme. We read several books about teeth from the library, including one that taught us that just below the enamel of our teeth, we find a layer of "dentine". In this same book, we learned that our two front teeth are called "canines" and the sharp little side vampire teeth are "incisors". Oh, really?
Absolute dental confidence born of five years working in an orthodontist office came into play, saving our children from a lifetime of anatomical confusion. I mean really, who wants to be the idiot who swears up and down that your two front teeth are canines? (And who wants to be that kid's mom?) I took the book to the librarian tonight and pointed out the errors. I suspect they will pull it from circulation.
We made rice smiles. Well, Madison made a rice smile. Tanner very emotionally requested a do-over without the rice. It creeped him out.
We made crafty "toothbrushes".
Our best activities often require paint. In this case, we painted a very large tooth with very large "dental floss". They dragged the twine through the paint and used it as their painting tool.
A masterpiece in progress...
Tanner took a more abstract approach.
Madison went straight for realism.
Teeth are wonderful. Brush them, floss them, straighten them, love them, treat them well.
Absolute dental confidence born of five years working in an orthodontist office came into play, saving our children from a lifetime of anatomical confusion. I mean really, who wants to be the idiot who swears up and down that your two front teeth are canines? (And who wants to be that kid's mom?) I took the book to the librarian tonight and pointed out the errors. I suspect they will pull it from circulation.
We made rice smiles. Well, Madison made a rice smile. Tanner very emotionally requested a do-over without the rice. It creeped him out.
We made crafty "toothbrushes".Our best activities often require paint. In this case, we painted a very large tooth with very large "dental floss". They dragged the twine through the paint and used it as their painting tool.A masterpiece in progress...Tanner took a more abstract approach.Madison went straight for realism.Teeth are wonderful. Brush them, floss them, straighten them, love them, treat them well.
Crew's Six Month Review
Crew had his six month review this morning, in preparation for his IFSP on Friday. That's when we'll meet with both of his therapists and set goals for the next six months. Crew has really matured by leaps and bounds since our last evaluation. I'm so proud of him!
Crew's adjusted age is 26 months.
His scores across the board are impacted by his motor skills and language delays. Once he starts walking and talking, I think the scores will be more representative of what he really can do. He is on the cusp of major breakthroughs with both language and walking. All very exciting!
Gross Motor: 10 months
Fine Motor: 21 months
Cognition: 18 months (impacted by speech delay)
Language: 18 months
Self help: 18 months (impacted by speech and motor delays)
Social and emotional: 33 months (no surprise there!)
Crew's adjusted age is 26 months.
His scores across the board are impacted by his motor skills and language delays. Once he starts walking and talking, I think the scores will be more representative of what he really can do. He is on the cusp of major breakthroughs with both language and walking. All very exciting!
Gross Motor: 10 months
Fine Motor: 21 months
Cognition: 18 months (impacted by speech delay)
Language: 18 months
Self help: 18 months (impacted by speech and motor delays)
Social and emotional: 33 months (no surprise there!)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Madison, Kinley, and Kate
These little musketeer neighbors have formed a very nice friendship, defying the traditional conventions of childhood age discrimination. I'm so happy they have each other. Friends are nice. Really nice.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Pinning is fun.
I learned about Pinterest from my friend Aimee and I know that a few of my other friends are doing it too. I'm hooked. It is such an easy way to organize ideas that I run across online that I don't want to forget. Clothes I want to buy, home decor ideas, preschool activities, photo actions on my wish list, craft projects, intriguing recipes, etc.
When I see something that I like on a blog or other website, I just click the "p" on my dashboard and save it to the appropriate virtual bulletin "board" that I have designated, complete with picture and link. It's like dog-earing your favorite magazine. BRILLIANT. I can write notes on it and everything. I was very skeptical at first, but I have now completely abandoned my useless bookmarking strategy of yore.
For this
and this
and this
and this...
The possibilities are endless. Imagine creating a board of bed linens that you would like your spouse to browse all at once.
Like this.
It is an invite-only website to participate. You can request an auto-invite from their website and it will come through for you eventually (a few days, maybe a week or two). Or you can ask me for one and you'll be accepted immediately once I send you the invite.
If you would like a Pinterest invitation in order to embrace and organize your own neuroses, let me know! Happy pinning!
I learned about Pinterest from my friend Aimee and I know that a few of my other friends are doing it too. I'm hooked. It is such an easy way to organize ideas that I run across online that I don't want to forget. Clothes I want to buy, home decor ideas, preschool activities, photo actions on my wish list, craft projects, intriguing recipes, etc.When I see something that I like on a blog or other website, I just click the "p" on my dashboard and save it to the appropriate virtual bulletin "board" that I have designated, complete with picture and link. It's like dog-earing your favorite magazine. BRILLIANT. I can write notes on it and everything. I was very skeptical at first, but I have now completely abandoned my useless bookmarking strategy of yore.
For this
and this
and this
and this...
The possibilities are endless. Imagine creating a board of bed linens that you would like your spouse to browse all at once.
Like this.
It is an invite-only website to participate. You can request an auto-invite from their website and it will come through for you eventually (a few days, maybe a week or two). Or you can ask me for one and you'll be accepted immediately once I send you the invite.
If you would like a Pinterest invitation in order to embrace and organize your own neuroses, let me know! Happy pinning!
Kinley and Mia
Poor, petless Kinley. She has to get her fix from the neighbors. They must love their children more than we love ours.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Daddy Daddy Bo-Baddy
We have gotten so much done this week that it hardly seems possible that tax season ended just this past Monday. It's been good to have The Hottie around the house again; I've missed him. Poor guy, it is clear that he is not used to the chaos and commotion of our children, as he spent an entire afternoon researching possibilities for soundproofing our house. I think he settled on duct tape for their mouths.
He has also been around to appreciate for himself that "Crew eats hardly anything!" Yeah. I know. In a moment of Daddy brilliance, he repositioned the high chair so that Beast now sits between us. Now we can tag team him during mealtime, sharing the joy. Crew eats better and I experience only half the frustration!
We've been getting a lot of house projects done together. I can't say that it has been a "restful" week, but it's been a good one. My googlereader is... wow, I'm so behind. But, I made cookies! Tanner says that making cookies with Mommy is "so much better than playing Wii." I should hope so. It's certainly messier. And tastier.
This hasn't been my favorite spring break weather, but I've had worse. Oh yes, I have. Looking forward to a beautiful Easter!! And maybe an Easter afternoon nap? I'm crossing my fingers that the Easter Bunny will get up with Crew tonight when he's coughing and needs his snuggles...
He has also been around to appreciate for himself that "Crew eats hardly anything!" Yeah. I know. In a moment of Daddy brilliance, he repositioned the high chair so that Beast now sits between us. Now we can tag team him during mealtime, sharing the joy. Crew eats better and I experience only half the frustration!
We've been getting a lot of house projects done together. I can't say that it has been a "restful" week, but it's been a good one. My googlereader is... wow, I'm so behind. But, I made cookies! Tanner says that making cookies with Mommy is "so much better than playing Wii." I should hope so. It's certainly messier. And tastier.
This hasn't been my favorite spring break weather, but I've had worse. Oh yes, I have. Looking forward to a beautiful Easter!! And maybe an Easter afternoon nap? I'm crossing my fingers that the Easter Bunny will get up with Crew tonight when he's coughing and needs his snuggles...
Hang Ups
Daddy: Kinley, did you hang up your towel?
Kinley: What?
Daddy: Did you hang up your towel?
Kinley: What?
Daddy: Did you hang up your towel?
Kinley: What?
Daddy: DID YOU HANG UP YOUR TOWEL????
Kinley: What?
Daddy: DID YOU HANG UP YOUR TOWEL????
Kinley: No.
Daddy: Go hang it up.
Kinley: Ok.
As she passed me in the kitchen, she whispered "I didn't want to do it so I pretended not to hear him. I kept hoping he would just get bored of asking me and give up."
Kinley: What?
Daddy: Did you hang up your towel?
Kinley: What?
Daddy: Did you hang up your towel?
Kinley: What?
Daddy: DID YOU HANG UP YOUR TOWEL????
Kinley: What?
Daddy: DID YOU HANG UP YOUR TOWEL????
Kinley: No.
Daddy: Go hang it up.
Kinley: Ok.
As she passed me in the kitchen, she whispered "I didn't want to do it so I pretended not to hear him. I kept hoping he would just get bored of asking me and give up."
He is Risen
More Easter messages:
Special witnesses of Christ
The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles each bear their personal testimony about the Savior and Redeemer of the World.
Friday, April 22, 2011
TTTS -- IRL
TTTS = Twin to Twin Transfusion Sydrome.
IRL = In Real Life
Raising a single surviving identical twin is a unique experience that is oftentimes difficult to articulate. Losing a child to the ravages of TTTS is awful, though losing a child for any reason is devastating to the extreme.
In the time since TTTS changed our lives forever, I have had the opportunity to connect online with other mothers paddling the same peculiar boat. It's impossible not to rejoice over the miracle survivors that remain with us, in many cases tough little micropreemies who have defied the odds and taught us true faith, hope, and charity. And yet every time we look into those eyes so full of life and promise, we can't help but remember that there is another much-beloved child waiting on the other side of the veil that shares that same beautiful face. Someone who should be splashing in the tub with their sibling, who should be dressed in those matching outfits that we chose with such care and expectation. We experience great joy over the merciful survival of our darlings, and the sorrow over separation from our angels is never far from our thoughts.
The relationships I have formed with these remarkable women have been invaluable to my healing process. I like to believe that some of these ladies will be lifelong friends and trusted confidantes. We come from many walks of life, but we share in common a love for our children and an unexpected ticket on the TTTS Train. We communicate through blogs, emails, facebook, texting, and even (gasp!) the occasional phone call.
Recently I met one of these ladies... in real life. A year and a half ago, Angela stumbled onto my blog, through some mutual local relationships. Imagine her surprise to discover that we shared the same tragic fate of TTTS, with her having just brought home her surviving micropreemie Hyrum from a long stay in the NICU, after losing his brother Joseph before birth. She lives several hours south and we have never had the opportunity to meet up in person.
Until now...
Angela attended a wedding luncheon just down the street from my house! She came and spent some of her morning with us. Due to the circumstances of her trip, she was unable to bring her children with her. I would have loved to meet them and to introduce Crew and Hyrum to one another. (They could have a competition to see who could eat the smallest lunch.) Apparently she fairly drips with angel dust because Crew was all over her like white on rice. He was quite taken with her, as the pictures depict. In fact, she was the friend who was visiting when Crew decided to walk. That proud smile on his face is for Miss Angela. It was a wonderful visit, just far far too short.The internet is a scary place and I can't pretend that I don't worry sometimes about putting our business and personal pictures out there for all the world to see. But my reality is that I have "met" so many good and worthy people through blogging (and facebook), and not all of them are TTTS or NICU families. I cringe with the understanding that in many cases, had my blog been been private, we never would have found one another. After Angela's visit, she paid me the best compliment. She told me that our family was exactly how she imagined us from our blogging, email, and facebook relationship. That seemingly insignificant comment was so satisfying because it has always been important to me to express myself authentically, in person and in writing.
There are many people who believe that the blogging world is a place of misrepresentation, smoke, and mirrors, but I have long been determined to debunk the myth that you can't maintain satisfying, real relationships through social media. Family, new friends, old friends, neighbors. Blogging has changed my life and I will always be grateful for its impact in my life.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Welcome Home
I'm so glad when Daddy comes home; glad as I can be!
Clap my hands and shout for joy and climb upon his knee!
Last night if you had come to our house, you would have heard snoring coming from every bedroom before 9:30. Dinner last night was tough because the kids are used to having my (seemingly) undivided attention during mealtime. Retraining is needed for the little interrupters.
My favorite story from Tax Season was when the tax preparer from H&R Block brought all of his stuff in and asked Justin to do his taxes because neither he nor his manager could figure it out. Chew on that a while. I'm proud of my guy. Someone's gotta be good at the boring stuff, right?
Today felt like it should have been a weekend. I don't know why, but I just feel like if I'm going to accomplish something as unlikely as surviving tax season without a civil commitment to the local mental hospital (don't mock my frailty) then I should maybe get a few days off? Didn't happen. Life goes on, you know. No rest for the weary, and all that jazz. Preschool, physical therapy, blah, blah, blah. I did, however, get 20 glorious responsibility-free minutes to myself this morning. At first it was bewildering, but then I realized that I could use it to shower. Without an audience. You're jealous, I know.
Kinley's spring break starts tomorrow afternoon and then we can get down to some serious celebrating!!
Wandering Aimlessly
Kinley is at school... Tanner is running errands with Daddy... Crew fell asleep on the couch... the house is (quite miraculously) still clean... preschool lesson is all prepared... physical therapist won't be here for another hour....
This. feels. weird.
And unprecedented.
This. feels. weird.
And unprecedented.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Clean For Now
The house is 100% totally completely absolutely thoroughly perfectly entirely finally clean. Justin has exactly 5 minutes to get home before he misses his window.
Mom the Grump
I. am. grouchy. Just feeling like being alone in a hot bath while the demands are made to someone else. Anyone else. And Justin just announced he will be home much later than we planned. Feeling a little tired and deflated.
Happy End of Tax Season!!
Happy Tax Day to one and all, but most especially to My Big Lug.
See you tonight!!
See you tonight!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Diligent, Not Dead
It seems I made the grandparents a little nervous by not posting in almost a week. No grave illnesses, no personal drama, just: a crisis of cleanliness.It's been a long-running joke that Justin's favorite perfume is "eau de Pine Sol." It's not that far from the truth. So, in order to give Daddy every chance for a quick and painless detoxification from the stress and rigors of tax season, we are preparing the home in every way imaginable for his triumphant return.
Every nook and every cranny is being dejunked, reorganized, dusted, wiped, scrubbed, and mopped. Every shelf of every closet is being reconceived and rearranged. Every slat of every blind is being shown the love and tenderness that only a soft damp cloth and the barest misting of Pledge can bestow. Every square inch scrutinized, the junk drawers and "I promise I'll face it later" piles dealt with.
Come inspect my baseboards. I dare you. And bring a Diet Coke.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Aloha Shoyu Salmon Rice
I made this up all by myself, inspired by a Hawaiian soy sauce that I found at the grocery store recently (in the Asian aisle at Walmart) and a burning desire to eat more brown rice. I'm totally addicted! Kinley loves it too, without the pineapple.I have had it probably 8-10 times in the last two weeks. Nervous chuckle...
3/4 of the calories come directly from brown rice and salmon, two power foods. This recipe makes two delicious smallish servings or one really big serving! Tangy, savory, yum! If you have the rice already cooked and waiting patiently in your fridge, this is a very quick meal. Less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Heat up sesame oil in skillet. Sear salmon until cooked almost through, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side (frozen fillets work just fine; don't even need to thaw them first). When the salmon is cooked, or almost cooked, break it apart into small pieces with your spatula. When salmon pieces are completely cooked, add rice, ginger, Aloha soy sauce, and pineapple. Stir until warmed through. Serve warm, add a dash of salt if desired.
**Regular soy sauce WILL NOT WORK!!!!!
Total Calories: 2 servings, 235 calories each.
3/4 of the calories come directly from brown rice and salmon, two power foods. This recipe makes two delicious smallish servings or one really big serving! Tangy, savory, yum! If you have the rice already cooked and waiting patiently in your fridge, this is a very quick meal. Less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients:- 3-ounce salmon fillet (make it a little heavy because it will shrink down a little. I measured 3-ounces after it was cooked (153 calories)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (216 calories)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (40 calories)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained (60 calories)
- 1 Tbs Aloha Shoyu Hawaiian Soy Sauce** (0 calories)
- Dash of salt
Instructions:
Heat up sesame oil in skillet. Sear salmon until cooked almost through, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side (frozen fillets work just fine; don't even need to thaw them first). When the salmon is cooked, or almost cooked, break it apart into small pieces with your spatula. When salmon pieces are completely cooked, add rice, ginger, Aloha soy sauce, and pineapple. Stir until warmed through. Serve warm, add a dash of salt if desired.
**Regular soy sauce WILL NOT WORK!!!!!
Total Calories: 2 servings, 235 calories each.
Crew Reaches Yet Another Crazy Awesome New Milestone
Daddy gets a lot of credit for this one. As of this week, Crew safely and skillfully climbs down the stairs. He also climbs off the couch the proper way, following verbal reminders to "turn around" when he is requesting an unnecessary rescue or threatening to dive headfirst. He is officially a free-ranger.
Conference Cuddles
This is Crew cuddling his Daddy during General Conference last Sunday. You can see how pathetic our little critter was. He took four naps on Daddy that afternoon. Four.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Schnoz Envy
Kinley: Mommy, I really like your brown hair. I wish my hair was brown.
Mommy: I really like your blond hair. I wish my hair was blond.
Kinley: Let's switch! I also really like your brown eyes.
Mommy: And I really like your blue eyes. We can switch those too.
Kinley: Ok! Let's trade our eyes and our hair.
Mommy: What about our noses? Can we trade noses too?
Kinley: Uh.... no thanks.
Mommy: I really like your blond hair. I wish my hair was blond.
Kinley: Let's switch! I also really like your brown eyes.
Mommy: And I really like your blue eyes. We can switch those too.
Kinley: Ok! Let's trade our eyes and our hair.
Mommy: What about our noses? Can we trade noses too?
Kinley: Uh.... no thanks.
Emancipation Day
On April 16, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia, also known as D.C. The Act freed approximately 3,100 enslaved persons in the District of Columbia 9 months before President Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation, calling for the national release of more than 3 million slaves in September of that same year.
On January 4, 2005, Mayor Anthony Williams signed legislation making Emancipation Day an official public holiday in the District. Each year, a series of activities are held during the public holiday, including the traditional Emancipation Day parade.
In 2007, the observance of this holiday in Washington, D.C. had the effect of nationally extending the 2006 income tax filing deadline from April 16 to April 17. In 2011, the tax deadline will be extended to April 18, since the observed date for the holiday will be April 15.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. My family really appreciates the unintended consequence of your LEGISLATED LOCAL celebration: dragging out the national tax season for one more weekend. Perhaps you think the intensity of my ire is disproportionate to the inconvenience of my situation. I would like to point out that I am barely hanging on to my last threads of sanity with bloody fingernails.
It would make better sense to me if you celebrated this landmark event for your community on the actual anniversary of its transpiration, which is April 16th.
On January 4, 2005, Mayor Anthony Williams signed legislation making Emancipation Day an official public holiday in the District. Each year, a series of activities are held during the public holiday, including the traditional Emancipation Day parade.
In 2007, the observance of this holiday in Washington, D.C. had the effect of nationally extending the 2006 income tax filing deadline from April 16 to April 17. In 2011, the tax deadline will be extended to April 18, since the observed date for the holiday will be April 15.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. My family really appreciates the unintended consequence of your LEGISLATED LOCAL celebration: dragging out the national tax season for one more weekend. Perhaps you think the intensity of my ire is disproportionate to the inconvenience of my situation. I would like to point out that I am barely hanging on to my last threads of sanity with bloody fingernails.
It would make better sense to me if you celebrated this landmark event for your community on the actual anniversary of its transpiration, which is April 16th.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Miss Muffet
Kinley was off track and we continued our Nursery Rhyme preschool theme. To begin, they acted out some of the more famous and popular nursery rhymes, plus The Lion and the Unicorn, because it's an especial favorite of theirs.
Then we zeroed in on that strumpet, Miss Muffet.
I swiped this vintage Miss Muffet image off the internet and printed it onto card stock. I used a hole punch around the edges and voila! Lacing card!
Then we made "spider webs".
They did not frighten our muffets.
We made spider windsocks.
I found one online, but then made my own from it because I wanted it to be colorable. You can swipe mine by clicking to enlarge. Swipe hers by clicking the link.
We ate our curds and whey with mandarin oranges.
Then we focused all of our attention on the many star nursery rhymes, most particularly "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star". Mosaic art never gets old.
Just like diamonds in the sky!
Then we zeroed in on that strumpet, Miss Muffet.
I swiped this vintage Miss Muffet image off the internet and printed it onto card stock. I used a hole punch around the edges and voila! Lacing card!Then we made "spider webs".They did not frighten our muffets.We made spider windsocks.I found one online, but then made my own from it because I wanted it to be colorable. You can swipe mine by clicking to enlarge. Swipe hers by clicking the link.We ate our curds and whey with mandarin oranges.Then we focused all of our attention on the many star nursery rhymes, most particularly "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star". Mosaic art never gets old.Just like diamonds in the sky!
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