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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving


Happy Turkey Day!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Money savvy


Ever wonder if you are paying too much money for your cell phone plan or your internet access? Apprently, there is a website out there, Billshrink.com that can analyze your bills to find the best plans for you.

I haven't checked it out yet myself, but I thought it was too cool of an idea not to share.

Oh, and speaking about money. Has anyone seen the gas prices in the D.C. area lately?? Around the corner we are down to $1.59 per gallon for gas! Kick ass!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Potty humor

We've been trying for awhile now to get Little Man interested in using the potty. As any parent can tell you (except for my beloved friend "C" who's child announced to her one day "No more diapers, mommy!") potty training is definitely a chore. It's something you have to work at before finally accepting.

He definitely knows when he's going. Sometimes he even announces it after the fact. Then we turn around and say, "Thank you for telling Mommy you went potty." What else am I suppose to do? I don't want him to think that I'm ignoring him and obviously I want him to tell me before hand in the future.

A few weeks ago, I thought I would try another indirect route. Books. When we went to the library I found a few potty books that would hopefully peak Little Man's interest. If you know him and his books, he took to those new books like glue. For a couple days, actually practically every day since I brought the books home, he's been wanting to read them. Over and over again.

In one particular book, No more diapers for Ducky, they show a little blue potty chair. Nothing fancy. This little chair though, Little Man points out every time. So when I saw a little blue potty chair during our family's Sunday morning outing to IKEA last week, I had to buy it in hopes that Little Man would quickly catch on.

Instead, he's carrying it around the house.


Pushing it across the kitchen floor. Yelling, "Pa-tee!" He stops every once in awhile to sit on it, but no potty in the chair yet.


Maybe after he turns two all things will be different. Yeah, they'll be different all right. Like the temper tantrums will be more fierce. Just kidding - I hope.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Ouchy!

I know, it's been awhile. I have very good reasons, believe me.

The first being I have had cold/upper-yucky-respiratory-not-quite-an-infection problem for the past almost three weeks now. Heaven forbid I actually get some sleep while I'm sick. Big Daddy and I slept in separate beds for an entire week just so at least one of us could get some sleep. Fortunately, when I went to the doctor almost 2 weeks ago now, she prescribed cough medicine with codeine. No more coughing for me at night! Yippee!

The second reason being these. I enter exhibit A:

My top two wisdom teeth. Yes, I am a freak and asked to keep them. (That's the scientist in me, sorry. When I got my gall bladder out I would have asked for that too, but I know doctors are a little weird about giving back body parts.) Fortunately, I only had my top two wisdom teeth - either the bottom never came in or they never will. I like to think I am part of the evolutionary process of ridding such unnecessary body parts for our future generations to come. Hence the removal of my gallbladder, tonsils, and adenoids. Don't need 'em.

I was absolutely petrified to have my teeth removed. My top left had bothered me in the past by rubbing on the inside of my cheek, but then it would dissipate after a week or so. This time around, I could barely open my mouth wide enough to brush my teeth. Needless to say, I couldn't wait any longer. The dental office had originally given me a treatment plan that would remove one tooth at a time, but after a brief thought decided to get it all over with at once, especially with the holiday/birthday season approaching.

After I waited more than 20 minutes for the novocain to "take effect" (it doesn't take that long), the doctor came back and within 2 minutes the tooth was out! I've removed teeth in cats and dogs before, so I knew the "drill" (hehe no pun intended), but that's exactly what I was afraid would happen. I've heard horror stories where the doctor needed to break the tooth and, according the many people, would have me bed ridden with dry sockets for weeks.

Apparently, the doctor didn't get the message that I wanted BOTH wisdom teeth removed. As he was washing up, I said, "Aren't you going to take out the other one?" He replied, "Huh. You wanted both out today? It's almost 5 o'clock." He thankfully was just a good sport and decided he wanted to make the practice a little extra money that day. He had only applied novocain to the left one, so we needed to wait again for it to set in for the right one. This is when you learn it really only needs 3-5 minutes to take effect. Exactly the same as the first, it took the doctor no more than 2 minutes to pry the tooth out.

What a relief to finally have that over with, but now I needed to worry about post-op care. Being a vet tech and OCPD, I made sure to follow their instructions to the letter. Thankfully, I can report that I had no difficulties at all during recovery. Big Daddy was able to take a couple days off though, just to make sure.

And third, thank you to all you out there sending me new client mojo. I accepted a new client last week. Just in time for the holiday season. Unfortunately, the Vicadin and Tylenol with codeine didn't quite enable me to do much work, but I'll be up and running this week for sure.

Stick around. There's more to come this week from A's Mom.

TTFN!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Gotta have manners

Yesterday we decided to venture out to Borders Bookstore to look for some Christmas presents... and just to get out of the house. Little Man was in a Bob the Builder mood, so we hurried back to the children's section to discover no Bob the Builder books. Instead, we found tractor and truck books. This made Little Man happy too.

Big Daddy and Little Man settled down near a small children's table to read the books we had found. I wandered away to find some Christmas presents. No more than 2 minutes later I hear the distinct sound of my child screaming. Since I wasn't too far away I peaked around the bookshelves to see Big Daddy trying to console Little Man.

When I asked what happened, Big Daddy informed me that a little girl about the age of 4 or 5 came barreling over and made herself comfortable at their table. She then took over ALL the books Little Man was eye balling over!

I wanted to go to the child and beat the living daylights out of her steal back the books she had stolen, but instead we tried to go back to the original location of the truck books and find another. Little Man wasn't falling for it, he wanted those books!

Eventually, the little devil girl ended up leaving the table and the books behind. So Big Daddy and Little Man tried again. I did the same. No more than 1 minute later, the little shit comes back! This time Little Man was prepared. "Share. Share. Share." Was all he said to this big bully. Her reply, "I am sharing." Thankfully, this time Big Daddy stood up for him as well.

What is it with children nowadays? Don't they learn manners anymore from their parents?? Her parents were no where to be found, just let her off to terrorize my child do as she pleases. Apparently, children's behaviors are a mirror image for their parents. I think those parents need to go back to kindergarten and learn how to share. And while they are at it, learn about putting things back where they belong as well.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Quote of the Day


Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Bed Pocket

For those of you who travel and are paranoid about the cleanliness of hotel beds, there's the "Travel Sleep Sack".





Need I say more??

Monday, November 10, 2008

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Genetically Linked

**This is in no way a true and accurate study done by the scientific community. This is just what we have experienced.**


In a recent study conducted by A's Mom and Big Daddy, they have confirmed that Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, OCPD, is genetically passed onto offspring. It was a long and tedious study involving many hours of observation (approximately 16,560 hours or 23 months), but it is without a doubt linked.

Until recent clarification, A's Mom was thought to have had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a chronic anxiety disorder most commonly characterized by obsessive, distressing, intrusive thoughts and related compulsions. The phrase "obsessive-compulsive" has become a mockery in the English language, and is often used in an informal or caricatured manner to describe someone who is meticulous, perfectionistic, absorbed in a cause, or otherwise fixated on something or someone. Although these signs are often present in OCD, a person who exhibits them does not necessarily have OCD, and may instead have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) or some other condition. However, Wikipedia cleared things up.

Big Daddy recently caught A's Mom exhibiting her own signs of OCPD by arranging her trail mix to include the same proportion of raisins, peanuts, and butterscotch pieces into individual piles prior to consuming them.



Little Man A was thought to have exhibited OCPD when he would place the step stool in front of the toilet just so. Or when he would line up his trucks side by side in perfect alignment. They could not be certain that these signs were significant evidence. However, today's observations confirmed Little Man A did have OCPD.

While at IKEA during their morning brunch (the small breakfast was free again this weekend for Veteran's Day. If you're not signed up to receive their emails you really should.), Little Man was engaged in his normal behavior of playing with the train set (even though he has his own at home now) when A's Mom and Big Daddy announced it was time to proceed to the check-out area downstairs. When Little Man A passed by a shelf of piggy banks, he noticed they were rather "haphazard". Little Man A proceeded to place all the piggy banks upright and position them facing forward. (I shit you not.)

More observations will be occurring over the next several months to years, but A's Mom and Big Daddy are pretty sure they have a perfectionist on their hands. Please cross your fingers for them that they will be able to make it safely through the next 16 years.

For more, true information regarding Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, visit www.oh-my-god-this-is-my-life.com/


**Like Wikipedia previously stated, this was indeed a "mockery" of the true meaning of OCD/OCPD.**

Friday, November 7, 2008

A Healthier Life for Everyone

I heard about this company in the Cookie parent's magazine (yes, even though it's showcases upper-class apparel for kids and adults alike, they do have some good points). Shaklee Corporation, has been leading the way in natural health products and sustainable business practices for 50 years.

Founded in 1956 by Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee, he first created "Vitalized Minerals," one of the first multivitamins in the world. Shaklee scientists searched the world for the finest natural ingredients. They conduct over 350 tests on every single new ingredient for heavy metals, pesticides, or any of hundreds of other harmful contaminants. Then over 80,000 quality tests annually to guarantee the purity and safety of each and every product. They guarantee every Shaklee product is 100% safe to use. Their website includes some disturbing information about toxins, chemicals, and poison exposures at home.

The product that Cookie magazine showcased was the Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate. For only $12.15 (plus tax and shipping) one 16 ounce bottle yields 48 GALLONS of cleaning solution for use on anything from the high chair to the stove top.

With purchasing Shaklee's Get Clean Special Edition kit versus conventional ready-to-use cleaners, you can eliminate 248 pounds of Greenhouse gases. With the purchase of one Get Clean Starter Kit, you can keep 108 pounds of packaging waste out of landfills. And if that's not enough, you can save close to $3400 to get the same amount of product at the grocery store by purchasing their Get Clean Starter Kit.

I don't know about you, but that's a good deal for your health, your pocket book, and for the environment. Check them out: Shaklee Corporation.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Can you believe it?

I can't believe it was just 2 weeks ago that I posted about our local gas price being below $2.50. Yesterday...



That's what I'm talking about! Since taking this photo, it has decreased another cent and a different gas station is down to $2.04! I remember the last time that we paid less than $2.00 per gallon was Valentine's Day 2006 when we lived in Burnsville, MN. As long as the prices keep going the way they are, I'm sure we'll see less than $2.00 (actually just south of us in Fredericksburg, VA already are seeing these prices!) before the end of the year.

If you check out Gas Buddy online, you can find the cheapest gas price in your area as well.

Toy Trade

I saw an article/advertisement in the new "Cookie" magazine for parents about a new company for kids.



If you or someone you know has children, then you might be familiar with how fast children get bored with their toys. This is for you! BabyPlays.com, the Netflix for kids with toys, let subscribers create wish lists of clean, safe play items that can be checked out and returned once kids are tired of them. The selection of toys is geared for children 5 and younger, and plans start at $27 a month for five toys. This great idea also includes shipping AND batteries!

This company also donates toys to military families overseas and families in need as well.

Check it out!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

October in Review

The month of October started off with our trip to Disney World. We got Little Man excited about the trip by having him help pack his own toys. Not to mention we had to go to the airport and see lots of airplanes. I would have posted all the pictures individually, but there were way too many to highlight. I know I should have done a separate page just about Disney World. I made sure to make the more important images larger (clockwise from top left), like him debating on how to step onto the plane, sitting on the plane with a huge smile (he was such a good traveler), playing in the water fountains at the condo pool, our dinner at Planet Hollywood, picture with Tigger and Pooh, toting around his Thomas bag and backpack, first time swimming, and our meet with Mickey and Minnie. We had such a great time, we can't wait to go back again soon (next time it will be longer).


Is this kid not the cutest? He started wanting to wear his sunglasses more this month, especially daddy's. These blue sunglasses are infant/toddler glasses that just barely fit him thanks to his big head.


Since he's been born he's had a camera in his face and now he can actually pretend to be taking the pictures. Since our little Canon Elph finally died in September, we needed to buy a new one and this one got passed onto him. He loves walking around the house with the camera up to his face saying "Chee!!"


Once again, our local O.W.L. (Occaquan, Lorton, Woodbridge) Volunteer Fire Station had their Open House. This day, Little Man decided NOT to take a nap. Well, it was a good thing we had something to do to keep him occupied. He loved getting into the fire truck and ambulance and got him registered with the County in case he goes missing. We even made sure to get a picture of him standing in front of the jackets so we could compare from last year. Unfortunately, his tiredness shined through when we told him it was time to go.


We decided to try something local this year with a pumpkin patch and tried a local nursery that had moon bounce, slides, a wooden train and fire truck to climb on. Although there wasn't much to do besides those mentioned, Little Man had a great time climbing and running around. And we got to go home with a small pumpkin.


Since all of Little Man's teeth are in (except for his 4th year molars), we've really tried to make sure we are brushing his teeth twice daily. We've made it part of our morning and evening routine. This time, he thought it would be fun to brush mom's teeth while I brushed his. Whatever makes the job more fun.


Little Man has a love of trains. So much so he threw a huge temper tantrum when we took it away when he started throwing the track. Needless to say, we know how to push his buttons. He's gotten much better about not throwing his toys and loves to put the train track together every day.


Since Gramma and Pop-pop have left in September, Little Man has been constantly saying their names. When we walk by the spare bedroom, he'll knock on the door and say "Pop-pop?" He'll look up at the phone and say "Gram?" He'll see a big, yellow Penske truck drive by and yell, "Pop-pop!" I'm glad that he is starting to remember them and realize that they are very much a part of his life. At the same time, it makes me sad to say "Gramma and Pop-pop aren't here, baby." Maybe we'll be closer again some day soon.


The month ended with a fun Halloween. Mainly because Little Man is starting to realize and understand what's going on around him. He was completely fine with his costume (which was a relief considering it was too small) and loved to carry his little treat pale. By the end of the evening, we even had him saying, "treat please."



The month of October seemed to fly by. I can only imagine the joys and adventures we'll be experiencing in the month of November. I can't believe he'll be two years old next month. Stay tuned!