My new love

Don't worry, hubby. It's not a person.

For the past few months I have been looking for the perfect water bottle. Has to be stainless steel, has a straw, and MUST be at least 16 ounces. I tried the Camelback stainless steel, but it isn't insulated so the ice doesn't stay frozen for very long and it really sweats on the outside when filled with ice. I tried accepting my Bubba Mug, but the damn thing was so top heavy it kept falling over and leaking water because I wanted to use a straw rather than the opening spout.

But then, I found this:


Isn't she beautiful? By Thermos, insulated stainless steel 16 ounce bottle with straw for either hot or cold drinks. We already have 3 of the 12 ounce ones.

I love it!

Amazing

After living here with my two boys for almost five months, there are five things my father still finds amazing.

1) That a child, either the 4 month old or the 3 year old, can fill a diaper just 10 minutes after it was changed.

2) How fast 2 hours can go by when occupied with a 4 month old, especially when he is fussy.

3) That when caught at the right moment, BBZ can be asleep within 2 minutes of me putting him down for a nap.

4) How fast the mood of a 3 year old can change (okay maybe not that one, but it still surprises me sometimes).

5) That Gramma is extremely jealous that he gets to watch her second grandson grow up while she is in California.

Back to the Swing of things

It's been awhile since my last post, mainly because we've had quite a few visitors lately to our house. First, my dear friend from Texas came to visit so we could attend the Chantilly American Scrapbooking Convention (what a blast!). Then, my parents to visit prior to them completing their move to California.

While my parents we here, they of course played lots with Little Man - who absolutely adores "Pop-pop" and "Gramma". My father, who had just finished home renovations on their own house in New York, was able to help hubby with the deck reno. Our deck was in desperate need of something, splintering and wearing away, but unfortunately was too worn away to clean and re-stain. So we knocked out the flooring and the railing and replaced it with new wood.



The end result: is absolutely beautiful! The deck even looks bigger, too!


While the men were working outdoors, my mother, LMA, and I were working indoors on our kitchen cabinets. With a fresh coat of new linen white paint and satin nickel hardware, it's going to look great.



Unfortunately, this project is still a work in progress, but already it looks lighter and brighter and more updated in our kitchen. Can't wait to show off the end results.

Great Giveaways

A friend of mine stumbled onto a great website that offers some incredible giveaways. The Dirty Shirt, "Product reviews from a mom with way too much laundry" basically explains it all. From movies (Australia) to books (Sesame Street) to even a potty training kit, this site has it all.

Since Little Man A is still in the process of potty training, I thought I would enter myself in the contest to win the Baby Signs Potty Training Program Review and Giveaway. And while I was at it, I entered a giveaway for myself: A chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Australia. Since I know hubby won't go to the theatre (is it even playing in the theatre anymore), I'd have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

Check the site out. You never know what you might win.

Just remember...

"It Won't Be Like This for Long" by Darius Rucker

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Laying there in bed listening
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

[Chorus]
It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughin'
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It wont be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in there bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now dont you worry
This will only last a week or two

[Chorus]

Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the isle
And he'll raise her vail
But right now she up and crying
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by so
He's trying to hold on
It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

If you want to hear what it sounds like: Click Here

This song gets me every time.

Calgon, take me away

Well, it's here. The first official snow fall for the Washington, D.C. metro area. We all knew the time would come eventually, so why is everyone still panicked? Because we live in the state of Virginia? Maybe because we're south of the Mason-Dixon line, these people thought Mother Nature would exempt us from such horrible weather. I hate to tell you - people in Texas are getting snow. So in my book, that's leaves everything open to possibilities.

And what have I done so far on this delightful day? Thankfully, we have 4 wheel drive on our F-150 (these are the days that I am glad that we own a truck and not my little rinky-dink Toyota Rav4 - although I did love that car!) and managed to make it up our slight incline of a hill from our cul-de-sac. We managed to make it to the turn to the VRE station, when hubby and said truck decided to do a 360 .... IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION!

Hubby stayed cool, laughed about it, said he really wanted to just go home anyway, and put the truck into Low 4-wheel drive. POP!!! That would be the sound of our transmission. Yeah, now our truck is STUCK in 4 wheel Low.

And I'm suppose to take care of all this by myself??

Hubby made a call, we dropped the truck off at the dealer, which it won't even be looked at until tomorrow. Thankfully, we have an extended warranty that's pretty good (only have to pay $50 deductible as long as it's covered under warranty).

While we were waiting around the dealer, hubby found out that he actually really needed to go into work. LMA is being a great sport this entire time. We found some pamphlets about Caterpillar vehicles and he oogled over those for 10-15 minutes... and on the way home... and when we got home. Thankfully, I grabbed an apple and milk for him or else he would have been starving by the time we got home at 11:00am!

In the mean time, two other vehicles have managed to get stuck at the bottom of our cul-de-sac. I'm so glad the rental company gave us another truck and not a mini-van or a Focus.

On a lighter note, take a look at this lovely card that I made for hubby's grandparents as a "with love/just beacuse". It just screams spring. Which will hopefully be here some time soon.



P.S. Did I mention our computer's little yellow line is fixed?!!? Turns out it was the display board. We had our computer fixed and back within 2 days! I love Apple computers. :)

We what we do without it??

Today, I had to drive 40 minutes to take our beloved iMac to the Apple Store to be examined. Seems something has gone awry with the display... leaving a lovely vertical yellow strip directly down the center of the screen. At first it blinked at you, then occasionally go away for a few minutes, but now it is here to stay.

At least until we can fix it.


Thankfully, we were smart enough in 2006 to purchase Apple Care Protection Plan. Best thing we've done so far. When this one expires in May, we may purchase another one. Hopefully, they will receive the part, at the latest, by Monday and then it would take an additional 24-48 hours until we would get it back. Since the computer is still functional and the little yellow line really isn't that bad, we decided to take the computer home until the part arrived.

Because what would we do for almost 4 days without a computer???


I started thinking about all the things that we do online or even just playing around with a new design for my business card, brochures, and flyers. Hubby has been using it to get online and figure out how to solve his newest killing spree game for PS3. And of course, LMA loves to watch You Tube and all the wonders of trucks, tractors, and trains. Don't forget about finding coloring pages online for LMA to paint or color.


So, really. Could you last 4 days without your computer?

So, did you go?

So many people who I know outside of the state of Virginia have been asking me since yesterday, "So, did you go see Obama?"

My answer?


Uh, NO.


Why not?


Number 1. D.C. was so tighten down with security, road blockages, needing special passes just to be able to ride the Metro and VRE (Virginia Railway Express), and bridge closings that there was no way we would have been able to go.

Number 2. 27 degrees. No more need be said.

Besides, it was nice to be able to watch history in the making from the comfort of our home (while Little Man was watching "Cars" downstairs) and a nice cup of hot tea.

Oh, and hubby could have gotten FREE tickets to the Inaugural Ball. The only problem with that? What to do with LMA.

My dad... he's still wanting an Obama mug. Guess I'll have to get one for him before they come to visit again.

A new do

Not for me, but for hubby. Last week, when he needed to get a new DA (Department of the Army) photo done for a review board (hopeful promotion), he got his head shaved. Unfortunately, I didn't grab a picture that day, but I did get one this weekend.

He went from looking like this...



to this...




Trust me, it would have been a bigger impact if I had a day of the haircut photo. Guess I should prepare myself for this new look considering he may be active duty soon.

(Un)Productive use of time

Little Man has been battling his third cold/infection over the past three months. Yep. That's one per month people. Do you know how tired I am of hearing "Bugga, Mommy." as he's pointing to his face. On the bright side, he could be wiping it all over his shirt so I'm semi-thankful for that.

Since he's been sick, there hasn't been much naptime/mommy time. I've tried to make a list of things that I really need to do and make sure to complete those tasks first as soon as his head hits the pillow. Most of the time I manage to complete the necessary items, but other times they seem to run into something else. Especially if they involve my computer.

For the past 4 days, I've had a list of 4 things on my to do list. Only 3 of them have managed to be completed (although the 4th does involve shopping for myself so that gets put on hold). When I log onto the computer, I'll check my mail and all hope of completing my list goes out the window.

Last month, when Wenderina joined the Facebook band wagon, I decided to hop on for a ride since another friend asked me to be a "friend" as well. I didn't think anything of it. Just something else to try and keep up with, like this blog. It wasn't until last week that I really started to use it. Why? Because all my friends are doing it!

Yeah, I know stupid reason. But to me, who is constantly moving from state to state and losing touch with all my old friends, this has been really nice. I've been able to find all my college buddies. It's so nice to see who they have become since the last time we've spoken. Who has a new baby girl, who has really turned their riding/love of horses into a career, or who went in a completely different direction.

We did manage to get out of the house today though. Mainly to go pick up antibiotics for LMA since we don't think that he's getting any better. We also stopped by our local mall's kids' club who was having a playdate with Gymboree today. And mommy got a gift too...


Direct from Oriental Trading Company, it's a fleece scarf with pre-cut ribbon. Tie the ribbon on the ends, tie the fleece ends so the ribbon doesn't fall off, and voila! Cute little scarf which is keeping me very warm in this frigid house, might I add.

So, at least I got one thing done today. Time to go finish the rest of the list before he wakes up.

A yummy herb

I? Love mint. Especially like this....




Last night I had mint hot chocolate with a chocolate covered mint candy stick mixed in and mint double stuffed oreo cookies.

Needless to say, losing 40 pounds is NOT a new years resolution.

But did you know?

Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. During the Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic. Mint also aids digestion. The taxonomic family Lamiaceae is known as the mint family. It includes many other aromatic herbs, including most of the more common cooking herbs, including basil, rosemary, sage, oregano and catnip. (Wikipedia)

Learn something new everyday.

Tunnel of fun! ... or fear?

I know. It's been a long time since I posted. Happy Belated New Years to everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season as well.

I'm not prepared to put together a month in review for December (not to mention the 300+ photos that I have to go through just for Christmas alone), but rest assured it will be coming. Maybe tomorrow if you're lucky. Nor am I prepared to really put in writing any new years resolutions. I read an article yesterday about how we always pick goals/resolutions that are never within reach. Like lose 40 pounds, not to swear in front of my child (although I'm actually good, er, semi-good about that), or take my dog for a walk everyday. The only goal that I would really like to accomplish and I know IS within reach is to finish LMA first year album. I only have 3 more layouts for the book. So, I'll have to think about it a little more.

Anyways, I really wanted to share a story from today. We were on our way home, or at least attempting to go home, after picking Daddy up from the train station. Apparently, a horrible accident backed up traffic the entire length of the only road that could take us home. 35 minutes later, only 5 miles down the road, and a very angry/hungry child in the back seat, we decided to stop at McDonald's for dinner. I really didn't feel like getting LMA another toy, since he's not really playing with the ones Santa brought him, so we opted for a dollar menu McChicken grilled sandwich for him instead of a happy meal (even though now you can order apple slices instead of fries and milk).

Before we left, we decided to head down to the child's play area with the tunnels and slides. LMA had never been in one of these, and with screaming children added to the situation, he was curious but not overzealous about it. It took him a good 15 minutes to even climb into the first square past the steps. All the while other children are passing him up the stairs, which of course would set him back even more each time.

The one thing that really enticed him to go further was an "airplane" set up that he could see from the outside right by the steps. The kicker of it was that he needed to climb through a tunnel to the right about 5 feet long and then through another one about 2 feet long before entering the "pilot's seat". These measurements don't sound like much to an adult, but to a 36 inch child, it's like climbing Mount Everest.

The entire time I'm watching him and encouraging him to go just a bit further, I had flashbacks of Catwoman's Little Man in McDonald's play room with two African American children. Although my child doesn't have the vocabulary to ask, "Is that black?" yet, I still couldn't help but laugh to myself while reminiscing.

Anyways, my other thought while he was climbing around was what would happen if he started crying and needed me? Or if he seriously injured himself? Am I allowed to climb in to retrieve my son? Will the tunnels hold my fat ars? Would he really remember how to get out? Would I stay calm and collected or would I freak out because I can't reach my child?? Part of me started to panic while watching him have fun.

I love watching my son discover new adventures, but I hate the mommy paranoia that always follows it.

Preserving Memories

I know of one person so far who has preserved their blog into a book format. Did you know there is a company out there who can do that for you??

Bloggled.com will soon be offering a "Blog to Book" feature to allow you to bind all your entries together in a book format. You can even add pictures along with your entries.

Sign up for their free service to backup your blog and they'll let you know when this awesome service will be available.

Playdate Contract

For those of you who are involved in playdates, here is a "Standard Contract for Playdate Services". I haven't had these experiences yet, but I'm sure some of you might have in the past.


(You can click on the image for a larger viewing.)

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!

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!

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.

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.

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??

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.