Mom Fail #1

Monday dawned like any other day. We went about our morning as usual - Curious George, breakfast, getting dressed, backpack on. As I pulled up to to the front of the school, my heart stopped for a moment as I remembered what day it was.

Monday.

The 29th.

Book Suitcase* Parade!

I felt like the worst Mom ever. With all the chaos of sick kids and the Easter Activity, I had completely forgotten to have her finish the Book Suitcase. She had worked on it the previous weekend, but the actual folder had gotten shuffled through the week, and slipped my mind.

As she struggled out of the car, I mentioned that we had forgotten to pack her project, but that I would figure something out.

I raced home again and burst through the door. Big Daddy looked at me questioningly.

"Ohmygoshwetotallyforgotaboutherbooksuitcaseprojectandit'sdueTODAY!!!!!!", I blurted without taking a breath.

We then spent the next 20 minutes searching for pictures of cupcakes and green foods - which, despite my collection of parenting magazines and Bon Appetits, was not as easy I thought it would be. As oceans of guilt washed over me, we flipped pages, cut, glued, added the luggage tag, and called it good.

I packed Big J into the car and burned rubber back to the school.

I burst through the doors of the school office and explained my situation. The secretaries gave each other a look, then had me leave the Suitcase with them. (oh I hope it gets to her!!)

I went about my day, and sifted through my feelings about the incident.

I don't think I'm a perfect mom. Far from it. I think teachers - particularly in our area - have a tough enough time trying to get students (and their parents) to comply and participate. I like Mrs. C., and I think she's doing a great job with the 'raw material' she's been given. I don't want our family to be a part of the problem. So if Mama has to fake a little bit of a Kindergarten project to assuage her own guilt about forgetting the due date, then so be it. And although I will probably have different feelings about it when she's in 3rd grade and beyond, for now I'm OK with that.

*Book Suitcase = a manila folder to be decorated in such a way as to entice one to read a particular book. Her choice was Pinkalicious. The suitcases are part of the month-long "Trip Around the World" wherein the students would add up reading minutes in order to 'send' the principal to different parts of the world.

PS - I really am not usually this much of a flake. Going forward I guess even Kindergarten projects warrant a reminder for my phone's organizer!

It's Working

The formula filled with diamond dust and starlight is working!

Big J gained 1 lb. in two weeks. That's 5% of his body weight.

He's also crawling all over the place, sitting himself up, and responding more frequently to basic baby signing (eat, more, all done; no worries, we use these not because he can't verbalize but because it helps him express himself without words).

While I am stoked that he's responding to the million-dollar milk replacement, I am now filled with guilt that I've been depriving his tiny body for the last 6 months. Should I have been feeding him milkshakes and moon pies all along?

Pro-V

I realize vaccinations are another controversial subject to navigate amongst the jungles of parenthood, so it's not something I discuss often. We've always been pro-immunizations in our home (even prior to med school). I think Dooce nailed my personal stance on vaccinations.

http://www.dooce.com/2009/04/07/word-or-two-about-vaccinations#comment-354515

This is my favorite paragraph:

"That our children do not have to fear death from diseases like measles or polio or whooping cough is a miracle made possible by modern technology and science. And I guess the crux of this really complex problem for me is that as the number of parents who choose not to vaccinate their children increases so does the likelihood that these diseases will become a problem again. If you've decided that the risks are too great to vaccinate your child then you are counting on the rest of us who are willing to take those risks to decrease the chances that your child will be exposed to these diseases. You are counting on us. Maybe what I don't understand (in reference to my statement in the video) is the act of and willingness to give up that control. The choice to refuse vaccinations just seems to me to be a first world luxury."

Thank you, Heather B. Armstrong.

I realize that there are many who have joined the "Autism is caused by vaccinations" camp. And while I can certainly understand the need to vilify something in response to the very bewildering and saddening disease of Autism, the bottom line is that the science doesn't support the theory.

Just my two cents on this sunny Wednesday afternoon.

Worries

The past few weeks have been challenging.

Here are my major updates (gripes), in no particular order:

I am still reeling from our Spring Break trip and my surprisingly intense resistance to move to Detroit. I am mentally digging in my heels, hands clenched at the doorway of our lovely Des Moines. It's taking a superhuman effort to even consider the logistics of planning and executing a 600 mile move. I am obsessing over where to live and complicating matters because we really want to find a house to rent, but of course want it 'all' - a reasonable price, decent size, storage space, quiet location, a decent school, and all wrapped up in perfect timing. I think I found a place that will meet 90% of our criteria, but am now fretting because I can't just hop in the car and drive 10 hours to check it out.

My biggest concern has been Big J. He had his one year check the Monday after Spring Break, and we discovered that he's a lightweight. In fact, he's only gained a pound in the last 6 months. Coupled with his lack of desire for mobility, his featherweight status gives us cause for concern. Now, let me head you off at the pass: He Eats Well. I will not go into a full accounting of his dietary habits, but I assure you, he has a decent appetite and we feed him as much as he wants to eat. He has continued to lengthen, and his noggin is holding a big brain, so no worries there. For those not well-versed in baby growth, the issue is that he's dropped significantly on the growth curve. When a baby goes from consistently being in the 50th percentile of the weight category to the 2nd percentile, questions and concerns start to form. Is he simply on the cusp of a growth spurt? Or is his body not functioning at an optimum level?

3 vials of blood, one spectacular bruise, and many lab tests later, we still have no inkling what - if anything - may be going on. We spent several days thinking it was Celiac disease (a gluten allergy), and am grateful that one was negative. We have an appointment next week with a pediatric gastroenterologist and while deep down I think we are going to end up realizing that he's just a little on the small side, as a parent I worry so much about what it might be. Having a husband in medical school doesn't help at all. While he tries not to succumb to Medical School Diagnosis Syndrome (my own name for it), he can't help but read about all the rare diseases or mysterious conditions that are out there. The chances of a rare and unfamiliar condition are 500,000 to one, but someone has to fill the role of "one".

So, I've been busy living with a worried mind and a concerned heart. Waiting impatiently for the next phone call or doctor's appointment has made me anxious, withdrawn, a little jittery, and quite grumpy. I've been eating my feelings instead of sweating them out, and I feel it in my jeans. Big Daddy's schedule has been hectic and inconsistent, and committing to a 5:30am wake-up for regular exercise (the only time I feel like I could possibly fit it into my schedule) feels overwhelming right now.

Adventures in Cooking

This week Big Sis' preschool class focused on rhyming words.

For sharing time, she brought a PLANE and a TRAIN.

And who is the king of rhyming words?

Dr. Seuss, of course.

On Wednesday, her teacher made Green Eggs & Ham for snack time. Big Sis could not stop talking about it.

She assured me she knew how to do it herself, and could not wait to fix me a big plate of green eggs & ham for my breakfast the next day.

The next morning, we woke at the usual time, and after a bit, I prepared to exercise. Big Sis frantically asked me if I wanted my breakfast before I left. I assured her I needed to wait (stomach rolling at the thought of a plate of green eggs).

Post-workout, she could hardly contain herself - pulling out the carton of eggs & assuring me she knew exactly what to do. With a pit in my stomach, I heated up the frying pan, and watched her crack an egg. A drop of blue food coloring later, a whipped greenish mass stared at me from the bottom of her mixing bowl. I dumped it into the pan, and we watched it cook.

I tried to back out - frantically thinking of an excuse, any excuse, to avoid eating what was on that plate. Finally, Big Daddy chimes in with "I think Mama missed the point of that story....".

I sighed, took a breath, and ate my green eggs & ham. As long as I didn't look at what I was eating, I was OK.

I have a feeling this will not be the last time I have to do this.

And For My Next Trick.....

Well, as yesterday's post was a monumental downer, I give you a little Monday simplicity.

Now that we are leaving Iowa, we must make the rounds of that which is fabulous about Iowa. So we drove out to Winterset.

Winterset is the birthplace of John Wayne.

For you quilting fans, Winterset is the home of Fons and Porter's quilt shop (closed on Sunday & Monday).

Winterset is also the heart of the famed Madison County - yes, THAT Madison County.

I wanted to check out the city park, which has a cool looking tower monument, and also encloses a covered bridge. What else to do on a beautiful weekend day?

Unfortunately, I forgot the cardinal rule of Midwest living - if it's winter, it's closed. And that included the city park.

So we circled the 4 square blocks of downtown, I made note of the quilt shop, and we headed out to find at least ONE bridge.

We came upon the Hogsback Bridge, built in 1884.

This is my new favorite picture. I may have to frame it.

Sunday Morning

I don't think it's an auspicious start to the day when.....

Big Daddy chooses to sleep through his alarm, then snaps "Quit waking me up every 20 seconds" as a response to "Can I do anything for you this morning?" (my gentle wifely attempt to get him out of bed).

Big Daddy then comes into the kitchen and snaps a picture of me in my PJ/ cold morning outfit of purple tank top under pink long sleeve night gown under black Oregon State sweatshirt over turquoise flamingo / trailer park-at-Christmas pants, with pink slippers, glasses & hair in messy topknot. {Stunning, I know} He said he wanted to record me for posterity, so that when this becomes a national trend we will know where it all began.

Perhaps this is a hint that I should re-examine my morning wardrobe. And maybe even consider getting dressed before noon each day. I think I'm in for a rude awakening when I have to start doing the morning drop-off next school year.

Party Time!

Cue up the Hallelujah chorus, Birthday Week is officially over!!

Today was Big Sis' birthday party. It's not the first party she's ever had, but it's the first one to include friends, and I have been super-stressed over the entire ordeal. The theme was Princesses & Pirates.

I spent last night making cupcakes & this morning frosting them. This included a last minute run to Wal-Mart for more red gel coloring, as I forgot how hard it is to achieve a true red (Particularly when beginning with snow white buttercream. Duh.). I also put together all the party bags last night, adding in a few extra of each type "just in case". And I started packing up all the stuff we needed to haul with us.

We held the party at Cici's Pizza - a chain-store, all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Not our usual type of hangout, but the price of the party room was appealing, as it was FREE. It was actually great. The manager was really awesome about everything, and the room was furnished with tables & chairs for up to 70 people, tablecloths, a TV & DVD player, and was secluded from the rest of the restaurant. I packed up the car, jammed in 18 helium-inflated balloons and raced down there to do some mad decorating before the first guests were to arrive at 4.

I was still decorating when the Princesses and Pirates started to arrive, but managed to wrap it up relatively quickly. I am glad I made a few extra party bags, as we had some unexpected party guests arrive (And yet still had the right number of total guests - go figure). We had a bit of a slow start until we got the bubble machine going, then it turned a little chaotic as everyone wanted to pop, chase, stomp, whack, touch, blow, and bite as many bubbles as possible.

I turned their attention to some coloring sheets, and managed to get them to focus on that for a few minutes. The girls were mesmerized by the Barbie and the Diamond Castle DVD that was playing, while the boys had ants in their pants. I still need to expand my knowledge base on boys. I probably should have planned a sword fight, or walking the plank, or something, but I had images of contusions and severed eyes popping in my head every time I thought about it. (Yes Big Daddy, I know you can't actually sever your eye. Just chalk it up to literary embellishment.)

We moved on to the pizza buffet, and once their tummies were full, we broke out the foam tiaras and pirate hats for decorating (found at Oriental Trading Company - don't you just love it?!). They had lots of fun customizing their headgear, and enjoyed modeling them when I pulled each child aside to take their pic. I'm going to print the pics and include them in the thank you notes we'll send to each guest. (Sorry to spoil the surprise for anyone who attended).

We then proceeded to what turned out to be the surprise hit of the party: Digging for Buried Treasure! I found the idea on some website (I looked again last night - no clue where I stumbled across this). You take a container of any size, fill it with cornmeal for 'sand', and let the kids dig for some sort of buried treasure. I used an oversized pink plastic bin we had in the garage, found Big Sis' little trowel she likes to dig in the dirt with, filled the bin with 10 lbs. of cornmeal, threw in a few handfuls of plastic rings, and the kids went to town! Each one got a turn, and was allowed to dig until they discovered a treasure. Everyone clapped and hollered when they held up their find, and they totally loved it.

We wound down the evening with Princess & Pirate cupcakes (frosted & topped with "confetti"), gave out the party bags & called it a night. Everyone seemed to have fun, Big Sis enjoyed herself, and it was so awesome to see all the kids dressed up. I consider it a success. But I am still SO glad it's all over. And now I plan to curl up under my down comforter and catch up on the latest issue of Bon Appetit. Gotta plan for Valentine's Day.....

Look at all those cuties!

5

Today Big Sis turns 5!

I don't know why, but I have been struggling with this just a bit. 5 seems so.... grown up. Like the next time I turn around, she'll be packing up to head off to college.

Here's a brief interview with Big Sis:

What’s special about today? It’s my birthday. And I like birthdays.

What’s so special about being 5? Because you have to turn 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 10.

Favorite thing about today so far? Opening my presents.

Favorite present? My favorite present was my Tinkerbelle movie.

Favorite food? Strawberries and blueberries

Favorite drink: Root beer

Favorite thing to do in the whole world? To go and see my cousins and see Audrey and have a playdate with Mariah.

Favorite thing to do with Daddy: Go to the movies

Favorite thing to do with Mommy: Go to Disney on Ice

Favorite TV show: Spongebob

Who’s your best friend: Mariah

What do you like to do with her: Have playdates with her and play hide and go seek

Favorite book: Angelina

Do you like having a little brother?: No, not very much because he cries in the night and he whines all the time.

Favorite princess: Aurora because she has a pretty crown and pretty hair and pretty dress.

What are you doing right now? I am taking pictures of what you’re writing on your computer.

Tell me about your day: My day was good and next I get to go to school and they get to sing happy birthday to me and I get to make a birthday crown. And I get to eat snacks and then we wash our hands and we have library time.

Do you like library time? Yes because that is how Johnathan will keep quiet. He is so loud.

What are you doing tonight? We are going to get Chinese food for dinner and then we go back home and we go to bed.

Favorite Joke: My favorite joke is a knock-knock joke.

Knock-knock

Who's there?

Orange?

Orange I'm glad you didn't come from Africa.

(I have no idea what the above joke means. She likes the idea of knock-knock jokes and will make up her own non-sensical versions for hours).

My sweet baby girl, I feel like I want to put the brakes on the aging process now. You are such a precious little sprite, always dancing around the house, practicing your "sweet moves" and curtsying to your imaginary yet appreciative audience. You are inquisitive and mischievous, with a ready smile and infectious laugh. It makes my heart swell to watch you play with other children. You are generous with your attention, and free with your advice on how things should be done (A bit of Mama in you? More than just a bit, I think....). You are also so very kind-hearted, wanting to make sure everyone will join in with any group activity, and always ready and willing to do your part.

Your creativity is blossoming and it is a joy to watch those synapses fire up as you discover the worlds of drawing and painting, and of course, the pleasures to be had from the application of glitter glue. If it is pink, it must adorn your body. If it is sparkly, shiny, or glossy, it must be applied to your lips, face, or fingernails. My girl, you are all girl.

While your feelings towards your brother generally border on the ambivalent, you have a protective streak that rises if anyone else approaches him or tries to touch him. I am hopeful those feelings of protection will continue for all your lives together, and you will be close friends as adults. (I have no illusion that you will do more than tolerate the other through adolescence, but hopefully you will grow to appreciate each other as time passes).

Happy Birthday my girl.