Hey Humble Readers...
Autumn has well and truly fallen on the Shire. The trees are golden, and the leaves are crunching underfoot. When they're not too soggy to crunch that is. It's been raining a lot over the last few days, and with the rain has come some crazy cold weather. Normally this time of year our daytime high is 16C... nice crisp fall weather. Today's high is 5C (and it currently feels like it's 1C). I am so close to turning on the furnace it isn't funny, but I'm trying to hold off for as long as I can.
Oh, and we woke up to a skiff of that white poop on the ground this morning. Yuck!
*****
One weather related complication that is rather unique to Canada is planning for Halloween. I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with some cute costumes for the wee-lings, that are both weather and stroller friendly (for Pip at least). I have an idea that would be super cute for Pippin, and would work over a winter coat, but it doesn't jive with him being in the stroller. Maybe I'll hold it off for next year. Ginny is another story entirely. I have a good idea if the weather is warm-ish (above freezing), but if it's chilly (read: arctic) then I don't know what we'll do. If it's super cold, then we'll probably just trick or treat around the mall (they give out candy at each store) rather than doing the neighbourhood.
*****
I've been to the gym once so far. I fully intended to go this morning, but Pip woke up screaming just as I was getting ready to go. The other night I did 8km on the stationary bike, 3km on the treadmill, and the weight circuit. It felt good, until the next morning. LOL It will be difficult to get back on the bike tomorrow morning (and yes, I WILL go).
*****
We are planning to go to a Fall Festival at a local farm on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it, just as a nice outing for all of us. The weather is supposed to be nice, and I'm hoping to get some fun pictures of the wee-lings. We are also going to be picking out our pumpkins, and maybe the last of the fresh local produce for the year.
*****
I've been doing a lot more laundry the last few days... we have been having diaper leak after diaper leak. With both wee-lings. We haven't had a dry morning in days. I'm not sure what's changed. Maybe it's time to consider moving them up into the next size.
*****
Pippin has become obsessed with the dishwasher. He pushes buttons, turns the dial to start it, and takes dirty dishes out. Silly boy. We also may have gotten a word out of our not-so-talkative little boy. I was waving at him the other day, saying bye-bye, and he looked at me, waved, and said buh-buh. Haven't been able to get him to repeat it, but it was the first actual word we've had from him.
*****
Ginny loves having "jobs to do". She helps load the washer and dryer. She sets the table (cutlery, salt and pepper, condiments), sweeps the floor under the table after lunch, sorts and folds laundry (granted it isn't neat), and helps take out the garbage.
But most of all, she loves to help make dinner. She does simple things, like transfer the diced potatoes to the pot or spread the broccoli out on the baking tray. Last night she spread mustard on the roast with a little help. The night before, she helped combine all the veggies for the casserole. Tonight she'll be helping to make the buns to go along with the chili we're having. It's fun having her help, and we get to talk about the colours of the food, about numbers (how many potatoes is Mummy peeling?), and about food groups. I've noticed an increase in her willingness to eat more vegetables (yucky hasn't been in her vocabulary in quite a while). And she's so proud when Daddy thanks her for helping.
Showing posts with label Ginny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ginny. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Coming Up For Air
Hey Humble Readers...
Well, that was a loss of two weeks.
First, we were just busy. Westerner Days and Parade with the wee-lings, and Ginny's first ever class-type program (Mom & Tot Gymnastics), and a quick visit from my sister and her family.
Then we all got sick. Well, as much as my Beloved ever gets sick (a few sniffles and a frog in his throat), anyway. The rest of us have been sneezing, snarfling, and coughing for days and days. Ginny is on the mend, but Pippin and I are still suffering. You know, I can handle a lot of the whole bodily fluid thing, but snot and drool about do me in. And dealing with it when I'm barely holding it together is beyond challenging. Motherhood is grand! (and yes, I know this is what I longed for!)
Well, I need to lay down again. Thank heaven for nap time (Ginny) and play pens (Pip).
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer!
Well, that was a loss of two weeks.
First, we were just busy. Westerner Days and Parade with the wee-lings, and Ginny's first ever class-type program (Mom & Tot Gymnastics), and a quick visit from my sister and her family.
Then we all got sick. Well, as much as my Beloved ever gets sick (a few sniffles and a frog in his throat), anyway. The rest of us have been sneezing, snarfling, and coughing for days and days. Ginny is on the mend, but Pippin and I are still suffering. You know, I can handle a lot of the whole bodily fluid thing, but snot and drool about do me in. And dealing with it when I'm barely holding it together is beyond challenging. Motherhood is grand! (and yes, I know this is what I longed for!)
Well, I need to lay down again. Thank heaven for nap time (Ginny) and play pens (Pip).
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Potty Training Woes
Hey Humble Readers...
I am a very frustrated hobbit.
I'm frustrated primarily with myself. And with all the people who I have listened to about how Ginny should be potty trained by now.
(and yes, I admit, I am a tad frustrated with Ginny.)
This was our third go round of trying to get potty training started. And again we crashed and burned.
It's likely that I'm the one doing something wrong here, but honestly, I'm stuck for ideas. Here's what I'm doing right now.
Repeatedly, she will sit on the potty for a while, then get up without doing anything. Then, later, she will pee in her pants without even noticing. Seriously, she doesn't notice that she's wet.
I'm getting really sick of cleaning up puddles. And we don't have laminate or hard wood. Just linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom, but we live in the living room. Carpet. *sigh*
I'm so angry with myself for being pushed into trying to start training her last summer. It was ridiculous, but it's now set us up for this cycle of frustration and feeling like a failure (yeah, that's totally on me. She seems oblivious, except for being irritated with having to interrupt playtime to go sit on the potty).
I know that she's feeling my frustration. How can she not? A big part of me wants to pack it in until her birthday next November.
Someone, anyone, please... tell me that this will happen. That she won't be the only kindergartener still in diapers.
(And I swear to heaven above, I won't even bother trying to start training Pip until he's 3!)
I am a very frustrated hobbit.
I'm frustrated primarily with myself. And with all the people who I have listened to about how Ginny should be potty trained by now.
(and yes, I admit, I am a tad frustrated with Ginny.)
This was our third go round of trying to get potty training started. And again we crashed and burned.
It's likely that I'm the one doing something wrong here, but honestly, I'm stuck for ideas. Here's what I'm doing right now.
- I refuse to use pull-ups because they just don't make sense. I have a bunch of the quilted, thick training pants for her.
- I put her in her training pants right after breakfast. She sits on the potty right away, and then every fifteen minutes thereafter, until after lunch (naptime). She doesn't wear any jeans or shorts.
- I push the salty snacks and fluids to make it so that she has to pee more often.
- I have moved the potty from the bathroom to the kitchen, so that she doesn't have as far to go. This also helps as I need to be able to keep an eye on Pip.
- I took her shopping for pretty 'big girl undies'. She knows that she will get to wear them when she learns to go pee in the potty.
- I printed off a couple of different charts and got some Hello Kitty stickers for her to use when she actually goes on the potty.
- I give her a Smartie (like an m&m... it's a Canadian thing) every time she sits on the potty. I've told her that she will get two smarties when she goes pee on the potty and three when she goes poop.
- We sing songs and read stories while she's on the potty to keep her seated and relaxed.
- We have tried "teaching" her stuffed puppy, Stanley, to go on the potty so that we can celebrate and go through the whole process.
Repeatedly, she will sit on the potty for a while, then get up without doing anything. Then, later, she will pee in her pants without even noticing. Seriously, she doesn't notice that she's wet.
I'm getting really sick of cleaning up puddles. And we don't have laminate or hard wood. Just linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom, but we live in the living room. Carpet. *sigh*
I'm so angry with myself for being pushed into trying to start training her last summer. It was ridiculous, but it's now set us up for this cycle of frustration and feeling like a failure (yeah, that's totally on me. She seems oblivious, except for being irritated with having to interrupt playtime to go sit on the potty).
I know that she's feeling my frustration. How can she not? A big part of me wants to pack it in until her birthday next November.
Someone, anyone, please... tell me that this will happen. That she won't be the only kindergartener still in diapers.
(And I swear to heaven above, I won't even bother trying to start training Pip until he's 3!)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Sunday Night Chit Chat: Hockey Widow
Hey Humble Readers...
How's your weekend been? Ours was nice... a trip to Little Town Down South to visit MIL, some shopping (I got new shoes! Woohoo), and some quiet family time. Lots of rain. We did, however, get a chance to go to the park for a little while between showers.
*****
My Beloved loves hockey and football (CFL). I am not a fan of the NHL. If I'm going to watch hockey it will be international or junior level. Thankfully, he doesn't feel the need to watch every game every week. It also helps that 'his' team (Calgary Flames) haven't been doing so well the last few years. But now that we're down to the semi-finals, I'm officially a hockey widow. Is it just me, or does it seem ridiculous that they're still playing hockey in June? And then football starts in July. *sigh*
*****
If you're driving through central Alberta anytime soon, you might want to avoid driving in the Shire. This past winter was murder on our roadways, and with all the rain we've had recently the city crews haven't been able to get out to work on the potholes. Our back lane is especially bad as we share it with a strip mall and the delivery trucks have torn the crap out of the alley (unpaved). The entrance to our parking lot is marked by a pothole that is more than a foot deep.
*****
I've been contacted by one of my bio-aunts, and she wants to come and see us. I haven't responded yet. I would like to see her, but every time I get in touch with someone from my bio-family all hell breaks loose. The phone calls and harassment begins again from my bio-mom and bio-sister. I just don't know if I'm ready to face that right now.
*****
My Beloved and I are taking a mini-holiday on Labour Day weekend. I know it's still a long way away, but I'm excited about it. We aren't going far, just down the highway to Big City To The South, for the weekend. MIL is coming here to stay with the wee-lings, and we managed to get a great deal on a nice hotel room for the weekend. It will be our first overnight trip (together) away from the wee-lings. I love my children, and I'm I excited to have a chance to get away from them for a while.
*****
On to tonight's chit chat. Here's what I'm...
Reading... The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. This book is really good. I know next to nothing about Russian history, so this is a learning experience for me too. All about an orphan girl, a ward of the crown, who is trained to be a spy in the court of Catherine the Great. Very reminiscent of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series. I'm loving it. Next in the queue is The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein.
Watching... not really watching anything. My Beloved is surfing back and forth between the hockey game and Mythbusters.
Listening To... while I'm not listening to anything other than the tv right now, I have recently found a very old favourite and I've been listening to him on my walks in the morning. Chris De Burgh... the guy who sang Lady In Red. He's got a ton of great 'story songs' like The Traveller, Spanish Train, and Patricia the Stripper. Very nostalgic for me.
Happy I accomplished this week... I joined www.fatsecret.com ages ago, but this week I founded a challenge. A 30 Day Squat Challenge. I found the layout of the challenge on Pinterest, and there are now 115 people signed up to squat along with me this month. It's killer on the legs of course, but it's actually fun too.
Looking forward to next week... Crafting with the girls on Thursday. Working on some Christmas gifts. I already have my mom's and my MIL's Christmas gifts done (except for the frames).
Thankful for this week... The sun, when it shines.
***Bonus Question*** If you could only eat ONE FOOD for the rest of your life, what would it be? Would you believe me if I said roasted broccoli? I love that stuff! I could eat it all day long.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Click over to see what the others are chatting about tonight, and join in on the fun!
How's your weekend been? Ours was nice... a trip to Little Town Down South to visit MIL, some shopping (I got new shoes! Woohoo), and some quiet family time. Lots of rain. We did, however, get a chance to go to the park for a little while between showers.
*****
My Beloved loves hockey and football (CFL). I am not a fan of the NHL. If I'm going to watch hockey it will be international or junior level. Thankfully, he doesn't feel the need to watch every game every week. It also helps that 'his' team (Calgary Flames) haven't been doing so well the last few years. But now that we're down to the semi-finals, I'm officially a hockey widow. Is it just me, or does it seem ridiculous that they're still playing hockey in June? And then football starts in July. *sigh*
*****
If you're driving through central Alberta anytime soon, you might want to avoid driving in the Shire. This past winter was murder on our roadways, and with all the rain we've had recently the city crews haven't been able to get out to work on the potholes. Our back lane is especially bad as we share it with a strip mall and the delivery trucks have torn the crap out of the alley (unpaved). The entrance to our parking lot is marked by a pothole that is more than a foot deep.
*****
I've been contacted by one of my bio-aunts, and she wants to come and see us. I haven't responded yet. I would like to see her, but every time I get in touch with someone from my bio-family all hell breaks loose. The phone calls and harassment begins again from my bio-mom and bio-sister. I just don't know if I'm ready to face that right now.
*****
My Beloved and I are taking a mini-holiday on Labour Day weekend. I know it's still a long way away, but I'm excited about it. We aren't going far, just down the highway to Big City To The South, for the weekend. MIL is coming here to stay with the wee-lings, and we managed to get a great deal on a nice hotel room for the weekend. It will be our first overnight trip (together) away from the wee-lings. I love my children, and I'm I excited to have a chance to get away from them for a while.
*****
On to tonight's chit chat. Here's what I'm...
Reading... The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. This book is really good. I know next to nothing about Russian history, so this is a learning experience for me too. All about an orphan girl, a ward of the crown, who is trained to be a spy in the court of Catherine the Great. Very reminiscent of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series. I'm loving it. Next in the queue is The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein.
Watching... not really watching anything. My Beloved is surfing back and forth between the hockey game and Mythbusters.
Listening To... while I'm not listening to anything other than the tv right now, I have recently found a very old favourite and I've been listening to him on my walks in the morning. Chris De Burgh... the guy who sang Lady In Red. He's got a ton of great 'story songs' like The Traveller, Spanish Train, and Patricia the Stripper. Very nostalgic for me.
Happy I accomplished this week... I joined www.fatsecret.com ages ago, but this week I founded a challenge. A 30 Day Squat Challenge. I found the layout of the challenge on Pinterest, and there are now 115 people signed up to squat along with me this month. It's killer on the legs of course, but it's actually fun too.
Looking forward to next week... Crafting with the girls on Thursday. Working on some Christmas gifts. I already have my mom's and my MIL's Christmas gifts done (except for the frames).
Thankful for this week... The sun, when it shines.
***Bonus Question*** If you could only eat ONE FOOD for the rest of your life, what would it be? Would you believe me if I said roasted broccoli? I love that stuff! I could eat it all day long.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Click over to see what the others are chatting about tonight, and join in on the fun!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Hobbit-ish Potpurri:
Howdy Humble Readers...
We're beginning to feel a little like Noah around here and wondering if we need to build an ark. Another few days, and I may have to start checking for moss between my toes. It's been raining pretty much for a week. The upshot is that the grass is nice and green, but I'm getting a little tired of walking in the rain every morning. I'm trying to remember how I managed when I lived in Seattle for four years. All the rain never really bothered me then. Hmmm...
*****
I had an appointment with Dr. B today. Just another follow-up on my blood sugars. He's very happy with my sugars, and my weight loss (47 pounds down!). He basically told me that he normally sees diabetic patients once a month for at least 6 months as they adjust and commit to the changes they need to make, but he doesn't need to see me again until I need a refill on my prescriptions (sometime early August). Woohoo! My blood pressure was a little high today, but he chalked that up to the lingering cough. We did talk about my goal of being med free (at least for the high blood pressure) by my 40th birthday a little over a year from now, and he's very confident that I can get there easily. So long as I stay on track.
*****
Pippin has cut two teeth in the past week. So with the congestion from the cold he's still got, and the runny nose stuff from teething, my life has been all about snot the past few days. You know, I can handle the poop, vomit, and pee. But drool and snot just make my skin crawl. Ick.
*****
Ginny has been doing really well with her letters and numbers, being able to name all her uppercase letters for the last few months. Recently she's started figuring out that there's an order to them all, and has begun counting to 10 by rote, as well as singing the alphabet song. This week I started working with her on recognizing her name printed out. We had some dollar store beach balls from Pip's birthday party, so on one of them I wrote out all our names in block letters, and she's gotten very good at picking out her name. I toss her the ball, and when she catches it she has to find the name I say. Next we'll start working on lowercase letters.
*****
AF is here, and true to form, she's been a little strange. For the last 6 months or so, there has been a lot of spotting before and after, and killer (KILLER!!!) cramps. This month, no spotting, hardly any cramps (mostly just a backache)... just 'hey I'm here' and that's it. Could this be due to getting my sugars under control? Being more physically active? Or simply that it's been a year since Pip was born and my body is getting back to normal? Probably a bit of all three, but still it's strange.
*****
Planning on buying myself a new pair of shoes for walking this weekend, maybe some more yoga pants for when I'm working out, and a belt! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've owned a belt? The capris that I bought at the beginning of April are already getting to be too big, and the jeans I got in January are starting to slip when I walk (especially if I've got my keys or phone in my pocket). Since another wardrobe of pants isn't in the budget, a belt will have to do the trick. I haven't worn a belt in more than 20 years. I'm super excited. Dorky, huh?
We're beginning to feel a little like Noah around here and wondering if we need to build an ark. Another few days, and I may have to start checking for moss between my toes. It's been raining pretty much for a week. The upshot is that the grass is nice and green, but I'm getting a little tired of walking in the rain every morning. I'm trying to remember how I managed when I lived in Seattle for four years. All the rain never really bothered me then. Hmmm...
*****
I had an appointment with Dr. B today. Just another follow-up on my blood sugars. He's very happy with my sugars, and my weight loss (47 pounds down!). He basically told me that he normally sees diabetic patients once a month for at least 6 months as they adjust and commit to the changes they need to make, but he doesn't need to see me again until I need a refill on my prescriptions (sometime early August). Woohoo! My blood pressure was a little high today, but he chalked that up to the lingering cough. We did talk about my goal of being med free (at least for the high blood pressure) by my 40th birthday a little over a year from now, and he's very confident that I can get there easily. So long as I stay on track.
*****
Pippin has cut two teeth in the past week. So with the congestion from the cold he's still got, and the runny nose stuff from teething, my life has been all about snot the past few days. You know, I can handle the poop, vomit, and pee. But drool and snot just make my skin crawl. Ick.
*****
Ginny has been doing really well with her letters and numbers, being able to name all her uppercase letters for the last few months. Recently she's started figuring out that there's an order to them all, and has begun counting to 10 by rote, as well as singing the alphabet song. This week I started working with her on recognizing her name printed out. We had some dollar store beach balls from Pip's birthday party, so on one of them I wrote out all our names in block letters, and she's gotten very good at picking out her name. I toss her the ball, and when she catches it she has to find the name I say. Next we'll start working on lowercase letters.
*****
AF is here, and true to form, she's been a little strange. For the last 6 months or so, there has been a lot of spotting before and after, and killer (KILLER!!!) cramps. This month, no spotting, hardly any cramps (mostly just a backache)... just 'hey I'm here' and that's it. Could this be due to getting my sugars under control? Being more physically active? Or simply that it's been a year since Pip was born and my body is getting back to normal? Probably a bit of all three, but still it's strange.
*****
Planning on buying myself a new pair of shoes for walking this weekend, maybe some more yoga pants for when I'm working out, and a belt! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've owned a belt? The capris that I bought at the beginning of April are already getting to be too big, and the jeans I got in January are starting to slip when I walk (especially if I've got my keys or phone in my pocket). Since another wardrobe of pants isn't in the budget, a belt will have to do the trick. I haven't worn a belt in more than 20 years. I'm super excited. Dorky, huh?
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday Night Chit-Chat: Under Quarantine
Good Evening Humble Readers...
Well, another weekend down the toilet, thanks to the crud. I'm still coughing like an 80-year-old with a bad case of emphysema. Ginny is still barking like a seal. And now poor Pippin has got the wretched cough to add to his intense teething and drooling (cut 2 teeth...FINALLY... on Thursday). The only hold out is my Beloved, but he rarely ever gets sick. I can only think of twice in the past seven years that he's been sick, beyond some sniffles. What I wouldn't give to have his immune system.
Oh, and to add insult to injury... my regular cough medicine (safe for high blood pressure and diabetes) was recalled back in January due to a packaging flaw, and hasn't been available since. What am I supposed to do without my Buck.ley's???
I did, finally after missing five days, get a walk in this morning. But while I didn't go my usual 6km, I think I overdid it, because during breakfast I got really light-headed and ended up needing to lie down for the rest of the morning. I will walk again tomorrow, but I'm going to take it slower.
The good news? Well, at least it's stopped raining.
Onto this week's Chit Chat. Here's what I'm...
Reading... Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister. It's an enjoyable little book, a follow-up to School of Essential Ingredients. I think you all know by now that I'm a foodie, and this book speaks that that aspect of me in a big way. A sort of collection of stories about a group of people all connected by way of a small restaurant (and the cooking classes the owner offers), this a book for those who enjoy cooking. My only complaint is that I think one or two of the characters could be a little less introspective... everyone in the stories spends a great deal of time living inside their heads.
Watching... I'm sad that there's no more Call The Midwife or Mr. Selfridge now for quite a while, but the season/series finale of Smash is on tonight, so I need to see how they tie up all the strings.
Listening to... Ginny talking about her shadow-girl.
Cooking/Baking... I'm so glad that I planned an easy supper for tonight. My Lazy Sausage Casserole. Italian sausage, taters, carrots, fennel, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, garlic, and some herbs and balsamic vinegar all roasted together. I love how it makes the hobbit hole smell like a pizzeria.
Happy I accomplished this week... I got Ginny registered for her first ever 'program'. She's going to be doing a parent and tot gymnastics camp of sorts this summer. I know, by some standards, I'm behind on getting her involved in something like this, but I have my reasons (budget, transportation, etc). Part of the issue is that her birthday is in November, and so many programs required her to be 2 by September of last year for enrollment. I've also discovered a music program that I may enroll both Ginny and Pip in for the fall.
Looking forward to next week... Getting back to a regular schedule once we kick the crud to the curb. I also have an appointment with Dr. B, and I'm hoping that he will be very pleased with my blood sugars. I'm going to request that he do a blood pressure check as well, because I'm wondering if my hbp meds are too high.
Thankful for today... my Beloved. He doesn't shy away from jumping in and taking care of things when I'm out of commission. He takes such good care of us.
***Bonus Question*** What chore around the house do you 'dislike' the most? I know I've said this before, but I despise laundry. It's never finished. It takes an absurd amount of time from beginning to end. Only to have to start all over.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Pop over and check out what the other's are chatting about this evening, or better yet, jump in yourself and join the conversation.
Well, another weekend down the toilet, thanks to the crud. I'm still coughing like an 80-year-old with a bad case of emphysema. Ginny is still barking like a seal. And now poor Pippin has got the wretched cough to add to his intense teething and drooling (cut 2 teeth...FINALLY... on Thursday). The only hold out is my Beloved, but he rarely ever gets sick. I can only think of twice in the past seven years that he's been sick, beyond some sniffles. What I wouldn't give to have his immune system.
Oh, and to add insult to injury... my regular cough medicine (safe for high blood pressure and diabetes) was recalled back in January due to a packaging flaw, and hasn't been available since. What am I supposed to do without my Buck.ley's???
I did, finally after missing five days, get a walk in this morning. But while I didn't go my usual 6km, I think I overdid it, because during breakfast I got really light-headed and ended up needing to lie down for the rest of the morning. I will walk again tomorrow, but I'm going to take it slower.
The good news? Well, at least it's stopped raining.
 |
| Well, this was supposed to be a nice little shot of Ginny and I. Gotta love toddlers... :) |
Reading... Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister. It's an enjoyable little book, a follow-up to School of Essential Ingredients. I think you all know by now that I'm a foodie, and this book speaks that that aspect of me in a big way. A sort of collection of stories about a group of people all connected by way of a small restaurant (and the cooking classes the owner offers), this a book for those who enjoy cooking. My only complaint is that I think one or two of the characters could be a little less introspective... everyone in the stories spends a great deal of time living inside their heads.
Watching... I'm sad that there's no more Call The Midwife or Mr. Selfridge now for quite a while, but the season/series finale of Smash is on tonight, so I need to see how they tie up all the strings.
Listening to... Ginny talking about her shadow-girl.
Cooking/Baking... I'm so glad that I planned an easy supper for tonight. My Lazy Sausage Casserole. Italian sausage, taters, carrots, fennel, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, garlic, and some herbs and balsamic vinegar all roasted together. I love how it makes the hobbit hole smell like a pizzeria.
Happy I accomplished this week... I got Ginny registered for her first ever 'program'. She's going to be doing a parent and tot gymnastics camp of sorts this summer. I know, by some standards, I'm behind on getting her involved in something like this, but I have my reasons (budget, transportation, etc). Part of the issue is that her birthday is in November, and so many programs required her to be 2 by September of last year for enrollment. I've also discovered a music program that I may enroll both Ginny and Pip in for the fall.
Looking forward to next week... Getting back to a regular schedule once we kick the crud to the curb. I also have an appointment with Dr. B, and I'm hoping that he will be very pleased with my blood sugars. I'm going to request that he do a blood pressure check as well, because I'm wondering if my hbp meds are too high.
Thankful for today... my Beloved. He doesn't shy away from jumping in and taking care of things when I'm out of commission. He takes such good care of us.
***Bonus Question*** What chore around the house do you 'dislike' the most? I know I've said this before, but I despise laundry. It's never finished. It takes an absurd amount of time from beginning to end. Only to have to start all over.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Pop over and check out what the other's are chatting about this evening, or better yet, jump in yourself and join the conversation.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Spring Fever
Howdy Humble Readers...
Spring fever indeed. Ginny and I are both suffering with the crud... sinus congestion, hacking cough. Ginny seems to be okay most of the time, until she throws a tantrum (she is two, after all) or eats something. Me, on the other hand... oy. So much for a fun extra long weekend.
*****
The crud has been taking it's toll on my new exercise routine. There's no way I can walk 6km+ when I'm hacking up a lung. And quite frankly, I don't have the energy to do it. It's also wreaking havoc on my stick-to-it-ivness as far as the diet is concerned. I haven't given in yet, but it's getting harder. All I want are my old comfort foods... potatoes, fries, pasta, bread (and not just my low carb stuff. I want a thick slab of brioche with strawberry jam). MUST. STAY. STRONG. I've even relaxed my self-imposed ban on artificial sweeteners, just to help manage the pressing need for sweet. Diet Dr. Pepper, anyone? The lack of exercise, and the cold itself are making an impression on my blood sugars, not for the better.
*****
Are all toddlers/preschoolers more than a little bit OCD? Or is it just Ginny? I swear it's getting worse. The toys from her farm set CANNOT intermingle with her toys from her airplane set. And heaven help Pippin if he messes with her tea set or picnic basket once she gets them set up. Certain books have to be on particular shelves (ok, she may have gotten that from her mummy) or she will throw a fit. Meal times can be a challenge at the best of times (where oh where did my good little eater go?), and if she gets the wrong colour utensil or plate? Yikes! Please tell me this is a phase.
*****
A couple of you asked, so here it is... my thoughts on the new Star Trek movie. I loved it! (Technical difficulties at the theater notwithstanding... ended up getting a free movie pass because the sound was messed up so I can go see it again. With my Beloved this time.) I thought that it was spectacularly well done, and the story was awesome. Like the first in this reboot series, it's very accessible to new Trek fans, and still honours the original. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but there are some great tributes to the original series. And of course, the eye candy in the movie is outstanding. :) I never would have thought that I would find a Vulcan attractive.
*****
I've given up on "The Purchase" by Linda Spalding. I got 150 pages in, and it was just too depressing. I swear, if I wanted to read about Job I would read about him in the Bible. Life is too short to read boring maudlin books. I've moved on to "Shepherd's Abiding" by Jan Karon (second to last in the Mitford series), and I picked up a couple of books at the library yesterday that I'm looking forward to reading... "Lost Art Of Mixing" by Erica Bauermeister and "Winter Palace" by Eva Stachniak. What are you reading right now?
*****
It was supposed to stay nice all day today, but the clouds are rolling in. I would guess that we're in for some rain earlier than anticipated. It suits how I'm feeling. Maybe once the wee-lings are settled for their afternoon naps, I'll get a chance to curl up on the couch with my book and a cup of tea.
Spring fever indeed. Ginny and I are both suffering with the crud... sinus congestion, hacking cough. Ginny seems to be okay most of the time, until she throws a tantrum (she is two, after all) or eats something. Me, on the other hand... oy. So much for a fun extra long weekend.
*****
The crud has been taking it's toll on my new exercise routine. There's no way I can walk 6km+ when I'm hacking up a lung. And quite frankly, I don't have the energy to do it. It's also wreaking havoc on my stick-to-it-ivness as far as the diet is concerned. I haven't given in yet, but it's getting harder. All I want are my old comfort foods... potatoes, fries, pasta, bread (and not just my low carb stuff. I want a thick slab of brioche with strawberry jam). MUST. STAY. STRONG. I've even relaxed my self-imposed ban on artificial sweeteners, just to help manage the pressing need for sweet. Diet Dr. Pepper, anyone? The lack of exercise, and the cold itself are making an impression on my blood sugars, not for the better.
*****
Are all toddlers/preschoolers more than a little bit OCD? Or is it just Ginny? I swear it's getting worse. The toys from her farm set CANNOT intermingle with her toys from her airplane set. And heaven help Pippin if he messes with her tea set or picnic basket once she gets them set up. Certain books have to be on particular shelves (ok, she may have gotten that from her mummy) or she will throw a fit. Meal times can be a challenge at the best of times (where oh where did my good little eater go?), and if she gets the wrong colour utensil or plate? Yikes! Please tell me this is a phase.
*****
A couple of you asked, so here it is... my thoughts on the new Star Trek movie. I loved it! (Technical difficulties at the theater notwithstanding... ended up getting a free movie pass because the sound was messed up so I can go see it again. With my Beloved this time.) I thought that it was spectacularly well done, and the story was awesome. Like the first in this reboot series, it's very accessible to new Trek fans, and still honours the original. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but there are some great tributes to the original series. And of course, the eye candy in the movie is outstanding. :) I never would have thought that I would find a Vulcan attractive.
*****
I've given up on "The Purchase" by Linda Spalding. I got 150 pages in, and it was just too depressing. I swear, if I wanted to read about Job I would read about him in the Bible. Life is too short to read boring maudlin books. I've moved on to "Shepherd's Abiding" by Jan Karon (second to last in the Mitford series), and I picked up a couple of books at the library yesterday that I'm looking forward to reading... "Lost Art Of Mixing" by Erica Bauermeister and "Winter Palace" by Eva Stachniak. What are you reading right now?
*****
It was supposed to stay nice all day today, but the clouds are rolling in. I would guess that we're in for some rain earlier than anticipated. It suits how I'm feeling. Maybe once the wee-lings are settled for their afternoon naps, I'll get a chance to curl up on the couch with my book and a cup of tea.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sunday Night Chit Chat: Quiet Weekend
Howdy Humble Readers...
Happy Sunday night. I hope that you all had a good weekend. Mine has been ok. Nothing big happening except for a huge dump of snow. I'm sure winter is never ever going to end. February and March are always the hardest.
Friday night I went out for coffee and to a movie with a couple of friends. It was nice to get out with the girls. We saw "Jack the Giant Slayer" and I have to say it was fabulous! I was expecting a bit of cheesiness and over used special effects, and while there was a bit, it was a great adaptation of the old fairy tale. I especially adored the little twist at the very end. I was actually applauding in the theater.
Sadly, staying out way too late (ended up not getting home until around 1am) set me up for a rough couple of days. I had difficulties getting and staying asleep, and Saturday morning brought our eye exams (more on that later), so I was a bit of a slug. And trying to do an eye exam when you're super tired is a challenge. I spent the rest of the day nursing a headache and dozing. I even copped out and ordered pizza for dinner
AF decided to make her presence known this morning, so Pip and I stayed home from church. Ginny went to Sunday school for the first time and apparently she did really well. Well enough to be invited back again next week, even though she's too young for the youngest class. This afternoon the cramps eased enough for me to get a bit of work done around the hobbit hole.
So, nothing big, nothing extraordinary. Pretty dull actually.
Anyway, on to the chit-chat. Here's what I'm...
Reading - Still reading The Book Thief. It's been a not-so-great week for reading for me. I'm really enjoying the book, I like the narrator's voice throughout, and his interjections into the story.
Watching - Once Upon A Time. The actress who plays Mrs. Pattmore from Downton is in it tonight.
Listening to - Not really watching, but listening to an old episode of Criminal Minds. Other than that, the house is quiet. Wee-lings are in bed, and my Beloved is out running a couple of errands.
Baking/Cooking - Tonight's dinner was yummy, although not what I had originally planned. Because we had pizza last night, I ended up making last night's scheduled dinner tonight. Hunter Schnitzel with a mushroom peppercorn sauce, German potato salad, and green beans. Yummy!
Happy you accomplished this week - Our eye exams. It was educational, how the doc checked the wee-lings. Ginny had one of her rare super shy moments, and didn't want to talk, so that made things challenging. He had her name some figures that he showed her on a card and once she had said them once, there was no getting her to say them again when he adjusted the distance. Pippin's exam was actually a bit easier. I held him on my lap and the doc just had him follow a little puppy figurine around, and then did a "peek a boo" exam. Both wee-lings eyes are looking very healthy, and right where they should be in terms of development (and Ginny doesn't have a lazy eye, even though my Aunt J was adamant that she did. Pthbt!) My Beloved's prescription has changed dramatically, so we'll be prioritizing his new glasses. Mine has only changed a bit, and the doctor said that the issues I've been having with fine print and eye strain/fatigue are likely still carry-over from the GD. It should level out in the next few months.
Looking forward to next week - Not sure. It's shaping up to be a quiet week. Hoping to stay on top of my spring cleaning list. Thankful for today - That the cold I felt coming on the other day seems to have been nothing. That spring will come... eventually.
Bonus Question: Have you ever left the house in your pjs? Not in recent years. When I was living on my own, I sometimes would go out in my pjs at night and hit a drive thru for dinner or a snack. But I would never get out of the car. I've just never been one to let strangers see me in my jammies.
*****
This has been posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Click over and check out what others are chatting about tonight.
Happy Sunday night. I hope that you all had a good weekend. Mine has been ok. Nothing big happening except for a huge dump of snow. I'm sure winter is never ever going to end. February and March are always the hardest.
| Ewan MacGregor was great in this movie! So were Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy! |
Sadly, staying out way too late (ended up not getting home until around 1am) set me up for a rough couple of days. I had difficulties getting and staying asleep, and Saturday morning brought our eye exams (more on that later), so I was a bit of a slug. And trying to do an eye exam when you're super tired is a challenge. I spent the rest of the day nursing a headache and dozing. I even copped out and ordered pizza for dinner
AF decided to make her presence known this morning, so Pip and I stayed home from church. Ginny went to Sunday school for the first time and apparently she did really well. Well enough to be invited back again next week, even though she's too young for the youngest class. This afternoon the cramps eased enough for me to get a bit of work done around the hobbit hole.
So, nothing big, nothing extraordinary. Pretty dull actually.
Anyway, on to the chit-chat. Here's what I'm...
Reading - Still reading The Book Thief. It's been a not-so-great week for reading for me. I'm really enjoying the book, I like the narrator's voice throughout, and his interjections into the story.
Watching - Once Upon A Time. The actress who plays Mrs. Pattmore from Downton is in it tonight.
Listening to - Not really watching, but listening to an old episode of Criminal Minds. Other than that, the house is quiet. Wee-lings are in bed, and my Beloved is out running a couple of errands.
Baking/Cooking - Tonight's dinner was yummy, although not what I had originally planned. Because we had pizza last night, I ended up making last night's scheduled dinner tonight. Hunter Schnitzel with a mushroom peppercorn sauce, German potato salad, and green beans. Yummy!
Happy you accomplished this week - Our eye exams. It was educational, how the doc checked the wee-lings. Ginny had one of her rare super shy moments, and didn't want to talk, so that made things challenging. He had her name some figures that he showed her on a card and once she had said them once, there was no getting her to say them again when he adjusted the distance. Pippin's exam was actually a bit easier. I held him on my lap and the doc just had him follow a little puppy figurine around, and then did a "peek a boo" exam. Both wee-lings eyes are looking very healthy, and right where they should be in terms of development (and Ginny doesn't have a lazy eye, even though my Aunt J was adamant that she did. Pthbt!) My Beloved's prescription has changed dramatically, so we'll be prioritizing his new glasses. Mine has only changed a bit, and the doctor said that the issues I've been having with fine print and eye strain/fatigue are likely still carry-over from the GD. It should level out in the next few months.
Looking forward to next week - Not sure. It's shaping up to be a quiet week. Hoping to stay on top of my spring cleaning list. Thankful for today - That the cold I felt coming on the other day seems to have been nothing. That spring will come... eventually.
Bonus Question: Have you ever left the house in your pjs? Not in recent years. When I was living on my own, I sometimes would go out in my pjs at night and hit a drive thru for dinner or a snack. But I would never get out of the car. I've just never been one to let strangers see me in my jammies.
*****
This has been posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Click over and check out what others are chatting about tonight.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday Night Chit Chat: Recovery Mode
Hey Humble Readers...
We made it safely home last night around 7pm, after a little over 12 hours of driving. Thankfully, Ginny only got carsick once, and that was just about an hour into the trip. My mom followed us in her car, and went on to the big city to the north of us to spend a few days with my sister, before heading to Winter-peg to visit some more family. She just wasn't quite ready to face not having GG to look after on a daily basis, so traveling will keep her busy. The highlight of the journey was when we had stopped at the mid point of the trip to gas up and have lunch, and my mom locked her keys in her car at the gas pump. Oy!
Today has been all about recovering from our trip. Laundry, grocery shopping, and washing all the mud off the car (the pass was really slushy and mucky). The wee-lings, who had been struggling with sleep while we were at Mom's, slept for more than 12 hours last night! It was after eight o'clock this morning before we heard a peep from them. Miraculous!
Onto the Chit-Chat...
Here's what I'm
Reading - I just started "The Book Thief". It's a different sort of book than what I usually read, but I'm enjoying it immensely.
Watching - Probably just going to clear up some room on the dvr. I love the Oscars, but this year I didn't get to see the majority of the movies, and I'm not able to do my usual Oscar night dinner of appies and snacks, so I'm just not feeling it.
Listening to - The wee-lings go crazy for the dogs in 101 Dalmations.
Cooking/Baking - Because it's been such a busy day, I didn't want anything too involved, so I'm making my Lazy Sausage Casserole. It's so yummy, with lots of veggies. Here's the recipe if you're interested.
Happy I accomplished this week - I managed to speak at GG's memorial, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to do. I cooked almost every meal while we were in K-town (saving my mom the stress of cooking for a horde). And I washed the car today.
Looking forward to next week - Actually, I'm more hoping than looking forward to something... our mortgage is up for renewal, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to get a better interest rate (appointment on Tuesday). Other than that, I'm just planning on getting into a normal routine again, and starting my spring cleaning.
Thankful for this week - Safe travels, children who travel moderately well (carsickness notwithstanding), and for the privilege of having known my Grandma.
**Bonus Question** What item is currently at the *TOP* of your wish list right now? Well, the big ticket item would be a bedroom set for my Beloved and I (we have no head board, and my Beloved uses a laundry basket for a dresser). I really love the Hemnes set from Ikea, but the closest Ikea is a fair jaunt away, and the pieces wouldn't fit in Tilly the Toyota anyway. The smaller ticket item, and far more attainable, is a decent shoe rack. I'm so sick of all our shoes being all over the floor in our entryway.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Pop over and check out what others are chatting about tonight!
We made it safely home last night around 7pm, after a little over 12 hours of driving. Thankfully, Ginny only got carsick once, and that was just about an hour into the trip. My mom followed us in her car, and went on to the big city to the north of us to spend a few days with my sister, before heading to Winter-peg to visit some more family. She just wasn't quite ready to face not having GG to look after on a daily basis, so traveling will keep her busy. The highlight of the journey was when we had stopped at the mid point of the trip to gas up and have lunch, and my mom locked her keys in her car at the gas pump. Oy!
Today has been all about recovering from our trip. Laundry, grocery shopping, and washing all the mud off the car (the pass was really slushy and mucky). The wee-lings, who had been struggling with sleep while we were at Mom's, slept for more than 12 hours last night! It was after eight o'clock this morning before we heard a peep from them. Miraculous!
 |
| Ginny with her cousins Felix & Oscar |
Onto the Chit-Chat...
Here's what I'm
Reading - I just started "The Book Thief". It's a different sort of book than what I usually read, but I'm enjoying it immensely.
Watching - Probably just going to clear up some room on the dvr. I love the Oscars, but this year I didn't get to see the majority of the movies, and I'm not able to do my usual Oscar night dinner of appies and snacks, so I'm just not feeling it.
Listening to - The wee-lings go crazy for the dogs in 101 Dalmations.
Cooking/Baking - Because it's been such a busy day, I didn't want anything too involved, so I'm making my Lazy Sausage Casserole. It's so yummy, with lots of veggies. Here's the recipe if you're interested.
Happy I accomplished this week - I managed to speak at GG's memorial, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to do. I cooked almost every meal while we were in K-town (saving my mom the stress of cooking for a horde). And I washed the car today.
Looking forward to next week - Actually, I'm more hoping than looking forward to something... our mortgage is up for renewal, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to get a better interest rate (appointment on Tuesday). Other than that, I'm just planning on getting into a normal routine again, and starting my spring cleaning.
Thankful for this week - Safe travels, children who travel moderately well (carsickness notwithstanding), and for the privilege of having known my Grandma.
**Bonus Question** What item is currently at the *TOP* of your wish list right now? Well, the big ticket item would be a bedroom set for my Beloved and I (we have no head board, and my Beloved uses a laundry basket for a dresser). I really love the Hemnes set from Ikea, but the closest Ikea is a fair jaunt away, and the pieces wouldn't fit in Tilly the Toyota anyway. The smaller ticket item, and far more attainable, is a decent shoe rack. I'm so sick of all our shoes being all over the floor in our entryway.
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat. Pop over and check out what others are chatting about tonight!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Her Mother's Daughter
Hey Humble Readers,
We arrived in K-town safely, even though the snowy roads were genuinely un-fun. We left at 4:30 in the morning, and thankfully the wee-lings slept for the first few hours.
However, we discovered that my wee sweet girl has inherited an unfortunate trait of mine.
Ginny gets car-sick.
Ginny got car-sick.
FIVE TIMES.
I'm totally bummed for the poor girl. We attempted to employ the wonder drug grav.ol to no avail. She just kept on puking. We are going to have to look into ginger and other alternatives. Any input?
As soon as she was out of the car, bathed, and the center of Mama's attention, she was feeling much better. Are we surprised?
We arrived in K-town safely, even though the snowy roads were genuinely un-fun. We left at 4:30 in the morning, and thankfully the wee-lings slept for the first few hours.
However, we discovered that my wee sweet girl has inherited an unfortunate trait of mine.
Ginny gets car-sick.
Ginny got car-sick.
FIVE TIMES.
I'm totally bummed for the poor girl. We attempted to employ the wonder drug grav.ol to no avail. She just kept on puking. We are going to have to look into ginger and other alternatives. Any input?
As soon as she was out of the car, bathed, and the center of Mama's attention, she was feeling much better. Are we surprised?
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Winter Doldrums
Happy Valentine's Day Humble Readers...
Well, it's happened again. Nary a word from me since Sunday night... what's going on here? I have a dozen blog posts rattling around in my head, but they just don't seem to want to exit through the ends of my fingers.
*****
The snow in the Shire is slowly melting. We've had snow on the ground since before Halloween, so I'm not at all sad to see it go. That's not to say that the weather has been nice, far from it. Yes we've had sunny skies, but we have constantly been rocked by wind all week. I love the effects of a Chinook wind, but I'm not a fan of the wind itself.
*****
I broke down and watched the season finale of Downton Abbey the other day. I'm not going to give anything away, I promise, but I do have to say I'm pissed. Seriously, the whole evening after I watched it I was MAD. It's going to be a long wait until next January for season 4.
*****
Weight-loss update: I'm plateaued again. I'm down 24.5 pounds, which is awesome. But I'm stuck again. I'm a little bit concerned because I inevitably gain weight when we go to K-town. Mostly because of all the wine we consume when my mom, sister and I are together.
*****
I'm happy with how my super-fake King Cakes turned out for Mardi Gras. I'm not much of a baker, so the real deal was rather out of reach for me to attempt, but I wanted to have a special "zert" as Ginny called it. So, this is what I made...
Pretty simple really. Crescent rolls (in a tube), filled with a bit of nu.tella, then topped with a simple glaze and sprinkles in the colors of Mardi Gras... purple, gold, and green.
*****
So, it's Valentine's Day. A pretty important day in the hobbit hole. Today is the 7th anniversary of when my Beloved and I were matched on eHarm.ony. I always try to do something special for dinner, and when it's in the budget we do try to go out at some point around V-day. This year's special dinner is New York strip steaks, double-stuffed twice-baked taters, oven roasted asparagus, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and cheesecake for dessert. Things are well in process at this point, and I'm planning on leaving some time between when Ginny gets up from her nap and when my Beloved comes home to have Ginny make a card for her daddy.
*****
I'm hoping to squeeze some time in tomorrow for Pippin's 9 month post. I'm already a few days late, and I want to get it out there. How is it that he's been on the outside for as long as he was on the inside already??? When Ginny was this age, Pippin was conceived. Wow.
Well, it's happened again. Nary a word from me since Sunday night... what's going on here? I have a dozen blog posts rattling around in my head, but they just don't seem to want to exit through the ends of my fingers.
*****
The snow in the Shire is slowly melting. We've had snow on the ground since before Halloween, so I'm not at all sad to see it go. That's not to say that the weather has been nice, far from it. Yes we've had sunny skies, but we have constantly been rocked by wind all week. I love the effects of a Chinook wind, but I'm not a fan of the wind itself.
*****
I broke down and watched the season finale of Downton Abbey the other day. I'm not going to give anything away, I promise, but I do have to say I'm pissed. Seriously, the whole evening after I watched it I was MAD. It's going to be a long wait until next January for season 4.
*****
Weight-loss update: I'm plateaued again. I'm down 24.5 pounds, which is awesome. But I'm stuck again. I'm a little bit concerned because I inevitably gain weight when we go to K-town. Mostly because of all the wine we consume when my mom, sister and I are together.
*****
I'm happy with how my super-fake King Cakes turned out for Mardi Gras. I'm not much of a baker, so the real deal was rather out of reach for me to attempt, but I wanted to have a special "zert" as Ginny called it. So, this is what I made...
Pretty simple really. Crescent rolls (in a tube), filled with a bit of nu.tella, then topped with a simple glaze and sprinkles in the colors of Mardi Gras... purple, gold, and green.
*****
So, it's Valentine's Day. A pretty important day in the hobbit hole. Today is the 7th anniversary of when my Beloved and I were matched on eHarm.ony. I always try to do something special for dinner, and when it's in the budget we do try to go out at some point around V-day. This year's special dinner is New York strip steaks, double-stuffed twice-baked taters, oven roasted asparagus, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and cheesecake for dessert. Things are well in process at this point, and I'm planning on leaving some time between when Ginny gets up from her nap and when my Beloved comes home to have Ginny make a card for her daddy.
*****
I'm hoping to squeeze some time in tomorrow for Pippin's 9 month post. I'm already a few days late, and I want to get it out there. How is it that he's been on the outside for as long as he was on the inside already??? When Ginny was this age, Pippin was conceived. Wow.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: The No-Good-Very-Bad Week
Hey Humble Readers...
I totally didn't intend to fall off the face of the earth this week. But circumstances alter cases, and here I am. About the only good thing about this week has been the weather... lots of sunshine and warmer temps. When I say warmer, I mean that we are actually hanging out around the freezing mark.
*****
Hard on the heels of the yeast beast (which was something I would be super thankful to NEVER EVER have to deal with again), AF showed up. She was a couple of days early. I'm wondering if the yeast infection or perhaps the meds contributed to her early arrival. And yes, she was her usual bitchy self.
*****
GG is going downhill very quickly. My aunt flew from Manitoba to K-town this morning. Mom has been basically living at the nursing home. We aren't anticipating that she will make it through another week. We have looked into the cost of flying, but given that we now have to pay for a full price ticket for Ginny, it would be about $1200 and then having to pay for a rental car while we're out there. It looks like when GG passes we'll be driving, which my Beloved isn't thrilled with the idea. 12 hours through the mountains in the winter. Not going to be a fun trip.
*****
Pippin has been teething hard this week. But at least we are seeing some results. He cut his fifth tooth last night.
*****
So, remember how we just got my lousy Dell computer back from the repair guys, just a couple of weeks ago? Well, I had just gotten all my programs reloaded, downloaded and organized all my photos from picasa, and reset all my bookmarks. Then yesterday happened...
Ginny spilled water on my laptop. Or rather, she caused me to spill water on my laptop. I had just sat down on the couch with a full glass of water, my laptop open beside me. I was looking at Pip and didn't see her dashing over to plow into me. The glass in my hand went sideways, and about a third of it landed on my laptop keyboard. I had to disentangle myself from Ginny before I could attempt to do damage control and I think that was my downfall. I managed to power the computer down, but the screen had already gone black and I heard some of those sickening crackling sounds. I left it to dry out overnight, and when I tried it this morning it worked for a minute or two before it crackled again and crashed. The question before us now is do we dump another bunch of money into having it repaired for a third time in the last 10 months, or do we write it off and try to figure out how to work a new one into our budget.
In the interim, I'm using my Beloved's new laptop when he's not home. It's a tad frustrating because it runs windows 8 (not bad, just different) and a differently laid out keyboard (the shift key is tiny!).
*****
I want to leave you with something to make you smile, seeing as all the rest of this has been pretty whiney.
I totally didn't intend to fall off the face of the earth this week. But circumstances alter cases, and here I am. About the only good thing about this week has been the weather... lots of sunshine and warmer temps. When I say warmer, I mean that we are actually hanging out around the freezing mark.
*****
Hard on the heels of the yeast beast (which was something I would be super thankful to NEVER EVER have to deal with again), AF showed up. She was a couple of days early. I'm wondering if the yeast infection or perhaps the meds contributed to her early arrival. And yes, she was her usual bitchy self.
*****
GG is going downhill very quickly. My aunt flew from Manitoba to K-town this morning. Mom has been basically living at the nursing home. We aren't anticipating that she will make it through another week. We have looked into the cost of flying, but given that we now have to pay for a full price ticket for Ginny, it would be about $1200 and then having to pay for a rental car while we're out there. It looks like when GG passes we'll be driving, which my Beloved isn't thrilled with the idea. 12 hours through the mountains in the winter. Not going to be a fun trip.
*****
Pippin has been teething hard this week. But at least we are seeing some results. He cut his fifth tooth last night.
*****
So, remember how we just got my lousy Dell computer back from the repair guys, just a couple of weeks ago? Well, I had just gotten all my programs reloaded, downloaded and organized all my photos from picasa, and reset all my bookmarks. Then yesterday happened...
Ginny spilled water on my laptop. Or rather, she caused me to spill water on my laptop. I had just sat down on the couch with a full glass of water, my laptop open beside me. I was looking at Pip and didn't see her dashing over to plow into me. The glass in my hand went sideways, and about a third of it landed on my laptop keyboard. I had to disentangle myself from Ginny before I could attempt to do damage control and I think that was my downfall. I managed to power the computer down, but the screen had already gone black and I heard some of those sickening crackling sounds. I left it to dry out overnight, and when I tried it this morning it worked for a minute or two before it crackled again and crashed. The question before us now is do we dump another bunch of money into having it repaired for a third time in the last 10 months, or do we write it off and try to figure out how to work a new one into our budget.
In the interim, I'm using my Beloved's new laptop when he's not home. It's a tad frustrating because it runs windows 8 (not bad, just different) and a differently laid out keyboard (the shift key is tiny!).
*****
I want to leave you with something to make you smile, seeing as all the rest of this has been pretty whiney.
 |
| Ginny & Shadow-Girl |
One thing I forgot to include in my January post about Ginny was her relationship with her "Shadow-girl". She first discovered her shadow last summer when the evening sun would shine through our kitchen, but as the summer faded, so did shadow-girl. Around Christmas time, Ginny found her shadow-girl again, this time on our dining room wall, and started talking to her. Usually just about her toys or dinner, but it became fairly common. Then she started giving her shadow-girl smooches and hugs. She's tried to show Pip his shadow-boy, but he's just not interested.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday Snapshot: Toddler Drama
Hey Humble Readers...
So it's been a long while since I did a Monday Snapshot post, but I'm wanting to get back into my bloggy groove, so here I am.
And wouldn't you know it, but Ginny gave me some fodder for today's post.
See that little cut below her lip? Yeah, that happened this morning.
We have these little bins that we use to organize the wee-lings' toys, and every morning we bring out one or two bins full of toys for them to play with. Ginny likes to take the toys out and try to stand on them. And being a safetyconcious obsessed mummy, I always try to get her to 'keep her feet on the floor' and at most, sit on the up-turned bins. Well, this morning when I wasn't looking she tried standing on one, and of course she fell.
Face first.
Right into the coffee table.
*sigh*
There was a lot of blood. A LOT of blood. (Why do they always bleed so much?) She's got the cut below her lip, and a gash on the inside of her lip where her teeth went through the skin. And there were a lot of tears too. She was trying to figure out how to move her tongue around and not bump the cuts, and was freaking out everytime she touched the cut inside her lip.
Of course we needed to call Auntie and Mama to give them the play-by-play, about how Ginny was "cwyin' and cwyin'" and about all the "bwud". And she didn't fight a bit when I suggested a dose of 'ty-nen-ol' to help her lip stop hurting.
She managed to eat a bit of lunch, and then fell asleep listening to her U2 lullaby cd. Thank heaven for small favours.
Poor wee girl.
*****
This was posted as a part of Pail Bloggers Monday Snapshot series. Click over and see what others are sharing today!
So it's been a long while since I did a Monday Snapshot post, but I'm wanting to get back into my bloggy groove, so here I am.
And wouldn't you know it, but Ginny gave me some fodder for today's post.
See that little cut below her lip? Yeah, that happened this morning.
We have these little bins that we use to organize the wee-lings' toys, and every morning we bring out one or two bins full of toys for them to play with. Ginny likes to take the toys out and try to stand on them. And being a safety
Face first.
Right into the coffee table.
*sigh*
There was a lot of blood. A LOT of blood. (Why do they always bleed so much?) She's got the cut below her lip, and a gash on the inside of her lip where her teeth went through the skin. And there were a lot of tears too. She was trying to figure out how to move her tongue around and not bump the cuts, and was freaking out everytime she touched the cut inside her lip.
Of course we needed to call Auntie and Mama to give them the play-by-play, about how Ginny was "cwyin' and cwyin'" and about all the "bwud". And she didn't fight a bit when I suggested a dose of 'ty-nen-ol' to help her lip stop hurting.
She managed to eat a bit of lunch, and then fell asleep listening to her U2 lullaby cd. Thank heaven for small favours.
Poor wee girl.
*****
This was posted as a part of Pail Bloggers Monday Snapshot series. Click over and see what others are sharing today!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Mid-November Blahs
Howdy Humble Readers!
I'm sorry for my absence, especially right at the beginning of ICLW. I can blame part of it on a two-day migraine, and part of it on sheer lethargy after the fact. I'm beginning to wonder how much of my headaches are triggered by the weather (there have been a lot of ups and downs in the temperature lately). Fun times!
*****
I hope that all my friends south of the 49th parallel (and those in Alaska too) have had a great Thanksgiving. I was seriously craving turkey today... we had pork schnitzel instead. Ginny and I watched the Macy's parade on tv (which translates to her playing and climbing all over me and trying to comb my hair until a balloon or the Sesame Street float showed up). It was fun in a demented kind of way.
*****
Plans for Ginny's birthday party are coming together. Sadly, it's going to be a very small group at her party. Just us, Gramma, an uncle, and maybe one of her little friends from church. I know that she won't notice or miss anything, but is it okay for me to be a little bummed that no one else is coming? I wish she had a few cousins her age.
*****
I had a dream last night that freaked me out. I dreamed that I was pregnant. As in, I just found out, watched the line change colour. And I was PANICKING!!! Who'da thunk that a dream about being pregnant would ever be almost a nightmare? And in the dream, I was particularly freaked out because I had just sold a bunch of baby stuff on Kijiji (which reminded me that I had to post a bunch of stuff on Kijiji today).
*****
Ginny is fully recovered from the roseola. No more spots, and she's eating almost normally again. I think she may be starting to develop some pickiness which makes me sad. Hopefully, it's a short lived phase.
*****
Still haven't taken our Christmas card photo, as I've been waiting for everyone to be healthy and happy enough to take it. It also doesn't help that I want to take the pic outside, but it's dark when my Beloved leaves for work and when he comes home. Hopefully we'll be able to get it done on the weekend.
*****
Speaking of my Beloved... still haven't heard anything about the interview, but they said they'd call by the end of the week. Keep those fingers crossed for us please.
I'm sorry for my absence, especially right at the beginning of ICLW. I can blame part of it on a two-day migraine, and part of it on sheer lethargy after the fact. I'm beginning to wonder how much of my headaches are triggered by the weather (there have been a lot of ups and downs in the temperature lately). Fun times!
*****
I hope that all my friends south of the 49th parallel (and those in Alaska too) have had a great Thanksgiving. I was seriously craving turkey today... we had pork schnitzel instead. Ginny and I watched the Macy's parade on tv (which translates to her playing and climbing all over me and trying to comb my hair until a balloon or the Sesame Street float showed up). It was fun in a demented kind of way.
*****
Plans for Ginny's birthday party are coming together. Sadly, it's going to be a very small group at her party. Just us, Gramma, an uncle, and maybe one of her little friends from church. I know that she won't notice or miss anything, but is it okay for me to be a little bummed that no one else is coming? I wish she had a few cousins her age.
*****
I had a dream last night that freaked me out. I dreamed that I was pregnant. As in, I just found out, watched the line change colour. And I was PANICKING!!! Who'da thunk that a dream about being pregnant would ever be almost a nightmare? And in the dream, I was particularly freaked out because I had just sold a bunch of baby stuff on Kijiji (which reminded me that I had to post a bunch of stuff on Kijiji today).
*****
Ginny is fully recovered from the roseola. No more spots, and she's eating almost normally again. I think she may be starting to develop some pickiness which makes me sad. Hopefully, it's a short lived phase.
*****
Still haven't taken our Christmas card photo, as I've been waiting for everyone to be healthy and happy enough to take it. It also doesn't help that I want to take the pic outside, but it's dark when my Beloved leaves for work and when he comes home. Hopefully we'll be able to get it done on the weekend.
*****
Speaking of my Beloved... still haven't heard anything about the interview, but they said they'd call by the end of the week. Keep those fingers crossed for us please.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday Snapshot: Smooches From Ginny
Howdy Humble Readers...
Just a little video of our wee sweet girl this morning. She's been recently trying to say Pip's full first name (rather than the nickname we use), so that's what she's saying at the beginning.
Ginny's continuing to improve, but her molars are bugging the heck out of her, and she's super tired, so of course she's easily frustrated. Both she and Pip have been rather clingy today, too. BUT... I was feeling brave today, and I put them both down for a nap at the same time IN THE SAME ROOM! Woohoo! They went down about a half hour ago, and other than Ginny babbling a bit, they seem to be doing well. All is quiet... maybe I should be worried? :)
(reminder - of course Ginny and Pippin are just their bloggy names. If you comment, please don't use their real names. Thanks!)
*****
This is posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Monday Snapshot series. Pop over and check out what the others are sharing today!
Just a little video of our wee sweet girl this morning. She's been recently trying to say Pip's full first name (rather than the nickname we use), so that's what she's saying at the beginning.
Ginny's continuing to improve, but her molars are bugging the heck out of her, and she's super tired, so of course she's easily frustrated. Both she and Pip have been rather clingy today, too. BUT... I was feeling brave today, and I put them both down for a nap at the same time IN THE SAME ROOM! Woohoo! They went down about a half hour ago, and other than Ginny babbling a bit, they seem to be doing well. All is quiet... maybe I should be worried? :)
(reminder - of course Ginny and Pippin are just their bloggy names. If you comment, please don't use their real names. Thanks!)
*****
This is posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Monday Snapshot series. Pop over and check out what the others are sharing today!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday Night Chit Chat
Hey Humble Readers!
I hope that your weekend was great, busy if you needed it to be and quiet if that's just what the doctor ordered. Things around the hobbit-hole have been fairly mellow, with Ginny slowly returning to her normal happy almost-two-ness (albeit still covered in spots) and my Beloved recovering quite nicely from his little 'procedure'.
Our only outing this weekend was to church this morning, and it was nice to connect with people I haven't seen since this crud landed on our house almost three weeks ago.
Beloved's week off was great. We got a few important things done around the hobbit-hole, and got to spend some time just enjoying being together at home. We got through all the Lord of the Rings movies, and he actually enjoyed them. Of course, I was sitting there blubbering like a baby at the end, like I always do, and he was just laughing at me. I still can't believe that we've been together for more than 6 years and he had never seen them!
On to the chit-chat
What are you....
Reading - Still reading the Hobbit. Just haven't had much reading time this week, and my usual, before sleep reading has been very abbreviated (as in, just a couple of pages a night). I have so many other books on my to read list, I need to make more progress!
Watching - Maybe the new Ken Burns movie "Dust Bowl", or I may just go to bed early tonight.
Listening to - my Beloved doing the dishes and Pippin grunting as he tries to get up on all fours.
Cooking/Baking - Tonight's dinner was Parsley Stuffed Chicken, baby taters, and green beans. The chicken was done in a dutch oven on top of the stove, with just salt, pepper, and butter and stuffed with an onion and a bunch of parsley. Tasted great and was super simple.
Happy you accomplished this week? Did a super deep clean on the hobbit-hole, rearranged the nursery so that Ginny can't climb into Pip's crib from hers, rearranged a few things in the kitchen, watched the LOtR movies, and made some serious progress on my Christmas list. Only a couple more things for my Beloved and then some hand-made things I need to get done.
Looking forward to next week - Crafting with the girls on Tuesday, tackling a few more around the house projects, GINNY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!
Thankful for today? My family... the fact that we have two beautiful wee-lings. There were so many days when I thought this wouldn't be a reality.
You're handed a round trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world for a weekend and $1000 cash. The catch? You have to go alone, right then & there with only whatever you have on hand. Do you go? Where would you go? Hmmmmmm, that's a tough one! Ultimately, I think I'd go. Now where? maybe it wouldn't be the other side of the planet, but I would pick somewhere where a lot of my bloggy buddies are close to, and set about meeting them.
One last thing... my Beloved has an interview for a great job tomorrow (substantial salary increase, great benefits, and job security with room for advancement... talk about awesome if he gets it!). If you think about it, could you send prayers/positive vibes/good thoughts his way? We would appreciate it. :)
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat blog hop. Click over and check out what everyone else is chatting about tonight!
 |
| mega blocks as teething toys |
Our only outing this weekend was to church this morning, and it was nice to connect with people I haven't seen since this crud landed on our house almost three weeks ago.
Beloved's week off was great. We got a few important things done around the hobbit-hole, and got to spend some time just enjoying being together at home. We got through all the Lord of the Rings movies, and he actually enjoyed them. Of course, I was sitting there blubbering like a baby at the end, like I always do, and he was just laughing at me. I still can't believe that we've been together for more than 6 years and he had never seen them!
On to the chit-chat
What are you....
Reading - Still reading the Hobbit. Just haven't had much reading time this week, and my usual, before sleep reading has been very abbreviated (as in, just a couple of pages a night). I have so many other books on my to read list, I need to make more progress!
Watching - Maybe the new Ken Burns movie "Dust Bowl", or I may just go to bed early tonight.
Listening to - my Beloved doing the dishes and Pippin grunting as he tries to get up on all fours.
Cooking/Baking - Tonight's dinner was Parsley Stuffed Chicken, baby taters, and green beans. The chicken was done in a dutch oven on top of the stove, with just salt, pepper, and butter and stuffed with an onion and a bunch of parsley. Tasted great and was super simple.
Happy you accomplished this week? Did a super deep clean on the hobbit-hole, rearranged the nursery so that Ginny can't climb into Pip's crib from hers, rearranged a few things in the kitchen, watched the LOtR movies, and made some serious progress on my Christmas list. Only a couple more things for my Beloved and then some hand-made things I need to get done.
Looking forward to next week - Crafting with the girls on Tuesday, tackling a few more around the house projects, GINNY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!
Thankful for today? My family... the fact that we have two beautiful wee-lings. There were so many days when I thought this wouldn't be a reality.
You're handed a round trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world for a weekend and $1000 cash. The catch? You have to go alone, right then & there with only whatever you have on hand. Do you go? Where would you go? Hmmmmmm, that's a tough one! Ultimately, I think I'd go. Now where? maybe it wouldn't be the other side of the planet, but I would pick somewhere where a lot of my bloggy buddies are close to, and set about meeting them.
One last thing... my Beloved has an interview for a great job tomorrow (substantial salary increase, great benefits, and job security with room for advancement... talk about awesome if he gets it!). If you think about it, could you send prayers/positive vibes/good thoughts his way? We would appreciate it. :)
*****
This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat blog hop. Click over and check out what everyone else is chatting about tonight!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Update on Ginny (The episode in which the hobbit mummy sounds a bit nutso, but really isn't)
Hey Humble Readers...
Thanks so much for your input on what's up with our wee sweet girl. I appreciate it all so much.
We discovered a new wrinkle this morning, which I think has led me to a possible answer to the questions.
She woke up this morning with a rash over her neck and shoulders. It's now spread down her trunk. Little red spots. Flat, not raised. Not itchy, and non-responsive to benadryl, which to me indicated to me that it's not an allergic reaction (and with Ginny's history of allergic skin reactions, that's saying something).
So I did some looking around online (reputable sites only) and I think I've figured it out.
Have any of you ever encountered roseola?
I found it in Dr. Sears' listing of the most common rashes children get. Caused by a virus, starts with a fever that lasts for a few days, followed by a rash when the fever is gone (timeline is specific to this particular virus). Can be accompanied by respiratory and/or tummy issues. The rash can last a few days to a couple of weeks, but once the fever is gone, there's no real worries.
Ginny has been having some odd-for-her BMs... she's nothing if not regular, but right now her timing is way off. Plus, they have just been 'different'... colour, etc. But no change in frequency.
I'm ruling out an ear infection for now, because we were just at the doc for well-baby appointments for both wee-lings on Thursday (before her lack of eating raised a red flag and long before the rash showed up). I mentioned the come-and-go fever and her occasional lethargy, so he did a thorough check of her ears, nose, and throat. Other than the symptoms of a bit of a cold, all was good. I will keep watching for signs, but I don't think that's the case.
And if she's not showing any improvement by Monday, then it's off the doc we go.
Her appetite has improved slightly. She ate most of her breakfast (applesauce and yoghurt, but no cereal), and about half her grilled cheese sandwich at lunch. She didn't want a snack this morning, but she's still drinking well. We're just planning on continuing to make foods available to her (although I did say no to a request for candy this morning) and not making a fuss.
Thank you again everyone. I really appreciate your input!
(Be back later this evening with the first in my Developing Traditions series)
Thanks so much for your input on what's up with our wee sweet girl. I appreciate it all so much.
We discovered a new wrinkle this morning, which I think has led me to a possible answer to the questions.
She woke up this morning with a rash over her neck and shoulders. It's now spread down her trunk. Little red spots. Flat, not raised. Not itchy, and non-responsive to benadryl, which to me indicated to me that it's not an allergic reaction (and with Ginny's history of allergic skin reactions, that's saying something).
So I did some looking around online (reputable sites only) and I think I've figured it out.
Have any of you ever encountered roseola?
I found it in Dr. Sears' listing of the most common rashes children get. Caused by a virus, starts with a fever that lasts for a few days, followed by a rash when the fever is gone (timeline is specific to this particular virus). Can be accompanied by respiratory and/or tummy issues. The rash can last a few days to a couple of weeks, but once the fever is gone, there's no real worries.
Ginny has been having some odd-for-her BMs... she's nothing if not regular, but right now her timing is way off. Plus, they have just been 'different'... colour, etc. But no change in frequency.
I'm ruling out an ear infection for now, because we were just at the doc for well-baby appointments for both wee-lings on Thursday (before her lack of eating raised a red flag and long before the rash showed up). I mentioned the come-and-go fever and her occasional lethargy, so he did a thorough check of her ears, nose, and throat. Other than the symptoms of a bit of a cold, all was good. I will keep watching for signs, but I don't think that's the case.
And if she's not showing any improvement by Monday, then it's off the doc we go.
Her appetite has improved slightly. She ate most of her breakfast (applesauce and yoghurt, but no cereal), and about half her grilled cheese sandwich at lunch. She didn't want a snack this morning, but she's still drinking well. We're just planning on continuing to make foods available to her (although I did say no to a request for candy this morning) and not making a fuss.
Thank you again everyone. I really appreciate your input!
(Be back later this evening with the first in my Developing Traditions series)
Friday, November 16, 2012
Foodie Fridays: Comfort Food (& A Quandary)
Hey Humble Readers...
Today's recipe is brought to you in honour of my Beloved, and his need for some TLC today. My brave Beloved went for his vasectomy today, and was feeling a tad... well... less than his best. The procedure went well, and with the prescribed pain killers and an ice pack, he'll be back to his happy self in a few days.
So, he was in need of some comfort food.
This recipe is fairly easy, and makes use of one of the best values in the grocery store... the rotisserie chicken. Think about it... a rotisserie chicken costs around $8 (here on the frozen flatland) and a tray of three boneless skinless chicken breasts costs around $10. I use the dark meat pieces for this recipe and then save the breast pieces for chicken salad or chicken fried rice later in the week.
Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms
10-12 cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 med onion, diced
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 sherry or dry white wine (optional)
2 tbsp flour
1 box chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried chives
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas
In a large heavy pot, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add olive oil. Add quartered mushrooms, and saute until lightly caramelized. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from pot and set aside.
Melt remaining butter in pot and add the diced onion. Saute until just softened. Deglaze the pan with sherry or wine (if desired), making sure to scrape up the brown bits. Sprinkle flour over onions, and stir into onions and butter until it resembles wet sand. Slowly begin to add chicken stock, while stirring. Add milk, starting with 1 1/2 cups (add more if soup gets too thick later) and bring to a slow boil (should thicken slightly). Reduce heat to slow simmer. Add in garlic, thyme, chives, rice, and chicken. Stir frequently to ensure that rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Allow to simmer gently until rice is cooked. Add in frozen peas.
I served this with homemade buns. Yummy!
*****
Ok... now onto the quandary. And I'm really looking for input.
Ginny, has stopped eating. Mostly. My little girl, who loves food, and has always eaten really well, is refusing to eat.
You may recall that a couple of days ago she was congested and had a fever. It has come and gone a couple of times over the last few days, but it has been easily controlled with tyl.en.ol and wearing lighter clothes.
Ginny was a little bit pukey on Wednesday (less than 24 hours after the onset of the fever) and threw up a bit of her breakfast. She ate well later that day... both lunch and dinner. Then, on Thursday she started refusing to eat. She ate a couple of spoonfulls of yoghurt at breakfast and that was it. She refused to eat both lunch and dinner. She also refused a snack of mandarin orange segments (which she usually looooooves). Today, she ate applesauce for breakfast, but no cereal or yoghurt. Lunch was only 4 little cubes of cheese and a few small pieces of ham. She completely refused dinner (and she normally devours soup & buns).
She's still drinking milk and water, so I'm not concerned about her getting dehydrated.
There are several things that I'm thinking may be possible contributing factors.
My Beloved and I are trying very hard not to make a big deal about it at the table, because we don't want this to trigger some sort of larger battle with food. Our rule is, she can choose not to eat, but she will sit at the table with her bib on until everyone is done eating. And she isn't allowed to play with her food. If she's not going to eat it we will move her bowl/plate to the other side of the table where it is available should she change her mind.
Do you think we are handling this right? When should I get concerned? I am, of course, going to keep offering her all her usual snacks and meals, and I've always bought into the accepted wisdom that if a child is hungry they will eat (and most children can miss a few meals without being negatively impacted).
But the Mummy in me is struggling.
Today's recipe is brought to you in honour of my Beloved, and his need for some TLC today. My brave Beloved went for his vasectomy today, and was feeling a tad... well... less than his best. The procedure went well, and with the prescribed pain killers and an ice pack, he'll be back to his happy self in a few days.
So, he was in need of some comfort food.
This recipe is fairly easy, and makes use of one of the best values in the grocery store... the rotisserie chicken. Think about it... a rotisserie chicken costs around $8 (here on the frozen flatland) and a tray of three boneless skinless chicken breasts costs around $10. I use the dark meat pieces for this recipe and then save the breast pieces for chicken salad or chicken fried rice later in the week.
Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms
10-12 cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 med onion, diced
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 sherry or dry white wine (optional)
2 tbsp flour
1 box chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried chives
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas
In a large heavy pot, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add olive oil. Add quartered mushrooms, and saute until lightly caramelized. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from pot and set aside.
 |
| Please disregard the stained pot. I made coffee-braised roast beef one too many times in that pot, and it's stained the enamel |
I served this with homemade buns. Yummy!
*****
Ok... now onto the quandary. And I'm really looking for input.
Ginny, has stopped eating. Mostly. My little girl, who loves food, and has always eaten really well, is refusing to eat.
You may recall that a couple of days ago she was congested and had a fever. It has come and gone a couple of times over the last few days, but it has been easily controlled with tyl.en.ol and wearing lighter clothes.
Ginny was a little bit pukey on Wednesday (less than 24 hours after the onset of the fever) and threw up a bit of her breakfast. She ate well later that day... both lunch and dinner. Then, on Thursday she started refusing to eat. She ate a couple of spoonfulls of yoghurt at breakfast and that was it. She refused to eat both lunch and dinner. She also refused a snack of mandarin orange segments (which she usually looooooves). Today, she ate applesauce for breakfast, but no cereal or yoghurt. Lunch was only 4 little cubes of cheese and a few small pieces of ham. She completely refused dinner (and she normally devours soup & buns).
She's still drinking milk and water, so I'm not concerned about her getting dehydrated.
There are several things that I'm thinking may be possible contributing factors.
- She's just not feeling well. She's been kind of up and down ever since that fever set in. She'll be okay for a while, and then be very lethargic and just want cuddles.
- She may be teething. She's not happy with having her teeth brushed and she actually bit me today when I tried to check her molars (they still haven't cut through).
- We started feeding Pip solid food this week. Maybe she's jealous of the attention he's getting about eating?
- She's just trying to exert her independence? Some sort of excercise in becoming self-aware?
My Beloved and I are trying very hard not to make a big deal about it at the table, because we don't want this to trigger some sort of larger battle with food. Our rule is, she can choose not to eat, but she will sit at the table with her bib on until everyone is done eating. And she isn't allowed to play with her food. If she's not going to eat it we will move her bowl/plate to the other side of the table where it is available should she change her mind.
Do you think we are handling this right? When should I get concerned? I am, of course, going to keep offering her all her usual snacks and meals, and I've always bought into the accepted wisdom that if a child is hungry they will eat (and most children can miss a few meals without being negatively impacted).
But the Mummy in me is struggling.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Monday Snapshot: Goin' Shoppin'
Hey Humble Readers...
Ginny has become fascinated with my shoes. She's always looked on our footwear as some of her favourite playthings, but recently she's started trying to walk around in my shoes. She doesn't seem to want to wear my Beloved's shoes, but mine have shown up in all sorts of places around the house.
And when she wears them, invariably it's because she's "goin' shoppin'". She usually has some sort of bag or bin or something that she carries to put her shoppin' in, and she's always specific about saying buh-bye.
When did my wee sweet girl get so big?
*****
This is posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Monday Snapshot series. Click over and check out what others are sharing today!
Ginny has become fascinated with my shoes. She's always looked on our footwear as some of her favourite playthings, but recently she's started trying to walk around in my shoes. She doesn't seem to want to wear my Beloved's shoes, but mine have shown up in all sorts of places around the house.
And when she wears them, invariably it's because she's "goin' shoppin'". She usually has some sort of bag or bin or something that she carries to put her shoppin' in, and she's always specific about saying buh-bye.
When did my wee sweet girl get so big?
*****
This is posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Monday Snapshot series. Click over and check out what others are sharing today!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Bits & Pieces
Howdy Humble Readers...
Have you ever tried to make your wishes known to and understood by an active toddler WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A VOICE? I am 100% voiceless and can barely manage a whisper right now. Other than the voice, though, I seem to be conquering the crud. I'm sleeping better and thankfully I don't think the wee-lings have caught it at all. I'm only wishing that we had gone further with the baby sign than we did.
*****
Canadian-ism of the Day: I switched my cold remedy from the day/night pills to an old standby and seem to be getting much better results. Yes, my fellow Canucks... I have resorted to taking Buc.kley's. For those of you who aren't familiar with the dark brown bottle and the awfulness contained therein, please allow me to educate you. Imagine if you melted down Vic.k's vaporub and boiled it with pine needles... that's about what it tastes like. In fact, their company motto is "it tastes awful, but it works". And in my experience, it does.
*****
The crud has impacted my attempts at being productive, but I'm still managing to get a few things done. Yesterday I went through our closets and dressers, and bagged up 3 large black garbage bags of stuff to go to the thrift store. All my maternity wear and things I haven't worn since I was working (how has it been more than two years since I left my job at the bookstore?) were all packed up and sent on to a new home.
*****
Update on the applesauce: Ended up making enough applesauce to last us about 9 weeks! My freezer is now stocked with bags and bags of the golden loveliness.
*****
Ginny has picked up a few new words that I'm hoping she doesn't say in public, but I know she will... First, she's learned the word 'dark' and because we are approaching the darkest time of the year, she's saying it a lot. The thing is, when she says it, it doesn't sound like dark. It sounds more like a not-so-nice word for lesbian. Second, while my Beloved and I have been under the weather, she's taken to imitating us and doing this little fake cough thing. She's now picked up on the fact that we are calling it her fake cough, so she's started saying it too. Only when she says 'fake cough' it sounds a whole heck of a lot like my precious wee girl is telling me to f!#@ off. *sigh*
*****
I'm planning on writing a series of posts, starting next week, on family traditions. Be thinking about some of what you and yours do to make special days stand out and how you make the ordinary extraordinary.
*****
We are forecasted to get a pretty significant amount of snow today. 5-15cms. Lovely. Thankfully, we don't have any major plans that require being outside today. Wherever you are, please stay safe and warm. :)
Have you ever tried to make your wishes known to and understood by an active toddler WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A VOICE? I am 100% voiceless and can barely manage a whisper right now. Other than the voice, though, I seem to be conquering the crud. I'm sleeping better and thankfully I don't think the wee-lings have caught it at all. I'm only wishing that we had gone further with the baby sign than we did.
*****
Canadian-ism of the Day: I switched my cold remedy from the day/night pills to an old standby and seem to be getting much better results. Yes, my fellow Canucks... I have resorted to taking Buc.kley's. For those of you who aren't familiar with the dark brown bottle and the awfulness contained therein, please allow me to educate you. Imagine if you melted down Vic.k's vaporub and boiled it with pine needles... that's about what it tastes like. In fact, their company motto is "it tastes awful, but it works". And in my experience, it does.
*****
The crud has impacted my attempts at being productive, but I'm still managing to get a few things done. Yesterday I went through our closets and dressers, and bagged up 3 large black garbage bags of stuff to go to the thrift store. All my maternity wear and things I haven't worn since I was working (how has it been more than two years since I left my job at the bookstore?) were all packed up and sent on to a new home.
*****
Update on the applesauce: Ended up making enough applesauce to last us about 9 weeks! My freezer is now stocked with bags and bags of the golden loveliness.
*****
Ginny has picked up a few new words that I'm hoping she doesn't say in public, but I know she will... First, she's learned the word 'dark' and because we are approaching the darkest time of the year, she's saying it a lot. The thing is, when she says it, it doesn't sound like dark. It sounds more like a not-so-nice word for lesbian. Second, while my Beloved and I have been under the weather, she's taken to imitating us and doing this little fake cough thing. She's now picked up on the fact that we are calling it her fake cough, so she's started saying it too. Only when she says 'fake cough' it sounds a whole heck of a lot like my precious wee girl is telling me to f!#@ off. *sigh*
*****
I'm planning on writing a series of posts, starting next week, on family traditions. Be thinking about some of what you and yours do to make special days stand out and how you make the ordinary extraordinary.
*****
We are forecasted to get a pretty significant amount of snow today. 5-15cms. Lovely. Thankfully, we don't have any major plans that require being outside today. Wherever you are, please stay safe and warm. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)