Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Vegan Cupcakes! -Sort Of

I made vegan cupcakes for Mike for his birthday from a recipe from his mom, but I used butter and the icing is Cool Whip, so they aren't really vegan.  But they are oh, so good. :0)




And, of course, Molly put lots and lots of sprinkles on them!  Hope everyone had a good weekend!  

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Yay For May!

Molly didn't get to go to the zoo yesterday because of possible weather problems.  I didn't think much about it, because she got to stay all day at school anyway.  Then Mike called and said to get a few things together to take to the cellar because he would come home a bit earlier than usual. So, I turned on the tv and Mike Morgan on Channel 4 kept interrupting my commercial breaks for these big lectures about not taking any chances.   Then the school called and a recorded voice told me to come get my kid. It was about forty minutes early.   We hid in the cellar for about two hours. We did hear some thunder and it did rain a bit. But there was some bad stuff other places.  Now I have indigestion, but I don't know if it's from being anxious or from pregnancy. 

Before I became aware just how bad the weather was, I did get this posted on etsy.  Here's pictures of more to come:





Thankful that all is well here.  Baby boy's movements are stronger, no preterm labor.  :0)

Monday, May 23, 2011

It's Monday Again!

How do the weeks cycle so fast?  We did have a very relaxing weekend after a very busy week. Not only did Molly get to go to the baseball game on Tuesday for being an overall good student, but on Thursday she got to go to the fire station to receive a trophy and a T-shirt for being "Reader of the Year," I guess for Pre-K.  She wanted me to go with her, I am assuming because she is still afraid of men, firemen included. She's been afraid of men since Christmas, but she's been clingy with me since, I think October.  I also finally read on the Dr. Phil website that clinginess is actually a sign that something is wrong.  So, my original assumption seems to be backed up by her behavior.  Grrr!  Not to mention that my assumption continues to be backed up by what she says.  Oh, that's for another day.  Had I to do it over again, but I don't. Lesson learned.

Anyway, I'm very proud of her. She seems to have blossomed in confidence in other areas in the past couple of months.  It's amazing to me what little effort it's been to put in her a little love, a little information, and then realize that she can just take that little bit you gave her and fly. :0)  I know a lot of it must be genetic and no real credit to me, but I think what a shame it would be to not encourage her to live up to that genetic potential, and that would be my shame. 

Molly and I have made a list of things to do for the summer.  It started with a request to go to McDonald's.  I haven't been to McDonald's in years.  (Gag!) But I guess I don't necessarily have to eat that much.  Did I mention my pregnancy sensitivity to salt?   Also on the list are, buy a Barbie (she has like nine, I think), go to the mall, get more finger paints,  learn to sew, learn to knit, and help me do the dishes and make dinner, which I usually don't feel I have the patience for.  :0)

Two more weeks left of school and then two months of summer break.  And actually I think I'm going to really miss her when school starts in August and she goes to kindergarten all day.  I realized that last Tuesday when I had to take her to school at ten.  By the time it was time for me to go get her I was going crazy!  Tomorrow she's going to the zoo with her Chesapeake mentor and I have to take her in at 8:00.  It's going to be a long day.  :)


Well, I better find my To Do List amongst all this clutter!


H.


 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Garden 2011

My experimental garden last year did not yield much harvest, except for the tomatoes, but I will not be discouraged.  The weather was a bit weird as well.  So far, despite the drought we started this year's planting season off with, our seeds have done well.


The corn is looking good.  I'm not sure what's going to happen with it.  I think they are a bit close together.  We have already thinned them out  a couple times.  





The tomatoes we started a bit late from seeds, so they will be a bit slower.  Mike figured out how to prune them though, so maybe they won't go crazy like they did last year.  Those other plants are the green beans.  I planted more this year, because they did pretty well last year, but I never got enough for a whole meal.  And finally!







I did way more potatoes because I don't think we got any last year.  Mike planted some carrots and parsnips that did not come up.  He put his pepper plants in the space instead.  There is squash back there and cucumbers.  We actually planted two rows of cantaloupe, but we've only got four plants, and they are tiny!


I can hardly wait to harvest something!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Tooth Fairy Came in the Night!

After three days of drama, bribery, and threats, Molly finally pulled her loose tooth.  And then she didn't even realize she had pulled it out until I told her, it was that loose.   She got a princess tooth brush with the spinning brush, some princess dental floss, Trident layers gum, and fifty cents.  :0)





Molly also got to go to a Redhawk's game today with her school for being a good student.  I don't want to sound like a giant cliche but I can't believe Pre-K is almost done with.  (Sniff, sniff!)

I did get a pool for Mother's Day.  It seemed a bit extravagantly priced, and I didn't think we should spend that much.  But then Mike reminded me that we had postponed Christmas presents for each other this year until Valentine's Day and then didn't get presents for Valentine's Day either.  And, he suggested, while we don't have a lot of savings, it's not like before when we had no house or health insurance.  So, I said okay.  Because really it's for our health.  It just turned out to be a bit more than we thought because of the chemicals.  I don't even want to look at the water bill when it comes!


Of course, it's been too cold to swim because it's May, but that problem will soon be solved. 

Happy early Summer Everyone! 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

It's A Boy!

My ultrasound revealed boy parts.  The technician girl tried to drag it out and be all dramatic but I could clearly see that it was a boy.  It was very clear.  Molly was very unhappy.  She wanted a sister, but I think she'll like him once he's here.  And if she doesn't, I'll beat her!  :0)  

One complication has arisen.  I have placenta previa, which means the placenta is covering my cervix.  This is probably not good, but I did just read that 90% of 2nd trimester diagnosis results in the placenta correcting itself.  So that sets my mind at ease.  As I told my friend a few months ago, worrying isn't going to change the outcome.  I'll just have to take it easy and look for the signs and carry on as though everything is okay until I know otherwise.   They said he's the right size and looks fine otherwise.   I got pictures, but they weren't on a disc this time and I don't have a scanner. I'll see what I can do though.

Anyway, I got so much to do today!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Migraine

Yesterday was such a good day that I am paying for it today with cat puke, dry heaves, and a migraine.  Tylenol does not work for me, by the way.  :D Yay!  

My belly has officially popped out though.







I've decided to stop hiding it and walk around rubbing it all the time.  :0)

Still haven't gotten more soap up on etsy, but I think I will work on it this afternoon instead of going to the grocery store.  I can always do that tomorrow. 

This is Molly with her friend Addie.




Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mother's Day

In some ways, Mother's Day is a little bitter sweet this year. A few weeks ago, I asked my mother to please leave me alone for a couple months in the hopes that after a break from her my head will clear a bit.  It is my intention to get to a point where I can disengage from the maddening emotional drama that I find myself embroiled in.  Emotional diversions can be tricky, but I have been feeling much more peaceful since I made my request.  

Having said all that, my parents problems are not my own, and I will make the best of my holiday.  After last year, I think I have only to go up.  :0)  Knock on wood and all that.  Molly asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day.  She suggested a Strawberry Shortcake toy.  She then whispered in my ear, "I could get another Strawberry Shortcake car, just for you."   Then she thought perhaps a new microwave, a red one.  

I have since come up with my own list.  I would like:

1.  Molly to not get injured.

2. For the baby to be okay.


3. A swimming pool, deep enough for me to tread water in so that I can get into shape for that whole child birth thing.


4. A day free of loud, crazy, child noises-"songs" included.


5. A cat that does not tear down window blinds at six o'clock in the morning, jump onto precariously balanced piles of things, stand on my tender pregnancy breasts while I'm resting on the couch, or look at me with the saddest face ever when I yell at him. 


6. The baby to kick Molly's hand. Just one time.


7. Just fifteen minutes with my love.




But mostly, motherhood has been so much more fun and wonderful than daughterhood ever was, and really I think-at least for me-just being a mom is gift enough, let alone getting the chance to do it again. 

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Sale #13

Maybe my tears yesterday were actually because of my allergies and my hormonal crazy town-ness. Maybe I don't care about death at all.  Muhaha!  Or maybe it was all three.  Anyway, moving on to better and brighter things. 

I had my 13th sale on etsy.  After a year and a half!  Yay! I'm doing awesome! 

I am a bit excited though.  Of course, I'm selling Mike's soap mostly and when he gets his own website situated I probably won't have anymore sales.  Ha, ha on me! I am having a bit of fun though and it isn't that more important?

Of course it is, and now I must go get Molly at school.

I'm going to get more soap up tomorrow.  At least that's my plan.

Out.

Monday, May 2, 2011

I Hate to Jump on the Osama Bin Laden Blogging Bandwagon

I was asleep when those planes hit the towers, and last night when the president announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, I was watching Netflix.  So I found out this morning on Facebook.  I shed a few tears, but I'm not sure what for.  Here are the thoughts I have:

Another mess cleaned up by a Democratic president?  I suppose I feel a bit gloat-ish about that.

I'm not a vengeful person myself, but now that I have a child, I can understand why some people would be dancing in the street.  I also know there are a long series of Post-War policies and actions that have played a part in this, that I am sure Bin Ladin was able to view his actions as justifiable. And vengeance leads to more vengeance, etc.  Should this not bring a tear to my eye?

I'm really not trying to get on my moral high ground today; I judge no one for their reaction.  Death is not an easy thing to digest.  And I guess that is my problem.  I don't know what my tears are for, except maybe...

I think a lot about the social and emotional isolation that it must take to create a monster, in general.  It's something I think about all the time not just today.  What it must take to be willing to throw one's own life away in the name of something seemingly so shallow.  Perhaps my tears are not for his death at all, but for his life, for the parts of his life he did not choose and for the parts that he did.  Sometimes the only thing to do with a monster is to slay him, sometimes it's just too late, too many people dead, too much suffering.

He was certainly not the only monster that could have died yesterday, but he was the one that did.  If I could pray to a god, I would ask that he grant me the ability to look at all monsters with compassion, lest I feed the monster inside me.