Favorite things

Her constant companion

Because who needs a baby book when you have a blog?  

Sophie is two and a half years old. That "half" seems so important - not a young, just-turned-two, but not yet almost-three. She is perfectly, exactly two-year-old two. The silliness, the occasional tantrums, the strong will, the defiance, the laughter, the repetition, the "why"s, all of it. It's time for an update of Sophie's Favorite Things!

Curious George. She has a minor obsession with this show.
Cows
Horses
Trains



This song:

VeggieTales
Cheese
Chocolate Milk
Grapes and strawberries and oranges
Blocks
Playing with our dogs
Cat-chasing
Hello Kitty
Having her fingernails and toenails painted
Elephants
Her friends
Bunny!! Always her most favorite thing
Books
Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That
Helping to cook
Washing her hands
Stars
Dancing
Ring Around the Rosie
Swimming (in a "swimmoot)
Playing on the playground
Pizza
Chicken

None of your business

Yesterday at work I stopped in to use a staff restroom that I've never been in before. On the back of the door was a printout of the often-repeated Regina Brett column, 45 Life Lessons. (It has been since updated with "5 to grow on.") Much of the list is good advice, a bit is trite and almost cliched, like a grocery store greeting card. One line really stuck out at me, though.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

What a difference from how most of us think!

We want to be liked. When someone doesn't seem to like us, we can drive ourselves batty trying to figure out why. We spend so much energy dwelling on how other people view us, and how to change those opinions that we don't match our own views of ourselves. But you know what?

It doesn't matter.

It might not be anything we CAN change. And really, why worry about it? Just like it's none of my business how Sally feels about Sue, or how Sue feels about Bob, it's also none of my business what opinions anyone else has of me. (I of course exclude family and close friends - but would hope those have favorable views of me. If not, I would hope they would try to work things out.)

Sometimes people just don't get along. Don't take it personally.  It is such a relief to not have the burden of strangers' (or acquaintances') opinions weighing on your already-full shoulders. This concept relates to an article discussed on a local morning radio show recently, 15 Things You Should Give Up to be Happy.

It all comes down to one simple concept: Let it go.

I tried this out recently, too. One person in a group I couldn't get along with? Hidden. People in my Facebook friends list that are not really friends? Unfriended. And I admit it, at first I felt awful. Guilty, even. As if they would even notice! But why let myself feel stressed about it? It is time to take control of my own peace. I'll be doing more, too. I've thought about closing my Twitter account. Realizing my first thought to that was "what will the people I follow and the ones who follow me think?" further illustrates my need to let go. Most of the ones I interact with there are also on Facebook. Or Pinterest. Or Instagram. What would I be missing? I can't think of a good answer.

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Fall is almost here!

It's that time of year again - my post dedicated to being a couch potato!
The Fall TV season is almost here - just one more month (or less in some cases) and we will have new episodes to watch! So, in honor of the occasion, here are my top four shows I'm eagerly awaiting (in no particular order).

1. Dexter
OhhhhMG that finale! Talk about taking your breath away! And the trailer that's been released is only adding to the feeling. It's back September 30 on Showtime.
Cannot. Wait.

2. Castle
Our whole family loves this show. And the new season premieres on September 24 - my husband's birthday! Great present. Another show that ended with an "OMG!" but this time in a good way. Castle and Beckett, together at last, spawning the worst couple nickname ever. "Caskett" just is not right. I'm anxious to see how the characters, namely Beckett, deal with what happened.

3. Bones
Booth and Brennan are together. They have a baby. Max is babysitting. Then, bad guy is after Brennan, she goes on the run with the baby for safety, and a bomb is planted in their house. What next?? It looks like September 17 is when we find out.

4. Doctor Who
Sometime in early September, no one seems to know exactly when, the Doctor will return to our lives. This is a show I started out watching on Netflix just to see what all the fuss was about, and soon was hooked. And now my oldest daughter is, also! She's also using Netflix to catch up.

Also on my can't miss: Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Big Bang Theory, Glee.

Who broke my baby?

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is me today. Ok, it's not really me, but it's how I feel. But she looks more awake than I feel. For some reason, Miss Sophie was awake and ready to play at 4:45 a.m. She is NEVER up that early. Ever.

It started with her waking me up asking for George (Curious George, her current favorite). I grabbed my phone off the nightstand to see what time it was. Um, no. I don't like to even acknowledge the existence of that time. I told her it's bedtime. "Why?" Because it's nighttime. "Why?" Go back to sleep! (Cue thoughts of the Samuel L Jackson-narrated audiobook) Requests for George turned into "Want locket-milk (chocolate milk) and cee-ral (cereal)" No. Shortly after - "I gotta pee!!" She went into the bathroom, but turned on the fan instead of the light, which scared her. So, I had to get up and help her. Back to bed? If only...

When she started running up and down the hall playing with the dogs, I gave in and took her to the living room. I turned on Curious George (thank goodness for DVR) and made her a cup of chocolate milk (I use sugar-free chocolate syrup, and it gets her to drink her milk, don't judge). I went back to bed, hoping for more sleep. Nope.

"Mommm-eeee! Momm-eeee!" I get up again, and go down the hall. The dog had gotten on the couch with her (he's not allowed) and was apparently licking her toes. I knew there would be no more sleep, so I gave in and made coffee, put on another episode of George, and took my shower. She finally fell back asleep later for another half hour (when it was time for me to get ready for work, of course), and woke up just as happy and playful again. Which I guess is a good thing, better than being whiny and crankypants because she's so tired, but oh em gee child! Mommy doesn't have enough energy to play when she's woken up that early.

I might have a nap for lunch today.

On another note, her love of Curious George has allowed me to do more with her hair. As long as he's on tv, I can do whatever and she's fine with it. Here are the past three days' hairstyles for her:

Politics suck

It's that time of year - political ads are oversaturating our televisions. Everyone wants a sound bite from the candidates. Interviews are everywhere, and the talking heads are going non-stop.

I'm over it.

Where do I stand? I stand out of the way. I don't belong to either party. I've taken the "Which party do I identify with" quizzes like crazy and get the same results every time: 50% each side. So I choose which issues matter the most to me, and vote for the candidate that agrees the most with me on those issues. Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever.

Ultimately, I think they're all the same, though. Different labels, same results. Nothing changes. And with the abundance of 24 hour news channels, it's a never-ending stream of chatter ranting and raving. Which reminds me - yet another reason why I hate Fox News. (For many others, watch this documentary.) My husband had the channel on earlier this week. In the morning, the people who yell at each other across the table were saying that unemployment was worse than ever, the economy was getting worse every day, and it was all President Obama's fault (although they can't be bothered to refer to him as President. Have you ever noticed that?). In the evening, on the same channel, another one of their talking heads was saying that the economy was better than it had been in years, companies are hiring again, jobs are increasing, the housing market is improving, and consumer spending is up. Wait - doesn't that directly contradict what his coworkers were saying earlier that same day? Yes it does.

Anyway, I will definitely be glad when the election has come and gone. The political character assassinations won't end completely, but at least it will be a little better for a couple years.

Billboard to the world

Billboard generator at http://www.makesweet.com

This is the billboard I would make if I could put one up for all the world to see. It's a message we all need to hear.

You are beautiful.
You are marvelous.
You are precious.
You are the whole world to someone.
You are loved.
You are cherished.
You are worth it.
You are perfect.
You can do whatever you set your mind to do.
You can reach your dreams.

You'll watch this more than once

I must share this amazing piece of K-pop. I have a friend living in Korea and she shared it on Facebook yesterday. It. Is. Hilarious. For real. Some of it is pure awesomesauce, some of it is insanity, some of it will make you look at it as if looking at a person with three heads. And you will laugh out loud.

You're welcome.

Conversation with my grandmother

Today's post comes from a prompt from Writing.com. I have their writing prompts app on my phone and was swiping away, going through my favorites to see what stuck out to me. Then this one came up, and I just had to use it. It's a phone conversation with a relative who has died. I immediately thought of my grandmother (Mema) who died five years ago this November. She never got to know about Sophie, whose middle name is my grandmother's name in her honor. Enjoy, and I'll try not to cry as I write.

Hi, Mema. I just called to see how you are doing. It's been so long since we've gotten to talk and I miss you like crazy still. So many changes have happened since we last saw you. Emma is so grown up. I can't believe she's in high school already! You would be so proud of her. She is a smart girl.

You have a new great-granddaughter, too! Her name is Sophie Inez. She is just as wonderful and amazing as Em was at this age. You two would have so much fun together! She loves having her nails done. She also loves singing, and would love the billboard song you used to sing me when I was little. I wish I knew the words, because it's a great song. I also think your vegetable casserole would get her to actually eat broccoli.
I think about you all the time. So many times I want to ask you about something - tell me about the Hindenberg disaster, how long do I cook a dish or what measurements are used for the ingredients, what do you think of this outfit, or my hair? We have restaurants that you would love and it would be so nice to take you to lunch again.

I'll call again soon. It's nice to hear from you. I miss you and I love you.

Update: Through the miracle of search engines, I found the words to the billboard song she used to sing to me!
As I was walking down the street
A billboard caught my eye
and what was on that billboard will make you laugh and cry

The wind and rain had come that day and washed it half away
And what was on that billboard was what i have to say

Come smoke a Coca-Cola
Drink Ketchup cigarettes
See Lillian Russell wrestle with a box of oysterettes

Meet pork and beans tonight in their final fight
and John Browns lecture on polio right

Simonize your baby, with Hershey's candy bars
And Texaco's a beauty cream that's used by all the stars

Bay rum is good for horses
It is the best in town
Castor oil cures the measles pay five dollars down

Teeth extracted without pain for a half a dime
Big bens are selling now a little out of time

Doctors say that babies, should smoke 'til they are three.
And people over 65 should bathe in Lipton tea
With flow-thru teabags
Cause everything they have sags 

Sacred gifts

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The wonderful book Spin Your Story from Kind Over Matter asks the question "What are my sacred gifts?" It's a question we should all explore from time to time.

So what are my gifts? Good question. I have a hard time answering questions like this, both because I tell myself that I don't make a difference, and because I'm afraid of sounding vain. Also, I can't think of anything. So I asked my husband.

Here's his list of my gifts: I'm a good mother, good at drawing, and writing. Good list.
My list?
Creativity
Fairness
Compassion
Empathy
Making yummy things in the blender
Making cakes - maybe? Maybe I'm deluded and should be featured on CakeWrecks. Who knows.

The real question, though, is what do I do with my gifts?  What do I put out in the world to help make it a better place?

A very good question, indeed.

I did it! Pinterest ideas

Last week was insane. All four of us caught a nasty stomach virus that has been going around, and then we had to work like crazy to get our house ready for a fifth person to move in for a while. My sister in law is staying with us until she finds a place to live here. Our house isn't made for five people, so we had a lot of work to do. I had also been trying to organize our pantry, both because it needed it and to check all labels for food dyes. I had seen an idea on Pinterest, using magazine files to hold the aluminum foil/plastic wrap/etc boxes in the pantry, and thought it was really smart. I took it a step further, and used Command adhesive strips to mount them on the cabinet door. It works! It's so much easier to see what we have now, and to access the boxes. I discovered while doing this that I had an empty box of waxed paper in the cabinet (gone now) and two partial boxes each of two different sized zipper bags! I combined the boxes and gained even more room that way. I couldn't see all that when they were on a shelf.


I also tried another idea, although I didn't take a picture of this one. Instead of putting them in the dryer, we hang swimsuits and bras over the shower rod to dry. Also wet towels after swimming get tossed up there. I've been redoing our bathroom a little at a time, and when I installed the pretty new shower rod and hooks, I moved the old one to the back of the shower. It's high enough to not interfere with showering, and no drips on the floor!

I also made hummus for the first time last night. I found this recipe on Pinterest, and knew from my pantry cleaning that I had a can of chickpeas. It looked easy enough, and how hard could tahini be? I found a can of it at Fresh Market, and picked up a lemon. Everything else I had on hand already. I put the drained beans and lemon juice in the blender, and then opened the tahini. It was not what I expected. The top half was liquid, and the bottom half was a HARD solid mass. The label said that separation is normal, and to stir thoroughly before using.

Right.


I tried stirring, and bent the spoon. I scraped the stuff into a big mixing bowl (the can was not big enough for proper stirring) and attacked it with a wooden spoon. Then a meat pounder. The liquid did turn the proper color, but there were many stubborn lumps that I just couldn't get out. And the solid part was STICKY. I finally emptied the beans and lemon juice from the blender into a bowl and put the tahini in the blender to mix. That worked! I poured it back into the can, and the rest went smoothly. Beans and juice back in the blender, followed by 2 tbsp of tahini. The recipe said 2-3, and I guessed there was about a tablespoon still in the bottom of the blender, so I improvised. Added in the cumin, garlic, and the reserved bean juice, and pureed until smooth.

I tasted the hummus as I was putting it into a container, and was very disappointed. It was quite bland. I packed some for lunch, though, and it was much better. The flavors just needed time to blend together. Now that I know what I'm doing, I'll definitely make this again!

And just for fun, a picture of Sophie brushing her teeth, all by herself. Notice where she's standing to reach. This would be perfect if she could get back down by herself. I just love her cute little toddler legs!



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Changes already!

Even though it hasn't been very long that Sophie has been dye free, we're already seeing big changes.
The biggest one is that she goes to bed so much easier, and earlier. Before this, she would be so wound up that it was often 11 before she could settle down enough for sleep, sometimes later. Mornings were met with crankiness. Last night she was asleep at 9.
Her skin has been much clearer, too. Not counting the widespread rash of last week, she frequently has had mystery rashes spring up on her arms, legs, face, or trunk. Also she had one stubborn eczema patch on her scalp that would never clear up. She's had it since infancy. I noticed today that it's gone. For the first time ever, it's completely gone. Gone!
The transition has been easier than I anticipated so far. She has asked for a few forbidden items but when I tell her she can't have them, she asks why instead of throwing a tantrum. I just tell her it makes her sick and she moves on. I'm anxious about holidays, especially Halloween. We'll sort that out in October, though.
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Joining the food allergy club

All last week Sophie had a rash. A bad, bright-pink, covering her face and arms and legs rash. It began on Monday evening, as she was drinking a cup of sugar free fruit punch at her babysitter's house. It was not the first time her cheeks had broken out while drinking this, but I always brushed it off as irritation from a dirty, end-of-the-day face, or heat, or whatever. She does have sensitive skin and we have battled eczema since she was an infant. This time, it didn't go away. Tuesday she was at home with her sister all day, and for dinner had a different juice than normal, one that also contains red dyes. She worsened. I was up until 1 that night also, but she was alseep. I was the one wide awake and Googling like crazy. I came across lots of information about intolerances to food dyes, especially in children. I had heard of red #40 causing hyperactivity, but that's all I was aware of. I found out that both red and various yellows cause contact dermatitis (fancy way of saying rash). At 12:30 am Emma and I were going through our pantry and refrigerator checking labels like mad. Tuesday was the last time Sophie had anything to eat or drink with artificial colors.

Wednesday, the rash kept spreading, and on Thursday I took her to see her pediatrician to rule out other causes. After a thorough exam, she did say it was a bad allergic reaction, and will take 4-6 weeks to leave her system. The rash will come and go until then (thank goodness it doesn't seem to bother her often, although occasionally it does hurt). But, no more artificial colors. Her favorite cereals, any kool-aid type drinks, lemonade, many juice drinks (anything but 100% juice basically), gummies, lollipops, frosted cookies, cakes... Not things she had often but occasional treats were out. I visited Earth Fare and found an organic Cocopuffs type cereal that she likes. Target sells all-natural fruit snacks and organic lollies. I stashed a few in my purse to ward off tears when she can't accept one from the bank teller.



Monday after drinking fruit punch



Then Monday, she had more fruit punch at the sitter's house. Someone forgot and gave it to her. By the time we arrived at our next destination, the rash was back in full force (it had faded almost completely). That night, she was so hyper. Laughing like a madwoman for no reason, jumping on the bed, going crazy. Finally at 1 am she crashed. I realized that all of her other bouts of hyperness for seemingly no reason (no late nap, no sneaking drinks of our tea, no sugar) all coincided with days she's had something to drink for dinner that was red. I also use sugar-free drink mixes at home so the sugar wasn't the problem. It appears that she also has the hyperactivity issue from red #40 as well as the skin rash.

The outbreaks go beyond coincidence now. This isn't a virus, or heat rash (although heat does worsen it). She consumes something with red or yellow artifical coloring, and she breaks out. Even the timeline is predictible (it's not instantaneous). Her pediatrician said to eliminate the artifical colors completely for two months to give her body time to work the current reaction out of her system, then introduce something at home again to see if she has the reaction again. Regardless of that result, we have to live for the next two months as if she is allergic to the dyes. I honestly do believe this is the culprit, though. I already try to be aware of what she eats because she's allergic to fresh pineapple, but this just heightens my awareness (and anxiety) to levels I didn't know were possible. I want to know every single thing she puts in her mouth so I can check ingredients and labels. I'm already planning out beverages to pack for the zoo, even though we don't have our next visit even planned yet. I just remembered that she loved the giant wall of slushie machines and tried to think of alternatives (along with how to avoid that area of the zoo) since they are full of artifical colors. I was interested before, now I'm a vigilante. And this isn't even a life-threatening allergy like peanuts! I can't fathom the fear and anxiety parents of children with severe allergies face each day.

Links about this allergy:
Effects of the various food dyes
Links between food dyes and behaviour
Scientific research on food dyes
eHow: Food dye allergies
AllergicChild.com: Food dye intolerance

Stress

I have an app on my phone that is a calendar of blogging/journaling prompts. Today's didn't resonate with me, so I started glancing through the screens. Then, one topic reached out and grabbed my by the hair and said "choose me!"

Ok, not really (my hair is up today) but that's how it felt.

"What are the top sources of stress in your life? What can you do to mitigate them?"

Stress. Yes.

Last night was a rough night for me. I was tired. The previous two nights Sophie was awake late. I don't function well on 5 hours of sleep, much less two nights in a row. Both my husband and Emma were traveling, so there was no one to take over for a few minutes. I had crammed so many errands and chores into the few hours between work and bedtime that I was exhausted anyway. Then add 2 1/2 year old defiance, and potty training, and the oppressive heat, and worry about Sophie's rash. I was at my limit.

It was one of those nights that made me wish I liked alcohol. I picked up a pizza for dinner, blew off my to do list, and let her watch Curious George while I laid on the couch and read after her bath. We were both asleep before 11.

I usually feel like I juggle things pretty well, but then it all seems to catch up to me at once. I'm lucky that my job isn't a source of stress for me, like it is for so many people. I enjoy what I do. There are stressful moments, of course, but it's not a constant or even frequent thing. My stress is after work - do I stop for groceries before picking up Sophie, making me late picking her up, or get her first and then try to shop with a two year old? Then there is dinner, and clean up, and bath time. Dogs to feed and walk. Spending time with Emma (not a "chore" by any means, of course). I hate the state of our house right now, but I feel like I'm fighting that battle alone and I just don't have any steam left in me. I keep up with the laundry (mostly). I keep the dishes washed. Garbage gets taken out regularly. I clean the toilets. I vacuum. But OMG the clutter. I get stressed being in the house with it, honestly. I hate clutter. But I just don't know what to do about it.

I need some kind of system, a new routine. Obviously what I'm doing now isn't working for me. When Emma is at home this summer, I leave a list of 2-3 chores for her to do each day around the house that help me tremendously. I don't think she even knows how much it helps keep me sane, and how much I appreicate it. I tell her, but she can't possibly fathom how much I mean it. She goes back to school soon, though. I won't have that extra help then.

Something has to change. My current system of after work errands and cleaning on weekends is getting to me. And my husband is home on weekends and we try to do family things then, too. There just aren't enough hours in the day! I've tried Flylady - I may try it again, but honestly it isn't quite right for us. If I didn't work outside the home, it would be perfect. I don't even know where to begin.

I should be asleep

It's twenty minutes after midnight on Sunday night. Technically it's already Monday. But I'm not technical. I need to be awake in 5 1/2 hours, give or take a few minutes. Why am I awake?

Because Sophie didn't nap today because we slept in this morning.
Then she passed out cold after dinner. She curled up on the couch against her Daddy and didn't move for an hour. Oh, we knew then that this would happen. We both even tried to wake her. We resorted to attempting to bribe with ice cream. No luck. She would not wake up.

And now she's finally fallen asleep in our bed. I did her laundry today so had to put the sheets back on her bed. Of course I remembered after I'm trying to get her to sleep, but I was able to remake her bed finally.

A few nights ago, as Em and I were putting the cover on the pool, I saw a skunk walking in the yard. Luckily he didn't seem to notice us. Tonight, I can smell him. Strongly. It's enough to make me wish I had a cold.

The strangest, most painful thing happened this morning. I accidentally swallowed a piece of bacon that I hadn't chewed well enough. It was sharp, and scratched all the way down. My throat gas hurt badly all day today and nothing has soothed it.

I really wish I was sleeping right now.


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My blog is fabulous!

Another blogger, Danielle of Colakeynotes, bestowed upon my blog the "Fabulous Blog Ribbon." How cool is that? And so nice of her! And since I just realized that I haven't posted since Tuesday (oops) I'm thrilled that it comes with writing prompts.
Now for the lists.

FIVE MOST FABULOUS MOMENTS OF MY LIFE (SO FAR)

1. Marrying my husband
2. Emma's birth
3. Sophie's birth
4. Bringing a healthy Sophie home from the hospital the second time
5. Every single hug or kiss from one of my children.

FIVE THINGS I LOVE

1. My family
2. Ice cream
3. Nutella
4. Reading
5. Friendship
   

FIVE THINGS I HATE 

1. Slow drivers
2. Prejudice of any kind
3. Stupidity
4. Tomatoes
5. Titanic (the movie)
   

Nominations  

1.  View from Down Here 
2. MommaSachs