Funny wear

Is this to say that my boobasitas are yummy cupcakes? I can appreciate a funny t-shirt. I love funny t-shirts. But this doesn't quite pull it off, does it? Find it here.

Pet Peeve alert: Say excuse me!

It's not a hard thing to do, to say excuse me when you need someone to move out of your way. But it's just not in people's vocabulary. Instead, they stand there, in your personal space, looking directly at you, waiting until you move. This invariably happens at the Phillies games. People need to get in and out of their seats. You have to get up to let them by. They just stand there. Without a word. Looking at you. Until you get up. How hard is it to say, "Excuse me"? It's two fucking words! One of these days, I'm just going to sit there and make them say it. I'll let you know how it goes.

#5 and #6 in the Series

We went to last night's Phillies game with my sister and her husband and sat in their usual seats. They were high up but had great views of the game and the city. The only problem was the easy access to the flavorless Bud and Michelob beer the men kept showing up with.

A lesson in all of this...

We met with the endocrinologist at Children's Hospital. I love doctors who take their time with you. He spent about 35 minutes asking us questions about our medical backgrounds and all about Kyra. She definitely has a failing thryoid. And because she's so young it will probably never recover or stabilize itself. She will always need to take a hormone replacement. The good news is that it's simple to replace. It'll be like taking a daily vitamin. Within a couple weeks, we'll see a difference. As of now she has minimal appetite. Three bites of a waffle and she's done. I'll be so relieved when that gets back to normal. She won't get tired out so quickly. A bike trip around the block was enough for her. And, she'll grow to where she should be. It will be really interesting to see the changes in her. Unfortunately, the vitiligo will probably not go away when her thryoid stabilizes. But that's the least of our worries.

I've always been told, especially by my mother (Thanks mom!), that when it comes to health care in particular, you've got to be your child's (or your own) advocate. I saw that first hand with this whole experience. When Kyra was diagnosed with vitiligo last year, I read as much as I could. I remember reading about thyroid issues associated with vitiligo then. We brought it up to both dermatologists we saw and neither one saw a need to have her thyroid tested. They assumed she was smaller because we as her parents were average to short (me!). Why poke and prod her if she doesn't need it, they said. But, really, what is the harm? It's a simple blood test. One needle. Not until her 4-year check up this year, when we brought it up again, did the testing finally take place. Of course, it was hard to deny something wasn't right. She was in the 2nd percentile for height!

We don't know when her thyroid started failing. But, I could guess it happened when her vitiligo really began to spread last year. It makes you wonder what difference there would have been if we had tested her then. It's just another reminder to always go with your instincts.

I needed a laugh

Come on now. Hand grenades and beer never mix.

This one is downright creepy...

Good morning!

You've got to love a morning that starts off bright and early with the kids screaming, syringes drawing blood and vomit. Fun. I highly recommend it.

We lucked out and got an appointment with a top notch endocrinologist at Children's Hospital for Friday. But, he wanted to check Kyra's adrenal gland levels because it's unusual to have both vitiligo and hypothyroidism, in kids I guess. So back to the hospital we all went this morning. As soon as we pulled up in front of the main entrance, the blood curdling screaming began. Kyra had to be peeled out of her seat. Poor Ella tried to put on a brave face, but she looked terrified. She was also having blood drawn to check her thyroid levels since her measurements were low on the chart too. Kyra calmed down once we got inside. She insisted that Ella go first. Ella is our CIA agent. She barely flinches. But when it was all said and done, she threw up in the bathroom. Kyra, on the other hand, screamed the second she sat in my lap. I had to block her eyes so she couldn't watch what was happening. But, as soon as she got her colorful band-aid and glow-in-the-dark sticker, she was smiling like nothing happened.

Little does she know that this is going to happen a few more times until they adjust the dosage of her hormone replacement. I know it could be much worse. But this is brutal.

It's not fair.

I don't even know where to begin this one. I could start it a dozen different ways. I got bad news this morning? Did I do something to cause this? Could I have prevented it? Why her? No one is dead, if that's what you're thinking. It's not that tragic. But it's still pretty bad in our world. Kyra has hypothyroidism. She had the blood work yesterday. I got the call this morning. We knew something wasn't quite right a while ago. She just didn't seem to be growing. We're not tall people, so we hesitated to make any quick judgements. But, she's pretty tiny for her age. Her 4-year check up solidified it when her measurements put her in the 2nd percentile for height. Plus, thyroid conditions are typically associated with vitiligo (which she was diagnosed with last year) in older people. We were told it was uncommon in children.

So, more blood work tomorrow. They want to check her adrenal gland levels. As if we don't feel bad enough already, she gets even more needles. And she's a screamer. Which makes it horrible for us. Of course, the anticipation is worse than the actual stick, but still.... We'll see the endocrinologist on Friday for the official diagnosis. But we know what she's in for. A lifetime of hormone replacement therapy. I'm sure it won't be a big deal. I'm sure it'll be just like taking a vitamin. But still.

Sometimes, I think, it'd be easier if I never had kids. Then, I would only have myself to worry about. Worrying about your kids is downright gut-wrenching.

#4 in the Series

Yet another game in which we got wet...

I was a guest reader!

Rather than have sugary treats for kids' birthdays, Ella's kindergarten teacher prefers to have a parent come in as a guest reader. I think I'm a pretty good read-aloud book reader. I make different voices for characters and add drama. So I thought I'd do a pretty good job.

Luckily, I worked from home today so I was able to go in for my turn. Ella picked out the Little Einstein's book, Butterfly Suits, because they're growing butterflies in class. What was funny, I was actually a little nervous about reading a book to 20 kindergartners. I didn't want to embarass Ella. And, because my contact lenses refuse to stay in place, I can't see very well which makes reading difficult. Especially when reading at an angle. So, I sounded stiff and slow. The kids didn't seem to notice, but I'm sure the teachers were real impressed. Regardless, Ella was thrilled, and she even sang a song from the book by herself in front of the whole class. I couldn't believe it!

Another whirlwind weekend

We had our first big cookout this weekend. I wanted everything to look perfect - the house, the yard, the set up. We weren't ready. And I tend to grossly underestimate how long it takes to prepare for an event. I expected to hit the nursery for plants in the morning, weed and put everything in the ground within just a couple of hours. Plenty of time to spare to pull the outdoor furniture from storage and clean it, and get the lights hung. Plus, we had to make food. Clean the house. Oh, yeah. And keep the kids entertained so we could get all of this done. Well, I spent the entire day on the yard. And to add a little foreshadowing to the event, I felt like I had stepped into a toned down version of The Birds. As I was digging around in the dirt, I was being watched. The moment I walked away, the birds landed on my spot and grabbed all the bugs I had stirred up.

Miraculously, it all got done; and, aside from one anticipated annoyance, the cookout went well.

The next day was Ella's birthday. So we watched her unwrap gifts, had a birthday breakfast than ran down to the corner to watch the Memorial Day parade march by. We spent the rest of the day outside because the weather was perfect.

Fun on Friday

I could use a little extra money. I can always use a little extra. So I thought I'd get my body appraised. You know, see what I'm worth. Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm no HO. I'm talking about my DEAD body. Husband, don't get any ideas. It ain't worth much.

$4150.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Wordless Wednesday

Guess what it is? I'll give a hint in a little bit. And it's raison d'etre.
See others....

If you guessed a clove of garlic, you're right. It's elephant garlic. My husband picked this up for me to use in turkey burgers I was making. I think if I would have used this whole thing it would have been more like garlic burgers.

Garbage disposals - not so good for the environment

I came across an article about how garbage disposals aren't "green". Grinded up food isn't, in fact, being sent back into the environment. Instead, they strain sewage facilities. It also mentioned how they're really only meant to handle food scraps. Not full containers of leftover, gone-bad food. And, I'm sure, not banana peels. My husband needs to read this because, if it's perishable, it's going down the drain. God forbid you put anything that could smell in the trash can.

My husband is a diehard fan of this appliance. In fact, no sooner did we move into our non-garbage-disposal-toting house, did he have one installed. It ranked above unpacking boxes. He had this crazed, "can't-exist-another-second-without-it" motivation.

I've always hated wasting food. Guilt from my childhood, of course. ("Think of the starving children in Ethiopia!" Thanks mom and dad. I'm sure there's a better way to help them other than over-stuffing my child-size belly with food, but that's another post.) So I feel bad sending food into the trash can, let alone the garbage disposal. Plus, it's kind of gross scraping leftovers into a bin. I mean, what do you do with soup or cereal? All that mess? And, then the odor that follows if you don't take the trash out right away? Sure, I could compost. But I can't even plan a week's worth of meals. It's too much effort.

Well, my mid-life crisis is leading me toward greener ways. Besides, I'm curious. Is it really that much of an effort? So, while my husband would likely put up a fight - who are we kidding, he'll be shopping divorce lawyers - I did some quick research on composting. And you know what, it might not be so hard after all. This site has everything you need to start living a greener life. I found this lovely "scrap eater" for a mere $575. And for those who like to be near their decomposing food scraps and such, this bench/composter for only $2,295.

Okay, I jest. Obviously there are less expensive alternatives. I'm sure it's all detailed in this book. Except I can't even get through my magazines. So I don't see this happening anytime soon. Plus, is it really worth getting a divorce over? Anyone out there composting?

Ella's 6th Birthday Party

Even though her birthday lands on Memorial Day this year, Ella's party was this weekend. We wanted to make sure her friends were around since most people go to the beach for the holiday weekend.

I decided to go against the norm. The party circuit we've been on has included a large mass of children. It's overwhelming. Instead, I only invited 10 kids rather than 30. I made flowerpot favors with sunflower seeds rather than buy the tchotchkes that end up in the trash.

And, I made cupcakes rather than order a cake.

I stopped short of hosting the party at our house. Growing up, our parties always included a handful of friends and games at the birthday person's house. I haven't been to one of those yet. Guess that's how they did it in the "old days". So, we went to the Fun Factory. It was a good time.

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

It's my little sister's birthday today. I hope you have a great day. We'll celebrate next week! In the meantime, enjoy a little cupcake I made *wink* and don't forget to make a wish!

The Ferris Wheel

I didn't realized it until today. I had never been on a ferris wheel. I guess it's because they always looked so slow and boring. I'd much rather be on the roller coaster. Well, today my opinion of ferris wheels changed.

There's been a Fair/Carnival going on for two weeks at the St. Denis School. We finally got there today. The parking lot is packed tight with carnival games and rides including...you guessed it, a ferris wheel. As soon as Ella saw it, her mind was made up. She was going on it. And she was excited about that decision. Very excited. It would be her first ferris wheel ride. I love rides. But ever since I had kids I can't tolerate anything that spins. Not a thing. I even get dizzy on a playground swing. And that doesn't go all the way around! It's pathetic. I love to swing. But, my daughter wanted to go on a ferris wheel and she wanted me to go with her. Vertigo or not, I was not going to disappoint her. So, we waited in line. I tried not to notice the rust. I tried not to judge to ride worker with his missing teeth, slicked-back bouffant and oversized sunglasses at 6:30 on an overcast evening.

Finally after a long wait, we got on. The ride operator (a different guy) made a strange comment about liking my belt (I wasn't wearing one.) and having the same one. What?! Is that vodka in his water bottle?!

So, we get moving. I'm ready for a relaxing and picturesque journey into the treetops. I was surprised to find that I was gripping Ella because, not only was I getting dizzy, it was freakin' scary! Ella's laughing and all I can think is OH. MY. GOD! That first time up and down? When the people in front of you disappear below you? I had the feeling of falling right out of my seat into oblivion. Who knew? This is a ferris wheel for god's sake!

But really, the best part was that my daughter and I both went on a ferris wheel for the first time together. We laughed hard and loved it. I can't wait to do it with her again.

Rosie - the mayor of Queen Street

I found out last night that my favorite neighbor from the city died. I'm really, really sad about it. I loved Rosie. She was awesome. She lived across the street from us and had been on that block for over 60 years. I think she was in her early 90s. I was always surprised when she mentioned her age. She seemed younger. And, she knew everyone. She would tell stories about when the streets were cobble-stoned and vendors would push carts down them selling anything and everything.

As we moved into our house on Queen Street, her husband, Pat, walked right in our front door and introduced himself. I loved that. I knew I was going to like that block. Rosie was unlike most people I know of that generation. She told it straight up. She didn't get married until she was close to 30 which was near spinster back then, and she was proud of it. She gave me a hydrangea clipping years ago. I brought it with us when we moved, but it didn't recover. She made the best tomato pie ever. She promised to give me her secret recipe, but she never got around to it. I don't really know why, but we had a special connection. She would tell me often that I was doing a good job with my girls, keeping it real. You're doing good kiddo, she'd say, and give me a squeeze. I'd run into her at the grocery store on Sunday mornings with her son, "The Detective", and she'd give me a pinch just for fun. I cried when I said good-bye to her the day we moved. And I never saw her again. Her health had been declining the year before we left. She couldn't see very well. And when I'd talk to her her eyes would tear up. She hated getting old. I know her family was anxious to get her to move in with them. She was living alone since Pat had died a couple of years ago. The last I had heard she finally did go. I had given my next door neighbor my cell phone number and asked her to call me if anything happens with Rosie. She never did. I hate that I didn't know about the funeral. I would have gone.

Phillies Photo: #3 in series

Cold and rainy. True fans here! Except when it really started to come down. But, the Phillies had a signficant lead by then. So, it was okay to leave. This is the photo we sent to our friends as part of our tradition of bragging.

And, this is their reply. They're warm and cozy at home. Try not to notice the Cowboys football helmet. This is an Eagles town after all.

Fun on Friday

This was a bizarre little experiment. Within 12 seconds my wrist started to get painfully stiff and I felt slightly psychotic. Scary. See how you do...

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Free gas for a year

How does that sound? For someone with a commute (me!), it sounds like winning the lottery! So, try your luck and see if you win free gas for a year.

Challenge yourself for National Woman's Health Week

This week, May 11-May17th, is National Woman's Health week, and I've accepted the WOMAN Challenge, Women and girls Out Moving Across the Nation. It's a free, eight-week challenge encouraging women and girls to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Doesn't seem so bad, right? Already, close to 18,000 woman from around the world are taking on the challenge.

You can track your progress online; and you'll receive weekly motivational e-mails and health tips to help you reach your goals. You can choose to travel one of six different "virtual" routes across America. I'm taking the Pacific Coast route since I've always wanted to see Alaska, the California coast and Hawaii, and the Fitarella team I've joined is taking the Cross Country route. It'll be interesting to see how far I get.

So, why not? I've joined the team FITARELLAS. If you need a little incentive to get your daily exercise and are interested in taking on the challenge, join me! After you register, you can join the team on your main My WOMAN Challenge page. Fitarellas is under Massachusetts.

Thirty minutes of exercise a day isn't much. You could walk in place while watching your favorite TV show! Of course, that's easy for me to say, but I need an incentive too. Let's go for it!

Summer Nights, Free Concerts

One of the best ways to enjoy summer nights is at an outdoor concert. A fresh night, live music, a nice cheese and wine spread and good company is hard to beat for an evening out. Well, you're in luck! Grab your picnic basket and a big blanket because free lawn seats for all nine Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in Fairmount Park are available.

Visit www.manncenter.org/freelawn by May 31 to claim yours. After this date, lawn tickets will be available for purchase for $10.

Rain boots

I LOVE my rain boots. I think they rock! In my opinion, rain boots should be fun and silly. These are definitely that. Except they stink! I don't know what kind of rubber they're made from, but it's bad. Oh well. At least they look badass.

A whirlwind of a weekend

The weekend was a whirlwind. I hate that. I mean, I like getting stuff done around the house, but it makes the weekend go so fast that before you know it, the alarm is buzzing you awake on Monday morning. Blah. I can't even look forward to this next weekend because it's more of the same. Blah. Blah!

I had some freakish hormonal surge to clean the house on Saturday. Mostly because it was too damp and chilly in the morning to dig up my yard and start from stratch as I planned. Instead, I ran frenetically from room to room, throwing away much of what I got my hands on. And, what I couldn't throw away, I loaded up the car with two boxes of neglected toys and a huge garbage bag of clothes ready for Goodwill. From there, I got distracted with the jungle of weeds so I laid out six bags of mulch hoping to make my sorry ass yard look somewhat put together.

Sunday was hectic too. There wasn't time to sleep in ... and on Mother's Day! But at least I got spoiled. My husband gave me a new color photo printer and a gift certificate to take a class here, and the girls gave me a gift certificate to get my nails done. Fun!

I rushed to my mom's house, but was still nearly an hour late, even without a shower! My sister, my mom and I walked the Golden Nugget Flea Market. We saw a few nice pieces of furniture, but we had neither the room in the car nor the money for any of it. Then, we headed into Lambertville ...and walked around until a table opened up at Full Moon Cafe. I rushed back home to spend the rest of the day with my girls and have a yummy Mexican dinner cooked for me. Whew. I need a day to recover!

Let's Party!

Monday is a perfect excuse for a party, as if we need an excuse! If you're stopping in from the 5th Annual Mommyfest Blog Party, Welcome! Have a look around, and please leave a comment to let me know you were here and I can visit your party too. And definitely check out my poll on the top right sidebar. I keep going back and forth about that one.

Here are a few things about me:

Who am I? A 36-year-old mom to two girls, ages 4 and 6, married for almost 9 years to a wonderful husband and amazing father.
What I would do if I could do anything at all: Travel around the world taking photographs.
What I really do: I write advertising.
My favorite non-curse word: Whatever.
Guilty pleasure: Wine. Wine. Wine. Ice cream.
Why I blog: Why not? Okay, so maybe I need a creative outlet. I blog about anything and everything and try to include some fun finds too.
What I like: Real people.
What I don't like: Monotony.

That's me in a nutshell.

Freebies on Mother's Day

We deny ourselves every other day of the year, why not splurge on Mother's day. It's FREE after all. TCBY is giving away a free cup or cone of frozen yogurt to all moms. And, Cosi has free tall latte's just for moms on Sunday (but you have to email me for the coupon, unless someone can tell me how to post an email here.).

Also, go to Goodyblog's Mother's Day Blog Party and put your name in for some amazing prizes.

Fun on Friday

37

Embarassing! I drew a blank. How well can you do?

Just sharin'

I came across this website that was just beautiful and really inspiring. *sigh* If only there was more time to create.

Funny

I mentioned to a co-worker that I had nothing to do today and she sent me this: Bubble wrap.

Attention Parents: Is this offensive?

I wrote something for the kids section of a catalog that we're producing. It offended a client, who is also a parent:

Kids get bored quickly when traveling, and that can be challenging for parents. To keep them entertained, load up a fun backpack with coloring books, games and toys.

I'm flabbergasted! I've questioned her judgement on other things in the past. Now, I just think she's downright insane. Is this offensive to anyone?

Girls Weekend!

Every girl should have a girls weekend away. No kids. No men. Just us girls. I've been doing this with my girlfriends for 17 years now. We head down to Ocean City, Maryland and get crazy as all girlfriends should. I'm not really allowed to give the dirty details but just know, it's balls-out fun!
We went here and here and here, and my favorite beach band was playing here. And we shopped. And shopped. And shopped. We shopped up a raging appetite, so we ducked into Harry & David and chowed on all the samples. We had guacamole, 7-layer dip, salsa, mexican pizza, black bean dip and mango tea to wash it all down. Yum. my! Except the mexican pizza. It tasted like B.O.

Get outside!

Tomorrow is First Friday on the Main Line. If you're anywhere near Ardmore or Bryn Mawr be sure to see what's happening. The galleries are open, the shops give stuff out and the concerts by Milkboy are always entertaining.

Expand your vocabulary.

Someone (thanks Bluesky!) commented on a previous post with this website for helping children through World Vision. Every word you get right increases their donation by $.25. I love fun activities for a good cause! Check out Aid to Children.