Weekend Warriors

 Don't forget to link up with your Weekend Warrior agenda!

• Today is my student teaching orientation on campus!  I am so excited to hear all about what to expect and meet my supervisor.  And just maybe (but doubtful) I will have a placement by then.  I keep praying for a miracle.
• I kind of consider this weekend a freebie.  Kinda-sorta.  I was planning to go to my mom's tonight with Kage since R has to work tomorrow.  He was going to ride the train there and then all of us come home together on Sunday.  Well that was all fine and good until my nephew was exposed to whooping cough at summer camp.  So, he's supposed to stay indoors, away from other children for a week while taking a precautionary antibiotic.  Hmmm.  Yeah, not taking Kage around that!
• So we're on a "free" weekend that has no plans.
• Since R has to work on Saturday, I think that I may take K to the pool.  We have been slacking on that quite a bit the last few weeks.  It truly takes more time to get ready for the pool that the time she wants to spend in the pool.  Maybe we should do the splash park instead.  That's probably the better idea.
• Saturday night, we have a new sitter coming to stay with Kage for our monthly date night.  She's been booked for a few weeks and we were going to cancel in order to go visit mom....but never mind about that now.  So this girl is a high school junior and so sweet.  She actually met my mom over the summer and my mom found out that she lived near us (strange that they met four hours away!) and she introduced us.  And, she charges a lot less than our former girl.  Score!  So what to do on our date night?  R mentioned that we would go eat downtown (downtown our town, not downtown Chicago) at one of the cantinas or grattos and then he wants to see the Smurfs movie.  I am not kidding.  That's what he wants to do.  I wanted to see Friends With Benefits.  But since he's given in to my every movie request...I guess the Smurfs it is.  I have heard good things about it....so we'll see.
• Sunday will be our family church day.  We missed last weekend and I really hate to miss....  After church we're thinking about taking Kin to the big zoo (Brookfield) to see the big animals.  She hasn't been since she was like six months old...she'll enjoy it so much more this time around, I think.

The dolphins!

•  My summer vacation starts today and I have a couple of weeks before student teaching starts and I plan to enjoy every minute with my -not so baby- girl!

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Weekend Warriors

This is my Weekend Warrior list, join me!  The button is to the right. 

• The in laws are coming up this evening, so it's a weekend for entertaining.
• Tonight I believe we'll be eating at a local place, most likely our favorite pizza place.  Everyone always wants pizza when they come to visit.  Guess it's the whole "Chicago style" thing...
• Tomorrow, my husband has to go to a duck blind drawing (don't ask) in the afternoon so him and his dad will be doing that while I find something to do with my mother-in-law.  It's right at Kage's nap time so we may sit and stare at each other while she sleeps.  Dunno.  But you know....(this is going to get way too long and drawn out for a bullet and it's going to make me crazy to have this super long bullet and all the others short---but I'll deal) my MIL (mother-in-law) and I get along fine--but we are not close.  Not at all.  And R thinks that it's because I come off as stuck up.  Whoa. Yes, my husband did say that to me.  In therapy, thank God for him.  But the truth of the matter is that I am so not stuck up.  I am shy.  Big difference.  Often confused.  But the point is that I am really, really, really going to try to open up more and make more of my time with her this visit.  I always have intentions, but it always falls to pieces.  Cause I think that she is just as quiet and shy as I am....maybe?  Either way, most of the time we sit in silence.  Maybe she just doesn't like me?  Psssh, how could you not like me?  KIDDING!  But I'm thinking that maybe I'll take her to walk around our downtown or something.  If Kage can tolerate it.  But the main thing is, I have intentions.  We'll see how far they go....
• Saturday night will most likely be a Portillo's dinner night.  That's the number 2 thing that visitors like to do while in town.
• Sunday, church for us (and hopefully them) and then lunch somewhere.  And then they leave that afternoon.

So it doesn't really seem like we'll be doing anything but eating.  So typical for a parent's visiting weekend.  All that they care to do is sit with Kinley in her natural habitat.  Watch her do her thing.  I guess we take that for granted because we see it everyday....but they don't.  We're okay with that.  It's cheaper!  Kinley is free entertainment!  R and I were hoping to sneak away after her bedtime one night and go for a movie, since we have the free babysitter and all.  But the jury is still out on that one.  I really, really want to see that Crazy, Stupid Love movie.  Know which one I'm talking about?  It premieres this weekend. 

R was really wanting to do the whole tourist in the city thing and hit up the Science and Industry museum but I just don't see us having time for it with his drawing thrown in mid day Saturday....well, it's from like 11-3.  So yeah, all of Saturday is basically shot for a group activity.  And I am trying really hard to not be all bitter about the drawing thing... cause normally I would be.  But I won't be bitter.  I won't be bitter.  I will just say that maybe next time we will play city tourists and hit the museums.

That is our Weekend Warrior list....what is yours?  Link up!

Weekend Warriors, in reverse

When I was pregnant with Kinley, we kept a daily countdown of how many days we had left until her due date.  It was a fun little thing that we did every morning--to change our number and see how much closer we were to meeting out baby girl.  It didn't turn out to be accurate, because we delivered at 37 weeks, but it was a fun little thing that we did during my pregnancy.

We still have this board on the counter in the kitchen, but now it holds much less exciting news:  grocery lists, menu ideas, Kinley's med dosing (when she's sick)...

But lately, I have had the urge to start a different kind of counting....a count-up.  Life has been so amazingly happy since we've been getting along.  It almost feels a little unreal.  And I have been so tempted to start a "___ days since we've been renewed" count.  Stupid?  Maybe. 

This weekend was another one of those completely fulfilled weekends.  We had so much fun together, we didn't want it to end.  Which is why we are both so tired today.  We stayed up way too late last night.  You saw/read how we spent Saturday night at the concert at church.  Which, by the way, was an amazing time.

On Sunday, we got to sleep in till 9, thankyouverymuchKinleyGrace.  He said that it was the first time getting to sleep that late in 19 months.  And I do believe that he is right.  We went to church and had an amazing service.  The band stayed and lead worship and it was a great celebration.  After church, we ran over to a friend's house to borrow their carpet shampooer and then went home to clean our carpets.  They totally don't look toddler-fied anymore!  They look new! 

After church we went to pick up my rings from Zales.  You see, when I dropped them off two weeks ago, I had the worst customer service.  The lady was downright rude to me.  So, in my typical fashion....I wrote a letter.  That got a response!  The district manager contacted me and sent me a gift card!  Woohoo!  But that same lady served me when I picked up my rings.....and well, that's a whole 'nother blog in itself.  But, here are my blingies all shined up!

After we got the rings, we ran over to our storage unit to dig out all of our wall pictures and things to help make our apartment a little more homey.  And we were up until 11 last night making our walls a little less bare.  It sure did change the look of the place!  It's not so temporary anymore....even though the walls are still white. Which I really don't like...but I have to keep reminding myself that it's an apartment, not our house.  The longer we stay here, the nicer the house will be.
So, that was kind of our weekend wrap-up.  I am going to call it the Weekend Warrior post, in reverse.

Hope that you all had a great weekend as well!

Weekend Warriors

I am the worst at doing my own meme.  I mean, I have great intentions each week.  I think it's fun to think about the weekend and all of the fun things that I hope to fill it with....but rarely do I take the time to blog about it.

But while I sit here waiting for Kage to give in and fall asleep (she's been in there talking for almost an hour), I thought I should go ahead and spill the weekend's agenda.

And honestly, I'm not even 100% sure what we'll be doing...but I do know we'll be doing family things.

We really wanted to take the weekend to go away.  Like, without Kage.  We were thinking we would take her to my mom's and go to a hotel for a night.  That's big time.  HUGE time.  But, we aren't. 

I still want to take a weekend to visit Cahokia Mounds with him.....  and we just may do that in August between semesters.  Him and I are both geography junkies and that place is so awesome.  I haven't been there in decades and can't wait to revisit to refresh my memory for my student teaching experience.

Geez, I got off track.  I was talking about *this* weekend.

So, he took Saturday off.  Normally, during the summer he works 6 days a week.  But considering our fragile state of affairs, he decided a family weekend was much more important than an extra day at work.  Or maybe he just wanted time off...I'll tell myself it's the former.

A whole TWO DAYS to do something together.  Hmmmmm, what to do?

So tonight, we're having his favorite meal.  Or, one of them.  My "own" chicken strips.  I'm sure Kinley will refuse to eat them.  Whatever.  I'll make her ravioli.  And I just finished a batch of rice krispy treats too.....  another favorite of his.

Aside from dinner, I don't think we'll be doing anything.  Maybe an early bed time?  I know I could use it.

Tomorrow, I do believe that we'll take Kage to the water park.  We always go to the free sprinkler park here in town but there is a larger water park not too far from our place that we've wanted to visit.  So I think that will be on our list.  Saturday afternoon, we're meeting a high school girl for a babysitting "interview" and meeting her parents.  You see, my mom has already met her and told me that she's so nice and mature and sweet.  So really, she's already hired.  But we've yet to meet her.  I'm looking forward to having another option for nights/weekend babysitting.
And then after that, maybe we'll watch a movie together while Kinley naps.  Saturday night?  No plans.  Thought about hiring a sitter and going to see Horrible Bosses but we're trying to not spend money this weekend.  Trying.

Sunday, we'll be going back to church.  Two weekends *in-a-row* (said with sass).  Not that it's much to celebrate...but when you've missed it for so long...it kind of is something to celebrate.

Sunday afternoon, I think we're going to take Kage to the "windmill park" to feed ducks and run around.  Maybe even pack a picnic lunch. 

Nothing too major going on....but quality time together.

Whew, that was much longer than I anticipated it to be.  And, Kinley is still up.  Ugh.

What are you doing this weekend?  Link up!





And don't dare forget, the drawing for the book ends today!  Actually, in about 2 hours.  So if you didn't enter yet, head over and do so!

Picky Eater-R-Us

I used to have the best eater.  When we'd go out for dinner, servers and other patrons would always comment about what a great eater she was and how impressed they were with her behavior in a restaurant.  Our chests puffed up with pride because we knew it was true.  We were blessed with the perfect baby!  She would eat her dinner, be patient and just work on being adorable until it was time to leave.

And then......

What happened?

This child is living on a rotating menu of ravioli, chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese.  (And I won't even go in to her restaurant behavior.  She embarrasses us terribly.  Like, to the point of us saying that we will never eat out again.)

I feel like I'm starving her of important nutrients.  I feel like she's like going to get scurvy (I know that she won't but you know what I mean) or something due to lack of healthy foods.  The child will not drink milk.  And I've tried it a million different ways.  I've tried whole.  I've tried 2%.  I've tried skim.  I've tried soy.  I've tried Almond.  I've tried organic.  I've tried non-organic.  I've tried special cups.  I've tried twisty straws.  Although the twisty straw did work for a few weeks....she would only take a few sips from it. 

She will eat green beans, peas or mashed potatoes and sometimes broccoli or cauliflower.  And she does like blueberries, strawberries, grapes and mandarins.  So I do incorporate those sides with every meal.  I try to do a main food with a veg and fruit with every meal.  At least I feel some comfort knowing she's eating her fruits and veggies.

But I can't help but to panic about her milk and the three foods that I have to rotate.

And it's not for lack of trying.  I waste so much food trying new things that I think she may try....and fail every time.

Her pediatrician's advice is that she needs to eat what I offer or not eat at all.  Seriously?  I can't do that.  What mom can do that?  She's a baby!  Okay, so I know that it's probably the right thing to do....but I can't.  I'm not that strong.  And.....Kinley's the boss.  There, I admitted it.

Yesterday, I tried giving her chicken noodle soup (yeah, super healthy, I know---I was working on variety).

She went ahead and decorated the table (& floor) and even her hair....but would not put it in her mouth.  She chose to eat the fork instead.

I felt defeated.  What kid doesn't like noodles and chicken?  Mine, obviously.

This was the second attempt during lunch.  The first was a ham and cheese sandwich.  Day care lady feeds her boys a sandwich every day and they love it.  Not my girl.

So, I went to our old stand-by:  chicken nuggets, with a side of ketchup.

Am I a bad mom for not "making" her eat what I first serve?  What do you do for your toddler?  And what can I do about the lack of milk drinking?  I so wish that I didn't stop nursing her at 15 months.  I wish I had continued until she was 2.  I should have listened to my gut on that one.  Too late now. 

On a different note, I did a little "window shopping" on craigslist yesterday and came across this:

And for only $10, I was sold!  Kage played with a tunnel at day care lady's house and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to get one for here as well.  And the fact that it collapses flat was a huge selling point.  When she's not playing with it, I can store it under her crib.  So excited to get that today.

Aaaand, when R gets off work today, we're going to get her another stroller (yes, I know, we just got the jogger--but it's so not mall friendly) and then go to the big mall close by.  I'm going to get my wedding set replated to look shiny new.  It's over due. 

The weather is going to be perfect this weekend.  I think that Kage and I will visit the water park toddler play area today.  Tomorrow, we may actually go back to Church ABC.  We fell out of habit of going when the marriage went to crap.  Going back is part of our plan to getting things back on track.  Fingers crossed that it doesn't feel too weird in coming back. 

So with that being said....that is our weekend.

Weekend Warriors

Hey, check me out.  I'm actually going to do my own meme this Friday!  Haha  I had such great intentions of keeping up with this each Friday, and then life happened.  Doesn't life always happen?

So here we go, I'm a Weekend Warrior:

• This weekend we're traveling down to southern IL.  Yep, that 6 hour car ride that I said I would *never* do again. 
• We're supposed to leave early (6 a.m. ish) on Saturday morning, but now may push it to this afternoon if he gets off work early due to the rain. (He works outside, so too much rain=go home.)
• Leaving today means that I need to get my butt in gear on the baking that I'm doing.  I'm making peanut butter sandwich cookies and ooey-gooey peanut butter brownies for my brother-in-law.  It's his birthday tomorrow and he's been requesting the sandwich cookies for months now.  The brownies are just a bonus.
• His family is in from Boston, so we'll be doing a lot of visiting with them and they'll get to meet Kage.  So it'll be a good visit.
• The only bad part is that Sunday early afternoon, we're back on the road for the 6 hour ride home....which is when Kage decides that she's had enough and cries the whole way.  And I vow to NEVER make that car ride again. 

Tell me about your weekend and link up!

Weekend Warriors

Finally, back to my Weekend Warriors posting!

But first, let me say that the people in Japan are in my prayers. They need your prayers right now. So very sad. The people in Hawaii and all affected areas from the Tsunami are also in my thoughts and prayers this morning.

Almost makes my Weekend Warrior post seem out of place. I thank God that I am able to have a nice weekend to look forward to and enjoy.

This weekend, we're:

• Taking Kinley to her 15 month appointment on Saturday morning.  I'm so excited to see her height and weight developments.  That is my favorite part of her milestone appointments.  At one year, she was 27 and three quarters inches tall (the 13th percentile) and she was 19lbs 7 oz. (the 25th percentile) and her head was 17.75 cm, which is the 50th percentile.  So I'm excited to see how much she's grown.  She's also due for some immunizations....but those who know me and have been reading for a while know that I don't follow the normal schedule for immunizations and am still indecisive about how I'm going to approach that.  I dodged them at her 12 month appointment, so we'll see what her doctor thinks this time around.  The dreaded MMR is due at this appointment but her doctor and I both agree that it needs to wait until at least her 2 year appointment, if not longer.  But that's for another post.
• Depending on the whole immunization situation, we are going to take Kinley to play at the park (if it's nice) or this new place that her day care lady (Ugh, I hate calling her that) told us about.  I am so super excited to take her.  And, daddy took Saturday off this week to be with us at her appointment, so he'll get to go play too!  I pray that if she does have to get a shot, that she's feeling well enough to go and have some fun.
• Saturday morning is a huge consignment sale in the Chicago-area and they have some really, really, really nice stuff for pretty cheap.  So I'm hoping to get to go there before her appointment on Saturday.  We've been buying 18 month clothes for her summer wardrobe and it appears that she's not going to be able to use them.  She' still too small for her 12 month stuff....so I could use a nice sale to get her a 12 month summer wardrobe!
• Saturday evening (again, depending on Kinley's shots and her reactions to them if she does get them) we are supposed to go for Mexican with a good friend of mine...he's more like a big brother than my friend (Hi, Tom!), but we haven't seen him in a while.  I hope that we'll be able to go.
• On Sunday, we're going to Church ABC and I am so excited.  We had to miss last Sunday because my husband woke up not feeling so hot.  I was  bummed.  I think we're going to try and go to the earlier service if possible.  We normally go at 11 and we're hoping to try the 9:00 service.  We'll see if we can get motivated and out of the apartment that early.  Despite Kinley waking at 6-7, we like to be lazy and tend to not get on the ball with her bath, our showers, etc.
• Sunday afternoon, we're doing our weekly grocery shopping and enjoying family time! 

So......what are YOU doing this weekend?  Take my button on the right and let me know!

Weekend Warriors

My Weekend Warrior list:

• Welcome a long over-due family visit!  My mom, step-dad, sister and nephew are coming to visit us from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning.
• Must get my house in order prior to their arrival.
• Today, I'm being a "bad mom" and sending Kinley to day care for three hours while I work on some homework.
• My homework list is slowly dwindling and I'm actually close to feeling caught up!  Or at least to a manageable level.
• We're hoping to take a few more loads of boxes to our storage unit to ease our move next weekend.
• I'm sure this weekend will be filled with lots of eating out and shopping and visiting!

Weekend Warriors

The time has come to release the weekly meme!  I'm kind of excited about it.  For two reasons really, 1) cause I love reading memes and 2) I miss my blogging friends over the weekend when the blogging world goes dormant!

So here it is:  Weekend Warriors!

Tell me what you're weekend plans are....

What do you hope to accomplish?  Nothing/everything?  I think that a person's weekend plans tell a lot about them.  So dish...

To participate, copy/paste the code there to the right:

I'm a weekend warrior:

1.  My husband is working tomorrow, so I'm hoping that Kinley and I feel well enough to go and spend the last of our Kohl's giftcard on new school clothes for mommy.  Then most likely some grocery shopping.
2.  Saturday night will most likely include the husband and I attempting to watch a movie and not fall asleep.  I am praying that him and I feel better by then.
3.  Church on Sunday morning!  Then a road trip...and we'll get to see how Kinley likes her new DVD player and Super Why DVDs in the car. 
4.  Sunday night will be home to watch some TV and get to bed early.

The weekends always go too fast.

Must be a virus

I sure wish I could have back every co-pay that I ever paid when I've gotten the answer "must be a virus."

I love our pediatrician, and the other doctor that we see when her schedule fills up.  Love them both.  Have so much respect for them as well. 

But really, "must be a virus" is such a general, non-specific, answer for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. (and that took forever to type, wasn't really worth it).

You don't need to go to medical school to say "oh yeah, looks like a virus to me."  I can do that on my own.  I was 100% positive that it was a virus when I called for my appointment at 6:00 this morning. 

I was just hoping for more information than that, I guess.  Something more than the obvious.

She has a raw throat.  Still.  She has congestion.  Still.  She has a fever.  Duh.

They shouldn't charge parents when they just say "it's a virus."  Or at least give us a discount.

The whole "it's a virus" phrase is too widely used.  You know?

Something goes wrong with your computer?  Oh, it must "be a virus."  You start to feel ick, "oh, there must be a virus going around."

Virus, Virus, Virus. 

I'm so tired of that word!

After a dose of Motrin, she seems to be feeling better.  And I swear, she's learned at least three new behaviors today.  1)  She's playing with "her" leash  constantly today.  She hasn't done that, ever.  She totally didn't go for it like we had hoped after her birthday.  It was still all about Lucy's leash.  Not today.  We got her a mini retractable one....and today she was grabbing it, walking across the living room, and letting go.  It went whipping across the floor back to her dinosaur and she was cracking up!  So cute.  2)  She's been walking up to me with lips puckered wanting kisses.  We *beg* for kisses all day, every day and get nuthin'.  Not today.  She is asking ME for kisses.  The best day of my life.  3)  Her and Lucy have been BFFs and playing together all day.  It's been kind of nice.  While I'm not allowed out of her sight, I can at least veg in the chair and not be all covered up with a clingy, crying baby.

But on the down side, the worst part about caring for a sick baby, is that she shares the love.

And sadly, I'm starting to feel it as well.  Must be a virus.

And on a completely unrelated note:  I enjoy doing memes, even though I really only participate in the "So What Wednesday" meme.  But I decided to start my own....and it will be on Friday's.  So look for it this Friday!