Just as Good as Photoshop, maybe . . .

I used to be a pro at Photoshop. I could remove wrinkles, big bellies, unsightly background areas, and do whatever I wanted. Enter in time . . . it went by . . . enter in the fact that my version became outdated . . . I am a Photoshop pro no more and I don't want to buy it.

However, I came across Picnik and it functions with features similar to Totally Rad buttons (even has a teeth whitening feature). Easy to use and it is FREE. I'm in love again.

Now this is totally overdone, but you can basically do anything that you want.

Hitting the Teen Years Early

My Theory: Terrible Two behavior mimics adolescent behavior in many ways. Cracks me up to see it in Everett.

Behavior aside, seems hygiene needs do, too. Everett discovered the use of deodorant almost a year ago. That comes from watching Mom and Dad get ready for the day.

Today, he discovered my stash (mini Powder Fresh Secret) that I brought back home from my old work office--(going through those boxes for Purge 2008)--and he decided to liberally apply a layer so that he would be sweet smelling all day, too.

He is putting it on his neck and back. So, after removing it from hands before he decided to bite a chunk out of the anti-BO product, I asked him: Everett, where do we put deodorant?

This was his answer:

Nope, he ain't a dummy. And the look sort of says, "Are you confused, Mom?"

(Everett sat right beside be as I wrote this post. When I asked him if there was anything else, he requested me to point out his "blankee (nkee) and toes" . . . .)

A NEW Car

I sent the boys out to play when Erik arrived home from work. Trying to decrease my activity level is inverse of what a toddler needs to do, expend energy.

Their mission: go on a walk and burn off some wiggles.

I get a phone call from Erik about an hour later, "Come on out and see our new car!"

Oh, no. What have I done.

This is what I found:

And, then there was the obligatory trip over the speedbumps, okay more like 200 trips. Thanks, Erik!

Everett personally oversaw Erik's valet service in moving the car to the back; yes, the car was our car to keep thanks to some nice neighbors. Everett had to be CONVINCED that he wanted dinner (a first) and not to go cruising down the drag.

Tomorrow morning I am sure we'll see him up at the crack of dawn waxing this puppy.

Fertility Quest: The Today Show

The Today Show is running a series on infertility this week. I just happened to catch a segment on it this morning. I think tomorrow they are touching on male infertility. Here is a link to what is on the web.

Rethinking Infertility: The Today Show

Link to today's segment
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26735737#26735737

To Weed or Not To Weed

This little beauty bloomed today. I can't tell you how many times I've looked up at the flower boxes, frowned at the lone weed sprouting out of bottom thinking, "I really need to get up there and pull that weed and do something about those dead plants."

The last time I paid any attention to the flower boxes was way back in May/June. We were weeks away from putting the house on the market and we did what we do every season, spruced up the boxes with new plants. I made sure to water those babies and take care of them to help with that important curb appeal.

Kind of glad I didn't get to that weeding. Wonder how long it will stay and if it will spread.

Dear Preston,

I saw this smoking cool outfit the moment Mom pulled it out of the basket to put in my dresser. I insisted on donning the shirt RIGHT then. I CANNOT believe my luck and am eternally grateful to have a cousin with such good taste. I refused to put on any pants because, hello, we don't want anything detracting from the good looks of this shirt. I fought the parents when they tried to take it off to get my hair cut.

"CHOW, Nurnur (my word for Mater), and EYES" are what I tell people about this shirt. so cool. thank you.

ps, don't you love my half-mustache made of cinnamon and sugar?
pps, when we put him to bed, he kept kissing Light'ning McQueen and Mater goodnight.

Chills and Thrills

Erik-- Thrills: I am relieved the Fajita Feast is complete and went well. We are now planning for our next events for the ward. I am continuing to work hard to complete Purge 2008. Because of the Feast, I didn't have much time this week to go through things. As we post this, I am going through my office paperwork deciding what can be stored, thrown-out, kept handy. Hopefully, we'll get the painting done this week.

Sheila-- Thrills: I am thrilled that the Fajita Feast is over. We still have bunches of stuff to put away and return, but the house is smelling normal now, and I can access my yogurt quite freely. Erik has been a prince with taking care of Everett, balancing the Feast and Purge, all while making sure I maintain my sanity. He is the best ever. He also killed the spider in the bathroom and thought that it was a BIG spider, too. I was able to complete my projects for Everett's room a couple of weeks ago and am looking forward to placing it all in a newly painted room.

Everett-- Thrills: I completed a somersault today. All by myself! I've been practicing the head-down position for over a week now and was thrilled with my accomplishment this afternoon. I giggled to myself for several minutes after my first somersault. In nursery, I lasted longer than three minutes. That is a big milestone for me! I continue to add phrases to my daily use, "not yet, kitty treat" are a couple. I also am making sure that my trucks get to go over speedbumps in the house (I LOVE speedbumps) and make sure that Mom or Dad do the "countdown until the truck goes over the speedbump" with me . . . "1-2-3-BUMP, BUMP!"

Everett is listening much better, and using the Hands are not for Hitting book has proven to be a huge help. Time-outs for hitting were non-existent this week.

Rocks-My Pregnant Mind

When I was little I was the proud owner of a Marie Osmond doll and a Danny Osmond doll, before they melted in our storage, the attic. And, no, not the dolls that she sells but the actual Barbie dolls. They pretty much look like the ones below . . . well, except I didn't approve of her make-up choice and helped her out with purple marker eye-shadow. Yeah, I was a regular fashionista. Maybe I was helping her coordinate her look better. Oh, and the cool part was you could put a microphone in their rigor mortis hands. Those were some good times.One of their songs that has been playing in my head this afternoon is the "Little Bit Country/Little Bit Rock-n-Roll" . . . the past several days have been hard physically with the pregnancy. I tried successfully to take it in stride until today. I just feel like crap-ola. The nags of daily living like bills seem overwhelming, online transactions completed to minimize the stress of getting out aren't going as planned, and all small things seem humongous. You know those days.

The BHing is getting very annoying and draining, this baby is putting so much pressure on my cervix--every time I stand up I swear I'll see a head poking out if I look down, headache, overall moodiness, and just a bit of some irritation or frustration with how hard each step seems to be fuels bubbling anger that this overextended childbearing phase of my life has been so hard when it seems others just get pregnant by magic in their perky mid-twenties and are able to work/shop/play until they have their baby, on time. Yeah, some self-pity in that run-on sentence, okay maybe a lot.

I just keep thinking that another mountain will have been climbed if I can make it to the sonogram next week. If I were to go in whining to the doctor today, I would either 1) pay a bunch of money for the doctor to tell me to suck it up and keep going because pregnancy just sucks or 2) be put on bedrest. Neither would help me feel better. So, I am taking it easy, allowing Everett more Clifford than usual.

So the song, "Little Bit Country/Little Bit Rock-n-Roll" in my pregnant mind is reminding me that both sides are needed. To swallow the not so good in order to reap the reward of having another member of our family join us. I know that isn't what the song is about, and I do like country and rock-n-roll, but in my mind, that balance is what it is about right now. I know that after the weekend I'll feel better.

The headache is compounded with the peppery pungent odor from the rub we used on the about a-bajillion pounds of meat sitting in our fridges ready to be grilled tomorrow for the church Fajita Feast. My hallways are cluttered with Feast-y preparations. My expansive kitchen is filled with chips, tortillas, and I can't find the yogurt behind all the sour cream. After the weekend, I'll be able to see more of my house and not get frustrated because I shouldn't move any of it myself.

The spider paranoia I've had with this pregnancy had really gone away--until I saw a large spider in the bathroom again a couple of hours ago. Irrationally, I'm convinced that he'll hurt Everett. Part of me knows that it is totally ridiculous, part of me is genuinely concerned that if I try to kill it, it will attack and kill me, and then I couldn't be around to save Everett. For now, since Erik isn't here to kill it, I've BARRICADED the door shut. Cause, the spider is going to turn the doorknob, right, and he couldn't just squeeze through the opening at the bottom of the door? Crap, that could happen; I've got to put a towel there.

Rational thought, wherefore art thou? [and yes, I have misused that quote because Juliet is actually asking Romeo WHY he is a Montague rather than where the darn he is, but this is my blog.]

So, if I could get past the tears, I would probably laugh hysterically. For the moment, I'm listening to The Monkey's hit, Daydream Believer, on Pandora. And, no, I don't understand the lyrics right now, but it is a happy tune. Which was just followed by The Bangles "Eternal Flame" . . . starting to feel better.

I need comfort food now to balance it all out. Does The Cracker Barrel deliver? oooo--and it just started to rain AND I think Everett may actually take a nap despite the past 2 hours of nap refusal. Maybe things are starting to get better before Monday.

TREAT!

This morning we went to a thrift store that I found near one of my regular doctor appointment places. I LOVE THIS STORE. It has so much, and it is organized and clean and very decently priced.

I got there before it opened, eager beaver. So, to fill in the 30 minutes before the gates to shopping nirvana slid open, Everett and I went to a local Asian food market located near it. I've been there before . . . but just browsing. Today I took advantage of the yummy and hard to find jams, the very inexpensive produce, the best selection of Pocky sticks, walked past the live crabs/frogs/turtles (though it was really cool to watch them jump and swim) and the largest display of seafood I have ever seen, and went to pay at the register. . . where Everett was charming as usual.

Everett: Hi (with his little wave)
Lady at Register: Hi

Some conversation passed between the two of them. I was busy trying to keep Everett from messing with the debit keypad-so, I don't remember what was said (yes, he was able to multi-task better than me in that moment, I blame that on sleep deprivation).

Everett: Bye!
Lady at Register: Here you go (she passes an almond nougat candy to Everett)
Everett: TREAT! Thank you! (in sign)

All day Everett has been talking about this treat. After getting back to the car, we read books and Everett consumed his treat ("my treat" he would tell me while eating it) until the Shopping was ready for us. It was such a delightful 15 minutes, forced to do nothing but entertain ourselves. I think that Everett especially enjoyed the time because all day he has been talking about the treat. (Okay, maybe he just liked the sugary confection, but I can think what I want.)

Everyone he came across in the thrift store, especially if under the age of 8, was excitedly told about the "TREAT!" A friend of mine came over for lunch and the first word after "hi" was "TREAT!"

Dear Lady at Register--

You made my son's day. Thank you!

Sincerely--A Mom

Hospital Tour

Last night, Erik and I went on a tour of the hospital where we'll be delivering our baby. It is different than the hospital we used for Everett.

I REALLY liked it. I REALLY liked how they are open to what the patient wants and would like to do. There are some logistical drawbacks to using a larger hospital, but I think that it will be worth it in the end. The NICU is the best in the area and has much better policies than Everett's NICU. (Most people don't think about that; I do.)

It was also great to be at a point where I can actually visualize a normal delivery . . . visualizing the delivery without at least 3 NICU staff breathing down my neck. Visualizing that I am able to keep my baby with me and not have to drag my swollen and wrecked body down several floors and through the hospital to go see my baby. (I wasn't able to see Everett, aside from the few minutes I had when he was fresh from the womb, until 14 hours after I had him. I had "too much medication" in my system, they said. That was a total load of crap--they were just too lazy to put me in a wheelchair and give me directions to the NICU.)

If this pregnancy weren't full of concern, I would be actively investigating other venues to have my child. [Erik is having a heart attack as he just read that because he checked out ALL the birthing videos in preparation for Everett's delivery (wasn't able to attend childbirth class because I was on bedrest) and he saw ALL kinds of venues.] As it is, I am comfortable with our choice and am grateful to have choices.

It was great to walk through those labor and delivery halls with the opportunity to ask questions rather than have the first time I go through be because I am in delivery crisis. I am just fine without the drama, thankyou.

Don't get me wrong; I am grateful for the inspired doctors and nurses that brought my first pregnancy as far as it went and were able to help all of us with Everett's prematurity. But I am looking forward to being supported by staff open to whether or not you want to breastfeed (even those in NICU), I am looking forward to being supported by staff that doesn't have a huge patient load, and I am looking forward to meeting my baby, hopefully without drama.

Today's Action

The garbage man did come today. But, that wasn't the most attention drawing activity. Today, it was the cat. Or, rather, the cat and her catch.

Looks pretty gruesome, huh? Don't let that chipmunk fool you. In the time that we watched Twiggy beg to come inside the house, the chipmunk escaped THREE times. This chipmunk was a PRO at faking death. It looks really dead here:

Don't worry, on the third time, it was a permanent escape. The chipmunk escaped the "jaws of death by kitty" only to go chasing cars.

Fertility Quest: When the Baby Comes

I wrote this quite awhile ago not knowing if I really needed to address these issues. I have felt recently that maybe I need to go ahead and post it. So, here is a brief "reopening" of the Fertility Quest Series. If you have no idea what I am talking about, feel free to check out the links related to the Fertility Quest on the right.

Many people have issues when it comes to fertility treatments. Some of the issues stem from concerns, religious dispositions, or just not knowing the facts about the procedures. Whatever the reason, it is fine that others have issues. Going through fertility treatments is a personal choice and was a matter of prayer for us. The following text address concerns that the baby will be "wrong" since we used a fertility treatment to get pregnant.

Issue #1:
The lab must have made some kind of switching error because the baby doesn't look like [insert name of parent(s)].

My Response: Okay, human error in this life is unavoidable. At the same time, I am not worried about it. I saw first hand all the security measures used. Maybe the kid just looks like Great-great-great Aunt Myrtle.

Issue #2:
That Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedure MUST be flawed because their baby has a problem.

My Response: Again, I am not worried about this. I couldn't find any strong research done by reputable scientists and doctors that states this was a concern, in fact quite the opposite. If the baby has a problem, no matter the origin or cause, then the baby has a problem. The problem could be caused by many things but harping on the origin is only helpful so far as to if it provides answers for treatments. I am not scared to have a baby with a problem. Preemie Everett had lots of them. And, no IVF, did not cause Everett's problems.

There is a somewhat higher incident of birth defects (a percentage or two) for babies who have parents that struggle with infertility (whether the baby was conceived with or without fertility treatments), but the treatment itself is not seen causal. Many organizations state that more research is needed to flush this out.

Issue #3:
She had the baby early because she used fertility treatments to get pregnant.

My Response: Nope, there is nothing linking premature birth as being caused by fertility treatments.

Issue #4:
Using IVF is morally wrong.

My Response: Again, this is a personal choice. We prayerfully considered our path and were prompted to utilize the technology of IVF and FET. Erik and I do not approach any reproductive issue with flippancy or without deep investigation. We do not feel that using fertility treatments, in general, is morally wrong. I am sure there are specific situations that could be brought to hand where it could be argued as more gray than black and white. We have been immensely blessed to have Everett in our lives!

Chills and Thrills

Not Really Anything Chilling or Thrilling to Share. Here are Bits and Pieces:

• Besides painting and Purge Week, the week was blessedly quiet. We enjoyed the torrential rains from Hurricane Hanna and are looking forward to cooler weather.
• The autumnal decorations are out. We are putting together Christmas presents. Don't laugh. If I don't do it now, it won't get done because I'll have a newborn.
• Everett and I enjoyed a visit with some friends. The little boy is Everett's age, and they get along extremely well.
• Erik is getting ready for a church event on Saturday. Fajita Feast for 50 people that completed reading the Book of Mormon this summer.
• One of the funniest things is Everett's increasing vocabulary. We need to take the time and get it on video--when he says the word "football" he jumps up in the air. Seriously! I don't know where he got it from. But, he loves football. Erik and I enjoy UT football (2-0 so far!), but we don't talk about it outside of football season. Somehow, Everett got the football bug. I turned on the TV this evening to see the forecast, the Cowboy game was on . . . Everett caught a glimpse of it and was HOOKED!

This is what he is doing RIGHT NOW. (When a commercial comes on, he yells, "FOOTBALL!" And, every once in awhile, he'll tell them to "kick" the ball. When they tackle the guy with the ball he says, "uh-oh.")

Week 27

I am at 27 weeks and taking it carefully. "Doomsday" high-risk doctors say I am to be the "last to get up in the morning and the first to go to bed"--and then reality kicks in because when Everett is up, Everett is up.

So far, so good. We are holding strong. The baby always has his hand to his mouth when he gets his picture taken--funny how we develop habits even before we leave the comfort of the womb.

We've been talking with Everett about how he will be a big brother, reading books about what that means. He doesn't get that. But, he gets what a baby is. Since we've been talking about the baby so much, he has taken to holding and playing with the swarthy baby doll that we have here. I taught him how to wrap it in a blanket, and he thinks it is cool to cuddle with the baby wrapped up tight. He also gives the baby a ride in his $1.91 grocery cart that I found at a thrift store last week.

While I was at Girls' Night this past Friday, the boys held a "Hurricane Hanna Party" and part of the dance moves included the "baby belly." Everett, since the party, has a better understanding that I have a baby in my belly. Early the very next morning, Everett wanted to show me the dance move. Here is a picture of all of us, with the boys ready to do the baby belly dance. I must admit I found it hysterical. (it was very early and my hair reflects that. no, I'm not *that* much taller than Erik, I am standing on a mattress pad we put out for the dance floor.)

We are in the middle of Purge Week. I find that I get frustrated because I can't lift, move, or push stuff around very much because of the fear of overdoing it. Which means I have to wait for someone else to do it for me. Which means that I can't be independent. Which I hate. I'm taking it in stride, though, and am consistently grateful for Erik's help.

Purge Week

We are in the middle of Purge Week in the Sjolseth House. It means we are going through EVERYTHING to try and downsize the volume of stuff that we have. Transitioning Erik's office to the basement and creating a room for Everett are top priorities. We were able to paint the basement and move furniture this week.

It is taking a lot longer for us to do this than I had anticipated; so, Purge Week is going on Week 2. Erik and I are still on good terms with one another, and bit by bit we are going through stuff.

Part of me hates Purge Week (even though it was my idea). We are getting rid of things I know that we will need once we move, but we just don't have room for right now. At the same time, it is fun trapsing down memory lane going through stuff and very exciting to imagine what the house will feel like when we are done.

I am now becoming active in freecycling--people giving and taking stuff to decrease how much unused stuff is sitting out there.

Resource for BirthMoms

I came across this while doing my daily reading. It is "an organization and website that provides peer counseling, support, encouragement, and friendship to pregnant women considering adoption as well as women who have already placed children for adoption."

BirthMom Buds

Grape Jelly

This is Luigi. You know, from Cars. Preston brought Cars into our lives this summer and Everett was quick to adopt the movie and cheerful characters into our home. (Thank goodness because I was sick of Clifford.)

This Luigi is Preston's. I found him under the sofa today just before I vacuumed. Do you want to know how our house has changed this summer because of the Moores? Good.

Grape jelly. I do not like grape jelly. We had it ALL the time growing up. I never liked it but it isn't polite to gripe about the food that your parents work hard to provide.

Preston is particular to this flavor. We have a jar of it in our fridge, and Everett is more than happy to dine on a sandwich with it. Preston is particular to wheat bread without any "nuts" or other unidentify-able bits in his bread. We have Preston approved jelly and bread in our home now. I have the habit of going to that section of the bread aisle now, first. Preston is always analyzing the world around him--questioning those things that don't add up. His laughter is infectious, and he was always looking out for Everett to make sure nothing happened to him.

Canned or jarred peaches in my pantry. I had them first at Mandy's awhile ago and then saw them in her fridge early on in the summer. This has been my food of choice when I could keep nothing else laying stable in my stomach. Thank goodness for a peek into her fridge.

Lady Smiles, or Riley, created the opportunity to bring out the baby toys. It is so fun to go through them remembering when Everett enjoyed them and knowing that another child will enjoy them in our home very soon. For now, I'll pack them up and put them back in the attic. I just put the pack-n-play up and was sad that Riley won't be snoozing in it for awhile. Riley was always on the move, squealing, and smiling with her bright eyes tracking all the chaos brought on by her brother and cousin. What a treasure to get to know her this summer!

Our bathroom is forever changed because of the Moores. I'll also never think about poison ivy or furniture damage (chair) without thinking of Phillip. He will always keep you laughing at his quips and marveling at his engineering feats. Ever the food connoisseur, he kept us looking for good food to eat. Rockfish is Delish! Summer of Cafe Sano. "I'm moving to Greece!"

Mandy brought sanity to this summer. I was fully expecting to be able to go home this summer and get ready to raise my family nearer to family. That ended up not being the case, and if Mandy weren't so close during this time, I'd be climbing the walls or walking them like the lady in the "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I enjoyed talking with her, cooking with her, learning from her, and how well she listens. She is the stable, calm, ready to laugh, ready to play, problem-solver sister that I love!

The Weekend

This past weekend was relaxing and fun. Pooltime, chattime, eatingtime, and playtime were the main events.


The parents were able to go to dinner WITHOUT the children (Thanks, Meg!) We dined at Zaytinya, most assuredly the splurge of the summer. The mushrooms, the octopus, the eggplant, the DESSERT!


Mother Nature, not to be outdone by the human chef, provided peaches, corn, apples, and honey when we went fruit picking Hartland Orchard. Peaches were the fruit of the day and were deliciously perfect right off the tree, as Everett discovered.

We finished off the weekend with peach cobbler and said goodbye to our good friends and family the Moores.

Chills and Thrills

Thrill--The Moores came to visit for the weekend.

Chill--The Moores have left to go back to the Homeland for good. We are sad. We even tried to hold a couple of things that they left behind hostage so that they would drive back and get them. No go.

Other Moments:

Mom: Everett, what do you want for dinner?

Everett: (pause) Mmmmm, (pause) TREATS!

Everett loves to watch Twiggy eat. He'll put back crumbs that fell out while she was eating. I think he is trying to figure out the secrets of her skill because I keep catching him trying to drink out of her water bowl.

A Day in Time

Today's weather was fantastic--rainy, rainy, rainy! I love rainy days. Seriously. Erik, on the other hand, has a tendency to mope when the raindrops are coming down and his beloved sun is nowhere to be seen.

Everett's behavior was better today. Not as many time-outs for hitting as yesterday. And, he was such a help in making bread this morning.

Nothing out of the ordinary or otherwise occurred today. Just a calm day of rain. Oddly cool temperatures even for northern Virginia.

At Play . . . with Bubblewrap

In all the textures that Everett and I experience together and play with (including a hot pink feather boa), I totally forgot about bubblewrap.

He sat with that bubblewrap for at least 15 minutes, and I think he only got up because I was going to the mailbox. It was interesting to see him manipulate his fingers and hands to try and "pop" the bubbles--first one at a time and then trying to get as many as possible to pop at once.

Project Update

EVERETT'S BOOK IS HERE!

I watched the progress of the book's publishing and then travel to my home on an hourly basis, it seemed like. With every new city in the shipping progress, I gave Erik a HiFive.

Here are a couple pictures of Everett's First Year (this book includes every blog about him and that includes no less than over 500 pictures).

I am relieved it turned out so well because his second year is up-to-date in their software. I used BLURB, http://www.blurb.com/

If you want to preview Everett's book online just to see if it is something you want to do with your blog, email me and I'll send you an invite (you'll get to see the first 15 pages of the book). I am thrilled with the colors, how the pictures turned out in the printing, and the quality of the book overall.

I am off doing other things now. In preparation for the baby, I am putting together Everett's room. We still need to buy some secondhand furniture (dresser and toddler bed), but I am able to reuse several things I already had (canvas, rug, end table). The splurge for his room will be his blanket. I am going to make our Everett-Linus his own larger than life minky-silky blanket. I've made him silky blankets before but never with a minky side.

The rug has a "road" side that is in the shape of a firetruck. The other side is a bunch of shapes that I haven't talked to Everett about yet. (rug is one we've had awhile, I just updated it with by painting images using acrylics.) The truck painting is the middle of three that I am working on right now. Painting for decorating rather than self expression has never been supermotiving for me, but I am enjoying visualizing how it will look in his room.

I just received the material I ordered today. I was excited because I could only find the colors I wanted (especially the chocolate brown minky) online and was a bit leery of buying it without touching it. But I was so pleased when it arrived. The fabrics are perfect.

Laziness Spurned

So, I don't list of all the blogs (whether friend or stranger) that I frequent on my blog. It is because I am just lazy and don't want to have to make sure the links are active or whatever as time goes by. It is easier for me to keep track of my faves through a folder on my desktop. I think that I've sufficiently cluttered my blog's layout with all the other stuff I have, too.

I've been thinking about this practice, though, since this happened. I found about about it because I read her sister's blog CJane Enjoy It. Since Nie's accident, I have seen word of the misfortune and the opportunity for prayers and service burn through blog postings like wild fire. Evidently, Nie had quite a readership and this whole blogging thing has created opportunities for connections, friendships, and now miracles for Nie's family.

BTW, I don't know CJane; I enjoy how she writes. In fact, I don't know the person that I found CJane's site from--I just enjoy her take on life. Maybe I will start sharing with you the blogs I read because it might be a nice idea. In any regards, allow Nie and CJane to enter your life if only for a chance for you to help their family.

Chills and Thrills

Presented Family Style

Chills: The Shoe Loss Recovery costs were well in the triple digits. Erik basically sliced off the top of one of his digits, and that ER visit was in the triple digits. No worries. He is fine. Both of the boys are sleeping and it is only 8 pm. Erik never goes to sleep early, and he never naps. He was asleep by 6:00 this evening. (He sliced off the top of his finger doing yard work. Good thing our area is not high in gunshot or stabbing victims--the ER saw him right away, and we were still there for 2 hours. He was really lucky--just a few stitches and a tetanus shot.)

Thrills: Everett is just talking away. He has added: "greepps" (grapes), "OK", "bumps" (speedbumps), "I like", and several sound effects. He loves speedbumps. He requests them before we get in the car and likes to count "1, 2, 3, BUMP!" when we drive over them. The pregnancy is at 25 weeks (this far last time I was on restricted activities forced to work from home 2 days a week), and the sonogram this week went well. The baby is now at average weight (thank goodness, don't need extra pressure on the cervix) and is still laying cushed up against the cervical wall. I am still slated to go in for more sonograms every two weeks. I finished translating the blogs about Everett into a book and am eagerly awaiting it in the mail. His second year is basically up to date. Everett's attachment to Dada is still strong, but it isn't as fierce. He has a better understanding about what is going on around him.

Here is a shot of Erik and Everett reading a letter Everett received in the mail today. The occasion was much more exciting than the camera captured. I think they were just so exhausted by the events of the day. Everett really enjoyed the stickers that were on it.

Need Help Choosing Winter Play

So, given that we'll be saving up again to buy Everett his winter toy (I took care of paying for the replacement orthodics and shoes today), I have a chance to get your feedback on what would be more useful.

We'll be in DC for the winter, and I want something that an active toddler can really get into on the days that it is just yucky outside. Don't make fun of me for thinking of this now. The leaves are already falling in the backyard and Baby S will arrive right around Thanksgiving.

Everett has shown equal interest in the following play structures, and I just wanted to know from the more experienced reader what would be best.



Please take the poll on the side to provide feedback. (BTW, I don't buy into the idea that some toys are only for girls and some are only for boys. Everett doesn't either.)

Little Tikes Gym or Playcube (or a version similar to below)

Little Tikes Kitchen (a version of the following)

Little Tikes Workbench (a version of the following)

Today's Remarks

"Cool! . . . Wow!" he exclaimed while viewing his bus and dumptruck "parked" in an empty diaper box.
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On the way upstairs for naptime--

Everett: Bub
Sheila: Bump?
Everett: Bubb
Sheila: Blankie?

Everett then proceeds to burp.

Sheila: Oh, burp!
Everett nods his head.

ShoeCalamity Strikes

Long story short, when I was getting Everett ready to pick up Erik from the bus stop, I couldn't find his shoes. You know The Shoes. The ones that were hard to find. The ones that include the specially ordered and fitted orthodics.

My first thought,"Oh, no! I left them in the car. They'll have melted by now."

No joke. You aren't supposed to leave the orthodics out in the heat.

And, no. They are not in the car.

Second thought, maybe Everett put them in a wastebasket (his new thing since the special spot for these shoes is a basket by the door).

And, no. They are not in any of the wastebaskets.

The shoes are nowhere to be found.

Third thought, did I leave them on the car after getting Everett into the car after our morning errands? (Kid does not like to have his shoes on when he is not walking. Takes them off when he is in the shopping cart or stroller.)

Fourth thought, the windows were open for a portion of the drive home . . . and come to think of it, Everett kept yelling, "TWO!" or was it "SHOES!" . . . he could have thrown them out the window. (and, yes, the average person would think that you would notice when your kid throws something out the window. But, no, kids can throw stuff out the window and you never know it. Everett has done it before.)

Erik called all the stores near where I parked, no less than five stores. No shoes. (Could you specifically tell someone over the phone the exact spot you parked in when you went to the grocery store this morning?)

We ate a quick dinner and drove for 20 minutes back to the parking lot of the possible shoe loss and scoured the sides of the road along the way. No shoes.

Erik, with flashlight in hand, thoroughly examined the parking lot. No shoes.

We went over which lane I was in at every point in the drive home and tried to figure out where the shoes might have landed. No shoes.

Guilt had already set in by this time, and tears had already been shed. (Tears aren't hard for me to conjure right now.) Of all the things to lose! Why not his $10 sandals or his annoying Diego phone? Because I was being a good mom and making sure that he was wearing his shoes as much as possible. (They are helping the severity of this pronation, BTW.)

I just don't want to be the one to tell his physical therapist. Getting the orthodics in the first place ended up being a set of nightmare transactions for her (first set were too small/second set were lost by FedEx/replacement set for the ones lost by FedEx were lost by the manufacturer, etc, etc). It is like the shoes are cursed.

Okay, maybe I didn't make a long story short. And the money I was going to use to buy a used Little Tike kitchen or workbench will have to be put towards replacing the lost shoes and orthodics. Makes my stomach sick.

(At least I didn't lose Everett or my wedding ring. With kids it will always be something. I'll take being at fault for losing a high dollar set of items over my son having an emotional or physical ailment.)

And next time, our phone number will be branded into the soles.

Bragging Rights

Erik just received word that he got a big award for all his hard work on his last project. We are high-fiving it around here (sad that Evy is asleep and missing this Hi-Five opportunity) and wanted to share the good news with you.

Great job, Erik!

(and he was able to manage to do that and keep the homefires safe and sane with a pregnant wife--that takes skill, people!)

Four current favorite songs. Enjoy!

At Play with Cars and Trucks

Watching Erik work with painters' tape this weekend created quite a brainstorm in our house. I figured that I could use the tape to build a motorized vehicle play area without committing to any set carpet or other vehicle table to provide Everett more structure for his play (hoping he'll refrain from using the walls as his "train track").

It worked out really well! The painters tape is a dream to come off (I've used it for lots of things other than taping for painting) and we can change it up as often as we want.

Please admire the DC inspired rotary!

Chills and Thrills

Everett: My Thrills this week included watching Twiggy eat her food. I like to lay on the floor next to her (and even try and feed her myself). I am a pro at brushing her and making her run around the house. My new words this week were "home"--"in here"--and "COOL!" (as in very neat).

Erik: I was thrilled to be able to take a day off work to go to the truck show and get in some pool time with the family. I even did a bit more renovation in the kitchen to finish out a project. As Activity Committee Chairman for my church congregation, my busy season is about to begin again, and I am looking forward to getting that squared away and organized.

Sheila: My big chill for the week has been my war with the kitchen and butler pantry. My food supply, cooking tools, dishes, and machines are just too much for my limited cabinetry. I did, due to some creative genius on my part, find several ways to make peace and even set up an area for Everett's art supplies. I'm not done yet, and each time I attack it, it gets better. My thrill came as I surrendered to the fact that we'll be here in DC when the baby comes--the thrill being I think I found a way to rearrange the home and make sure all office and bedroom needs are fitting together. Erik and I are still in negotiations of what goes where but we are on our way.

Everett's first "talking" phone conversation without an adult prompting to answer.

Everett: HIII!!

Mom: Hi Everett. How are you doing?

Everett: MOMMA!

Mom: Everett, where are you?

Everett: PHOOL!

. . . then the rest was the basic toddler repetition with babbling.

TOTALLY TRUCKS

Today our homeowners association held a "Totally Trucks" event where they showcased the trucks they use to take care of our area. There were also firetrucks and a prisoner transporter truck.

When the firetruck came rolling into the event, the kids started cheering and clapping. It was hysterical. I bet that brings a smile to the firefighters to see 250+ kids and parents cheering for them. The event organizers also had a "live" show going on where a dumptruck, bobcat, and a bulldozer were moving dirt around. One man stood in a platform that raised him over 30 feet in the air--just so we could see him go up and down and up and down.

Everett loved sitting on the shelf in the mailtruck. He, in the end, got up enough nerve to sit in the firetruck. Here are other shots of him trying out the trucks, inside levers, horns, and comfort of the driver's seat.

At Play with Art

Everett is getting to the age that he can handle and really enjoy art projects. I've been doing some research on links that have some great projects ready for me to use. Key are projects that won't frustrate him and won't frustrate me.

For those of you with toddlers, you might find the following handy:

Arts and Crafts Activities--Toddlers
The Artful Parent
Activities for Toddlers
ToddlerCrafts
ToddlerToddler
TheIdeaBox

OR, if you are trying to save money (who isn't) check out this lady's blog.