Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Library Fines

It's been forever since I've been to the library.  Quite some time, actually.  I wasn't surprised when I was told I had a fine on my account.  Why do you think I've been avoiding the library in the first place!  I've had this fine for, jeez, almost a full year!  I'm surprised they haven't sent it to a debt collector yet.  I hadn't even recieved any neon colored mail with URGENT on the top.
Yes, I kept overdue books and returned them through the drop box to avoid overzealous librarians.  But I promise I had a good reason!  Well, during the 3 weeks I had the books in question, I gave birth to Lucas!  You can understand that I couldn't rush to the library when they were due.  I could've called but... Well, I didn't.  So, I'm thinking all this time that I owe $36 for the 6 books that were over due for over three weeks.  And I really didn't feel like paying almost 40 bucks to the library.  I mean, I go to the library in the first place because it's free!
Well, I've been needing my fix, so I went today and sucked it up and paid my fine.  It wasn't $36.  It wasn't even $20.  It was only $9!  Lucky me!  And now I have no guilt. 
Nine bucks for 6 books?  I'm so glad the library is cheap!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Bathroom Locks part 2

I noticed for the first time that the bottom half of our bathroom wall is tiled. I shouldn't say it's the first time I noticed, rather it was the first time it dawned on me why that was such a good thing. That episode in the restaurant wasn't the only time I'd ever locked myself in a bathroom.
I couldn't tell you how old I was, probably 3 or 4, when my cousin A and I locked ourselves in my bathroom. With a box of crayons. It was probably my A's idea. She was always getting me into trouble when we were little, but her memory conveniently doesn't stretch that far back. I can't say I remember exactly what we did or how long we were in there. I do know we colored all over the walls though. And that we wouldn't unlock the door. Sound familiar?
My mom, younger then than I am now, couldn't
unlock the door from the outside. She ended up having to disassemble the entire doorknob! And that was before she got to see what we were up to. This was before Magic Erasers were invented so you know it was a pain getting all that crayon off the walls.
So I realized how thankful I am that the bottom four feet of our bathroom wall is tiled And also that doors now feature mechanisms that let you easily unlock them with a bent paper clip.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Bathroom Locks part 1

The only place in our apartment I can lock everyone out of is my bathroom. For some reason the bedroom doors do not have locks. I guess that's a good thing. No little children locking me out of the room while they're up to God knows what. But I can't lock them out either. So I sometimes spend extra time in the bathroom. Don't tell me you've never done the same.
Today while I was in the bathroom thinking of locked doors I recalled a story my mom used to tell. I've been locking myself in bathrooms for a long time! We were at a restaurant and I had gone to the restroom on my own. I couldn't manage to unlock the stall door, though. My mom, hearing my cries for help, had to come rescue me. I couldn't turn the lock but I also refused to crawl under the stall door. So my mom had to crawl under the door to unlock the door for me!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Cool Rocker Hair

Matt doesn't have it.
I always buzz his head because his hair is so thick and wiry. It's the kind of hair you can pour water over but it won't get wet until you actually submerge it. I'm trying to grow it out anyway. He's at the helmet hair stage. Maybe if I'm stubborn enough it will do what I want. Is it so much to ask that my kid's hair look like Kingston Rossdale's? He's the same age as Matt and look at his hair. It's awesome!
Matt's birthday isn't until April 2nd. His hair has until then to be rocker quality. I'm not optimistic.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Do Not Induce Vomiting

We had a scary moment in our house the other day: I had to call a Poison Control Center for the first time. My 10 month old son likes to bang on the open dishwasher door while I'm unloading it. Well, the other day our dishwasher pack didn't completely dissolve. This had never happened before. So I'm putting the dishes away and I see Luke's fingers in his mouth. Now, my first son never put anything in his mouth but food. NEVER. This one, though, puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. Cat food is a favorite, but that's another can of worms. Anyway, I see his fingers in his mouth and I'm thinking "What is it this time?"
I see the little white crumbs and look at the dishwasher compartment. Matching little white crumbs. He's making a yucky face but he seems to be fine so I wipe the soap out of his mouth and off of his hands. I pick him up to put him in the living room and he vomits. And then again. and again. It seemed like so much, all over him, me, and the kitchen floor. Amidst the formula and chicken and stars? A huge chunk of dishwasher pack.
Now I'm really worried. My husband grabs the dishwasher packs to see what it says if swallowed. Drink water. Do not induce vomiting. Call a Poison Control Center immediately. As I'm trying to remember the number to Poison Control I make up a bottle of water. What is that number? I know it has a lot of twos but I can't remember where. Lucas wants nothing to do with this water. Isn't it on the fridge? No. He seems perfectly fine but I don't know what's going on in his belly.
I find the number in the phone book. 1-800-222-1222. A lot of twos indeed. I call and get an answer on the second ring. I'm greeted by a deep male voice. I quickly (but calmly) explain what happened. He asks me a few questions about the specific product and the active ingredients, plus my and Lucas' names and how he seems to be. There's a pause while he looks some stuff up, I guess. Then he assures me that the chemicals, while irritating to the mouth and throat, aren't dangerous. He said the vomiting was more likely caused by a piece stuck in his throat. He says to just try to get some fluids in him and he'll call back in an hour.
Much reassures I make Lucas a bottle he'll drink instead of water and he does just fine. In fact, he's pretty hungry! I get a follow up call. I say we are fine and thank you very much.
Moral of the story? Know your important numbers! That wasn't the scariest parenting moment I've ever had, but as I was flipping stuff around looking for the number, it came pretty close.
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Put it on the fridge! Keep it close!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Something New For Dinner

I know how boring it is when you only have a few good meals that get cycled over and over. It can quickly turn favorites into something to dread. Here's a recipe I found about a year ago that my family loves. Trust me when I say anyone can make it. The best part? It's cooked in a crock-pot!
Bacon Wrapped Apple Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 slices uncooked of bacon
2 apples (I usually go with someting tart, like granny smith)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 lemon

Instructions
Grate the apples. Squeeze all the juice you can from your lemon over the grated apples. Mix apples with barbecue sauce. Set aside. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Wrap each breast with 2 slices of bacon. Place in a single layer at the bottom of slow cooker. Pour apple/barbecue mixture over all over chicken. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
Enjoy! Great sides to go with this include salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, and cornbread.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

What Goes In Must Come Out

Moms of younglings, question: Why is it people think we are obsessed with poop? Answer: We talk about it all the time! We don't even realize we do it. We are, on a daily basis, up close and personal with our kids' business ends. We know when there's a difference in color, texture, or smell. And it's our job to figure out what causes these changes. So we conjecture aloud to whoever happens to be near.
My husband complains that I'm either comparing our baby's poop to food or I'm talking about it while he's trying to eat (or both at the same time!). I don't even realize it. Half the time I need to change a stinky diaper I'm in the middle of a meal myself. If it grossed me out as much as it did him, I'd definitely be a few pounds lighter.
I have seen shades of green and yellow I never knew existed. I've seen green so unnaturally neon that for days I watched for emerging super powers. I've seen chunks of fruit come out exactly the same way they went in (a sure sign he wasn't quite ready, I think). I have even seen a strand of my own hair that I had to finish pulling out.
Yes, when you're the mother of a child in diapers poop sure does become a bigger part of your life. And talking about it is inevitable.

Groundhog Day

I almost forgot today was Groundhog Day. Not until I realized I would never teach my 4 year old about the months and days of the week when his calendar was stuck on January 15th did I remember what day it actually was. We spent a couple of minutes crossing out the past 18 days. Then I thought I'd explain what Groundhog Day was. Well, I tried anyway. I'd probably have done better if the holiday made any sense. If it doesn't make sense to me, how am I supposed to make sense of it to a 4 year old?
So then I went online to see what ole Punxy Phil predicted this year. I was expecting him to see his shadow. We've had such a horrid winter, just snow piled on snow layered over ice on top of more snow. Really, the snow on either side of the sidewalk in front of my apartment is higher than my knees. And I'm not short. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that spring should be coming early this year!
I don't know if a woodchuck deserves all my hopes for warmth, but this afternoon, on the tail of another night of sleet, all of the ice and snow that's been burdening the oak trees out front just came cascading down. There are broken shards of ice sparkling all over the snow and actual puddles on the sidewalk, not slush piles.
Don't let me down, Phil!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Words to Live By

"10% of life is what happens. The other 90% is how you react to it"

A simpler motivational quote I have yet to come across. I read this in a random magazine sitting on my mom's coffee table a few years ago and it really struck me. I don't even remember the magazine, much less the author of article it was in, though I wish I could give proper credit where it's due. Thank you, Insightful Woman (I'm sure it was a woman).
I have been guilty of blowing things out of proportion. I'm sure you have, too. Let's all try to keep this in mind next time, and we'll probably all be happier for it.