Caleb has apparently learned to identify numbers. We were all playing in his room last night when he picked up a set of numbered balls and begin to point at and identify the numbers. Not sure when he learned that. He still enjoys identifying letters and is getting better at colors every day.
I got stung by a wasp on the top of my head yesterday afternoon while the kids and Daddy were in the swimming pool. It hurt! And it still hurts! Fortunately, my reactions seem to have decreased since childhood, and neither eye is swollen shut.
Yuck alert! I have seen three cockroaches in our house in the last week. Spraying for bugs is at the top of Dave's Honey-Do list next week. Eeeeeeeeew!
Dave and I are going to see Prince Caspian this afternoon. The last movie we saw in the theater was the first Chronicles of Narnia movie almost a year and half ago. This is also the first date we have been on in a few months. And we get to go out next weekend for our anniversary as well since Dave's parents will be in town and can watch the kids.
In honor of our date today, I thought it might be nice to like shower and shave or something. So after I put Alexa down for a nap this morning, I headed for the shower. It took about 3.5 seconds for a little boy to find me and stand outside the shower whining, "I want Caleb bath." Dave distracted him (or so I thought), and I finished my shower in peace. However, the second I jumped out of the shower, he ran into the bathroom once again saying, "I want Caleb bath." So I filled up the tub and threw him in. He's still there; I suppose I should get him out soon. (For all you paranoid types, the computer is located right outside of the bathroom door, so yes I am supervising him). Never mind, a wet naked little boy just came streaking through the room. I guess he's done.
Tomorrow is my best friend's 6th anniversary. They have been married a whole week longer than us and like to joke that they will be happy to give us marital advice since they have so much more experience. Happy Anniversary, Molly and Nick!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Menu Plan (Almost) Friday
Breakfast -
Bagels and cream cheese
Eggs and bacon
Cereal
Cheese toast
French toast sticks
Waffles
Yogurt
Fruit
Lunch-
Grilled cheese
Bagel pizzas
PB and jelly/honey
Chicken nuggets
Pasta with tomato sauce
Mac and cheese
Cheese
Veggies/fruit
Yogurt
Snack for church -
Bagels and Cream cheese
Dinner-
Friday - Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, salad
Saturday - Mom and Dad's, bringing chocolate chip pound cake
Sunday - lunch at church, bringing chocolate chip cookies and maybe something else
Monday - Lemon glazed chicken, wild rice, carrots
Tuesday - Pesto pasta, salad, bread
Wednesday - Cheeseburger pie, tater tots, applesauce
Thursday - Spicy Baked chicken, oven roasted potatoes, green beans, rolls
Bagels and cream cheese
Eggs and bacon
Cereal
Cheese toast
French toast sticks
Waffles
Yogurt
Fruit
Lunch-
Grilled cheese
Bagel pizzas
PB and jelly/honey
Chicken nuggets
Pasta with tomato sauce
Mac and cheese
Cheese
Veggies/fruit
Yogurt
Snack for church -
Bagels and Cream cheese
Dinner-
Friday - Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, salad
Saturday - Mom and Dad's, bringing chocolate chip pound cake
Sunday - lunch at church, bringing chocolate chip cookies and maybe something else
Monday - Lemon glazed chicken, wild rice, carrots
Tuesday - Pesto pasta, salad, bread
Wednesday - Cheeseburger pie, tater tots, applesauce
Thursday - Spicy Baked chicken, oven roasted potatoes, green beans, rolls
Spring Cleaning
So I have taken advantage of Dave being home to watch the kids to get some spring cleaning done. Over the course of the last week, I have washed all bedding including blankets and dust ruffles and curtains upstairs, dusted all three bedrooms, cleaned both upstairs bathrooms, thoroughly vacuumed upstairs including behind furniture, organized the linen closet, straightened our closet, and cleaned the upstairs windows. Next week I plan to tackle the downstairs.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
11 Month Pictures
11 Months Old
How time flies! Alexa is 11 months old today. Only one more month until her birthday! Here are some tidbits about her, especially for those of you who are far away.
1) She can crawl, cruise, climb, and walk holding onto someone's fingers. I don't think walking is far away.
2) She loves to feed herself and refuses/has always refused all baby food. Her favorite food is cheese. She also likes bread, crackers, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, peas, pasta, and anything that Caleb has that she doesn't.
3) She has her four front teeth, two on top and two on bottom. The next one ready to come in seems to be the top left one probably followed by the top right (judging from the bulging gums).
4) She takes two naps a day, usually around 9 and 2. She sleeps about 2 hours in the morning and about an hour and a half in the afternoon.
5) She goes to bed about 8:00 and gets up around 7:00. She has never slept through the night. In fact, she has never slept longer than 5 hours in one stretch. Yawn.
6) Many/most babies triple their birth weight by one year. We will be lucky if Alexa doubles hers. She was 9 lbs 11 oz at birth, and she is 18 something pounds right now. She will have to be 19 lbs and 6 oz to double her birth weight.
7) She can wave good bye and give (wet, slobbery) kisses.
8) She loves drinking out of a sippy cup, especially her brother's sippy cup.
9) She understands and responds to, "No, no," although she doesn't always obey (what child does).
10) She loves to put things in her mouth and then make loud noises.
11) She sleeps with a pacifier and her blankie (one of several homemade knitted/crocheted blankets that we have).
12) One of her favorite toys is the Fisher Price learning chair, which she likes to stand in (see picture a few posts back).
13) She is quite the little drama queen when she gets hurt or gets her feelings hurt.
14) She loves to smile a laugh, but she usually reserves her infectious belly laughter for Caleb or sometimes Daddy.
15) She lights up our life and is truly a joy.
Lunch at the Varsity
No, we didn't head all the way downtown for lunch today. There is a Varsity in the parking lot of the mall near us. So after Molly and I bought our husbands some shorts and Caleb some new Car sandals, we headed over there for lunch. After all, she had 2 coupons, and we are the coupon queens. Here are some pictures of the kids at lunch.
Monday, May 26, 2008
CVSing Again
So after my almost a week and a half long CVS hiatus, I just couldn't resist running to one more CVS today. (Yes, you read that right. I went to 3 different CVS stores today. Fortunately, they are all within less than 10 minutes from our house.)
Here's what we got for $1.41 -
1 pack diapers
4 packs wipes
2 bottles of nail polish
2 boxes Excedrin
4 bottles Sobe Life Water
3 toothbrushes
Here's what we got for $1.41 -
1 pack diapers
4 packs wipes
2 bottles of nail polish
2 boxes Excedrin
4 bottles Sobe Life Water
3 toothbrushes
I've Missed You CVS
Due to all the illness in our family lately, I have not set foot in CVS in about a week and a half. Yes, I was seriously going through withdrawal. So, after Alexa went down for her nap this morning, Caleb and I headed out to 2 different CVS stores. We got everything in the picture above for $1.65. That's a bit more than I usually like to spend, but I got two large packs of diapers which we were running out of. Anyway, here's what we got.
2 packs diapers
2 bottles nail polish
1 toothbrush
mustard
2 packs Hershey's kissables (one not pictured because it disappeared)
1 12 pack Coke
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Menu Plan (A Few Days Late)
Due to the stomach virus that made its way through our whole family, I'm a bit later than usual getting our menu up. Anyway, here's what we're having this week.
Tonight - FFY (Fend for Yourself. Don't worry, though, I don't actually make the kids fend for themselves. Just Dave really).
Monday - Hotdogs and hamburgers, fries, applesauce
Tuesday - Lemon pepper chicken tenderloins, rice, honey glazed carrots
Wednesday - Brown sugar pork chops, mixed veggies, rolls
Thursday - Chicken Parmesan, linguine, salad, garlic bread
Tonight - FFY (Fend for Yourself. Don't worry, though, I don't actually make the kids fend for themselves. Just Dave really).
Monday - Hotdogs and hamburgers, fries, applesauce
Tuesday - Lemon pepper chicken tenderloins, rice, honey glazed carrots
Wednesday - Brown sugar pork chops, mixed veggies, rolls
Thursday - Chicken Parmesan, linguine, salad, garlic bread
Friday, May 23, 2008
Grocery Budget Check In
No menu plan yet as I don't really feel like thinking about food. Here's the grocery budget totals as of right now, though.
Total spent in May - $235.92
Total remaining in May - $164.08
Total spent in May - $235.92
Total remaining in May - $164.08
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sick Mommy and Sick Little Boy
So Caleb and I caught the stomach bug from Alexa. It was a pretty miserable night at our house. Fortunately, Grammy just arrived to take Alexa, who is fully recovered, back to her house for the day so everyone else can get some much needed rest.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Almost 70% Savings at Publix
Last week, I saved almost 50% at Kroger, but I did even better at Publix today. Granted, I just bought what was on sale and did not really get much else. I spent $29.65 and saved $63.59 for a savings of 68%. I just noticed, too, that the waffles rang up full price when they were supposed to be buy one get one free, so I should have done even better. Anyways, here's what I got.
2 Cape Cod Kettle Cooked chips
1 fountain coke (free)
4 6 pack Lenders refrigerated bagels (Publix paid me $.10 to take all of these home)
4 Oscar Mayer Deli Creations sandwiches
2 bottles Spray N' Wash
6 Yoplait yogurts
1 5 pack Ziploc containers
2 boxes Eggo Blueberry waffles
2 boxes Quaker PB Chocolate chip granola bars
1 Kraft ranch dressing (free)
2 Natural Temptations cat treats (free)
2 Pillsbury ready bake chocolate chip cookies
6 bottles Juicy Juice
5 bananas
1 container strawberries
Now to decide if I should go back to get my money back for the waffles that rang up incorrectly. Hmmm.
2 Cape Cod Kettle Cooked chips
1 fountain coke (free)
4 6 pack Lenders refrigerated bagels (Publix paid me $.10 to take all of these home)
4 Oscar Mayer Deli Creations sandwiches
2 bottles Spray N' Wash
6 Yoplait yogurts
1 5 pack Ziploc containers
2 boxes Eggo Blueberry waffles
2 boxes Quaker PB Chocolate chip granola bars
1 Kraft ranch dressing (free)
2 Natural Temptations cat treats (free)
2 Pillsbury ready bake chocolate chip cookies
6 bottles Juicy Juice
5 bananas
1 container strawberries
Now to decide if I should go back to get my money back for the waffles that rang up incorrectly. Hmmm.
Update on Alexa
Well, Alexa has not thrown up since last night around 10:30. No one else has caught it yet, and hopefully no one will. She and I are still fighting colds, though, so we are not back to 100% yet. Hopefully, we will get some restful sleep tonight.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sick Baby Girl: Part II
Well, Alexa is not completely over her cold yet; her nose is still a bit stuffy. And to make it worse, she now has the stomach bug. She has been throwing up since around 2 a.m. I have a feeling that it is going to be a long day.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
New Word Caleb Learned Today
Chickfila. Enough said.
(Okay, well maybe not enough said for you Canadian types out there. Chickfila is my favorite fast food place, which ironically enough serves chicken. Dave thinks I go there way too often, and perhaps he is right)
(Okay, well maybe not enough said for you Canadian types out there. Chickfila is my favorite fast food place, which ironically enough serves chicken. Dave thinks I go there way too often, and perhaps he is right)
Friday, May 16, 2008
Grocery Budget Check-In and Menu Plan Friday
Well, it's halfway through the month, and I am about halfway through my grocery budget.
Total spent in May - $191.76
Total left in May - $208.24
Here's what we are eating this week -
Breakfast -
Eggs, bacon, English muffins
Bagels and cream cheese
Cereal
French toast
Waffles
Cheese toast
fruit
yogurt
Lunches -
Sandwiches
Pizza quesadillas
Mac and cheese
Pizza
Yogurt
fruit
carrots and dip
Snack for church -
Banana Nut Bread
Dinners -
Tonight - Fried chicken (My mom is picking up dinner and coming over; Dave is gone again)
Saturday - Dinner at Molly's house
Sunday - Lunch at Molly's house :)
Monday - Chicken cacciatore, noodles, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday - Brown sugar pork chops, rice, mixed veggies
Wednesday - Roast chicken, glazed carrots, Caesar salad, rolls
Thursday - Eggs, bacon, biscuits, hash browns, fruit salad
Total spent in May - $191.76
Total left in May - $208.24
Here's what we are eating this week -
Breakfast -
Eggs, bacon, English muffins
Bagels and cream cheese
Cereal
French toast
Waffles
Cheese toast
fruit
yogurt
Lunches -
Sandwiches
Pizza quesadillas
Mac and cheese
Pizza
Yogurt
fruit
carrots and dip
Snack for church -
Banana Nut Bread
Dinners -
Tonight - Fried chicken (My mom is picking up dinner and coming over; Dave is gone again)
Saturday - Dinner at Molly's house
Sunday - Lunch at Molly's house :)
Monday - Chicken cacciatore, noodles, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday - Brown sugar pork chops, rice, mixed veggies
Wednesday - Roast chicken, glazed carrots, Caesar salad, rolls
Thursday - Eggs, bacon, biscuits, hash browns, fruit salad
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Almost 50% Savings at Kroger
After being stuck home for two days with a grumpy, sick baby girl, I really needed to get out tonight. So I headed to Kroger to do the weekly grocery shopping. Grocery shopping in the rain is not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but it is still much better than grocery shopping with two children. They really are happy and well-behaved at the store most of the time, but I can just shop so much faster by myself.
Anyway, I was reading in the AJC this morning about the rising costs of food. They were speculating whether milk or gas is going to end up costing more per gallon. Well, despite the rising cost of food, I just brought home a whole cart full of food for $46.83. I saved $43.68, for a savings of 48%. Not bad! It gets even better, though. I paid with a Kroger gift card, which I paid $300 for and they gave me $330. So basically, I got $30 worth of free groceries. If you live near a Kroger, you really should check out this deal.
Here's what $46.83 can buy when you shop sales and coupons -
Sara Lee Key Lime Pie
Stouffer's Panini
Stouffer's Flatbread
2 Frozen pizzas
6 pack of Firsh yogurt (It has Finding Nemo on it, which Caleb calls firsh)
3 cans Pringles
2 packs bacon
1 lb all natural grain fed ground beef
5 chicken breasts
5 rolls paper towels
2 lbs bananas
2 8 oz bags shredded cheese
1 16 oz bag shredded cheese
Margarine
Hummus
Nesquik chocolate milk shake (FREE)
Croutons
Romaine lettuce
Blueberries
3 Softsoap hand soaps
Hilshire Farm oven roasted chicken
1 dozen eggs
1 gallon milk
Sour cream
1 loaf wheat bread
English muffins
6 Hoagie Rolls
2 bottles of Kraft dressing
Wheat crackers
Something else that I can't tell what it is from the receipt :)
Anyway, I was reading in the AJC this morning about the rising costs of food. They were speculating whether milk or gas is going to end up costing more per gallon. Well, despite the rising cost of food, I just brought home a whole cart full of food for $46.83. I saved $43.68, for a savings of 48%. Not bad! It gets even better, though. I paid with a Kroger gift card, which I paid $300 for and they gave me $330. So basically, I got $30 worth of free groceries. If you live near a Kroger, you really should check out this deal.
Here's what $46.83 can buy when you shop sales and coupons -
Sara Lee Key Lime Pie
Stouffer's Panini
Stouffer's Flatbread
2 Frozen pizzas
6 pack of Firsh yogurt (It has Finding Nemo on it, which Caleb calls firsh)
3 cans Pringles
2 packs bacon
1 lb all natural grain fed ground beef
5 chicken breasts
5 rolls paper towels
2 lbs bananas
2 8 oz bags shredded cheese
1 16 oz bag shredded cheese
Margarine
Hummus
Nesquik chocolate milk shake (FREE)
Croutons
Romaine lettuce
Blueberries
3 Softsoap hand soaps
Hilshire Farm oven roasted chicken
1 dozen eggs
1 gallon milk
Sour cream
1 loaf wheat bread
English muffins
6 Hoagie Rolls
2 bottles of Kraft dressing
Wheat crackers
Something else that I can't tell what it is from the receipt :)
Sick Baby Girl
I thought she was going to avoid it, but Alexa finally caught the crud that has been going around our house. She is teething at the same time, so her whole face is one big drippy mess. And she is exceedingly grumpy as you can probably imagine. Being snuggled up with Mommy makes everything better, though.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Painting Fun
Grammy bought Caleb some really cool paints (on clearance for less than a dollar, the bargain hunter in me feels the need to add) the other day. The paint is in the handle of the brush, so all he had to do was squeeze some paint out and paint away. They were still a bit messy, but much less messy than regular paint would have been.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Book Recommendation
I just wanted to mention this cookbook. I have made a ton of recipes from it lately. What you do is prep the recipe and then freeze. When you are ready to eat it, you thaw in the fridge overnight and then prepare it. The book gives instructions for preparing each recipe in larger quantities, so you can make more than one of each recipe and freeze them. I have made a few by myself, but I have also gotten together with friends and family to make some, too. What we do is each bring our own meat and ziploc bags and then each purchase the ingredients for one meal. Then we can make an assembly line and get lots of meals done at once. We are not fans of leftover around here, so like that most meals in the book are not cooked before they are frozen and therefore don't taste "leftoverish." We are having the Dijon Pork Roast tonight. Honestly, it is my least favorite meal from this cookbook so far, but we have really liked all the other ones we have tried.
Conversation with Caleb
Caleb's vocabulary is finally getting to the point where it is possible to have a conversation with him albeit a very short one. Here is a conversation I had with Caleb on the way home from our outing today.
I heard his cup thud to the ground, and I said, "Oh no, did you drop your cup"
Caleb - "Uh, oh. Cup. Drop it water."
Me - "Here, you can have Mommy's water." I handed him my water bottle.
Caleb - "Oh, Thank You!" Said in a very excited voice.
Me - "You're welcome, buddy."
Caleb - "Stuck." It is a non-spill water bottle and sometimes get too much suction so you can't get any water out.
Me - "Oh, it is stuck? I'll fix it for you." I fixed it and handed it back to him.
In other Caleb news, he was playing with crayons at the restaurant today and wrote and correctly identified the letters O and D. He also wrote and identified and upside down U and an A with out the cross line. I have never worked with him on writing his letters; he just did this on his own.
I heard his cup thud to the ground, and I said, "Oh no, did you drop your cup"
Caleb - "Uh, oh. Cup. Drop it water."
Me - "Here, you can have Mommy's water." I handed him my water bottle.
Caleb - "Oh, Thank You!" Said in a very excited voice.
Me - "You're welcome, buddy."
Caleb - "Stuck." It is a non-spill water bottle and sometimes get too much suction so you can't get any water out.
Me - "Oh, it is stuck? I'll fix it for you." I fixed it and handed it back to him.
In other Caleb news, he was playing with crayons at the restaurant today and wrote and correctly identified the letters O and D. He also wrote and identified and upside down U and an A with out the cross line. I have never worked with him on writing his letters; he just did this on his own.
Fun with Aunt Molly
I took my camera with me today, but I forgot to actually take any pictures. Anyway, Caleb asked to go to the park several times yesterday. I kept telling him that we would go to the park today with Aunt Molly. So, after breakfast this morning, he hopped down from his chair and said, "I want park." Unfortunately for him, we weren't meeting Molly until 11:15, but we did eventually make it to the park. Caleb had fun running around like a crazy man with his red sun hat on and going down all the slides he could find. Alexa went on the swing for a few minutes and then she just hung out with Aunt Molly and Mommy.
After the park, we tried out a new restaurant called Bubbalini's. They have an all you can eat buffet at lunch time, and the kids ate free. Today the buffet had pizza, bread, minestrone soup, chicken marsala, lasagna, and a salad bar. Caleb ate 3 pizzas of pizza and 1 1/2 slices of bread, so I definitely got my money's worth for him.
Then we headed to CVS, our new favorite store. I got 6 Crest Glide dental floss, 1 Colgate toothpaste, 2 Hershey's bliss chocolate, and one Hershey's dark chocolate kisses for $1.11. The cashier was very grumpy, barely said a word to me, and scrutinized every single coupon I gave him. Everything worked out as I had planned, though, because I am very careful to use my coupons correctly.
Finally, we headed home, and I put both kids down for a nap and then cleaned the kitchen, swept, mopped, and vacuumed before prayer meeting at our house tomorrow night.
After the park, we tried out a new restaurant called Bubbalini's. They have an all you can eat buffet at lunch time, and the kids ate free. Today the buffet had pizza, bread, minestrone soup, chicken marsala, lasagna, and a salad bar. Caleb ate 3 pizzas of pizza and 1 1/2 slices of bread, so I definitely got my money's worth for him.
Then we headed to CVS, our new favorite store. I got 6 Crest Glide dental floss, 1 Colgate toothpaste, 2 Hershey's bliss chocolate, and one Hershey's dark chocolate kisses for $1.11. The cashier was very grumpy, barely said a word to me, and scrutinized every single coupon I gave him. Everything worked out as I had planned, though, because I am very careful to use my coupons correctly.
Finally, we headed home, and I put both kids down for a nap and then cleaned the kitchen, swept, mopped, and vacuumed before prayer meeting at our house tomorrow night.
Labels:
Bargain Hunting,
Randomness,
The Kidlets,
Yummy Food
Monday, May 12, 2008
CVS and Walgreens Deals of the Day
I got some great deals at CVS and Walgreens today. I got everything pictures above for $1.62. I still have over $40 in CVS ECB and $10 in Walgreens RR, and I will also be receiving $4.59 in rebates from Walgreens, which will be loaded on my Walgreens gift card.
Here's what I got -
5 12 packs Coca Cola products
2 pints Ben and Jerry's ice cream (which we already sampled. I love the Chunky Monkey flavor.)
1 Johnsons buddy soap
1 Glade air freshener
2 Pert Plus shampoo
4 Colgate toothpaste (I think I'm up to like 20 tubes now)
1 Schick Intuition razor
2 Hawaiian Tropic lip balm
2 Cottonelle flushable wipes (I've been grabbing these when I see good deals, so I can use them when potty training Caleb)
1 Walgreens pads
Some of you may be beginning to wonder why I "buy" so much toothpaste. Well, you see, the Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) that I earn from CVS expire about 30 days after I earn them. In order to be able to keep doing these deals, I don't just spend the ECBs on whatever I want when they are due to expire soon. Instead I look for something on sale at CVS that will earn me more ECBs thus keeping them continually rolling. For some reason, CVS like to give toothpaste away for free. This week, Colgate is on sale for $2.99, and it gives back $2 in ECB. Combine that with a $1 or $1.50 coupon, and I get either free toothpaste or get paid to take home toothpaste. So, no, I do not need more toothpaste. But sometimes I "buy" something I don't really need in order to keep my ECBs rolling so that I can keep getting deals on things I do need. Clear as mud, right?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
The kids (with a little help from Dave who had a little help from me ) got me this sling from Boho Baby Slings for Mother's Day. After this picture was taken, Alexa snuggled right in and helped me make my breakfast. I use my various slings and baby carriers all the time when I am out running errands by myself with the kids. I can carry Alexa and can still hold Caleb's hand and pick him up to pop him in the cart. I look forward to trying this one out this week.
And in honor of my third Mother's Day as a mom, here are some random reflections on motherhood.
- I've always loved babies - anyone's baby, so I knew I would have no trouble loving my own babies. But I found that I also love red-headed almost three year old little boys, especially when they say, "Good night, Mommy. Love you. I want a kiss."
- Speaking of red-headed little boys, I never imagined that I would have a red-headed child, especially after marrying Dave.
- When I was pregnant with Alexa, I thought I wanted another boy. However, I love being mom to a girl as especially evidenced by all the dresses and hair bows she has.
- I handle sleep deprivation much better than I ever thought I would. I could not have imagined that my first child would not regularly sleep through the night until 14 months and that my second child would follow in his footsteps. However, I really do fine with interrupted sleep and rarely even take a nap unless Alexa had an especially bad night. What's really weird, though, is that I have slept through Dave getting up to deal with Caleb during the night twice recently, even though I always wake up for Alexa.
- Once upon a time, I thought I wanted like 8 kids or something like that. Now I think 4 sounds like a nice number, but we'll have to see what happens.
- I am incredibly blessed to (so far) have an easy time getting pregnant, healthy, easy pregnancies, and rather large but very healthy babies. I know this is not the case for everyone.
- After all the babysitting that I did in middle school and high school, I'm kinda nervous about leaving my kids with a teenage babysitter.
- Most days, having 2 kids is easier than I thought it would be. And I love listening to Alexa cackle at Caleb like he is the funniest thing in the world and Caleb beg to hold his sister. I love watching their faces light up when they see each other in the mornings. It's like they missed each other all night long.
- I've loved watching our parents become grandparents and our siblings become aunts/uncles. I love that they love my kids just because they are mine.
- I have a much easier time teaching and disciplining a whole room full of fifth graders than disciplining a stubborn, rebellious, non-verbal two year old. But the Lord grants much patience, Caleb is more verbal now, and his behavior is much better now that he can express himself more.
- I am thankful to God for the two precious children He has given me.
And in honor of my third Mother's Day as a mom, here are some random reflections on motherhood.
- I've always loved babies - anyone's baby, so I knew I would have no trouble loving my own babies. But I found that I also love red-headed almost three year old little boys, especially when they say, "Good night, Mommy. Love you. I want a kiss."
- Speaking of red-headed little boys, I never imagined that I would have a red-headed child, especially after marrying Dave.
- When I was pregnant with Alexa, I thought I wanted another boy. However, I love being mom to a girl as especially evidenced by all the dresses and hair bows she has.
- I handle sleep deprivation much better than I ever thought I would. I could not have imagined that my first child would not regularly sleep through the night until 14 months and that my second child would follow in his footsteps. However, I really do fine with interrupted sleep and rarely even take a nap unless Alexa had an especially bad night. What's really weird, though, is that I have slept through Dave getting up to deal with Caleb during the night twice recently, even though I always wake up for Alexa.
- Once upon a time, I thought I wanted like 8 kids or something like that. Now I think 4 sounds like a nice number, but we'll have to see what happens.
- I am incredibly blessed to (so far) have an easy time getting pregnant, healthy, easy pregnancies, and rather large but very healthy babies. I know this is not the case for everyone.
- After all the babysitting that I did in middle school and high school, I'm kinda nervous about leaving my kids with a teenage babysitter.
- Most days, having 2 kids is easier than I thought it would be. And I love listening to Alexa cackle at Caleb like he is the funniest thing in the world and Caleb beg to hold his sister. I love watching their faces light up when they see each other in the mornings. It's like they missed each other all night long.
- I've loved watching our parents become grandparents and our siblings become aunts/uncles. I love that they love my kids just because they are mine.
- I have a much easier time teaching and disciplining a whole room full of fifth graders than disciplining a stubborn, rebellious, non-verbal two year old. But the Lord grants much patience, Caleb is more verbal now, and his behavior is much better now that he can express himself more.
- I am thankful to God for the two precious children He has given me.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Caleb's Sentences
After waiting what seemed like FOREVER for Caleb to start talking, his vocabulary is really taking off. He says many complete sentences although he often needs an interpreter (me). Here are some sentences he has said lately.
There it is.
I want a kiss (or a tickle).
I love you, Mommy (or Daddy).
I want orange juice (chocolate, candy, cookie, drink, cheese, snack, milk, water, bubbles, play dough, etc.)
It's orange (green, red, or blue).
That's Molly's purse (or car).
I don't see her.
I see you.
Got it.
I want to go outside (upstairs, downstairs, etc.).
I have sister.
I want to slide.
I want tricycle.
Where's Mommy (or Daddy, Brett, sister, Molly, etc.)?
There you are.
There's Mommy's hair (shirt, pants, shoes, toes, socks, etc.).
He rarely says Alexa's name; he just calls her sister. But, he did finally say his own name this week.
There it is.
I want a kiss (or a tickle).
I love you, Mommy (or Daddy).
I want orange juice (chocolate, candy, cookie, drink, cheese, snack, milk, water, bubbles, play dough, etc.)
It's orange (green, red, or blue).
That's Molly's purse (or car).
I don't see her.
I see you.
Got it.
I want to go outside (upstairs, downstairs, etc.).
I have sister.
I want to slide.
I want tricycle.
Where's Mommy (or Daddy, Brett, sister, Molly, etc.)?
There you are.
There's Mommy's hair (shirt, pants, shoes, toes, socks, etc.).
He rarely says Alexa's name; he just calls her sister. But, he did finally say his own name this week.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Grocery Budget Check-In and Menu Plan Friday
I have some pics to post sometime in the near future, but for now, Menu Plan Friday.
Total spent in May - $130.68
Total remaining in May - $269.32
Here's what we're eating. Dinners only again -
Tonight - Leftovers (Dave is gone AGAIN. Caleb just said, "I want Daddy home.")
Tomorrow - something easy :)
Sunday - Lemon garlic chicken, rice, rolls, green beans, salad, fruit, chocolate chip pecan pie
Monday - Lemon glazed chicken, wild rice, mixed veggies (this sounds awfully similar to Sunday's meal, but really the chicken recipes are nothing alike)
Tuesday - Dijon pork roast, carrots, potatoes, rolls
Wednesday - Italian chicken and rice, salad
Thursday - Bacon cheeseburger roll up, fries, applesauce
Total spent in May - $130.68
Total remaining in May - $269.32
Here's what we're eating. Dinners only again -
Tonight - Leftovers (Dave is gone AGAIN. Caleb just said, "I want Daddy home.")
Tomorrow - something easy :)
Sunday - Lemon garlic chicken, rice, rolls, green beans, salad, fruit, chocolate chip pecan pie
Monday - Lemon glazed chicken, wild rice, mixed veggies (this sounds awfully similar to Sunday's meal, but really the chicken recipes are nothing alike)
Tuesday - Dijon pork roast, carrots, potatoes, rolls
Wednesday - Italian chicken and rice, salad
Thursday - Bacon cheeseburger roll up, fries, applesauce
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Driving Miss Alexa
Slide and Sandbox Fun
Monday, May 5, 2008
Walgreens Savings Extravaganza
Added picture -
The deals don't look too great at CVS this week, so I hit Walgreens instead. They have a Register Rewards program that is similar to CVS's ECB, but a bit more complicated, I think. No pics yet because I am on a different computer that won't read my camera.
Here's what I got (in 5 transactions). (If you are wondering when I had time to do this with a sick child today, I did 2 while picking up his prescriptions and 3 after the kiddos were in bed).
1 2L Coke
2 Gilette Venus razors
4 Zantac cool mint 8 count
2 pkgs foam plates (this and the 2Ls are for the AP Calculus study party at our house tomorrow night)
2 Charmin flushable wipes
2 Cascade 12 pack dishwasher detergent
8 Crest Pro Health Night toothpaste
3 Cover Girl nail polish
2 Cover Girl eye shadow
4 Cover Girl eye liner
1 Cover Girl lip gloss
1 Walgreens brand childrens Tylenol (for Caleb)
1 Walgreens sandwich bags (we're almost out)
1 2L Mtn Dew
My total was $35.31, which I put on a Walgreens gift card. The best part, though, is that I got back $56 in Register Rewards to spend at Walgreens. So Walgreens paid me just over $21 to take all this stuff off their hands. Fun, fun!
The deals don't look too great at CVS this week, so I hit Walgreens instead. They have a Register Rewards program that is similar to CVS's ECB, but a bit more complicated, I think. No pics yet because I am on a different computer that won't read my camera.
Here's what I got (in 5 transactions). (If you are wondering when I had time to do this with a sick child today, I did 2 while picking up his prescriptions and 3 after the kiddos were in bed).
1 2L Coke
2 Gilette Venus razors
4 Zantac cool mint 8 count
2 pkgs foam plates (this and the 2Ls are for the AP Calculus study party at our house tomorrow night)
2 Charmin flushable wipes
2 Cascade 12 pack dishwasher detergent
8 Crest Pro Health Night toothpaste
3 Cover Girl nail polish
2 Cover Girl eye shadow
4 Cover Girl eye liner
1 Cover Girl lip gloss
1 Walgreens brand childrens Tylenol (for Caleb)
1 Walgreens sandwich bags (we're almost out)
1 2L Mtn Dew
My total was $35.31, which I put on a Walgreens gift card. The best part, though, is that I got back $56 in Register Rewards to spend at Walgreens. So Walgreens paid me just over $21 to take all this stuff off their hands. Fun, fun!
Sick Little Boy:Part II
Caleb woke up from a very short nap this afternoon wheezing and coughing. He sounded horrible! It was like he was gasping for breath, and he was very upset. I called the doctor's office, and a nurse called back within 2 minutes and said she would work us in this afternoon. So I fought Caleb into the car (he just wanted to stay in bed), and woke Alexa up. I also called Dave to meet us at the doctor and take Alexa home so I could focus on Caleb. He ended up getting a steroid shot (which he was completely still for) and a breathing treatment (which he hated and cried about). We got prescriptions for steroids and eye drops. We are also pushing fluids, and he is sleeping with a humidifier in his room. He sounds much better now. We go back to the doctor tomorrow for a checkup.
Sick Little Boy
Caleb was sneezing some yesterday, but other than that he seemed fine. I was hoping it was just allergies. Then this morning he woke up with one eye gooked shut and running a fever. I guess he's sick. So being the good mom that I am, I turned on Sesame Street for him and let him watch it in my bed with his pacis. Hopefully I won't have to take him to the doctor tomorrow, but we'll see.
Friday, May 2, 2008
CVS (again)
Seriously, this is the last time I am going to CVS this week. CVS has deals that run monthly, and if you don't get them at the beginning of the month, they often run out. Thus I have been to CVS three times in the last two days since it is the beginning of May. Here's what I got.
2 bottles Nursery Water
1 2L Dr. Pepper
2 Benadryl itch sticks
2 Palmolive dish detergent
2 Johnsons Buddy soaps
1 Aquafresh toothpaste
1 Adidas deodorant
2 Betty Crocker warm delights
Total - $.91
ECB earned - $14.98
2 bottles Nursery Water
1 2L Dr. Pepper
2 Benadryl itch sticks
2 Palmolive dish detergent
2 Johnsons Buddy soaps
1 Aquafresh toothpaste
1 Adidas deodorant
2 Betty Crocker warm delights
Total - $.91
ECB earned - $14.98
Grocery Budget Check-In and Menu Plan Friday
My grocery store/drug store budget for May is $400. So far, I have spent $1.11, but it is only May 2nd after all.
Here's what we are eating this week -
Tonight - Calzones, salad
Saturday - Soft tacos, corn
Sunday - lunch at church, bringing vegetable beef soup and sweet tea
Monday - Cheesy chicken bundles, rolls, green beans
Tuesday - Pizza for AP Calculus party
Wednesday - Dave gone, probably grilled cheese and fruit
Thursday - Homemade mac and cheese with diced ham, rolls, broccoli
Here's what we are eating this week -
Tonight - Calzones, salad
Saturday - Soft tacos, corn
Sunday - lunch at church, bringing vegetable beef soup and sweet tea
Monday - Cheesy chicken bundles, rolls, green beans
Tuesday - Pizza for AP Calculus party
Wednesday - Dave gone, probably grilled cheese and fruit
Thursday - Homemade mac and cheese with diced ham, rolls, broccoli
Thursday, May 1, 2008
CVSing again
Okay, I'll spare you the details, but here's what I got today for $1.11.
2 bottles Clorox Bleach
2 tubes Aquafresh toothpaste
3 Colgate toothbrushes
2 Adidas deodorants
2 Tums Quick Packs
3 CVS brand allergy relief (generic for Claritin)
1 Johnsons Buddy Soap
12 pack Sprite
1 four pack Soleil razor cartridges
And I have $51.69 in ECB left to spend still!
2 bottles Clorox Bleach
2 tubes Aquafresh toothpaste
3 Colgate toothbrushes
2 Adidas deodorants
2 Tums Quick Packs
3 CVS brand allergy relief (generic for Claritin)
1 Johnsons Buddy Soap
12 pack Sprite
1 four pack Soleil razor cartridges
And I have $51.69 in ECB left to spend still!
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