Family Summer To-Do

In and effort to keep from melting into nothing this summer in our un-air-conditioned house, Jake and I wrote up a list of fun summer-y activities to do with Chucky Sue this year, here is just a sampling of our ideas:

Go Camping*Visit Natural Bridge*Walk the Greenway*Blow Glow-in-the-Dark Bubbles*Roast Marshmallows*Make Ice Cream*Play at Smith Park with Cousins*Go Swimming at Splash Park

Look at Stars*Have a Sleepover*Pick Flowers*Take New Family Photos*Go Shopping

Find a Farmer's Market*Go To Mill Mountain Zoo*Visit Mamaw

Call Nonie and Papaw*Make a Blanket Fort*Give lots of kisses

Watch a sunset*Ride Bikes*Bake Cookies*Go to Story time*Fly Kites*Stay up late

I think we're well on our way to a fun summer!

Geek Gadget: Iphone Covers

I am slightly obsessed with iphone covers. Jake rolls his eyes everytime we got go to a department store or to the mall because he knows I will be browsing the iphone cover aisle for a good long while. (Don't worry, I limit myself for the sake of my budget, no new cover until the old one breaks!) But it just amazes me how creative people can get with such a simple shape!

Like this one, that looks like a sandwich!  This one was spotted in Asia though, so I'm not sure it's available state side.

This one proves that homemade can be a great option too! This fellow Trekkie super glued an old broken pin to his plain black case and geeks around the world were jealous!

This one featured on Babble is a contender for my next case, a lego one! I can see the awe on a kid's face if you whip this out in a waiting room and a few blocks to play with!

Besides just gorgeous patterns or colors, I love that iPhone case artists call back to old technology like in this GameBoy case. I definitely remember caring around that brick of a handheld to play Dr. Mario!

Then of course there has to be something Star Wars themed! I think this case almost got Jake interested in an iPhone.

believe me, there are some crazy talented artists out there using apple's dimensions as a canvas!

20 Holiday Activities for Toddlers

A lot of our family traditions are great for kids. not toddlers. Well, maybe just MY toddler. She's a whirlwind of energy and has the attention span of a gnat. So I've been racking my brain of activities that she'd like to do for the holidays. Here it is!

1. Paper Snowflakes.

She can't quite use scissors yet, but she loves crumpling up the scraps and helping me put them up on the windows.

2. Play Dough Snowmen & Candy Canes.

Bring out the white, red and green playdough and sing "once there was a snowman" and make christmas themed shapes.

3. Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

I remember making these in kindergarten, but they are a great family project. Older kids can actually make shapes, the younger ones will make beautiful smooshy circles that smell good for years.

4.Christmas Cards

Normally I'd do these myself. My perfectionist crafty side has to take a back seat and let her scribble all over them. Grandmas love to see their little doodles all over in the inside.

5. Cotton Ball Snowball Strings

This is less an activity to do WITH a toddler, more for a surprise for them! You use a needle to string cotton balls onto fishing line and hang them up in a window or doorway for a fun surprise. It's quick enough to do during a nap time too.

6. Indoor Snowball Fight

There's lots of ways to do this, fill a sock with batting,  throw those leftover cotton balls, or heck, bring snow inside if you're feeling brave! There are plenty of tutorials to make your own snowballs, I've linked to on above.

7. Santa's Sleigh

Make a sleigh out of a cardboard box or even just line up some couch cushions and practice for the famous ride

8. Dance to Christmas Music

Does this need explanation? Just boogey down to Jingle Bell Rock!

9. Write letters to Santa!

Toddlers can practice their letters, school aged kids can work on spelling words.

10. Act out the Nativity Story

Use puppets, paper dolls or your own child safe nativity scenes. I love Melissa and Doug's wooden set we got this year. You can read the actual scripture or use a book from the library.

11. Go Caroling!

What little kid doesn't like songs? Go to friend's and family's houses and sing some favorite christmas songs! Maybe bring your mp3 player if you don't have a strong singing voice.

12. Drive/Walk around at look at your neighborhood christmas lights!

Every neighborhood has the one house that goes all out and makes a spectacular display. Our old town had information on the town website for the best displays and the decorating contest.

13. Make Ornaments Part 2!

There are tons of ways to make ornaments, out of salt dough, popsicle sticks, foam kits from stores. My favorite is the pipe cleaner candy canes. You can makes these as fancy or as simple as you'd like.

14. Wrap Presents

Wrap your presents in plain brown paper and let your kids decorate the packages with stickers, ribbon and markers. Remember, keep fragile gifts away from the little ones.

15. Watch Holiday TV specials.

Rudolph, Santa, Frosty and the rest of them- Most of the classic holiday movies are less than an hour long and chock full of songs, perfect for a little one's attention span. Put one on while you cook dinner or do your own grown up craft project.

16. Take Christmas Photos!

There's lots of ways to make this fun for kids. Christmas opens up opportunities for you to let kids play with toys in the photos, or snow, or heck- put them in a pretty wrapped box with bows on their heads. Why do stiffed posed shots when you can just let them romp out in the snow!

17. Christmas/Holiday Parade

So, this post may be late for some towns, but why not hold your own neighborhood sidewalk parade?

18. Do something good.

Even the littlest of kids can help out others this time of year. Whether they help you bake cookies, or write letters to soldiers overseas. Instilling the desire and love of helping people is very important, specially during the holiday season. I feel that it keeps the "commercialization" of christmas to a minimum.

19. Tell Family Christmas Stories.

Chucky Sue loves it when I tell stories about mommy and daddy. I tell her about all the fun things my mom did with me and my sister when we were little- like making snow mazes and a giant COLORED snow turtle (yeah, my mom was cool.)Every once in a while Jake chimes in with his own memories.

20. Make Cookies.

I contemplated not including this one, Chucky Sue doesn't really help when it comes to cooking. She either eats or makes such a mess that it's not fun for either of us. However, Nestle makes those awesome pull and bake cookie dough sheets. Those are perfect for her to place and count on the cookie sheet. I save the from scratch cookies for my own projects.

So there you have it, 20 free or cheap things to do with an almost two year old around the holidays. I hope you got some good ideas and will share them with me!

Come back tomorrow for our Budget Series update!

Little Things

Chucky-Sue learning how to "kiss"

Jake bringing home dinner after a tough day.

Dorita snuggling (even if it was just for a second between fussies)

Finishing a load of laundry and dishes during nap time.

Finding out Chucky-Sue hid my phone in her  security purse.

The fact that Chucky-Sue HAS a security purse.

Well timed rainstorms that let me have a good excuse to stay in PJs all weekend.

I love the little things in life.

Random Thoughts

I like list posts, I'm rather addicted to them, so here is a list of Random Things:

1. I really liked Toy Story 3, sequels from Disney are usually HORRIBLE (Cinderella 3? Really??) but Pixar's dedication to "story first" has saved the Toy Story franchise from going the way of Peter Pan with it's millions of Tinkerbell spin-offs. I cried, yes cried. I have the same strong connection to toys as Andy does and the end was just tenderly heartbreaking! I also now NEED to get a spanish-mode Buzz Lightyear!!

2. Teething is a cruel cruel trick on parents. (and babies, I guess, they are the ones dealing with the actual pain...) My once happy easy going baby is cranky, fussy and cannot sleep during the day due to these mean calcium deposits in her gums!

3. I've learned that having two adults at home during the day does NOT make the house cleaner as I earlier imagined, but in fact makes it messier, as there is twice as many dirty dishes, twice as many DVDs and video games strewn about etc. etc.

4.Cakewrecks.com newest spin-off blog epbot.com is hilarious!  I love seeing the "behind-the-scenes" posts from Jen and John while on their book tour, and the geekiness that oozes out of every post is delectable!

5. I am losing BADLY to my mother in facebook's scrabble game. Horribly. She is kicking my butt all over the place!! my tiles have been horrible and my only open spots give her great bonus spaces to work with!! I need to play with someone who has a worse vocabulary than me. Know of any first graders willing??

6. As of this moment I am creating a playlist for our cultural night. Jake is laughing at the songs I'm including but they all fit the theme! to make the list the song must be either A) in another language B) Mention a different country C) Mention the words "Summer " "Beach" or "Fun" and D) is upbeat, fast and clean
I totally think Macarena, Istanbul(Not Constantinople) and Bohemian Rhapsody-Dance Club Remix belong on the same playlist.... What? Why are you reaching for ear plugs??

7.We were pet sitting this past weekend for our family. A total of 4 dogs, (three at one house, one at another) and I've narrowed down our future pet choices. The "pet" must be mellow, older, not overweight, well-behaved and quiet. I think that leaves us with the choice between Webkinz or a pet rock.

Now, these are the thoughts that I've been thinking blogging about for a while now, but no one topic seemed important enough to have it's own dedicated post. All together and you get a glimpse in how strange and varied my mind is.

Seven Blessings

Sign #3452.3 that I'm growing up: In times of stress, strife and pain I immediately try to think of all the good things going on in my life. With this year full of many ups and downs and in-betweens I decided I need a list of them to fall back on whenever I feel like God is picking on me.

1. I have a happy, healthy marriage. I have someone to go through this world with, to help me deal with my problems and worries. I will always have at least one person to rely on, who will always come through for me. Knowing that no matter what changes, I have Jake and that makes everything a million times easier!

2. I have Chucky-Sue. Yes, she ultimately will cost me hundreds of thousand of dollars, I have to give up my precious sleep to take care of her, and she spits up all over my favorite shirts- but I have what I've been trying to have for two plus years- a baby. I know many couples who've had to wait much much longer to have that.

3. I have the Church. Religious beliefs aside, the Church takes care of it's members very well. I know I will never starve, I'll never be living on the street. I could move to pretty much anywhere in the world and have that instant support system there to help me. Add in the religious beliefs, and I have the priesthood in my home to get me those extra "boosts" through tougher trials.

4. This one is brand-new: I finally have my health! With my gallbladder removed, I know I shouldn't have to go to the doctor ,barring an emergency, for another year. I don't have to worry how to pay for long term medication or therapies for anyone in my family.

Those are my main four, the four that if they were taken away suddenly, I'd have to do some seriously soul searching to get past it. (Is that jinxing it? just in case: Double back jinx, jinx double back)

now on to the blessings that make me giggle:
5. I have the complete series of Friends. Despite it's criticized entertainment value, I have them all and can laugh with Ross, Joey, Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Phoebe whenever I like. (I also can have entire conversations in friends' quotes with Jake.)

6. I have a pool. Necessary to live? no, not at all. I can jump in, along with many neighbors and have some summer fun!

7.I can entertain myself easily- just ask Jake, he's caught me making funny faces in my hand mirror for HOURS. My face is just so mold-able! Currently my entertainment is sewing a dress for Chucky-Sue.

There are hundreds more, little things like having an extra jar of fluff in my cupboards or knowing how to knit. They're seemingly unimportant but in the face of horrible trials they lift my spirits and keep my life in perspective. Dear readers, I challenge you to find blessings in your life-whether it be your favorite pen (Sharpies all the way!) or something big like a love in your life, knowing those blessings will make all the bad things melt away. (eventually. maybe.someday. possibly.)

8.

1979: The Year of Jake

Jake turned 31 erm, "29" this month. We celebrated by driving to Pigeon Forge in a hail storm! Fun! We're here for AdventureCon, a pop-culture convention. (Basically the lame little brother of Comic Con in San Diego.)

In Honor of his birthday, here are some "Back in 1979" facts!

In 1979 a gallon of gas cost $0.86 (HOLY COW.)

In 1979 a Sony Walkman cost $200, that's more than an iPod.

In 1979, YMCA was suing the Village People for ripping off their name. They lost.

In 1979, Pink Floyd released their album "The Wall" (which was my lullaby album in 1988, Chucky-Sue has only listened to "Another Brick in the Wall")

Strangely, in 1979, Trivial Pursuit debuted, and in 2010, Jake DOMINATES this game.

Jake shares a birth year with Katie Hudson, Heath Ledger and one of his favorites, Jennifer Love Hewitt

And why do I bring this all up? To remind Jake that I wasn't even a twinkle in my daddy's eye when all this was going on! Happy Birthday you ole fogey! I love you!

Catch-Up Post

Due to our computer being out for repairs, I wasn't able to entertain you with my witty and charming posts. (I know you are all very disappointed. Please, try to hold back tears!) So We're going to play a little catch up in this post.

Easter
Chucky-Sue had a good, relaxing first Easter, we attended an Egg Hunt at our friend's house. We even snuck some of the extra eggs for her to enjoy. (What? She likes the bold colors, Mom and Dad enjoys the candy treats!) We had a simple Easter dinner at Grandma's in between sessions of conference. Her Easter outfit was techinically a 6/9 month size, but thank to a tie in the back, she pulled the look off wonderfully.

Growing Up
She's getting HUGE, she's outgrown some of my favorite sleepers for her. None of her newborn sizes fit, as she is too long. She wriggles like mad when I try to measure her, but at best guess I'd say she's around 24-25 inches now. She's still tiny when compared to other two month olds (my friend's newborns are still outweighing her!) but she makes up her size with her personality- which when she is happy is sweet as sugar. But when she is upset or doesn't like the situation she does a complete 180!

Some milestones she's hit: Lifting up her head for a few seconds at a time. When I hold her tummy to tummy she pops up and likes to look around. She also does a few mini-push ups during tummy time but not consistently. Same with social smiling, Jake and I have both gotten a grin, but  she doesn't do it often enough for us to really count it yet (and she still has lots of gassy smiles!) She's started to sleep longer stretches at night, usually 10pm-2am and then 2am-4:30/5 (we've sometimes stretched that to 6 if she's being snuggled.

She's having some minor digestive issues (mostly likely due to the extra calories and fat in the Neosure.) but that's more annoying for US than for HER. It just means she's extra fussy when doing #2 and not so pleasant to be around until her business is done.

She's been out in public a few times (grocery shopping, church, out to eat once but she really hated that.) and we're very glad the quarantine is over! We're also happy to announce that her adjusted age (the age the docs go by for milestones and physical development) is now in the positives! She's two months actual age and 9 days adjusted!

New Hampshire Trip
To quote Sheldon, "We're taking the train!"
Chucky-Sue and I will be enjoying the steady clickty clack of the smooth wheels on the polished rails come this june. We're heading up to good old NH for my sister's graduation (and yes, to show off this cutie to our northern friends and family) I'm both excited and nervous to take her up there by myself. (Jake took so much time off when the girls were born, and while Chucky-Sue was still in the NICU, he couldn't easily take more time off again so soon, Hopefully for the holiday season??) I am looking forward to seeing the "old stomping grounds" and seeing in-person how much my little farm town has grown!

Completely Random
I just want to proclaim my love to the cavewoman who invented slings. Holy crap do I love ours. Chucky-Sue sleeps deeper and better while in it. Normally she's a very wild, flailing loud and Liiiiiiiight sleeper. In the sling? She's out like a light and doesn't wake up except for food.

We may also have to give love to the inventor of the mechanical swing, but it's still being tested. So far it's good when she's already calm/sleeping but if she's fussy already, she gets this "How dare you put me in this thing" face and wails till she is rescued.

Conclusion
So, to sum it all up, we've been good! She's growing, we're still learning together how to make all three of our lives easier. Coming up? Hopefully scanned photos of Easter, her blessing dress and in a University Jersey! So stay tuned!!

Numbers

0- the number of the amount of care I have about March Madness (No University or Tech, No Care.)

3- the record number of hours in a row Chucky-Sue was awake

4- the number of Friends DVDs I can go through in one day with Chucky-Sue

5- the number of meals left that my Mom made

6- the number of bottles we own

7- the number of pounds that Chucky-Sue weighed at her last doctor appointment (plus 5 ounces!)

8- the number of times I wash  bottles a day

8 to 10- the number of diapers I change daily

29- the number of days till I turn 22

35- the number of pounds I've lost! (sure, 10lbs+ of that was baby, but don't rain on my parade!!)

200- the number of posts in this blog

10 Things I learned Today.

1. 2:00 am is early.
2. Prayer can make it snow so I don't have to fly in a helicopter.
3. Jake is good at faking being calm.
4. I am good at actually being calm.
5. I could never be a nurse, they are far too patient and kind.
6. Two babies are cuter than one.
7. Just remembering Jake holding the girls can make me cry.
8. Saltines can be a FEAST after not eating for 24+ hours.
9. They don't make small enough preemie diapers for babies.
10. Even through all the wires, tubes, sensors and tape, these girls are the most gorgeous things I've ever seen in my life.



Little Angelina just a minute or so old.



Robo-Baby is CUTE. :)

I'll be writing up a full in detail what happened, just wanted to do something quick and fun tonight :)

I am such a baby

Especially when I don't feel good.

if you're looking for Tracy, you won't find her. Instead you'll find a whiney, snivelly complaining shell of a human being. I can't believe Jake hasn't kicked me out of the house yet ;)

I don't know what's up with me, we're guessing mono- but that's the ever "trusty" online diagnosis. If it gets worse I'll be finding my way to a doctor. Until then let me tell you what I do on an average day now that I'm sick

- Sleep 14+ hours a day

-take my tempature

- drink my body weight in water and juice

-  nibble on some toast or waffles

- update my facebook status melodramatically.

-take my tempature

- call Jake for him to bring home medicines/crackers/ freezer packs

- re-watch every season of every TV show we own

-freak myself out with scary "you're going to die" medical websites

-take my tempature

- calm myself down

- check the blogs to see if anyone's written anything that will entertain me (and you guys have! lots of posts lately)

-take my tempature

- Take some medicine so I can sleep again

-wake up due to headache

- take a cold bath in the dark (and then forget that I did the next morning when Jake makes fun of me)

-take my tempature (just did, holding steady at 101.4)

I'mma gonna go whine to Jake then pass out. just wanted you to know I'm alive- who knows for how long ;)

Edit: The doctor says I have strep, I have medicine and my fever has been gone for almost 24 hours now! I  had forgotten how to feels to only be 98.6! Thankfully the strep is only on one tonsil and my throat doesn't hurt much at all. I'm still deeeeaaaaaddd tired, but the doc said after a few days of meds my energy should come back :) I'm very much looking forward to not being sick!

Ten places to visit before I die

Jake and I talk about dream vacations a lot. It seems those without money always wonder what they'd do with it once they get it! Freakishly, we agree on a lot of trips, you can look on his blog to see his choices.

1. Tour of Europe: England, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Russia. I'd love for it last a whole summer, but I'll gladly settle for a week or two!

2. Alaskan Cruise: Jake and I always joke about moving back there (he lived there when he was 4 through 6) but a cruise through the icy waters and seeing the whales would be so cool!

3. Good Ole American Tour: See all the things I never saw as a child, The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood Sign and a billion others. Maybe we'll live in an RV, home school our kids and travel the country!

4. Antarctica: Okay, if I ever COULD, I'd probably say no cause I'm scared of freezing to death, but it would be so COOL. Nothing to see but snow and ice for miles, talk to some penguins. Maybe we'll add it to the world wide cruise.

5. Hawaii: The only state our poor pretend RV could never drive to. I'd love to see the volcanoes, learn to SCUBA dive or surf! I've always wanted to see the Pearl Harbor memorial sights and the museum.

6. New York City: It's a trip in and of itself. I could LIVE on Broadway if my means let me. I want to see a billion shows, Wicked, Lion King, Mary Poppins, Next to Normal, [Title of Show]! And then of course, the historical sights, tourist spots, film locations- central park! I could make a million vacations out of that city.

7. The White House: I've been to DC a lot of times, I've seen the white house a lot too. But I'd love a personal no-hold bars tour of the place. (pretty sure that only happens to the First Family, Vote Jake 2012!) That house has held so much history that directly affects me!

8. Australia& New Zealand: It's just so beautiful, how can you not want to go there? Also, it has the film locations for Xena, which was my favorite TV show for a good long while.

9. Brazil: Ever since my Uncle went there for his mission, I've been intrigued by the country. First of all, Cow intestine soup? I have to see them try to make me eat THAT. Ben's photos from there were jaw dropping gorgeous too.

10. Biblical Tour: Egypt, Israel, all those little mediterrian sea places. It'd be wonderful to see the places described in the bible and immerse oneself in that culture. Again a summer there would be amazing. I better get cracking on those million dollar ideas.

Children's Books that didn't QUITE get published.

1. You Are Different and That's Bad
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
5. Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An I-Can-Do-It Book
6. The Kids' Guide to Hitchhiking
7. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
8. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
10. The Little Sissy Who Snitched
11. Some Kittens Can Fly.
12. That's it, I'm Putting You Up for Adoption
13. Grandpa Gets a Casket
14. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
15. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia
16. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
17. Strangers Have the Best Candy
18. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
19. You Were an Accident
20. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
21. "Pop! Goes The Hamster!"...And Other Great Microwave Games
22. The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan
23. Your Nightmares Are Real
24. Where Would You Like to Be Buried?
25. Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School
26. Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
27. Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things


Bolded ones are my personal favorites and kind wish were real. (I edited some titles that were too bad, even for my twisted sense of humor.)

No one warned me about these round ligament pains. Not a funny trick ladies! :)

List of Life

Here's what I have been up to since my last post!

1. Baby Shower for one very dear friend, Sarah! She was adorable, the food was good (that buffalo chicken cheese dip thing? YUM) and there was much oohing-ahhing going on.

2. Watching Nephew and Niece attempt to get their photos professionally taken. Nephew did way better than I thought he would, Niece wasn't into it at all. I now have a photo to take up to Yankee-Land and show off their cute-ness!

3. Getting Free Food cause Nephew declared we were eating at Fazolis after the photos. :)

4. Spending time with Chloe and the new enrichment committee at our first meeting! Also conning my way to get assigned the fun art projects.

5. Seeing Jake for about two hours everyday, if that. He's a busy boy! He is finishing up his first research paper, and it's just about killed him.

6. Hoping to convince Jake that I NEED to see High School Musical 3 because I am a 12 year old girl at heart and want to see Sharpay!

7. Planning our vacation to New England I get to the go to the Christmas Dove and BabysRus with Nonny and visit cousins who I have been away from long enough to actually start to miss!

8. Slowly getting more baby things, Jake's co-worker Deb has already sent me a few onesies and matching socks- mom had given me a patriots binky already :)

9. Chose Boy and Girl names for baby,  I would love suggestions on boy middle names.

10. Creating a list with 10 things on it, cause 10 is a good list number.

Edit: PS Chloe- do you have a blog yet miss? I'd love the address for it!