February 14, 2014 ~ Post-Storm Brownies

Brownies

Ashlin’s turn!

Yesterday, once we got home, we made brownies.  Getting home was a challenge.  Much more of a challenge than I thought it would be, even though there was a lot of snow.

Day care was open in the morning, and we both had so much work, sending them in wasn’t a question.  Picking them up turned out to be.  By 11:30 we had a good six inches of snow.  Stu went out to clear the car and driveway, as I tried to get off a conference call.  A call about Safety.  I ended up telling them that I had to go, ironically, to go and be potentially unsafe.

I helped shovel out the end of the drive, and clear the car and we headed out.

Getting out of the driveway, the development, was interesting. The hill was fun. We lucked out and had one plow width down the hill and most of the way.  I took the more main roads, with right turns, to get into the parking lot.  By the time we got there, there was at least 8 inches.  Above the lower edge of the car.  Stu said there were pretty fans of snow coming from the car as I drove on the nearly empty roads.  I didn’t get to see them.

We got to the day care with little issue, parked, picked up the girls and strapped them in the car.  I got the car backed up, and tried to take the back exit from the parking lot, we knew the front was plowed in and totally impassable.  I didn’t get very far.  After some rocking, then pushing (thank goodness the day care people helped push!), shoveling and more pushing, we got out.  Then we helped push one of their cars out.

I ended up skidding through the turn onto the road home, so tried turning into a parking lot, only to get stuck there.  More rocking, a bit of skidding and trying to turn the wheels back and forth to get traction.  No luck.  No one offered to help.  Eventually a guy in a truck with a front plow offered to plow behind me, and I was able to back up, then around.  Aiming for the exit, we had to pull to the side to let another car by, and got stuck again.  I almost gave up, parked the car, for us to wait it out in the CVS – Ashlin was in dire need of a change by then.  Someone in a truck saw me trying to get Ash out and asked if we were stuck.  He offered to plow behind us and make a path to the exit.  Stu pushed me to the path and I was able to get enough traction.

From then on, we were fine, a few fish tails here and there, but up the hill and into our driveway.

All during this, the girls were anxious.  I wasn’t too worried, not really.  We’d only be stranded for a little bit, until the plows came, and then stranded somewhere warm, where there were probably toys for the girls.

Ashlin napped, and napped well.  Teagan got to watch some weird cheap movie off Netflix while we tried to work a bit more.  I had a 1:15 conference call to run.  I told her once Ash woke up, we’d do valentines cards for her classmates and then make brownies for today, for the party.

Yay.

Teagan was good in the kitchen.  She was tentative when breaking the eggs, so gentle they almost didn’t break.  She was very careful pouring in the liquid and mixing the batter.  Ashlin was a bit rough when breaking the eggs, crushing the shells instead of opening it to get the egg out.  Luckily, neither of them got shell in the cup.  Always break your eggs in a cup and not the batter!

Cards done, both girls signing their names in their fashion, we started up popcorn and a movie.

I ended up yelling at the girls during the movie more than I’d like, I was trying to finish up some urgent analysis for work and they kept asking me things, interrupting, touching the laptop.  Not watching the movie like they were supposed to.  Gah.  I need to be better about that, maybe if I had gone into the other room, I would have been done before they realized I wasn’t there.

Anyway.  We survived the storm, though Stu is a bit sore from shoveling and pushing cars.

There was a card for me when I got downstairs today… We’re such geeks.  Or nerds.  Or both.  Whatever :D

Geek Love

January 18, 2014 ~ Frozen Tears

So, Frozen brings me to tears.  Well, not the entire movie, but two songs.  And hearing my daughter sing those songs.

I knew that the one made me teary, it did in the theater, with Ashlin on my lap.  But today, the other one did, and it was a surprise.  It’s not meant to make one cry, it’s meant to empower, to tell you it’s ok to leave everything and everyone behind and be yourself.  Maybe it was that Teagan was singing along, most of the words (she has the Frozen story cd), and was singing in a voice that was no longer a baby voice.  It was a little off-key, unpracticed, but a very sweet little voice.  A young girl voice.

She’s growing up.  Sniff.

*~*

Stu was half laughing at me today about it too.  He joked about reading the “I will always love you” or whatever book, the one that I can’t read aloud without something getting in my eye…  and then this.  Of course, both girls asked to hear the two songs over and over and over again. Laughing when Olaf is on the beach, when Ana does the tick-tock sound and follows the grandfather clock with her eyes. Again, Dada!  Again!

Then again.  I’m not the one humming them even though the girls are both in bed.

Ha!

Sniff.

January 18, 2013

One of my Christmas presents from Stu was a subscription to Dabbler, a site that will send information once a month about a new craft, hobby, thing! The mails are sent on the 15th, and I laughed when I saw it in my inbox:

It seems as if the universe is aligned against me.  People at work, on line, friends, all are trying to talk me into learning to knit.  Now.  After crocheting for a little bit, I knew I’d eventually learn to knit, as much as I protested.  Saying one hook was fine, no need for two needles.

So, I’m still not ready to learn to knit, but this mail was very nicely put together.  It explained about yarn, needles, stitches…  it had links to videos, information  resources.  A beginner’s pattern and step by step instructions.  I know that now isn’t quite the right time to start, but when it is, I’ll have a great resource to use.

Thank you.  It’s a great present.  Now, I can’t WAIT to see what they’re going to send next!

February 2, 2012

Dinner tonight was great!  Stu made pasta with four cheese sauce and sausages.  Yum. Or as Teagan said “Um Yum!”  Everyone ate everything!  Maybe the best part was waiting for the stragglers to finish – Ashlin her pasta, Teagan her grapes.  I sneezed and Ashlin laughed.  So I tried again.  Laugh.  And again.  Another laugh.  Again.  And again.  Teagan got in on it.  So awesome.  I love dinners like that.

 

~~

Ashlin has another rash, legs, arms, feet, torso.  It looks a bit different than the one Monday, the one she got sent home for.  The nurse that saw her Tuesday thinks she was having an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin.  I gave her a dose of Benedryl, and we’ll see what it looks like tomorrow.  We may be going back to the doctor, for the third time in a week.  Yay.

October 25, 2011

I love you too.

This little note was left on the fridge a few days ago…

He’s so sweet.

September 29, 2011

Four years.  It’s gone so fast.  It really doesn’t feel like it’s been four years.  And that’s since we’ve been married.  Not since he’s been here, and not since we knew.  But this is a good day to count from.  A very good day.

Looking back, I’m amazed at how much my life has changed since he came into it, well and truly into it.  I have a best friend.  One who’s always there, who will support me, care for me, make me coffee in the mornings.  And love me.

We found him a job, taught him to drive on the right side of the road.  We had a baby, and love grew.  We found a bigger house, and found it on Valentine’s day.  Love deepened.  We had another baby.  Filled the house with even more love.  And probably too many books.

I know I never tell him often enough how much me means to me.  How much I appreciate that he came all the way over here for me.  Left his family, his friends, and his country for me.  I never seem to find the right words or the right time, to tell him.  How much I do love him.  How much he means to me.  How much I love our life together, and what we’ve made of it.

It’s hard not to see him in our daughters.  To be fair, one does resemble him a little bit more than the other.  But even there, it looks like she’s going to be getting his dimples.

I love how my life has changed since he’s been here.  How he’s impacted it.  Without him, all the things I care about wouldn’t be here.  He wouldn’t be here.

I also love that he surprised me today.  With froot!  And chocolate.  He’s so sweet.

I love him.

Happy Anniversary, Stu.  I love you.

September 6, 2011

This morning there was a surprise after my shower.  A lovely steam message.  Made my day.

Made one of the few days I have left, before going back to work, better.

It’s nice to have little reminders like this.  I still feel a bit blah – haven’t lost all the baby weight yet.  I’m getting there though!  Down to the last 5-7 pounds, depending on the day.  And although it’s getting lower and lower. it feels like it’s taking forever.  I haven’t had the mental fortitude to try on my pre-pregnancy jeans.  Not yet anyway.

 So, it’s nice to get messages like this…  or like this one, that he drew while playing with Teagan outside over the weekend.  It was right outside the front door.  Teagan made sure I saw it when I went out to see them after getting Ashlin to sleep.

Love the kids.

Also, I love him.

 

May 18, 2011

Two years ago today I was in the hospital, being “ripened,” waiting to be induced.  It was not how either Stu nor I planned the day.  We had gone to the doctor’s appointment on the way to work.  We both had meetings.  There was no hospital bag in the car.  So, of course, I was sent from the doctor’s office to the hospital.

They were worried about my fluid level.  The baby was doing ok, but couldn’t stay in any longer.

I spent Monday afternoon and night contracting, not really feeling any of it.  Progression was slow and boring.  Being in the hospital alone sucked.  Waiting sucked.  Anticipation sucked.

After a quick peek through the blog archives, it seems that I never wrote up Teagan’s birth story.  Or, I haven’t found the blog entry yet.  I do know that Stu sent me his version, and I thought I had written mine up, I’ll keep looking.

I can say that she didn’t want to come, she fought to stay in all day. They didn’t move me down to L&D until 10am or so the following morning.  There was intervention after intervention – more than I wanted.  Ripening, pitocin, foley balloon, water broken, more pitocin, Nubain. My parents calling (really!) to see how I was doing. I hadn’t wanted an epidural, I ended up getting one. I was so tired by the time it was time to push I didn’t think I could. I remember that I wanted to push but they told me I couldn’t. Once they let me, I ended up pushing her out in 45 minutes. The cord was around her neck – bent her ear back, and it stayed like that for a few weeks.

She was a girl!  Born to “High and Dry” by Radiohead.  She came out a bit blue and didn’t pink up quickly. Her apgars weren’t too good – I think a 6 and then an 8? But she was ok. I was so tired once she was out, I thought I would drop her after they bundled her up and gave her to me. I had Stu take her from me.

It all ended up being worth it. I’m so glad our beautiful princess is here. She really is a joy (as long as she’s not tired!).  The way she sees, learns, the world is awesome.  I love her to bits.

Two Years Ago Tomorrow

Now

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May 8, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Happy Mother's Day

What better Mother’s Day present could I have gotten? My beautiful princess.

April 22, 2011

Good Morning!

Yesterday, I tried to write a post .  I failed.  I did little more than upload the picture I wanted to use.  A picture of Teagan.  My big girl.

She looks so much bigger, is acting so much older than just even last week.  A blink of an eye ago.  I know that some if it is due to Ashlin being here, and being so small compared to Teagan.  And Ashlin’s not really that small, though she’s not a big baby either.

Teagan’s been using much more complex sentences, thoughts, than she was before.  She’s gone from “Titi’s milk” to “my milk” in what seems like days.  She does still refer to herself as the baby, but she also refers to Ashlin as her baby sister.  Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds.  It seems as if shes picking up something like five new words every day.  Her pronunciation is also improving.  If you ask her to watch you say a word, she can almost imitate it.  She still has issues with s’s and with th’s.  It’s so cute that she’s still saying “beeze” and “tank tou.”  She’ll even sing the Yo Gabba Gabba song.  Sometimes she will change the words to “Mama, Dada.”  Sometimes it’s mommy and not mama.  It’s still very cute.

She loves singing, laughing, trying to make us laugh.  She will ask you to eat her feet every morning and every evening.  It’s never an old joke.  It’s her job to turn out the lights at bedtime, and god forbid you do it for her.  She doesn’t cry anymore (mostly!) when you brush or comb her hair.  More mornings than not, she will demand you put a pony tail in her hair.

For you!

She loves going for walks, though she doesn’t like walking.  She much prefers to be pushed, but I think it’s because of the snack tray.  LOL.

She whispers “thank you,” but will shout “Love you!”  If you use the sign “I love you,” she will whisper it back, until she shouts.  Although she can’t get her fingers in the right formation, she will hold her hand up, palm to you as her way of signing it.  She gives spontaneous hugs, even to her sister.  She will also tell her sister to “be quiet,” and “no crying!”  Shhhhh.  She even told her sister that she loves her.  Without any prompting.  She will share her food and share her toys.  Usually.  Sometimes she needs reminding to play nice, but she generally does without the reminder.

She loves hats and her hop-hop shoes (bunny slippers).  She will almost always wake up in the morning with a rats nest for hair, but also a song.  I like listening to her sing in her crib while drinking coffee, hoping that she goes on and doesn’t start to cry.

She has had a few tantrums, especially if you forget her bubble in the car, but generally she’s a very happy girl.  She’s terribly fun to tickle!  And will ask for more!