House of Estrogen

Simple Woman's Daybook, May 21, 2012

2012-05-21T23:10:27-04:00

For Today...

Outside my window... it is a gorgeous night. I just got home from working the Moe's concession stand at the minor league baseball park, and it was the perfect night to be out at the ball park. The weather is so pretty - I wish I could have been there enjoying the game rather than slinging burritos.

I am thinking... that I'm sticky, sweaty, and smell like beer and Cheerwine (you know you're in the South when the ball park sells Cheerwine!)

I am thankful for... just two more weeks of school. We're all ready for summer.

From the kitchen... I have no clue. I left the house at 8:30 this morning and got home at 10:30 p.m. JC was in charge of the kitchen today.

I am creating... Addie's room... still working on it. I'm done painting. Now I'm just working on moving her stuff in there.

I am going... to get in the shower soon.

I am reading... very little.

I am hoping... my ankle doesn't get too angry after standing on concrete all evening. It is pretty sore right now.

I am hearing... Fashion Star on TV.

Around the house... lots of Girl Scout patches and badges that I need to sew on vests.

One of my favorite things... choco-tacos.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... volunteering in Nina's classroom, Elise jumping rope in the school talent show, and some Memorial Day weekend plans with my parents.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Elise getting hooked up to the bungy jumping thing at our company picnic on Friday.

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Sorely Overdue Easter Post

2012-05-17T07:37:19-04:00

Easter was so long ago, but I hated for it to pass me by completely with no photos, so here are some long overdue Easter pictures.

My little cupcake baking helper

and cupcake decorators in cute bunny aprons from their sweet Aunt B. Thank you, Aunt B!

The cupcakes were nothing if not well decorated... or, er, overly decorated.

We didn't decorate eggs this year, and nobody complained. I felt no guilt in skipping a year of that mess. Perhaps we'll dye them next year.

Elise and Addie participated in our neighborhood egg hunt. Addie looked so sweet in her spring dress.

I could not convince Elise to wear something pretty. Khaki shorts and a grey tee just don't scream Easter to me, but I have to pick my battles.

To give her some credit though, she did have a good point that the hunt location for the big kids doesn't exactly lend itself to fancy dresses and nice sandals.

Fortunately, the bunny at this egg hunt was much friendlier looking than the creepy horror movie bunny from the last hunt we attended.

The night before Easter, the girls put out a snack for the Easter Bunny, "Eat up and Enjoy!" Do you think the Easter Bunny really eats Tootsie Rolls?

Then, they killed me. They put out notes to the Easter Bunny requesting what they wanted in their baskets! Whaaaa? Letters to Santa... yes. Letters to the Easter Bunny? Um...NO! The Easter Bunny does NOT take requests. No way. No how. Not happening.

The letters read:

"I want a white paint and purple paint, new games for my leappad, books, Pez, candy, paint set (water colers) from addie (pink basket)"

"Dear Easter Bunny, Happy Easter!! You must be really busy so I'll make this quick. For easter I would like: Books (Hunger games), Amazon gift card, and Book of advansd jump rope trick. (Elise, purple basket) P.S. thank you!"

"Dear, Easter Bunny Hi! I'm Nina and I'm 8 years old. I would like make-up, and Hank Zipzer books, jewelry, candy, watercolor paint, and paint brushes, and a paint pad. from Nina (Blue Basket)"

I'm not sure any of them received things on their list except for Addie and her Pez. They all seemed happy with their baskets, regardless. After breakfast, they went hunting in their pajamas for the eggs the Easter Bunny left in the yard.

We had a nice Easter dinner with both sets of grandparents later in the day where I neglected to take any pictures. It was a nice dinner, despite the lack of photo evidence. One of these days I'll figure out how to host a meal and take pictures too.

Easter is long gone, and summer is nearly here. Time flies when you aren't a timely blogger. Hopefully I'll do better this summer. It is going to be a busy one though!

The Castrator

2012-05-16T20:41:04-04:00

Overheard in our house this afternoon while Elise and Addie were playing store with a toy cash register:

Addie: I want to buy these tiles.

Elise: Hang on Addie. I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back.

Addie: OK. I'll put the money in the casholator.

Elise: OK. That's fine. I'll be back in a second.

Addie: OK. I want two more tiles. I'll put the money in the cashrator for you.

Elise: All right. I'm back. Did you want to buy anything else?

Addie: Yes... four more tiles. Here is the money for the castrator.

J.C. is scared... very, very scared.

Simple Woman's Daybook, May 14, 2012

2012-05-14T23:50:56-04:00

For Today...

Outside my window... it is a gloomy, rainy day.



   I am thinking... about the "2x4" braces that the orthodontist wants to put on Nina. I really didn't want to be paying for braces for two kids this soon.



I am thankful for... Xopenex. It is keeping my kids out of the ER so far this week.



From the kitchen... Domino's Pizza. It has been a long day.



I am creating... Addie's new room. I got it half painted yesterday. I hoped to finish it today, but having Addie home sick messed up that plan.



I am going... to try hard to keep my car clean. JC got it detailed for me for Mother's Day, and it looks like a brand new vehicle!



I am reading... Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman. I'm really enjoying this book. I think I would like to be a parent in France. Their practice/philosophy on babies and sleep matches mine, and raising children seems much more low-key over there and less competitive (Hello, Time Magazine... you know you were just trying to stir up mommy wars and controversy with that cover.).

I am hoping... that my children get better. We are not in a good place with asthma right now. Addie is a complete trainwreck, and Elise isn't much better. Addie had a doctor appointment this morning, and she has a follow-up tomorrow morning. Elise is seeing the pediatric pulmonologist the next day. Our nebulizer seems to be running 24/7. If it breaks down, we're in big trouble.



I am hearing... a quiet house despite all the kids being home. Elise has no homework due to end of grade testing, so she is watching TV. Nina is quietly munching on a snack. Thankfully, Addie is still in the midst of a 3+ hour afternoon nap.



Around the house... mattresses from the bunk beds are in the hall and bonus room while I'm painting.



One of my favorite things... healthy children.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... neb treatments, doctor appointments, dentist appointments, our spring picnic at work, and a jump rope workshop for Elise with the USA Jump Rope All-Stars (best jumpers in the country). I really hope she is doing better by Saturday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... a couple clips from Elise's jump rope performance at a mother-daughter dinner last week. I love the enthusiasm of the little girl in the front of the audience!

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Mother's Day

2012-05-14T08:24:53-04:00

It is nearly midnight. As Mother's Day comes to a close, I find myself sitting here watching "Doc McStuffins" with my four year old as she does a nebulizer treatment for asthma. As much as Mother's Day is supposed to day of pampering, relaxation, and a "day off" for moms, there's just no such thing. Don't get me wrong, I had a great Mother's Day. There was a fancy breakfast, lovely gifts, some time to myself, and a nice dinner as well. In the big picture though, there is just no break, no time off, no vacation from being a mother. It is a hard 24/7 job, period. A day at the spa, a weekend at the beach, or a week in Hawaii may be a little time off from the day-to-day chores of wiping snotty noses, packing lunch boxes, and muddling through confusing second grade math homework, but there is no break from the overwhelming responsibility of raising these little people. Is another nebulizer treatment at home the right answer? Or is it time to head to the ER? She's in respiratory distress, but how bad is the respiratory distress? Sometimes the questions feel so big. Moms have been doing this mothering gig for centuries. I know I can do it. Sometimes it just hits me what an awesome responsibility it is. I have to keep these little people safe. I'm responsible for their health. I have to do all I can to insure that they grow up to be hard-working, honest, responsible, independent adults.

You'd think I'd have adjusted to this by now. I've been a mom for ten years. Some days seem harder than others though, and those are the days I'm reminded how huge the job really is.

The nebulizer is done, and I'm off to bed to lie there waiting to see who needs it next. Will I be watching Handy Manny with the four year old or iCarly with the ten year old? I'm tired... not physically, just mentally. Tired, and desperate for a wheeze and cough free night.

Good night. Sweet dreams.

Spring Cleaning

2012-05-08T08:06:23-04:00

The joys of child labor...

Simple Woman's Daybook, May 7, 2012

2012-05-07T11:40:55-04:00

For Today...

Outside my window... our hydrangeas are getting ready to bloom, and they are going to be just gorgeous! This hydrangea bush was originally in JC's grandmother's yard, then at our old house, and now here. I love plants like that with a history. We also have a rosemary bush that was started with some rosemary from the table centerpieces at our wedding reception.



   I am thinking... that I need to make more time to blog.



I am thankful for... the right to vote.



From the kitchen... not sure... maybe some sausage on the grill, slaw, and beans.



I am creating... new bedrooms for Addie and Nina... they are a work in progress.



I am going... to vote AGAINST Amendment One tomorrow. If you think gay marriage is wrong, you're entitled to that opinion. Gay marriage is already illegal in NC though, so this amendment passing or not is not going to change that.

I can see thinking, "I don't agree with gay marriage, so I should vote for this." The problem with that thinking is that the Amendment strips rights and benefits from so many. If domestic partnerships and civil unions are all made illegal, children will lose health insurance that they have through a parent's domestic partner (gay or otherwise). It isn't their fault their mother (or father) isn't married. Don't vote for this amendment and take away health insurance from children. Passing this amendment will also mean that women will lose domestic violence protection if they were never married to their abusive partner. Women deserve that protection no matter what. Imagine a long-time unmarried couple like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. They have children together, have a solid relationship, and yet with this passing of this amendment, a couple like that would not be able to make end-of-life decisions for each other or have visitation rights when visitation is limited to family in a hospital setting. That's just not right. You can be against gay marriage and still vote against this amendment. The amendment is not saving families. It is hurting them.



I am reading... Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman. I finally quit reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I tried to finish it since it is my book club book, but I found myself hating it, really truly hating it. It was irritating me reading it, and life's is too short for that.



I am hoping... that Elise feels better soon. Her asthma has flared up, and her cough sounds awful. She is home from school today and has a doctor appointment this afternoon. She has a jump rope performance tomorrow evening. I hope she is able to jump.



I am hearing... Elise coughing and the housekeeper cleaning.



Around the house... I put away a lot of clean laundry over the weekend, but there is still so much to do.



One of my favorite things... Whole Foods organic pomegranate orange lip balm.



A few plans for the rest of the week.... nothing out of the ordinary during the week except Elise's jump rope performance. Saturday is crazy though - swim lessons, gymnastics, a Girl Scout party, birthday party, and housewarming party.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Simple Woman's Daybook, April 30, 2012

2012-04-30T21:01:32-04:00

For Today...

Outside my window... we have a nearly clean screened porch ready for spring! We spent yesterday scrubbing the inch of pollen off of everything. Once we get the floor cleaned, we can enjoy meals on our porch again.



   I am thinking... about trying to get to bed at a decent time tonight.



I am thankful for... Elise's jump rope teammate going home from the hospital Saturday night with no broken bones after his injury at the competition.



From the kitchen... chicken pot pie, corn, biscuits, and fresh mixed berries.



I am creating... a long blog post about Elise's first jump rope competition. Technically, I've already finished creating it, but it took a long time, so I'm still using it for this prompt.



I am going... to take a bunch of stuff to Goodwill this week. I've been telling myself that for a while now, but maybe if I write it here, it will really happen.



I am reading... Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, although I didn't read much this week.

I am hoping... that Elise isn't too sick. I had to pick her up from school early today with a sore throat and fever.



I am hearing... JC getting Addie ready for bed.



Around the house... JC trimmed the shrubs. They desperately needed a shave.



One of my favorite things... JC making chocolate chip pancakes every weekend for breakfast.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... Elise's Girl Scout Bronze Award dinner, two eight year old birthday parties, and not much else besides the usual.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... the public service announcement on our kitchen trashcan, courtesy of Nina. "Pleas recikol paper! Help the eviement" ("Please recycle paper! Help the environment").

To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Elise's First Jump Rope Competition

2012-04-30T14:22:04-04:00

Elise had her first jump rope competition this weekend. She was participating just for the experience to see what competition is like. She is in a competitive age bracket with lots of girls who have been jumping much longer than she has, so she wasn't in a position to medal. That kept some of the pressure off, but we both had nerves wound as tight as the braids on her head that morning at 7:00 when we left the house.

The first events of the day were speed - male and female single rope speed (60 seconds), male and female endurance speed (3 minutes), male and female triple unders, single rope speed relay, double dutch speed relay, and double dutch pairs speed. Who knew there were so many different ways to do speed? The floor looks like this during the speed events with up to 12 athletes jumping at the same time. In each section, three judges count each time the jumper's right foot hits the floor.

Elise was only entered in the female single rope speed event. She started out smooth, consistent, and fast. You can hardly see the ropes during the speed events. They jump with coated steel wire ropes which are nearly invisible once they get moving.

Unfortunately, about 40 seconds into it, she landed on the side of her foot, twisting her ankle. It hurt me just watching it. I knew it must have hurt her. Somehow, she managed to compose herself and finish out the minute, but she came limping off the court crying at the end. We treated the ankle with ice and ibuprofen and treated the disappointment over a lousy speed score with hugs. Fortunately, she had a couple hours to relax, ice her ankle, and get a snack before she needed to jump again.

Freestyle went much better. She flubbed a rope release trick and accidentally omitted one section of the routine, but overall, she was happy with her performance. The day definitely had its ups and downs, but she says she definitely wants to compete again, so I would call it a success.

Here is the video of her day:

Since her double dutch partners did not enter this competition, Elise was done after single rope freestyle and could relax the rest of the day anxiety-free and enjoy watching her teammates compete.

In the afternoon, spirits sank as one of our team members was seriously injured. One of the most talented athletes on the team (the only one on our team who qualified for the FISAC World Championships in a singles event) was in the practice gym doing a move he has probably done thousands of times, a mule kick. It involves basically diving into this position:

I'm still not clear on exactly what happened, but something went horribly wrong. Imagine that move without the hands in place. He came crashing down on his head and face and was knocked unconscious. When we came to, he was dazed and had amnesia. His double dutch teammates were crying and felt responsible. Our coaches were shell-shocked and trying to hold back tears. He is a sweet, popular kid on the team and one of the team mentors. Elise has taken private lessons from him, and everyone on the team, both parents and athletes were upset and in shock. When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs initially said they were going to take him to the local hospital but after examining him, decided to take him to the big hospital with a trauma center. As much as we all tried to keep our smiling competition faces on, he was the main focus in everyone's minds.

I credit the coaches and kids though with finding a way to bounce back. The top 5 teams in each division advance to nationals. In the double dutch division that this team would have competed in, there were six teams competing, so without A, they couldn't have qualified for nationals. USA Jump Rope gave the team permission to substitute another jumper for A and jump in the last double dutch heat. That gave them about 15 minutes to teach another jumper A's part in the double dutch routine. They only had to beat one team to advance. The two athletes who had been turning for A when he fell had to wipe away their tears and focus back on jump rope. The three of them went out on the floor laughing, having no idea if they could pull it off. They did. It was amazing. I think adrenaline kicked in, and they jumped their hearts out for A. They finished 3rd or 4th and qualified to move on to nationals. A ended up being released from the hospital late that night with a concussion and mild hernia in the neck. I'm not sure how long his recovery will take, but we were all glad to hear he was back home.

It was a long, draining, emotional day but a lot of fun too. Elise is excited to do more competitions, and I think it will be less stressful now that we know what to expect. I loved watching all the amazing talent in the room, and look forward to going to another one. This is the best team picture I got. It was one of those, "Fifteen different cameras are taking pictures and every kid is looking at a different one" sort of photos. It is a great group of kids.

Twelve Hours...

2012-04-28T21:41:44-04:00

Of jump rope competition, and I'm exhausted. (No, I didn't jump, but I'm still entitled to my own exhaustion after being there for 12 hours.) More pictures and video will be coming tomorrow, I promise. I hoped to get them up tonight, but that just isn't going to happen. Mama needs some rest!