Ah-Bee and Uncle Tem

Here is Mia with your Ah-Bee (Aunt B) and Uncle Tem (Uncle Tim) watching...you guessed it...Poppins! Boy does that little girl love Mary Poppins.  It's not even really the movie, it's Mary Poppins character.   

It took her about half a day to warm up to them (she hasn't seen my brother since she was 7 months old)...but once she did...boy, was it all about Ah-Bee and Uncle Tem.  They came to visit us this weekend and they flew back home yesterday afternoon. 

Now, when you ask Mia "Who loves you?"  She, without hesitation, always says "Tim".  It used to be "Tyler" (JC's little brother), but now it's Tim.  Looks like there is some competition between the uncles now.

Oh my, can you imagine when she's 16 and wants to go on a date?  Whew, I pity her first boyfriend, cause she's gonna have a few bodyguards!

Naked (almost) 18 month old baby

I sure love when Aunt B and Uncle Tim come to visit.  She took pictures!  She's a photographer and she is awesome...no doubt.  See? And this was her just using "our" camera playing around in the backyard. She doesn't even have on any clothes! Nothing official or anything. 

Man, she's good.  Mia calls her "Ah-Bee" (for Aunt B). She walks around the house saying... "Ah-bee? Ah-bee? Tim? (that's my brother).  She loves them. 

Friday List of Wonderful Things

Wonderful Thing #1 - I taught Mia how to type emails.  Therefore, my work load has gotten considerably lighter. Wonderful!

Wonderful Thing #2 -  We will be in Nebraska next week for my 10 Year High School Reunion.  Holy cow.  This is gonna be so much fun.  See my friends?  This was at our 5 year....Most of us now have at least a kid or two, so I doubt it'll get as crazy.  Or will it?

Wonderful Thing #3 - My brother and his beautiful wife are coming to see us on Saturday.  He is on R&R from Iraq and we plan on showing them a good time in the Big D!  That mostly means dinner at Chuys and maybe a visit to the grassy knoll...

Wonderful Thing #4 - Look what we bought!  Okay, just kidding.  I would never actually ride in one of those things.  Death trap if you ask me...

The Mompetition

I'm sorry but the best blog ever is The Mompetition. Hands down.  Okay, except for maybe The Oatmeal. 

Enjoy THIS ONE my friends!

I try...Really, I do.

It grows...

I have a garden. I HAVE A GARDEN!!  See?!?!? It went from this... The Beginning to...THIS!

All of those plants in the middle, were started from seeds.  I have TWO green bell peppers already growing and I've already had to cut all the cilantro and share with everyone at work.  I really hope those tomatoes come up.  That's what I am really waiting for.  Green peppers...eh...what I want are the tomatoes! 

I've kind of fallen off the bandwagon with eating "only food that is living".  That means we only eat food that shouldn't be able to stay on my shelf for 6 months and still be edible.  It has to be a plant, animal or grain that actually grows and isn't genetically modified or so laden with preservatives that the ingredient list is 2 paragraphs long.   That was my motto for so long and I guess in the midst of having a job, running a house and having a toddler...somehow...eating velveeta cheese and crappy rice-a-roni side dishes made it's way into our dinners.  I strongly feel that eating preservative-laden foods day in and day out is why many people get so many diseases and try my best to keep those to a minimum for me and my family.

But sometimes...you just need a little velveeta cheese on top of your steamed broccoli, right?  And JC and I may have eaten McDonalds after Mia went to bed last night.  I may have had a chocolate shake and two cheeseburgers.  Oh well...tomorrow is another day.

She steals the wedding show

This food blog really became all about my lovely little girl, Mia Jane, didn't it?  Oh well, what she is doing is so much more interesting than the food I've been making lately...I made cube steak again last night.  Tasted slightly better than last time.  Well, it tasted like it cost $1.99 a pound, cause it did. Oh well, can't win every night.

We went to a wedding a few weeks ago.  A lovely, lovely wedding.  The bride is Jewish and so we got to take part in some Jewish wedding traditions, including dancing the Hora and seeing the bride FREAK OUT when she was put up on that chair and bounced up and down.  She looked like she was gonna DIE she was so scared.  But it was cool.  The food was fabulous, the band was the best wedding band I've ever danced to and they had cupcakes instead of a wedding cake, which were fun and super tasty!  And I had the best cup of coffee I've ever had at the reception.  And THAT is saying something.  I drink a lot of coffee.  Too much coffee.

The photographer couldn't get enough of our little girl.  Here she is at the wedding...(it was an outdoor ceremony).

And yes, those are jelly shoes on her feet.  I am so bummed though, because I think the shoe gave her a bruise on the top of her foot.  So we haven't worn them since.  I was so excited about those pink jelly shoes...if only they had sparkles...

Then there's my husband...I love him.

And this is us!

The wedding was beautiful and Mia ran from end to end flirting with everyone.  She definitely stole the show! We left at 9pm. 

Scarlet Fever? Seriously?

So...my kid has/had Scarlet Fever.  What?  How does this happen?  Is it the 1800s again?  Am I on the Oregon Trail?  Am I in the movie Little Women?

Yes, these are all questions that ran through my mind when the doctor at Pediatrics After Hours took one look at the rash on Mia's body and the positive Strep A throat culture and said...This little girl has Scarlet Fever.

I immediately felt horrible.  But let's back up...start from the beginning.

Two weeks ago, Mia had a runny nose.  Not bad...just runny and then she started pulling on her ears.  So, I schlepped her to Dr. Sherrod (her pediatrician) to make sure we didn't have an ear infection.  He took one look at her ears, listened to her lunch and looked in her throat and said...Allergies, with a beginning infection in her nose.  So, we go amoxicillan (which isn't pink anymore, by the way) and strict orders to eat yogurt every day to prevent stomach discomfort.

So, after a few days of antibiotics, the runny nose stopped.  But then the fever started.  It was never horrible, got to about 101.7 at it's highest.  But Mia just didn't look right.  She wanted to lay on the floor with her paci (yes, she still has a paci and I don't care in the slightest right now) and blankie and lay on the floor and watch "Poppins" (Mary Poppins).  We treated the fever with the motrin/tylenol combo and it kept it down.

So, the fever subsided after a few days...and then the rash started.  It started as a few spots on her forehead, then moved it's way down her neck.  I thought she may have been allergic to something.  I made banana walnut french toast that night for dinner that night... See? (It was delicious by the way)

Silly me, I thought Mia might have had a reaction to the walnuts, since she'd never had them before.  Or maybe it was a reaction to the amoxicillan?  She ate the walnuts...but didn't really like the french toast.

So, we made an after hours call to the doctor's nurse and asked if we could give her benadryl.  After two trips to the store, JC came home with some benadryl liquid and cream.  We tried the liquid benadryl and crossed our fingers.

So, Mia went to bed and woke up with a slightly less red rash.  It spread to her torso and back, but it was never really red.  We did another dose of bendryl and kept an eye on her.  She didn't act sick, was sleeping, was eating (as much as a toddler does these days) and just might have seemed a little off.  She was about 85% of her normal self.  I chalked it up to recovering from her fever and nose infection.

That night, I gave her a bath and noticed that the rash got worse and bumpier in the water. Almost like sand paper on her skin.  Weird.  But, I put her to bed (this was Friday night) with another dose of benadryl.  When she woke up the next morning (Saturday), she had these big, red, bug-bite looking things on the back of her leg.  She had three of them.  And silly me...I thought...my goodness, did a bug bite her?  Was there a spider in her bed?  Mind you...she was showing no signs of being sick except for this weird "allergic" rash.   So, I put some hydrocortisone cream on the bites in case they itched.  The day progressed and when I changed her diaper...it had spread to about 12 splotches and there were some on her arms too.

So, I packed her up and took her to Pediatrics After Hours up the street.  On the way there, a truck hit the side of my car (another story), but we got there okay and checked in.  I was stewing the whole time while I was there because I thought "Geez, here we are around all of these sick kids...one has a goopy eye, the other sounds like her lungs are gonna fall out of her chest and we're here for a stupid allergic rash.  There is no way Mia is getting out her with out getting sick.  We waited an HOUR AND A HALF and I was so mad about it.  Because MY KID wasn't sick and because we had to wait so long, she was going to.   Boy...was I wrong...

When we finally got to the back, Mia was irritable...mostly because I wouldn't let her near the other kids and you can only do so much with a toddler for an hour and half before they lose it.  She kept saying..."Bye Bye" and "All Done" and "Go" when we got into the doctor's room.  So, the nurse came in, got the gist of our "story" and did a strep test, just in case.  Mia was happy as a clam.  This is her after the small episode of crying with the throat swab. You can kind of see the rash on her face...

Then the doctor came in, said she was positive for strep, took a look at the rash on her torso and back and said...I think it's Scarlet Fever.  And then I freaked.  She took one look at her mouth and said..."Oh yeah, her throat is RED and it's got to be hurting her."  And I felt like the worst parent ever.  She showed ZERO signs of feeling bad, except for last week.  And it wasn't even that bad.  She just wanted me to hold her more and always woke up crying (which is not normal for Mia).  She usually wakes up talking to her stuffed purple hippo she sleeps with.

So, we I high-tailed it back to the drugstore for some Culturelle (yogurt ain't cutting it for these antibiotics), Augmentin and kids' advil.  As of this morning, the rash is completely gone and I would say she is back to 100% already.  Her throat may hurt like hell, but we are none the wiser.  She shows no signs at all.  She is running, yelling, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABCs" (well, her version) at the top of her lungs and is eating.  I give her popsicles and pudding in large doses just in case.  Boy, I'll be glad when she can say, "Mommy, mom throat hurts."  This girl must have a high tolerance for pain!

We are out of the contagious stage and the doctor assures me that Scarlet Fever is just strep throat with a rash and isn't at all what it used to be before antibiotics.  But holy, crap.  Scarlet Fever?  Seriously?

The Mompetition: Happy Mothers Day

So, I love the blog The Mompetition. It's hilarious, not at all cliche and totally realistic about living life as a mom, wife and "runner of the household." While all of her videos are usually spot on...this one I particularly LOVE. Enjoy!

The Mompetition: Happy Mothers Day

My favorite part is here.

When I was huge and pregnant, JC and I would talk about what we are looking forward to the most when Mia would make her arrival.  JC couldn't wait to play guitar for her and teach her everything about music.  Me?  I couldn't wait until that stage when she would talk in babble nonsense and expect me to respond.  I just LOVE when little kids babble on and on in some kind of alien language (that makes perfect sense to them) and then look at you like, "Well, c'mon...aren't you going to respond back to me?" 

Oh we're here!  Well, we've been at this point for a while now.  Mia was an early talker and definitely has a knack for words.  Here is what she knows and says now...the words she associates with the right objects and/or people.  The list is gonna be long...

Mommy, Daddy, Gigi (JC's mom), Nana (my mom), Papa (my dad and JC's step-dad), Ga-pa (JC's dad), Goosie (our cat), milk, Yeah! (for yes), doose (juice), puppy (dog), duck, horth (horse), purple, yellow, red, circle, star, heart, kik-en (chicken), nana (banana), glasses, eye, nose, ear, mouth, toes, up, down, walk, sing (swing), Poppins (Mary Poppins), Elmo, Ernie, Cookie, Abby, wa-wa (water), bubbles, hot, brrr (cold), puter (computer), chair, lunch, cheese (macaroni and cheese), cheerios, book, baby, happo (hippo), cereal, ga (guitar), side (outside or inside), bye bye, eight, hi, hello, I love you,...it goes on and on...

The list is just a taste of what she knows.  We were early readers (I mean, reading to her at 2 days old early) and she loves books, stories, music and right now...is IN LOVE with Mary Poppins. 

Besides knows these correct words, she also is babbling in sentences. In a language that is all her own. Here's how it goes:


Mia - "Blibble boo da da gook." **Stares blankly at mommy**

Mommy - "What, honey?"

Mia - "Blibble boo da da GOOK."

Mommy - "What?  Do you want  a book?" **Holds out a book**


Mia - "Blibble boo da da gook?" **Points to a random spot in the house**


Mommy - "I don't know what you're saying."

Mia - **Walks away**

This...I LOVE!  I love hearing her make up her own sentences and words and meanings for things.  I just want to know what's going on in that cute little brain of hers.  But, I will say that it can get a little manic when she insists on asking for something (in a word nobody could decipher) and asks for it over and over and over and looks at us like we're crazy (or mean parents) for not knowing what she wants. 

In other news, we've got a little virus running it's way through our house.  Mia has a nagging fever and is just so irritable and cranky.  Poor thing.  Here is what she spent most of yesterday doing. I hate the sick times!

How to Live like a Toddler.

Learning how to cook. (Or stirring Kix Cereal and then dumping it out all over the floor.  twice.)

Planting a garden. (Or pulling out all of the signs that designate which plant is which.)

Having a nutritious snack. (Or smearing pudding in every crevice of her body and high chair.)

Sleeping in a nice, safe, comfortable bed. (Or falling asleep in the car seat and being totally content there.)

Friday List of Wonderful Things

1.  So you know the book that I said EVERY working mom needs to buy?  Well, it's still awesome.  And you know what else is awesome?  WHEN THE AUTHOR COMMENTS ON YOUR BLOG!!  Holy moly, that made my day.  Excuse me, but I got a little star struck there. 

2.  Mia has a buddy.  Aren't they cute?

3.  Cinco De Mayo was lovely.  We went to the fun little local Mexican place around the corner (not a chain, score for us) with JC's brother and sister-in-law (or Bad and CiCi as Mia calls them).  The pureed black bean dip was a hit for Mia.  She probably ate two bowls.  Check mark in the protein department today. 

4.  Jc is going to Vegas this weekend.  I am going to work. 

5.  My ten year high school reunion is in 3 weeks.  How did this happen?  When did this happen?  I predict there will be lots of Bud Light, country music and inappropriateness.

6.  Seriously, all I watch is Bravo TV.  Sometimes, I can't believe I watch this crap.  But other times, I love it very much. 

7.  My garden is GROWING! I can't wait to eat it. 

8.  I made a pot roast, lasagna and homemade chocolate chip cookies last week and didn't photograph any of it. Why?  Cause it was pot roast, lasagna and cookies.  Someday I will make something exotic.

Good Enough is the New Perfect.

Remember when I wrote THIS POST ?  Well, nothing has changed for us. Mia still goes to a fabulous babysitter 2 days a week and we couldn't be happier about it.  Me? Well, I still struggle daily with my duties at home and my duties at work.  Do I spend enough time here, do I spend enough time there?  And please, god...will I ever make friends in this city and have a social life again?

Would I be wasting my education and shunning feminism by just really wanting to stay home and take care of my family and have babies?  Okay, whoa... so let's pause here for a moment.  Those of you who know me would never believe that would come out of me.  "Stay home and have babies?"  What?  Are we in an alternate universe?

Let me tell you...and you can blame it on the hormones, but having a child just changes everything.  In a way that nothing else every will.  Ever.  And I think in particular, being the person who grew and birthed that child, the mom has a particularly strong bond and natural need to take care of that child.  Well, that and lots of estrogen. 

Does that mean every woman who becomes a mom has these same feelings?  No.  Does that mean that I should ignore every professional accomplishment I have made and just forget that?  No.  Does that mean there is a different balance for every working mom out there?  Yes.

Some woman like to get away all day for 5 days and need that to handle the challenges of motherhood. Some mothers cannot physically or emotionally bear the thought of leaving their child in another person's capable care.  Me?  I'm somewhere right in the middle.  I want a little of both and that's what I got going for me.  It works right now but it isn't perfect.  When you do both, it's a constant state of limbo and you never quite feel "good" about either situation.  Any other mom's sympathize?  I used to agonize over not doing enough...not answering an email quick enough, not spending enough time with Mia and missing milestones, not hitting my deadlines fast enough and let me tell you, it wears you down and eventually...you'll hit a wall. Or in my case, you stress out so much about it, that you lose 80 pounds in less than a year.

Working moms, if you can relate...Go out and please, buy THIS BOOK.  It's seriously opening up my eyes and just lets me breathe so much easier.  If anything, it's helped me sit back and look at myself and say, "I'm not crazy, other woman do this too!!!"  The bottom line; each mom has to find her balance and what works for your family.  If working is a necessity, then this is a moot point.  Money is money and if you need it to surive and provide for your family than your natural need to stay home and care for your child/children doesn't fit in anywhere in that scenario.  But, if you are fortunate enough to have a choice and wrestle with the decision...then trying to choose can be a very dramatic ordeal.

Okay, so where am I going with all of this.  Well, I'm here to say I have had an epiphany.  Good Enough is the New Perfect.  I'm not perfect and I have to stop trying to be.  I don't have to swiffer my floor every day, an email doesn't have to be answered within 5 minutes of receiving it, and I don't have to agonize over someone else taking care of Mia for a few hours.   Superwoman, I am not.  And I am MORE than happy with that.

On a side note, I'm also starting to catch some baby fever (no, not yet, not now...but its in the future).  I think that will throw this delicate balance all to heck and I'm gonna have to start over, right?

German Chicken and Dumplings and...Man Cream?

I'm a few weeks late on this, but better late than never, I guess!  I had a fabulous Easter weekend with my husband's family.  My absolute FAVORITE part was watching (and attempting to help) my German sister-in-law Iona make German chicken and dumplings and a wonderful dessert sent straight from German heaven called...Man Cream.  What an odd name, right?  I know what you're thinking, cause I thought the same thing too.  But seriously, it's delicious and I'll get to why it's called that in a minute.

We don't get to see Iona, Ben and their 4 month old baby girl Nora Elise (my favorite name ever), very often because they live in North Carolina and Ben is career military...which means he doesn't get to get away much.  So we made the most of it and I snuggled that baby as much as I could!  She is precious and just so chubby!  See?

My little munchkin has lost any remnant of babyhood chub and is now a lean and mean toddler.  I also forgot how much babies drool...

Anyway, Saturday night...Iona made us the traditional Sunday afternoon family meal in Germany.  Chicken and dumplings.  I WISH I would have copied her recipe, but it was in half German and half English (which is awesome by the way) and so I couldn't decipher it.  All I know is that I helped chop raw chicken livers and almost barfed.

Here it is in pictures...

The chicken...stuffed with sauteed hamburger, chopped chicken livers and onions.  She browned the chicken before it went into the water pot to boil. 

The dumplings, made mostly of bread, eggs, parsley and other stuff.  (No Bisquick here folks)

Then they are browned up to get a crunchy outside.

My sister-in-laws trying to turn the chicken in the pot.  They didn't really succeed, but I thought it was a great moment to capture. 

The chicken, boiling for a few hours in tomato sauce and water.

The end result was fabulous.  I mean...fabulous.  Definitely not my mom's version of chicken and dumplings, but this one took al ot more time and was truly a work of art.  I just wish I would have written down the recipe!

On to the man cream...I actually made most of this and I loved it!   Man Cream is a german traditional dessert made by the wives/mothers in the family to ensure that their men stick around.  Legend has it that it's so good, that it's supposed to keep them at home.  Let me tell you...I think legend is right.

First you make the pudding...but it's not just any pudding...it's this kind. It's made pretty much just like the jello stuff too.  Except it has a much richer taste and it's not as sweet.

Then you let it cool.  While it's cooling you whip your cream.

And then add this:

It's meant to keep your whipped cream stiff.  Once the pudding is completely cool, you add some rum.  Yup, the traditional German liquor of...rum.

Then you fold the cream in to the pudding very, very slowly...a little at a time.

Then you add chocolate chips, fold those in slowly and top with more chocolate.

Simple and delicious.  German food = Awesome.