A Museum, a Tornado, a Tiger, & a Little Visit to the ER

Confused? I'll begin by saying, none of those things are related...except for the fact that the following events occurred in the same week...a couple weeks ago.

First: The Museum
Jacob, Annabelle and I went on an outing to the local children's museum. We had never been there before, but I had heard great things about it. I found out the museum was having a special storytime and craft hour that day, so I called to register Jacob (Annabelle was too young) and off we went. When we arrived, I realized this little outing was not going to be easy. Of course, Jacob took off running to explore all the exhibits. And, of course, Annabelle took off after her brother. She may be only 17 months old (almost 18 now), but in her mind, she is three and a half years old. This is cute in many ways, but on this particular occasion, it was tough to deal with. The museum was SO CROWDED that day and I was afraid Annabelle would be trampled by the older kids. We visited the toddler area for a long time, which Annabelle loved, but Jacob was itching to get back to the "big boy things." After a series of temper tantrums and meltdowns and one time out, both big brother and little sister calmed down and we had a great time. It was difficult to take pictures because I had to watch them both so closely...and be ready to chase a runner at anytime. :)

Annabelle thought it was great fun to smash her face and mouth against the glass. Mommy, on the other hand, did not think it was so fun. Eeewww.....germs. The steps she's sitting on led to a slide, which Annabelle LOVED. She slid down over and over and over and over and over again, never tiring of it. She had a little routine going: climb up the stairs, dance on the platform, slide down. Repeat.
Arrrgh, matey! Captain Jacob spent quite a bit of time on the pirate ship. He originally wanted to wear two eye patches. I explained to him that if he had a patch over each eye, he wouldn't be able to see. He still had to try it out for himself. It didn't take him very long to realize that second eye patch wasn't so much fun after all.

Annabelle enjoyed playing at the sand table and I don't think she even put any in her mouth! (Unless, of course, I just didn't see it.)
Come fly with me!
They both loved playing in the cockpit. That's Jacob in the pilot's seat. Annabelle mainly liked to climb up into the passenger seats, which you can't see in this picture.

We had our rough moments, but all in all, it was a very fun morning. I'm sure we'll be visiting the museum again sometime soon!

Second: The Tornado
A couple nights later, we had a weather scare. It had been really windy all day, but we weren't aware of any bad weather headed our way. We had gotten a little rain, but nothing terrible. Apparently, neither Heath nor I had paid much attention to the weather reports. Just after 11:00 PM, our weather radio came on to alert us of a tornado watch. Heath went to bed early that night and was already asleep, until the radio woke him up. The radio repeats the message twice before turning itself off. The second time we heard the message, the "watch" had been changed to a "warning." I got a little nervous, but wasn't too scared. Then, just a few short minutes later, we heard the noise -- the freight train noise everyone says you should listen out for. I have never been so scared. It seemed to get closer and closer and my heart began to race. Heath grabbed Annabelle out of her crib and I jerked Jacob out of bed. We all huddled up in the middle bathroom. Inwardly, I was freaking out. Outwardly, I was trying to hold it together so Jacob and Annabelle wouldn't be afraid. Thankfully, we were safe and our house was unharmed. We did have the inconvenience of our power being out for a while, but that was no big deal.
While huddled in the bathroom, Heath kept checking his Blackberry to see if the tornado warning had expired. When it had, we put the kids back into bed and went to bed ourselves, although, it took me a while to get to sleep. Neither one of us had ever heard a sound like that before. We were almost sure it was a tornado. We were right.

A weak tornado touched down on the street just behind our house. No one was hurt, and no homes were destroyed, but it did cause some structural damage -- siding, roof, fences, etc. There were also a few downed trees. I am so thankful everyone in our neighborhood is ok. A few days later, I was talking to my neighbors about it and they never heard anything. They slept right through it! All I know is, if the noise we heard was only a weak tornado, I NEVER want to be anywhere near a strong one. Those storm chasers are CRAZY!

Third: The Tiger
That weekend, Heath took Jacob to his first Clemson football game. Can you even imagine how excited he was? He, meaning Heath. Jacob was excited about going on the trip, but Heath had been planning this moment from the time we found out we were having a boy. We both figured taking Jacob to the spring game would be better than a real game during the regular season since the atmosphere is much more relaxed, no one would be shouting profanities at the other team, etc... Jacob had a great time at Clemson and one of the highlights was getting to meet the tiger.Notice the backwards hat. Jacob's favorite show is The Imagination Movers. Mover Dave wears his hat backwards. Jacob is always pretending to be a different Mover. Obviously, this was a Mover Dave day.

Fourth: The ER
While Heath and Jacob were at Clemson, Annabelle and I stayed home and had a girls weekend -- a girls weekend that didn't start out quite how I had planned. We had a great Friday afternoon. Erika met us for lunch at Moe's, then we all went for a walk in the park. It was a gorgeous day. The alligators thought so too. We always see alligators at this park. Always. And they are always waaaaaaaay too close to me. One of them was hanging out on the bank, so we had to walk right by it to follow the trail. I freaked out just a tad, but Erika managed to calm me down. Anyway, back to the ER story....no, the alligator had nothing to do with the ER visit.

After our walk, Annabelle and I drove back home. She was asleep the entire ride. Then, I put her in bed so her nap could continue. She slept for a long time. When she finally woke up, somewhere between 6:30 PM and 7:00 PM, she was screaming like I'd never heard her scream before. I ran to get her and she didn't want me to hold her. She pushed me away. She turned my face away from hers. She never does this. She has always been a mommy's girl. She tossed and turned on the floor, screaming and making sounds I had never heard her make. I tried to give her a little gripe water. She wouldn't take it. This went on for quite some time and I didn't know what to do. Our pediatrician has an after-hours emergency line, but after a couple previous experiences, I knew making that call wouldn't do me any good. So, off we went to the ER. I was worried and figured that was my only option.

Erika, being the wonderful friend that she is, met me down there. My parents just happened to be on their way to Florida and decided to stop over for the night to make their trip shorter the next day. So, they actually met me down there, too. Annabelle screamed about half of the trip, then settled down. Of course, when we arrived at the hospital, she seemed fine -- smiling at the nurses, talking to them, etc... The doctor came in, checked her out, and said it was probably just severe gas pains.

I took my daughter to the ER.... for gas pains. The nurse asked me if she was my first child. "Ummm....no.....but I swear, I have never seen her act like that before. She was making sounds I have never heard her make!!!" Seriously, I know that anyone else in my position would have made the same decision. And you know, TV doesn't help these situations. A few days earlier, I watched this show called, "Your Kid Swallowed What?!" It documented true accounts of children and toddlers swallowing all kinds of crazy things. Annabelle puts everything in her mouth. I thought, perhaps, she may have put something weird in her mouth at the park. I didn't know and I didn't want to risk not getting her checked out if she did. At least, now, I knew and didn't have to worry about it anymore.

The rest of the weekend was great. No more screaming episodes. No more ER visits. Annabelle actually had a glorious time. The doctor said I should give her apple juice to help "move things along." I don't give her juice on a regular basis, so this was a treat. And, boy, did she ever drink it up.
I took this video a while back. See the bruise underneath her eye? Jacob had a matching one, except his was a little worse. They were playing on the couch and bumped heads...or more specifically, faces.

Coupons -- They'll Save You Money and Make You Laugh

I've been clipping coupons since last August and, let me tell you, it has changed my life. With the help of a fabulous website, Southern Savers, I have learned how to stretch my budget farther than I ever could have imagined. I cut my weekly grocery bills by at least half (sometimes more) and my shopping goal is always to save at least as much as I spend. On several shopping trips, my total savings have actually exceeded my expenditures. If you ever see me gleefully dancing my way out of Publix, you can bet I just had one of those really good shopping trips. Anyway......

Before last August, I never looked through the coupon inserts. I didn't think it was worth it. In fact, I hardly ever read a hard copy of the newspaper. You can read all the articles online, so why buy the paper? I had no idea I was missing out on so much. Not only have coupons saved me money, but skimming through those inserts never fails to make me laugh.

Looking through the inserts, you'll find all kinds of money-saving coupons for all kinds of useful products; but, sprinkled throughout, you'll also find advertisements. Ads for clothes, shoes, baby dolls, jewelry, and strange-looking undergarments...for women and men.

Take for instance, the man girdle. No, the ad doesn't refer to it as a "man girdle," but there's no denying, that's what it is. The "Men's Slimming Shaper flattens your stomach and your whole upper body with no effort." It also makes your back fat disappear. "Smoothes your back for a leaner appearance -- without bulges!" And the best part? It "looks like a normal undershirt!" Each of these statements, combined with the before and after cartoon drawings (not to mention, the product itself) make me laugh out loud. I asked Heath if he wanted one. He declined. But, if I've peaked your interest, you can head over to their website (fourcorners.com) to place your order.

And here's one for the ladies: The "'LIPO' Tummy Shaper" Not only will this shaper smooth out your bulges and enhance your bustline, but "your friends will swear you've had liposuction." Yes. That's just what I want my friends to think -- that I've had liposuction. This shaper does even more than make you look skinny. It actually makes you skinny with "hundreds of bio ceramic dots woven into the fabric for 'far infrared weight loss!" This is truly amazing. Like the man girdle, this ad also has the unbelievable, but "true," before and after cartoon drawings. One look at these images and you'll be sold. Go ahead. Banish the bulge and fake a liposuction surgery with this "Tummy Shaper." You know you want to! This website also has several other products worth taking a laugh at look at.


The one that got me rolling today was the ad for the gingham zip-front patio dress (pictured above). "The perfect dress for spring and summer no matter what the occasion." Yes, if you are staying home with all the doors closed and the shades rolled down. I started picturing myself wearing one of these out and about, running errands, going to the grocery store, taking the kids to the park, going to church, maybe even a July 4th cookout. I pictured other people wearing them too. The images in my head just got funnier and funnier. This is definitely the perfect summer dress. By adding a few of these to your wardrobe, you can actually save yourself some money because you'll have no need to purchase the "Tummy Shaper." All joking aside, if you ever see me in one of these dresses, go ahead and stage an intervention. I may not be the most fashionable person around, but if I'm wearing one of these, obviously any fashion sense I did have, was flushed down the toilet. I'm sorry to say this particular item cannot be purchased online (hence, the picture of the ad).

And Then There Were Two, Again...and Again

We all grew accustomed to Jack being here with us in the mornings. Jacob always asked when he was coming and wondered who would be bringing him, his mommy or his daddy. He, quite often, would tell me how much he liked Baby Jack -- even better than he liked his own sister. I am sure this was because Jack wasn't mobile yet, so he couldn't really get into Jacob's toys. The first thing Annabelle said when she woke up in the morning was, "Dah" or "Jah." Those were her words for Jack. And I became attached to the little guy. He's just so cute and has the most adorable laugh. So, when his mom told me they would be moving, we were all very sad. Of course, we are happy for Jack and his family because this is a good move, but we sure do miss them!

Jack, want me to read you a story from the phone book? This is the best book EVER!!

Let me hold that pacifier!

EYES!!

It's been a few weeks, now, since Jack has been at our house, but Jacob still asks, "Is Jack coming today?" and Annabelle still says his name from time to time when she sees a toy that Jack played with while he was here. The good thing is, Jack and his family didn't move too far away. At least, they're still in the same state. Hopefully, we'll be able to see him from time to time.

So, Jack left....and then there were two -- only two children in the house. But not for long! The following week, Katie came over since she was on spring break. Jacob was very excited to have Katie around again. They played, nonstop, from the minute she walked into the house until she left. Each day she was here, the two of them took off running at full speed all....day.....long. They had so much fun. Annabelle had fun playing with Katie, too. And Katie enjoyed playing "little mommy" to Annabelle, helping to feed her breakfast, trying to carry her around the house, etc... :)

Katie loved her new swim goggles. For a day to two, she would not take them off!

We had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. Before I hid the eggs, I filled several of them with things like fruit snacks, little chocolate eggs, and raisins. Jacob and Katie were extremely happy with their findings. When they had found and opened all their eggs, they asked if they could have another egg hunt. So, I brought all the eggs back inside and refilled them. Only this time, I used stickers instead of candy. After finding all the eggs a second time, they began opening them one by one to see what was inside -- stickers. Jacob said, "I don't have any candy in mine!" Katie responded, "I don't have any either!" The tone of their voices let me know they were disappointed. Where was the candy? They eventually got over it. They liked the stickers, but I guess, to a kid, candy is like the forbidden fruit. When they are actually allowed to have it, they want all they can get!!

Katie doesn't realize it, but her crackers are about to get stolen.

Like I mentioned earlier, Katie and Jacob played hard all day long every day that she was here. Jacob was exhausted at the end of each day. To give you an idea of just how tired he was, check out this video that I took at dinner one night:

Heath went for a run and pushed Jacob in the stroller. Jacob fell asleep soon after they left the house. I let him sleep for a little while when they returned home, thinking he might wake up after a few more minutes. I was wrong. Obviously, he was way too tired to even wake up for dinner.

Now, once again, there are only two children in the house. I can't really say that it's any quieter around here. Jacob and Annabelle are two very busy children. Jacob doesn't know the meaning of the word "quiet" and Annabelle gets more vocal everyday. Not to mention, their favorite pastime is getting into trouble. Those two, alone, definitely keep me on my toes.

EASTER 2010

If you ask Jacob why we celebrate Easter, he'll quickly tell you, "because Jesus died on the cross!" That's right. And what happened on Easter? "He came back alive!" Although he may not fully understand the meaning of it all, Jacob knows what Easter is. I must admit, I am happy about that. To Annabelle, Easter is a time when you get to play with a lot of little plastic eggs. Oh happy day.

Last year, when we tried to teach him to say, "He is risen, indeed" in response to "He is risen," Jacob proudly shouted, "He is risen...in Steve!" This year, his pronunciation has gotten much better. No more Steve. :)

Easter Sunday was a little hectic, as usual, but we made it to church just in time. Why is it that Sunday morning is ALWAYS the craziest morning of the week?? Heath had already been there for over three hours by the time the rest of us arrived. He got up at 4:30 AM so he could be at the sunrise service. I'd really like to go to that service someday...maybe when Jacob and Annabelle are a little older.

When we returned home, it was almost 3:00 PM. Jacob and Annabelle had passed out in the car after lunch. We put them in bed to finish their naps and they slept until a little after 5:00 PM. They were worn out. After all, Easter is a big day.

When naptime was over, Jacob and Annabelle awoke to find that the Easter Bunny had paid them a visit and filled their baskets with all kinds of fun things. How exciting!

It was good that we had the Easter baskets as a distraction. My parents came down to spend Easter weekend with us and left soon after we got home Sunday afternoon. Jacob and Annabelle were both sound asleep when they left, so there were no formal goodbyes. When Jacob woke up, Papa and Nana were gone, and he started to boo-hoo. It was nice to have them here for Easter. I think the last time we spent Easter with family was when we visited my sister in DC two years ago. Holidays just seem more special with family around.

After going through their baskets, we dyed eggs. Jacob asked if dying eggs was a "project." Then he asked if it was a "training exercise." I'm sure he must have gotten that from a Playhouse Disney show. Annabelle enjoyed the "training exercise," although, I think she was just a bit upset that we wouldn't let her drink the cups of egg dye. We managed to dye nine eggs with hardly any mess. Wow. That is quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of this activity. I was too busy trying to keep someone from drinking the dye and another someone from dying his fingers. I do have a picture of the finished products:

I'll Have the Chicken Marsala with a Side of Heavy Smoke, Please

What the recipe states: Heat the olive oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once.

What this means in my hands: Turn on all fans. Open all windows and doors. Your house is about to be so filled with smoke you may not be able to see or breathe.

It's happened several times before. It happened again, yesterday. This must be a conspiracy, don't you think? I am sure my stove, skillet, oil and poultry of the day somehow get together for a team meeting and conspire against me to fill my house with smoke everytime I decide to try what sounds like a delicious recipe. Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds. Ok, so maybe it's not a conspiracy. I'll blame it on the stove. My stove seems to get extra hot. If a recipe states that something should be cooked over medium-high heat, I know I need to turn it down a notch and instead, try medium first. I know this, but I don't always do it. Hence, a house filled with smoke.

Yesterday as I was cooking, the first few pieces of chicken turned out just right -- absolutely perfect. Then, as I put in the last couple pieces, the smoke billowed up and was quickly out of control. Jacob, who was playing in the living room, shouted, "Why is it so foggy in our house?" I was already laughing because I couldn't believe I had caused all this smoke AGAIN, but Jacob's question made me laugh even harder. Fog?!?! How funny! I turned on all the fans in the house and opened the doors, trying to help the problem. It was so bad, I felt like I could hardly breathe. Jacob ran to the pantry and grabbed the broom. He waved it through the air (I guess, fanning the smoke away) shouting, "I can save the day! I can save the day!" As I laughed hysterically at Jacob and our smoke situation, I waited to hear the smoke alarm. Can you believe not one smoke alarm went off?? Hmmmmmm.....

I was hoping most of the smoke would clear before Heath arrived home, but just as I was thinking that, I heard the door open. Then, a split second later, "What are you doing in here?!?!" Oh, just cooking dinner -- chicken marsala with a heavy side of smoke. Hungry?

Eventually, the smoke did clear and we all took our places around the dinner table. The chicken marsala was actually very good. Despite the smoke, nothing was burnt...except the oil in the pan. Unfortunately, while the smoke went away, the smell lingered....and lingers still. I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Any tips? Our house and all its contents smell like oil. It's not what I would call a pleasant aroma. I guess I'll just have to wait a few days for it to dissipate. In the meantime, perhaps a little (or a lot) of Febreze will do the trick.

Now....what's on tonight's dinner menu? I do not know, but I can assure you, it will not involve the smoky combination of my stove, a skillet, olive oil and poultry. Sandwiches anyone?