Thankful for My Crazy Life

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, this years' dinner was again, a success.  My husband has asked we always host Thanksgiving, to begin a tradition of dinner at home for our children to follow for many years to come.  Although this year was a little more stressful with a one year old underfoot when ever I was cooking, and towards the end she wanted to held the whole time! I took on some challenges to do all my dishes from scratch.  Dessert, I haven't braved yet with the whole dinner, that was brought by my aunt, and the pies were delicious.  I have to give credit to the Food Network for introducing me to a brine recipe for brining the turkey, it was so tender and juicy.  My family was a great support, trying to keep the kids busy while I was preparing the food, and my husband was setting the table.  There were a few scary times, when I thought I had overcooked the turkey, but it was great, and when a glass pot lid got to hot, popped and shattered all over the stove in the middle of cooking many Thanksgiving dishes!  Well I can't be cooking a major meal, without some sort of disaster, can I?

Sadly, I have no pictures to share right now, because although we took tons of pictures, my camera is missing. This is the second Canon, that has disappeared, oddly.  I last saw it on the table while everyone was eating pie, I snapped a few more pictures, and that is all I know!  I have looked through every basket, trash can, and cabinet I can think of.  I even looked for the camera in the freezer, the fridge and the bathtub. How could it just disappear from the apartment like that?  My husband is over it, but I am really bummed.  Sure pictures are just pictures, but it feels like years later, that this year wont be documented.  Last time, the camera was left in my husbands old car door pocket, and I think it probably just fell out one day.  I was very upset about that one, since for years I used HP cameras and found out how much I loved Canon.  Then later, I realized it was sort of a good thing it was lost, because I got a better newer camera out of it!  I am a gadget girl at heart, I love to have my digital camcorder, my 10 megapixel camera, my husbands iPod and my HTC Incredible Android phone.  So, perhaps it will be another blessing in disguise, but in the meantime, I am back to using my Nikon Coolpix, camera which I like, but do not love!  My complaint is the shutter speed is too slow, and I find I am constantly missing great pictures just by a few seconds.  Well, I am still hoping my camera will show up, and thankfully I had emptied it right before Thanksgiving, so I have a cute pilgrim to leave you with.  Now, on to Santa pictures, there will surely be tears, then on to Christmas and New Years, its going to be a busy fun crazy time.

Happy Holidays!

I Can SEE!

My Lasik eye surgery was about two weeks ago. I can say I am very happy with my vision today, my surgery was a success.  I had a really hard time writing a follow up for my surgery without being too negative and whiny.  So time has passed, and I am hoping it will come out better now.  IT HURT!! Apparently, my pain threshold has dropped since the birth of my children. I used to be a fairly tough girl, but now I have turned out to be a wimpy woman, and I am not exactly happy about it.  Once again I have lost control of one more thing!  I have talked to people who have also had Lasik and they claim it did not hurt. At first I figured this is similar to the labor pains mothers experience, they are awful, but manageable for just one day, and the result is the birth of a child, so you begin to forget the pain!  Yet there many moms that will torture they're kids for years about how awful the birth really was. Everyone is different, I hear this alot, yet all that really means is, "Bummer, sorry it was so bad for you, lucky me!"

I was anxious the day of surgery, however they gave me a pill to relax. When I went into the surgery room, they handed me a teddy bear to hold, and I thought they were joking!  I did cry after they did the first eye, I have to say it was nothing like a fish sucking on my eye as some say.  It just plain hurt and was uncomfortable with all the lights flashing and then you must look at a green blinking light the whole time. All the while people just keep dropping different types of drops in the same eye, and at one point your vision goes completely dark.  I just tried to think, one down one to go. The doctor said, "Wow, are you okay? Maybe we should stop before going on to the other eye."  I said, 'NO, just get it over with'! Thankfully the right eye was not as extensive of a surgery, and was over before I knew it. I really thought the worst was over, no pain no gain right?  However, they then told me that the worst was yet to come, the first four hours would be painful and that I should go home and sleep.  I warned my husband that he would be with the girls, for at least the first day, good thing too.  I was in bed for at least four hours, but I hardly slept at all. I experienced the worst itching and burning pain, it made me want to gouge my eyes out, so I took more Motrin and slept about 20 minutes and then after about 30 more minutes the pain thankfully began to subside. After that sensitivity to light was the next step and then after a couple of days I was driving during the day. Sure my youngest daughter did poke me in the eye and I had to go back and have them fix it, just a wrinkle they said. It was sore for just two days and then it was almost Halloween and my husband asked me, how were my eyes and I realized they were excellent. So a week after my surgery I was driving at night, with no problems at all.

Though the experience was not one I wish to repeat, I would still stay it was worth it. I have to remember at night not to think I need to take out my contacts.  As I am laying in bed and wake being able to see the city lights, I keep reminding myself, that no I did not not fall asleep with my contacts in! Some people like my husband, have been lucky enough to have been born with a good eye gene.  I hope my poor eye sight is one thing my girls don't inherit from me! I really appreciate my sight now, even when I get a baby toe or finger poked in my eyes!

Halloween with no Contacts or Glasses!

Overprotective Mom

With Halloween right around the corner, I have been shopping for costumes all month. I have to say I have seen some costumes, especially for kids that are characters I don't think our youth today even knows who they are! I saw Rainbow Brite, whose kid knows who Rainbow Brite its today?  You might as well be selling Punky Brewster, costumes that are probably just for the parents nostalgia! 

This brings up a interesting topic at our house, since some characters my daughter knows but has never seen the movies they come from, for example Dumbo, and Bambi. My four year old daughter has learned who they are from books and TV, but now she is asking me when can she watch them. I bended with Pinocchio a few months ago, and was horrified at the content in the movie watching it from my child's eyes.  Have since been told I am sheltering my kids. Now at 4 years old I have to not only tell my daughter that smoking is bad, but I have to tell her what it is! Ughh this is the hard part of parenting. I told her she can see them when she is older, and that is working so far.  So is my daughter going to go Trick Or Treating? I would like to avoid it this year, since my youngest is too small to understand much. However, will I be able to get away with it this year, probably not we shall see.

The idea of having your children go knocking on strangers doors in this day and age just seams wrong to me.  Maybe its because I live in this crazy big city of Los Angeles, where Halloween can bring out the freak in the already freaks.  For kids its just fun to dress up and get candy. I loved filling my pillow case with candy as a child, but back then, we left safe staying in well light neighborhoods, with neighbors we used to know. These days most people don't even know there neighbors on there same street anymore. However, I love Halloween, and so I think next year, I am going to start having Halloween Parties and throwing them at home for family and with kid friendly activities, keeping the begging off the streets for my preschoolers...guess I am just a overprotective mom, and that's okay with me.

Glasses, Contacts, or Lasik?

On Friday I will be undergoing Lasik Eye Surgery!  It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time, but I am looking forward to, no longer having to wear my glasses.  I have been a contact wearer, 12+ years, and glasses since elementary school before that, due to nearsightedness. I barely wore them before college, mostly just a quick on and off to see the board or for driving of course! Glasses have always been a nuisance for me, falling off, or giving me headaches.  I have been interested in the surgery since college, but I heard that I should wait until after I am done having children.  So this fall is my luck chance.  They told me I had to get rid of my contacts and wear just my glasses for three weeks before my surgery, and I have not enjoyed it!  I feel so disoriented and for the first three days of wearing my glasses I had severe headaches and did not drive at all. Of course I had to give up my glasses the same day my back went out, so you can guess I have not been the happiest mommy around! My husband was nice enough to drive my daughter to school and pick her up for a few days. Since then I have gotten more used to my glasses and have even driven long distance in them without much trouble.  Somethings I just cant get used to though, is wearing them daily.  Just this morning I somehow, managed to close the fridge and the door actually hit my glasses!  The lenses are constantly dirty, and my kids keep grabbing them since they too are not used to me wearing them.  I also think its strange to have frames constantly in my line of sight.  Last week I realized my glasses were too lose, as they kept falling down my nose, and my husband reminded me of my constantly pushing them back up. So I went to Target, yes that's where I got my fabulously stylish Vogue glasses, and they adjusted them for free. I left feeling great and ready to face another two weeks of glasses before my surgery.  Unfortunately, the next morning I put them on, and they felt just a loose as ever. Just yesterday I was washing something in the sink looking down, and whoops, there went my glasses right in the soapy water!

Although I am able to rant on and on about my glasses I have enjoyed my contacts in the past, and miss them.  Sure a few times my kids have poked me just right in the eye and my contacts have popped right out, but for the most part I had no complaints.  The funniest thing you've probably ever seen is me trying to find the lost contact without being able to see it of course! Oh, anyway, now on to the surgery.  Its just a few days away, and I thought I would be more nervous about it by now, but I am not.  I have watched all the videos online the from UCLA Eye Center and talked to many friends and family who have had it.  One person described the actual surgery to feel as if a fish is sucking on your eye ball. Now doesn't that sound wonderful, at least is only lasts 5-10 seconds! I am excited to see the clock at night from the bed, and to see my kids better in the middle of the night when they call for me.  So here goes nothing and I hope to be glasses and contact free on Friday well, at least until I need bifocals.

Lasik Surgery Day: Bye Bye Glasses

My Review of Crayola Color Wonder Disney Glitter Coloring Sets - Disney Fairies Tinker Bell

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Mess Free Color Wonder Glitter markers enhance the already magical experience in this coloring set. Color your favorite Disney Princesses anywhere, anytime! Set includes 2 Color Wonder Glitter Stampers, a 24-page Coloring Pad and 4 Color Wonder Mini-Markers.

From its earliest beginnings,...

Crayola Color Wonder Disney Glitter Coloring Sets - Disney Fairies Tinker Bell

Good idea, bad product in reality

By Glitter mess, and frustration from Los Angeles, CA on 10/18/2010

 

1out of 5

Pros: Character Likable

Cons: Glitter doesnt color well, Messy

Describe Yourself: Child Care Provider

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: Yes

My mom purchased this for my daughter, a princess herself. My four year old was very exited to color Tink and her friends, but found the glitter impossible to color with the markers. I even tried and your can color it (shade it really) if you use the marker on the side and press really lightly. This is NOT a good product. Glitter gets everywhere even on the markers and pages DON'T color well at all. Please don't bother the other non-glitter pages a much better buy.

(legalese)

No Green Thumb

My Bougainvillea Now

My Bougainvillea is back from the dead! I thought for sure I had killed it. My husband and I went shopping for some plants to spruce up the balcony of our old apartment.  It had a pretty sad view facing the side of another building and a small sky and city view.  We never had had plants before, and I worried I would not be able to take care of them, but most of all I worried the kids would get into them.
 

The Old View

I picked a bougainvillea plant because I love how they bloom all year round in California.  Bougainvillea are everywhere and very bright, come in many colors, pretty to look at, and don’t need much water.  However, my adorable husband brought home a pot for it that had no holes in it for drainage. My knowledge of flowers comes from the gardening I did as a kid, which was at a house and in the ground.  I didn’t even think to check for holes in the bottom, I just repotted it. I made a huge mess, but I was proud of myself, and my plant did very well for a little while.  I left a sense of accomplishment, I could be a plant person.  It looked great, I wanted more, but my husband said lets see how this one goes.  Then someone gave us two ficus trees, which of course I have had no problems with!  The balcony soon became bearable and I started taking the kids out there again.  It changed the way the apartment looked when you were inside you could see green and pink, and we were happier.  Sadly, the leaves began to fall off my bougainvillea, even though the flowers continued to bloom.  I was concerned and looked up online how to care for bougainvillea’s and found I should only water them every other day or so if they are potted.  I changed my watering from everyday to every other day and yet the leaves still did not return.

Old View With Plants; Bougainvillea (with no leaves)

Then we moved to a new apartment, with a larger balcony and a wonderful city view, I noticed something. My bougainvillea plant smelled really bad, and it was so heavy it took two of us to barely lift it up!!! Then we realized the pot was not just full of dirt, but was full of water as well.  I had unknowingly rotted out my soil for my plant.  So when we moved it was my chance to prove to myself that I could keep a plant alive and healthy!  I picked out a pretty blue pot and made sure it had both drainage holes and a try to catch some water. I replanted it with new potting soil, watered it every other day. I also fed it with some Miracle Grow plant food, which The Home Depot garden center had assured me would help revive my plant in no time at all. Time it did take and lots of it. Soon I had a problem that was completely opposite from the previous problem I had with my plant. It began to have no flowers and tons of green healthy leaves. I was sad, but as time went by I hoped it would begin to bloom the beautiful magenta flowers.  This summer came and went and still no flowers, I began to lose all hope. I had failed at getting my favorite plant to bloom again.  Until last week, I saw a few buds on my plant. I was so excited!  My faith returned that perhaps I had a green thumb underneath it all.  Today my plant is getting back to where it was when I bought it and it is once again beautiful, healthy, and bringing color to our balcony. There is hope for green thumb mommy after all.

Baby Curl Blues

I cut my second daughters hair for the first time, and my husband couldn’t be sadder to see those baby locks go.  She is 15 months old now, and it was time she got a trim, the girl has so much beautiful curly dark hair! Its a cute cut and I took her and her older sister when it was time for school pictures. I convinced the hairdresser to trim my babies locks.  She stayed fairly still, but didn't want to wear the cape, so we did with out and just gave her a bath afterwords at home. The hairdresser was smart enough to give her a box of hair clips to her to play with (with Mommy supervision of course). Charlotte soon noticed the clips were little hats, which even I didn't notice until she started signing 'hat' while the nice lady is trying to trim her hair! I take them to Kids Kut's on Wilshire and my oldest daughter, Jasmine, loves it there. They have kids movies playing on a big TV for them to zone out to, while they cut the hair as they sit in these cute lifted cars. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, so I only had my blackberry phone, and the camera is mediocre at best, so this was the only picture that turned out okay.

I was so proud of myself taking both girls after school and with out any melt downs (by any of us) got both girls hair trimmed and home in time for afternoon nap.  Much to my surprise, when I got home, my husband was sad to see I cut Charlotte's hair, but thought Jasmine looked super cute. I was so shocked since I made sure I was there the whole time, and told her what to do, so a disaster didn't occur. I know the bangs are shorter then I would have done...but they probably did that knowing I wouldn't be back for a while. I started to get offended, and then I remembered how I felt when my husband came home one day all proud that he had taken Jasmine for a haircut with out me.  That day I was the one who felt sad, that she had bangs when I had been growing them out, and there were way too many and too short! I guess the parent that doesn't go maybe just feels left out some how, or for me especially, out of control. Hair grows back, we know this, but isn't it funny how much hair can change your look, and how you and other people feel about it? Hair is so much a part of our identity, is it frizzy, straight, curly, thin, thick, gray?  It makes us feel out of control and we want to control our hair and tell it to be what we want it to be.  Que sera, que sera. I still think my girls are cute no matter what!

Supermommy

One day at the grocery store I was just trying to get in and out of the store without a child melt down, and to do so, I move fairly quickly through the store.  Time is the enemy in the store, then begging begins and whining and then soon Jasmine has to go potty, etc. The rest of the trip was a blur and I don't even know the details, but I do remember that as I am checking out of the grocery store my checker has no one to help bag my groceries.  So, I begin packing them myself, and when I am almost done a young guy arrived and offered to help me. I said, as I am bagging the last bag or so, that its alright. He then said to me, "Ok, I see the big "S" on your chest", as he laughed and backed away!  I took a step back and looked at the young guy, and then at my full grocery cart, and my kids ready to go home, and was a little offended but, I needed to get home.  Later it occurred to me that I am not a Supermommy, though I had been trying hard to be one.

What is a 'Supermommy'? Well to me, its the kind of mom who can balance everything.  When my first daughter was born, I had the hardest most sleep deprived 4 months of my life. Jasmine cried so much, I even began to call her the "difficult" baby.  After that things started getting easier and by her first birthday I thought I could do it all and be Supermommy. Although I didn't go back to work, being ready for all that could happen with my new little girl was my job.  I was prepared for everything with my diaper bag full of back-up plans and Just-In-Case's, all created based on my previous experiences with Jasmine.  When my second girl was born everything was thrown into a whirlwind again. My second daughter was a much happier baby though, and became my "easy" baby, after a few months of sleepless nights.  While I was pregnant with both children, I was very forgetful, and for some reason with my second child the forgetfulness has at times, stuck with me. I still try to be prepared and have my Supermommy diaper bag. It is a backpack diaper bag that my wonderfully thoughtful husband bought me for my birthday when he noticed me spending months trying to find the 'perfect' one.  I am still thrown by what I forget some days! I have been on overnight trips and discovered I packed no baby wipes, or so low on diaper cream I had to buy more right away.  No big deal, we travel in the US so drugstores are everywhere, but it makes me feel bad when I forget things.

If being a stay at home mommy is my job, I am not always at my best. My boss, would have pulled me into their office for a meeting many times, if I had one!  Oh wait, my husband has pulled me aside a few times and told me to relax! I somehow managed to injure my back this weekend, and now I feel I can not do my job the way I would like to.  I want to be everywhere, doing everything, but my back pain hinders me.  After a few days of having my husband take Jasmine to preschool, I have liked the extra time I have not driving back and forth. I have even thought it would be nice if I could have more days where I am not the only one trying to meet every need of the kids, when I am feeling better. I could have more time for me, and get more accomplished for the family, and not just the kids. I have realized in the last few weeks I give everything to my kids and family and do not leave much for me.  How can I be a Supermommy and give myself the care I need to not go hurting my back from constantly carrying my one year old around? Maybe someday I will get back to a Superme, until then maybe its okay for just my kids to think I am a super mom.

Dogs or Cats?

Call me crazy, but I think I, yes me, not a dog person, got a little used to have a good dog around. I had Andre put her picture on the properties new website last night and sure enough someone called to claim the dog this morning. Funny how the owner just called this morning...didn't they know the dog was gone all night? We put posters with pictures all over the property, I felt bad for the little dog.  I will have one sad little preschooler when she gets home from school and finds no dog.  The dog was actually very good, and quite. She barked a few times overnight, but not too bad, considering she is in a new place.  When we all got up, she didn't make much noise, but Jasmine let her out of the bathroom and played with her. Then I gave it breakfast, more beef stroganoff, and I made Andre take her for a walk, and Jasmine went along too of course.  As Andre went to take her for the walk I reminded him to take a bag with him just in case, and the look on his face was priceless.  It dawned on him that the dog might do its business and he would have to pick it up! I realized I kind of missed the dog while it was on its walk. When they returned I told Andre if no one claims it today, we are going to have to do something, and no we are not keeping it, no matter how cute and well behaved it is.  Then Andre looked at me and said, "You have to pick up its poop!" I soon remembered who I was talking to and knew Andre was on my side. Charlotte was adorable, copying the constantly sniffing dog, with her own sniff, sniffs, it was too cute! 

I've been told, thanks to my friends on Facebook, its a French Bulldog. Turns out the dog lived in the building and belonged to a resident who had a 8 year old daughter, which explains why she is good with kids, she is used to being around them.  Also, its name was not Sniffer, her name is JJ, and the owner didn't have the dog listed on her lease! Oh no! Free pet rent for a few months, and now she is in trouble with the Property Manager, my husband! Maybe that's why they didn't call until today, who knows. Jasmine, however was sure hoping to keep this cute little dog. So even though I woke up and came downstairs to the smell of dog, looking at its picture now, I am smiling and thinking how cute she is! Has the world gone topsy? No, I think I still am just the same city girl, who thinks dogs are happier in homes, and not our apartment.  I have often wondered how people in cities are able to keep their dogs happy.  Do dogs like going up and down elevators at all hours of the day to do its business hoping it finds a good patch of grass? I have seen my neighbors that own dogs in ways I have never seen my non-dog owner neighbors.  In pajamas, hair messy, bag in hand, to take their dog out for their morning or late night walk no matter the weather. Is it so different to clean up a dogs poop much different then changing my babies diapers? I guess people just get used to the unpleasant things since probably love their dogs the way I love my kids.  Well owning a dog right now, is definitely not for me, maybe someday a cat...once Charlotte is out of a crib.

Lost Doggie...

A lost dog is staying in my apartment. I am not a dog person, and had to check the internet to try to determine the dogs breed. I am told it is a French Bulldog. My husband brought the lost dog home, just after bath-time, and at my youngest daughters bedtime. Up roar as you can image from my usual bedtime routine. Jasmine, my oldest daughter, who loves dogs couldn't have been more excited to 'pretend' it was her dog and to name it. She called it Sniffer, since it was smelling the whole apartment for new smells.  Then we all noticed she was looking for food, and eating all the food my kids had dropped that day, and she changed the name to Beggar.  My husband fed it some of our beef stroganoff dinner, and here I am, dog sitting.  I was hoping the dog would be home by now, I am not a dog person, I am or used to be, a cat person, before I had kids.  I don't mind other peoples dogs, but don't want one of my own, and this is now reaffirmed with my current house guest.

My husband and Jasmine took her for a walk, then I let her stay inside since she is very calm and good around the kids. After an hour I noticed a smell, and figured out she had done her business on the balcony, well at least it wasn't inside! After that, I thought perhaps I shouldn't trust my carpet with this dog, and put her out on the balcony and closed the door.  However, she barked after a few minutes looking inside to come in.  I checked online and it said bulldogs are good with kids and not outdoor dogs, I said I am not a dog person!  So I let her in and she just licked her paws nonstop.  Once she stopped and looked at me, the way my parents dog does when she wants to get up on the couch and relax, hoping for some petting.  So I thought, she needs a doggie bed, so I took a blanket and folded it up for her and she went right on it and went to sleep several minutes later.  I am beginning to think this dog is very well behaved and is kind of cute too.  She was disturbed after a while because there was barking on the TV! I never would have thought a TV dog would upset a real dog. Then she tried to settle back down on the blanket, but other dogs outside were barking. I started thinking this maybe a long night, and where is this dog going to sleep? If I put her in the bathroom, with a blanket and water, will she bark at night? How will she sleep in a new place, so far she hardly seems to care she is not in her home! I hope my husband is taking her for a walk when she needs one tomorrow morning, because Mama is not doing it!

Haircuts, Cowlicks, & Pigtails

My 14 month old girl has so much hair and has since birth; I’ve heard every joke about it from Don King to Elvis to Donald Trump. I have been able to put clips in her hair since she was 2 months old, and by 7 months old I added headbands and not just because they were cute! By 8 months I had to give those baby locks a trim! Way to young to go to a salon, I have been giving her mommy "haircuts".  My second was born with so much hair it was amazing, since my oldest daughter was born with hardly any hair at all so it was a funny surprise. Now I am wondering, when I should take her in to get her first hair cut at a salon?

Charlotte at 1 Month Old

Jasmine at 1 Month Old

The first time I cut Jasmine's hair at a hair dresser just for kids was when she was 16 months old and it was really just a trim to keep her hair out of her eyes, she has 3 or 4 cowlicks, or crowns which made her hair go everywhere!  I had to look up how old she was today; since I found myself thinking last night just how crazy it is how many times I've had to trim Charlotte's bangs. When I found out I was having a girl, with my oldest daughter, I dreamed of doing her hair in cute bow clips and pigtails. However, that was just not to be for at least a year with Jasmine.  I remember that first hair cut with Jasmine was awful! They gave her the kind of bangs I had as a kid. You know the ear to ear, really heavy bangs. Ugh! I cried, it was not a good experience, but thankfully her hair grew back. Also I learned to speak up and, didn't let my husband take my daughter to get her haircut with out giving him very specific instructions on what NOT to let them do!

AHHH!!!  Jasmine at 16 Months 1st Salon Cut

With Jasmine I was finally able to give her the smallest pigtails ever at 17 months old. Charlotte’s first pigtails were when she was, 8 months old, so I decided it was time to give her short bangs when her hair was always in her face, and looking messy unless pulled back. No one I spoke with wanted me to do it, since bangs can be such a mistake on some people, and then they take forever to grow back out. So, at first I trimmed off the ends of her hair to get rid of the baby frail hairs. But, as her hair got longer, thicker and began to curl at the ends it got harder to trim anything other then just her bangs.  I would trim her bangs a little and then see how it looked once the hair dried and she would only let me cut a few times before getting too upset to continue checking and measuring.  Then I would notice the next day that I didn't cut enough. Fearing I would do what that first hair dresser did to Jasmine on her first haircut I still didn't cut much each time.  It took days for me to get it right where it was no longer in her eyes, but boy did she look so cute.  We all loved the bangs even though they are a bit curly in places it still looks better with her hair and her face. 

Charlotte's Pigtails & Bangs @ 1 yr old

I have obviously had a hard time getting her to sit still long enough for me to even comb her hair and get ready to cut before she moves and pulls the hair right out of my hands. I am no cosmetologist, warning; no training what so ever here! So as strange as it may sound, I trim her hair while she is in the bathtub!  My oldest daughter usually is playing and keeping her busy as they bathe and Charlotte is still sitting in a bath-seat. You all know by now, shocker, I am a bit over protective with my kids, but it seams like she just can’t sit still in the tub without getting hurt, so when she bathes with her rambunctious older sister, she goes in the seat.  The last thing I need is her knocking out another precious baby tooth!  It’s easier to wash her hair in the bath-seat anyhow, since she is not very good at putting her head back, and not falling right over. When she is sitting in the bath seat though, I can usually trim her hair fairly well. It may look unprofessional and sort of like a three ring circus, but it gets the job done well enough for now, plus I only trim them about once a month.  I am not sure if she would sit still long enough to go to a salon. I really don't want another hair disaster on our hands when Pumpkin patch and Halloween pictures are just around the corner. I am thinking of taking them both together to the salon and see what she thinks when her older sister gets a trim and if the stylist thinks she will sit still long enough for a all over trim. Wish me luck!

Much love,

Bonnie

Domestically Challenged

Well yesterday was just an average day of getting Jasmine off to preschool and picking her back up and lunch and naps, but then dinner time came. Let me just get it out now; I am what I like to call Domestically Challenged. Some people may be great at doing things that are part of the stay at home mom job description. For example, vacuuming, dishes, laundry, cooking, and other cleaning and household activities. For me, these things have become a big drag. I actually like doing laundry, so laundry is not as daunting as some of the other things.  I do like to keep things organized and roughly where they are supposed to be.  Well since I have two little girls I would rather be with then do many things, top on my list of course is cleaning the house.  I grew up in a house that was clean almost all the time, but I also grew up dreading doing my chores most of the time.  Well, unless I was in the mood with Cyndi or Madonna, blasting.  Maybe that’s why I am so careless about my apartment now, unless my husband is frustrated with the look of the house, or people are coming over it deep cleaning just doesn’t get done period.  In my mind I see my house looking fantastic, so when people are coming over I tend to, big surprise, panic the day before and become a cleaning freak. I know I am not the only one!  I have never been able to make my place look the way I want it to in my mind, but I have come to terms with that at this point in my life in small children.  I do love to clean and clean out when I am mad though, I may throw a fit, but if not I keep it inside and run around throwing things out and scrubbing down the stove.

Dusting and cleaning my kitchen are the worst things I don’t do often enough, so last night as I am making dinner. I am using the stove and I begin to notice a burning smell, just like when your toaster starts needed to be cleaned out. After seeing nothing in my pasta boiling, I look at the toaster I am not using, that I actually just clean out yesterday to make sure it’s not on, nope, not on. The kids distract me from the faint smell and I am with them a few minutes, and then I smell it again, getting stronger. Gosh what is it, I just can’t let it go, and I am searching the kitchen and stove high and low. I bend down to get eye level with the stove to see maybe something is on the stove top that is burning in the flame, no nothing! Now I am really curious so then I look up from underneath the pot I am using and I see it. The underside of the handle of the pot is burning. BURNING?! What the heck, how does that happen, now that is not SAFE!  Just then smoke is coming from the handle, and part the black plastic handle is now glowing red and white like an ember. I turn off the stove, make sure the kids are out of the kitchen, and warn them to stay out until I say it is ok to come in. I transfer the pasta to a new pot to continue cooking, on a different burner just to be safe.  Then as I put the pot in the sink to run it under water, the handle makes a hissing sound as the plastic goes out.  All I can think is how in the heck does the handle of a kitchen pot burn? How old is this pot?! I know this pot is one I inherited when my husband and I married; it has no brand or markings on it what so ever. Are you kidding me, this has got to be one of the weirdest things to happen that just never occurred to me could ever happen.

Luckily my super sensitive smoke alarms did not go off, since I turned on the stove vent before I even found the problem. All I need now is the fire department to come and see that I have a pot so cheep and so old it catches on fire!  Now as you can see then pot looks like your average pot, and it has a good inch of metal connecting the pot to the plastic handle. My burner was not even as large as the bottom of the pot, weird. I guess when its time for a pot to go, it goes. I do like my other pans better that have glass lids so you can see in away and they have a little air hole too. So in the trash it goes, but I sure didn’t think I would be dealing with these kinds of problems when I pictured my perfect life as a gourmet chef mom in L.A.!

Love to all,

Bonnie

Toothless...

One of the most recent insane things that happened to my family was when my 14 month old lost her first baby tooth in a weird accident.  When family members kept asking me for the run down on what exactly happened how did Charlotte lose her tooth, I wrote this and started thinking maybe I should be writing a blog about my crazy life with these girls!!! So here it goes…

One day I had just stepped into the shower and of course Charlotte cried for me, so Andre lifted her up so she could see me better, and yes she put her mouth on the top of the shower door.  I told her no mouth, then Andre went to take her down, and the screams came next, and then the blood!  I freaked out, of course, and even Andre did a little when I handed him a wet rag to put on her lip (I figured she somehow cut her lip), and he pulled it away to show me and realized the tooth was sticking out of her mouth and then was in his hand. I am yelling at him, "OH MY GOD ANDRE, OH MY GOD HER TOOTH, and SHE IS BLEEDING! OH MY GOD, We need to go to the ER, NOW, Right NOW! LET’S GO!”

I am shaking but try hard to calm down some when I see my husband face, and my older daughter running to hide in her room.  I went to get a popsicle to help stop the bleeding and to distract Charlotte from the chaos, and suddenly she is FINE!  I decided the ER was probably no longer necessary and called our dentist (he's family). As my husband calmly takes his shower and gets ready to leave, I am anxious and impatient.  The Dentist said if had stopped bleeding there is really not much to do but make sure it came out all in one piece...which it did and heals correctly.

35 minutes in L.A. traffic to the other side of town, and all I can think about is how she won't have her first baby tooth for years until the adult tooth comes in later. Will it affect her speech, will it be harder to eat, will she need braces, and will she be teased?  All the while can't cry, though I really want to.  I am sitting in backseat with the girls, to hold my daughters hand and be supportive, yes my husband is driving, since I am a wreck...not fully showered. Yet both girls are laughing and playing, so I realize I am the only one who needs support!!

The Dentist said it was a fairly clean pull, went forward a little so she may be sore for awhile, back to applesauce, and softer! Great, I just got used to her having two teeth, and ready for the tops to come in as well, now back to one. Most likely it will heal just fine, but her adult tooth "bulb" (makes the tooth grow and come out), may have been damaged and only time will tell or an X-ray later on, if it was damaged enough to keep her adult tooth from ever forming and coming in. He said if she was a model, she could have a fake put in, but he's never seen it at her age, and they do not recommend it since it is glued in and you run the risk of infections and of her possibly swallowing it!

Charlotte was really fine after that, and her mouth is almost completely healed and it’s been almost two weeks since the accident. Charlotte got the most upset when I told her she could not have crackers! (She is eating them now though) We go back in 6 months for a check up...and that's it!  It took a few days for my heart to heal, yes I cried for 2 or 3 days, but talking to family helped and after that my stomach stopped lurching every time she smiled and it started to make me smile too again. I am not sure looking back, why it affected me so much, but it emotionally I was all over the map. You try to guard and protect you kids from so many things and then something so random and unreal happens and I felt out of control completely, and that I had failed as a mother. 

Well life just gets hard sometimes, but now, her first top tooth is already breaking through the gums. Life doesn’t stop for you to deal, it just keeps going.

Lots of love to all,

Bonnie

Charlotte shows off her mouth at the Dentist

Introduction

My name is Bonnie, but most of the time I go by Mommy.  I am a stay at home mom, with two beautiful girls, and a loving husband. Originally I am from Colorado, yet I currently live on the Westside of Los Angeles. I used to be single and work driven, and then I moved to Los Angeles to find more opportunities. What I found instead surprised me more then it may have even surprised my own parents. I was working at a college, which led me to a new area, which in turn sent me looking for an apartment.  The bonus I got in finding a new apartment was meeting the man I married. I fell head over heals in love with a man from with a dreamy accent, originally from Moscow, Russia.  Yes, me, I got married, something that was not in my plans for many years. Sometimes, you just find your plans just don’t work out the way to thought they would.  It happens to the best of us, and then your realize you new plan is even better then you could have planned for.

I am trying to stay sane while being at home with two young children and a husband who works hard with often long days.  Living in a messy, but fabulous apartment, with one room filled with toys, is far from perfect. I like things a certain way, I can admit that I have strong obsessive and controlling tendencies, which doesn’t really mix with my girls.  I want make this little life of ours not just more organized but happy as well. I used to think I could handle almost anything, but all that seems to go out the window with my family. I love my family more than anything in the world, but at times I have seem to have lost me-time along they way.  I used to keep journals most of my life that have always helped me deal with my days. I am now using the web to share my stories of humor, and just plan craziness that motherhood as brought into my life.