Oo has been complaining of stomachaches multiple times a day since August. Adrian and I have been at our wits end over it because we don't know whether or not to take her seriously. Sounds cruel?? You have to know Oo to understand. She has a penchant for drama and control, and the stomachaches have a tendency to occur when there's something that she wants to get out of doing.
Well, last week she began to be more descriptive about her pains, and what she was describing to me sounded a lot like acid reflux. So, off to the doctor we went.
Oo was sensitive to lactose and soy in her first year, so lactose intolerance is a strong possibility. However, since the stomachaches don't always coincide with the consumption of dairy, the pediatrician's office has decided to test her for lactose and fructose intolerance as well as celiac disease (sensitivity to gluten). Our exploration includes a visit with a pediatric GI specialist but it begins with taking samples... of her poop. Let me clarify that. It begins with ME taking samples of her poop. Feel free to gag. I do.
I need to get three days of samples before I can turn them in to the pediatrician to be tested. I won't disgust you with the details of the collection process, but Oo watched me do it this afternoon, and her response was appropriately, "Ewwww! Gross! Yuck! Are you actually going to... ewwwww!"
Always thinking ahead (perhaps too far ahead sometimes), I responded, "Yep, it's disgusting... really disgusting. But mommies have to do disgusting things like this for their kids sometimes." My hope is that when she's a teenager I can remind her of this day... during "The Talk."
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Quotables
Ever since Oo began talking, Adrian and I have diligently written down any goofy gem that the kids have said that we think is worth remembering. To capture as many quotes from them as possible, we grab the first slip of paper we can find, write down the date and the setting/situation, and then the quote verbatim. All of these slips of paper are then thrown into a designated box to be read at a later date.
We've never gone back to read through the quotes. We're waiting for a special occasion to do so. One thing's for sure... when they're all grown up, I'm going to compile their quotes into a book for each of them. Considering the doozies that Oo and T have uttered, it should be a good read!
Doing a little cleaning today, I came across a stack of quotes that have not yet made it into the box, which I lovingly keep on a shelf in my closet. They're not the most hilarious things that the kids have said, but I wanted to share them before they are shut away for years to come.
T - 9.12.10
(out of the clear blue) "Hippos have nice feet, and lions' feet are scratchy. And we don't have to tickle them."
Oo - 9.18.10
(watching the final round of a dog show on TV, very nervous and excited...) "Who's it going to be? Who's it going to be?" (then chanting before the announcement was made...) "Poo-dle. Poo-dle. Poo-dle. Poo-dle."
T - 9.20.10
(During a dinner of Chinese takeout, T talks about a book he wants to check out of the library, "Prehistoric Actual Size." After dinner, he gets a fortune cookie and cracks it open.)
T: What's this say?
Adrian: It says, "People rise to your expectations."
T: No, no, no, let me see. (he takes the paper) It says, "You... hafta... get... that... book... from... the... library!"
(The next day we went to the library and checked out the book — both versions of his fortune came true!)
T - 10.27.10
(3-year-old logic)
T: Mom, I can't eat that yucky banana.
Me: Why is it yucky?
T: Because I might sneeze on it.
We've never gone back to read through the quotes. We're waiting for a special occasion to do so. One thing's for sure... when they're all grown up, I'm going to compile their quotes into a book for each of them. Considering the doozies that Oo and T have uttered, it should be a good read!
Doing a little cleaning today, I came across a stack of quotes that have not yet made it into the box, which I lovingly keep on a shelf in my closet. They're not the most hilarious things that the kids have said, but I wanted to share them before they are shut away for years to come.
T - 9.12.10
(out of the clear blue) "Hippos have nice feet, and lions' feet are scratchy. And we don't have to tickle them."
Oo - 9.18.10
(watching the final round of a dog show on TV, very nervous and excited...) "Who's it going to be? Who's it going to be?" (then chanting before the announcement was made...) "Poo-dle. Poo-dle. Poo-dle. Poo-dle."
T - 9.20.10
(During a dinner of Chinese takeout, T talks about a book he wants to check out of the library, "Prehistoric Actual Size." After dinner, he gets a fortune cookie and cracks it open.)
T: What's this say?
Adrian: It says, "People rise to your expectations."
T: No, no, no, let me see. (he takes the paper) It says, "You... hafta... get... that... book... from... the... library!"
(The next day we went to the library and checked out the book — both versions of his fortune came true!)
T - 10.27.10
(3-year-old logic)
T: Mom, I can't eat that yucky banana.
Me: Why is it yucky?
T: Because I might sneeze on it.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Super Green Creamy Dreamy Pasta
This year I've been learning how to cook. Learning?!? Just this year?!? Yes, Adrian has always done all of the cooking... he insisted. Prior to his current job, there were occasions when I would attempt to cook something, but the results were either a disaster or would distress the refined palate of our household's primary food critic. However, when he is out of town, I am free to experiment a bit. That said, I still need to appease the shorter critics in the house — the shortest of which is quite picky.
Despite having had a year to work on this whole cooking thing, my recipe repertoire is still quite small. Other than the obvious, easy-peasy dishes, such as tacos or spaghetti and meatballs (frozen meatballs, not homemade), I've mastered meatloaf and Cheez-It chicken (sounds weird, but it's sooo delish). That's it. Just those two dishes. But not only do the critics here sing their praises, the short ones actually clear their plates, which is such a very rare occurrence in our house.
This week, Oo has been begging and begging to cook something. And so, with the primary critic away on business, it was safe to try something new. Following a recipe from Bean Appetit, a cookbook of fun, healthy recipes for kids, we made a pasta dish and gave it fun new name — Super Green Creamy Dreamy Pasta. We started by making a spinach pesto, which we mixed with cream cheese and milk and heated on the stove. We then stirred our sauce into a pot of spinach fusilli. Voila! So easy, the kids loved it, and Oo's urge to cook was satisfied. And I loved that it tricked Oo into consuming dairy and T into eating a veggie other than carrots or corn! As for Adrian, I think he will enjoy it too if I stir in a little proscuitto.
Here's a picture of Oo proudly showing off her delicious creation:
One more picture before I sign off. This morning I set up some train tracks at T's request, including a tunnel made from blocks that T always uses as the Time Tunnel from his favorite show, Dinosaur Train. I then took some pictures of T playing with a train because he's just so darn cute. T took a look at the pictures and decided that they weren't good enough ("too dark" or not good because he wasn't looking at the camera). He insisted that I take more pictures, each of which he scrutinized carefully. Below is a shot that passed inspection:
Well, so much for writing a shorter post. Perhaps next time I can reel it in a bit.
Despite having had a year to work on this whole cooking thing, my recipe repertoire is still quite small. Other than the obvious, easy-peasy dishes, such as tacos or spaghetti and meatballs (frozen meatballs, not homemade), I've mastered meatloaf and Cheez-It chicken (sounds weird, but it's sooo delish). That's it. Just those two dishes. But not only do the critics here sing their praises, the short ones actually clear their plates, which is such a very rare occurrence in our house.
This week, Oo has been begging and begging to cook something. And so, with the primary critic away on business, it was safe to try something new. Following a recipe from Bean Appetit, a cookbook of fun, healthy recipes for kids, we made a pasta dish and gave it fun new name — Super Green Creamy Dreamy Pasta. We started by making a spinach pesto, which we mixed with cream cheese and milk and heated on the stove. We then stirred our sauce into a pot of spinach fusilli. Voila! So easy, the kids loved it, and Oo's urge to cook was satisfied. And I loved that it tricked Oo into consuming dairy and T into eating a veggie other than carrots or corn! As for Adrian, I think he will enjoy it too if I stir in a little proscuitto.
Here's a picture of Oo proudly showing off her delicious creation:
One more picture before I sign off. This morning I set up some train tracks at T's request, including a tunnel made from blocks that T always uses as the Time Tunnel from his favorite show, Dinosaur Train. I then took some pictures of T playing with a train because he's just so darn cute. T took a look at the pictures and decided that they weren't good enough ("too dark" or not good because he wasn't looking at the camera). He insisted that I take more pictures, each of which he scrutinized carefully. Below is a shot that passed inspection:
Well, so much for writing a shorter post. Perhaps next time I can reel it in a bit.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Blogettes
Having Oo in kindergarten is like adding a part-time job to my life. You'd think that with one less kid to care for during the day, I would have some extra time to get things done around here. You'd think that, but it has certainly not panned out that way.
Oo attends a community school, which is essentially a charter school that requires families to volunteer their time to the school. Why? Basically, the state provides HALF of the funding per student to her school that would be provided were she in a traditional public school ($5,700 vs. $10,200). There is no tuition at Oo's school, so to make up the difference in the funds needed to run the school, families are required to volunteer 10 hours a month. We can volunteer for anything, and I mean anything! From working in the library or the lunchroom to serving on the legal or marketing teams. One can help install new playground equipment and storm windows, maintain the computer lab, or write grant requests. There is no shortage of interesting opportunities to help.
(There are also a lot of fundraisers. But I HATE asking people to buy things — so I don't. However, if you ever need any magazines or subscription renewals, let me know and I can give you a web link and a code number so that Oo's school gets a cut. I also will gladly accept any Box Tops for Education or Campbell's Labels for Education. And if you shop at Giant Eagle, I can give you a web link to register your Giant Eagle card so that the school earns points for everything you purchase. There. That's my fundraising schpeel. Oo's school is an amazing place, filled with bright, fun kids who are served well by the unique environment this school provides — please keep us in mind.)
Okay, so you're thinking, "Ten hours a month? How does that equate to having a part-time job?" Well, the school has a shortage of parents who are available to help out at lunch time, so I usually put in more than my 10 hours. Also, there's the commute time to school. What should be a 15-minute drive one way, has been a 30- to 40-minute drive one way thanks to a major road resurfacing project. Take a different road? No can do. There are only a few ways to drive over the Metropark valley; any detour will take just as long as creeping slowly past the orange barrels. And on days that I volunteer (usually twice a week), we're making that drive six times a day.
Then there's homework. Homework in kindergarten?? Yep, Oo's school has an accelerated program (which is why we chose this school), so she has handwriting, math and reading homework every night. Oo resists doing everything I tell her to do (and she's pooped out from a full day at school), so homework time tends to be a long drawn-out process. I'm hoping for her sake and mine that we soon figure out a speedier (and less painful) way to do the work so that she has more time to play in the evening.
With school being a BIG adjustment for Oo, we've decided to forgo any activities (such as more swim lessons) until she adjusts. T, on the other hand, is craving new challenges and ways to occupy his time without Oo to entertain him. He's currently enrolled in a music class at an arts center on our side of town, and attends library storytime every week. When we're not out and about, he's attached to my hip. I don't get much housework done this way, but we've been able to use this one-on-one time to read together and work on some preschool skills. And as I suspected would happen, his verbal skills took a HUGE leap forward once Oo wasn't around to do all the talking.
Also not around as much is Adrian. A few months ago, he received a wonderful promotion. We're so happy with the new work he's doing — he's well-suited for it and is more satisfied because of it. There's a catch though. He's out of town a lot, and the kids and I are on our own two to three nights during the week. Faux single-parenting is a lot of work. I can't imagine doing the real thing!
The past few months were also jam packed with a large proofreading project, planning our block party, various visits from out-of-towners, and some out-of-town visiting of our own. And now we're heading into birthday and holiday season. Oy! I've recently accepted that life never slows down, it only gets busier. I've also learned that the busyness is worth it, and that it's important to keep that in mind.
And so... taking our new busyness into consideration (and planning for its inevitable increase), I've decided that if I'm going to keep blogging — which I LOVE (and have missed) doing! — it's going to have to be in a different format for a while... call it a blogette, if you will.
I hereby commit to more blog posts. But the posts will be much shorter, such as a single photo with a caption, a quote from one of the kids, or a short story. That way, I can keep you folks in touch with the kids' goings-on (and I can do a little bragging about my favorite little people).
The hard part for me is going to be keeping the posts brief. I do so like to describe every little detail. Take this post for example. I could have just said, "We've been busy, and we'll probably get busier. My posts will be shorter." I could have said that, but I'm just so darn verbose. Wish me luck blogetting!
And as long as I'm logged on, I simply must share...
The kids LOVED Halloween. They got lots of candy, but Oo lost most of hers in her first-ever candy swap with friends. (I have a lot to teach her, but perhaps her Aunt Meanie would be a better instructor — she always knew how to trick me out of my best candy!) Oo dressed as a dog, but thanks to a sudden, large growth spurt, her costume was uncomfortably tight — Oo was so sore by the end of the night. T dressed as the Cat in the Hat. After Halloween, he wore the hat all day, EVERY day, and everywhere we went. He even stored toys in it while he was wearing it (because the Cat always has something to pull out of his hat). The hat wearing, however, came to an abrupt end this past Saturday when he got sick. His fever was simply too high to allow him to wear a big, felt hat. The fever's gone now, but he hasn't put the hat back on. It may be because his sinuses are jam packed and his head hurts. Time will tell.
One more pic... Adrian carved a Lionel Richie pumpkin this year. :)
Oo attends a community school, which is essentially a charter school that requires families to volunteer their time to the school. Why? Basically, the state provides HALF of the funding per student to her school that would be provided were she in a traditional public school ($5,700 vs. $10,200). There is no tuition at Oo's school, so to make up the difference in the funds needed to run the school, families are required to volunteer 10 hours a month. We can volunteer for anything, and I mean anything! From working in the library or the lunchroom to serving on the legal or marketing teams. One can help install new playground equipment and storm windows, maintain the computer lab, or write grant requests. There is no shortage of interesting opportunities to help.
(There are also a lot of fundraisers. But I HATE asking people to buy things — so I don't. However, if you ever need any magazines or subscription renewals, let me know and I can give you a web link and a code number so that Oo's school gets a cut. I also will gladly accept any Box Tops for Education or Campbell's Labels for Education. And if you shop at Giant Eagle, I can give you a web link to register your Giant Eagle card so that the school earns points for everything you purchase. There. That's my fundraising schpeel. Oo's school is an amazing place, filled with bright, fun kids who are served well by the unique environment this school provides — please keep us in mind.)
Okay, so you're thinking, "Ten hours a month? How does that equate to having a part-time job?" Well, the school has a shortage of parents who are available to help out at lunch time, so I usually put in more than my 10 hours. Also, there's the commute time to school. What should be a 15-minute drive one way, has been a 30- to 40-minute drive one way thanks to a major road resurfacing project. Take a different road? No can do. There are only a few ways to drive over the Metropark valley; any detour will take just as long as creeping slowly past the orange barrels. And on days that I volunteer (usually twice a week), we're making that drive six times a day.
Then there's homework. Homework in kindergarten?? Yep, Oo's school has an accelerated program (which is why we chose this school), so she has handwriting, math and reading homework every night. Oo resists doing everything I tell her to do (and she's pooped out from a full day at school), so homework time tends to be a long drawn-out process. I'm hoping for her sake and mine that we soon figure out a speedier (and less painful) way to do the work so that she has more time to play in the evening.
With school being a BIG adjustment for Oo, we've decided to forgo any activities (such as more swim lessons) until she adjusts. T, on the other hand, is craving new challenges and ways to occupy his time without Oo to entertain him. He's currently enrolled in a music class at an arts center on our side of town, and attends library storytime every week. When we're not out and about, he's attached to my hip. I don't get much housework done this way, but we've been able to use this one-on-one time to read together and work on some preschool skills. And as I suspected would happen, his verbal skills took a HUGE leap forward once Oo wasn't around to do all the talking.
Also not around as much is Adrian. A few months ago, he received a wonderful promotion. We're so happy with the new work he's doing — he's well-suited for it and is more satisfied because of it. There's a catch though. He's out of town a lot, and the kids and I are on our own two to three nights during the week. Faux single-parenting is a lot of work. I can't imagine doing the real thing!
The past few months were also jam packed with a large proofreading project, planning our block party, various visits from out-of-towners, and some out-of-town visiting of our own. And now we're heading into birthday and holiday season. Oy! I've recently accepted that life never slows down, it only gets busier. I've also learned that the busyness is worth it, and that it's important to keep that in mind.
And so... taking our new busyness into consideration (and planning for its inevitable increase), I've decided that if I'm going to keep blogging — which I LOVE (and have missed) doing! — it's going to have to be in a different format for a while... call it a blogette, if you will.
I hereby commit to more blog posts. But the posts will be much shorter, such as a single photo with a caption, a quote from one of the kids, or a short story. That way, I can keep you folks in touch with the kids' goings-on (and I can do a little bragging about my favorite little people).
The hard part for me is going to be keeping the posts brief. I do so like to describe every little detail. Take this post for example. I could have just said, "We've been busy, and we'll probably get busier. My posts will be shorter." I could have said that, but I'm just so darn verbose. Wish me luck blogetting!
And as long as I'm logged on, I simply must share...
The kids LOVED Halloween. They got lots of candy, but Oo lost most of hers in her first-ever candy swap with friends. (I have a lot to teach her, but perhaps her Aunt Meanie would be a better instructor — she always knew how to trick me out of my best candy!) Oo dressed as a dog, but thanks to a sudden, large growth spurt, her costume was uncomfortably tight — Oo was so sore by the end of the night. T dressed as the Cat in the Hat. After Halloween, he wore the hat all day, EVERY day, and everywhere we went. He even stored toys in it while he was wearing it (because the Cat always has something to pull out of his hat). The hat wearing, however, came to an abrupt end this past Saturday when he got sick. His fever was simply too high to allow him to wear a big, felt hat. The fever's gone now, but he hasn't put the hat back on. It may be because his sinuses are jam packed and his head hurts. Time will tell.
One more pic... Adrian carved a Lionel Richie pumpkin this year. :)
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