Go Visit Project 365--Dinner Edition

I'm still trying to figure out how to balance my two blogs. My other blog is supposed to just be pictures and what's for dinner. Nothing too wordy or deep or philosophical. ('Cause you know how deep and philosophical I can be!) But many nights, I start blogging over there about the picture I took or about that night's dinner, and it turns into something that I would normally blog about over here. Should I put the same post on both blogs? Cut the other blog short and bring the meat over here? Just keep one blog? This problem seems to ebb and flow, so I have yet to actually come up with a "solution." In the meantime, I thought for today, I would direct my readers here to the other blog to read my thoughts on my Project 365 venture. It's been a huge success in helping me answer the "What's for Dinner" question, and for helping to de-stress my evenings. I haven't been focusing much time on the photography end of things, but now that dinner planning/production is getting easier, maybe I will find time for the photography. Since starting that blog and hearing from many of you, I've also been able to give myself a little pat on the back for getting dinner on the table almost every night, for relying less and less on processed foods, and for forgoing fast food and carry out. I still have a long way to go, but at this point, I think I have something I can be proud of.

So, mosey on over there and check it out. (Even though this blog entry is now longer than that entry. Geeze!)

Playlist

I am thankful to say that we have finally moved away from listening to "kiddie" songs during our long commutes to and from work. Since I got Ed the iPod Touch for Christmas with an iTunes gift card, he has been introducing the boys to lots of different great music, which made me wonder why I haven't been forcing them to listen introducing them to my own music preferences. At any rate, here's our current playlist:

Party in the U.S.A. (Miley Cyrus)
Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)
Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
Good Riddance/Time of your Life (Green Day)
At Last (Etta James)
Bubbly (Colbie Caillat)
Life is a Highway (Cars Soundtrack--Rascal Flats)
Real Gone (Cars Soundtrack--Cheryl Crow)
I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)
Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Hey, Soul Sister (Train)
Who Says (John Mayer)
My Life (Billy Joel)
She's Always a Woman (Billy Joel)
I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
I'll Be There (Jackson 5)
ABC (Jackson 5)
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Elton John)
100 Years (Five for Fighting)
The Weight (Marty Staples Singers)
These Are Days (10,000 Maniacs)

I'm planning on adding some more Michael Jackson. Ed mixes in some Beatles. William likes Mary Chapin Carpenter. At any rate, it's nice to be listening to normal music again. And it's a riot to hear William and Seth singing the words. Seth especially likes Sweet Caroline. (Hands . . . touching hands . . . reaching out . . . touching me . . . touching youuuuuuuu . . . Sweet Caroline dun-dun-dun . . . ). And I crack up when William sings, "Who says you can't get stoned." (That's from John Mayer--"Who Says." Great song if you haven't heard it.) I'm looking forward to expanding their musical horizons even more! (And no making fun of the playlist!)

I Know Better

I almost wrote a post about the possibility that after 4 years of continual viruses, bacterial infections, and wheezing, William's immune system might finally be kicking in. But then I thought twice. Because I know that when you say such things OUT LOUD, especially when you blog such things to the whole world, it will come back to bite you in the ass. Yes, William got over the bug he had on Sunday very quickly. (He was fine all day Monday and back at school today.) And yes, he's off the Pulmicort and has not been sick at all this April. And yes, even the last year has been way, way better than the first two.

But . . . BUT . . . we are not out of the woods yet. The dreaded summer cold is out there, looming. He has yet to catch strep, and I would not be at all surprised if he wakes up tomorrow with a runny nose. Such is the way of the world. So I will NOT write a post about how much better this year has been. About how hopeful I am that he has outgrown the wheezing. About how much his immune system should ROCK after his first 3 years in daycare. Because I know better. I definitely know better.

Menu Plan Monday -- April 26

 This will be an easy week that doesn't involve a lot of recipes. (I have learned to save new recipes for the weekend.) I'm also attempting to use things up before they go bad. This includes tortillas, cilantro, an avocado, salsa, and potato salad. For the quesadillas, I'll mix in some salsa that we need to finish, along with the cilantro. I'd like to use canned black beans, but I never use the whole can, and it ends up going bad. Can you freeze canned beans? For the spaghetti, I have some frozen meat sauce in the freezer that I'll probably combine with some jar sauce.

Sunday: Leftover Smorgasbord

Monday: Breaded chicken tenders, green beans, potato salad (I love the flavor of Progresso Italian style breadcrumbs, but it would be healthier to make my own, plus I could use up bread that I freeze before going bad. Tonight, I'll probably use Progresso, but in the future, I'll try the recipe I'm posting below.)

Tuesday: Spice-rubbed salmon, avocado salsa, broccoli, dinner rolls (trying to use up an avocado and cilantro)

Wednesday: Cheese and black bean quesadillas

Thursday: Spaghetti and garlic bread

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Camping! (Hopefully) Not sure what's on the menu yet. Maybe grilled steak and roasted potatoes. Or maybe just hamburgers and hot dogs. We'll play it by ear.

----------------------------------

PROGRESSO ITALIAN-STYLE BREAD CRUMBS

1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sugar
dash oregano

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

-----------------------------------

For more menu plans and recipes, visit OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Weekend Recap: The Good and the Not So Good

Seth's party was awesome! Having my mom there was pure genius. My stress level going into the party was close to nil, even though it had been a pretty busy week. I managed to do everything I wanted to do, and I didn't have to stay up all night to do it. I stayed up late, mind you, but not all night. Mom did all the shopping on Friday. I decorated the cake Friday night and then did some simple cleaning--decluttered, dusted, cleaned bathrooms, spot cleaned the kitchen floor. Saturday morning, we were all up early. The boys played in the basement while I finished cleaning. Ed vacuumed and got the kids picnic table ready. Then he took William to go pick up sandwiches, balloons, and ice. I showered, cleaned our bedroom, and got things set up, with help from my mom. We cleaned up the playroom and then waited for the guests to arrive.

Since it was drizzling outside off and on, we had an inside party. Seven of Seth's friends descended on the basement, with parents in tow, of course. It's times like that when I'm glad we have an overabundance of toys. It worked out great. I got to stay downstairs and chat with all the parents while my mom and Ed's parents made mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets for the kids and set everything up for lunch. We moved upstairs a little before noon and everyone ate. Then we cleared the plates and cups away and sang "Happy Birthday" to Seth. Except Seth wasn't real keen on doing the whole cake thing. So William filled in for him and happily blew out the candles.

I was having such a good time talking with all the guests that I only managed two pictures

William, right after he blew out the candles.

And Seth, while William was blowing out the candles:

After the guests left, Seth took a two-hour nap, Ed took William to his parents', and Mom and I cleaned up. I even got to take a little nap myself. All in all, it was a great day.

Sunday wasn't too bad, either. We went to IHOP for breakfast. The boys didn't eat very much, but they were pretty good. Then we went to Target to look for sleeping bags and camping gear. I decided that we would skip swim class, mostly because I didn't feel like swimming. I had a headache all day, and William was acting pretty tired. So we went home. William started acting really tired, so I took him upstairs and read him several books and told him he needed to take a nap. This hasn't actually worked in about 6 months--he never falls asleep, he talks and plays and makes noise the whole time, and it's not worth risking Seth waking up, so I don't even try to enforce "quiet time." But today, William actually fell asleep and slept for two hours. That was clue number one.

When he woke up, he wasn't grumpy. But he said his tummy hurt. I thought he was probably hungry, but he didn't want to eat anything. Clue number two. He was in a good mood, though, so we played outside. I took a bunch of pictures.

Then Mom and I took both boys to the grocery store. William sat in the cart the whole time. Clue number three. When we got home, William said his tummy hurt again. Ed was holding him, sitting on the chair in the living room. As I walked out to get groceries from the car, I told Ed, "You better watch out. He's going to throw up on you." When I walked back in, William was in the bathroom and Ed was standing with a look of disgust on his face. He said, "Your boy just threw up on me." I took William's temperature and it was 101.5. Poor guy! He was acting fine, though. He said, "I'm okay, Mommy. I just threw up and now I feel better." He sat on the couch and watched Star Wars and then took a bath with Seth and did the normal bedtime routine. At bedtime, I could tell he wasn't feeling great, and he fell asleep right away. So we'll see what the night brings. Ed will stay home with him tomorrow. I can only hope the rest of us don't get sick, and that the bug is short-lived.

So that was our weekend, the good and the not so good. I wish William wasn't sick, but I can't complain!

Happy Birthday Seth!

Dear Seth,
Today you turn 2 years old, and I can hardly believe that so much time has passed. You have grown so much in the past year, and you continue to bring so much joy, laughter, and fun to Daddy, William, and me. You are loud and stubborn and defiant, but you are also the sweetest and most affectionate little boy, and you bring a smile to the face of everyone around you.

You are very independent and like to do things "by self," as you say it. You are talking up a storm and you patiently repeat yourself when Mommy doesn't quite understand what you're saying. You like to make sure you are understood! You are great at remembering things, and lately, you have started asking, "What's that?" when you want to know what something is. You can count to 10 and sing the ABC song. You know other songs, too, and you even sing along to "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. You love books, and you especially love Elmo books. But you also love classics like Goodnight Moon, Snuggle Puppy, and Oops!

You love to play outside--in the sandbox, with balls, with bubbles. You love to climb and you have no fear of falling or hurting yourself. When we're inside, you play with your kitchen (you like it when I let you play with dried pasta, but I almost always have to take it away because you start throwing it around), your ride-on car, and you dabble in all of the toys. You don't have any clear favorites. You love to help Mommy in the kitchen, and you love to play at the sink.

You also love to play with William. You adore him, but you don't take any you-know-what from him, that's for sure. You guys love to make each other giggle, and even though it's hard, you do a great job of sharing toys with him and taking turns. I've been so impressed with how willing you are to work things out. You are quick to resist at first, but your bark is definitely bigger than your bite. You and William have been playing together more and more lately, and it's been so great to watch a friendship develop between you two.

Your personality has emerged and developed so much in the last year. You are confident and sweet and loving. You are also tough and silly and quick to laugh. You have completed our family in a way that we never anticipated, and we are so lucky to have you around. As much as I want to slow time down so I can savor you just as your are, I also can't wait to see what the next year will bring. We hope that you will experience joy and learning and confidence and peace, and that you will always feel loved and comforted and content.  We hope that today is a special day. We want to celebrate all that you are, and all that are yet to be. We love you with all that we are!

Mommy and Daddy

One year ago, today:

July 2009:

October 2009:

January 2010:

April 2010:

"Oink-Oink"

William's class performance was adorable. The kids waited in the hall while the parents gathered in the classroom. Once we were all settled, the kids filed in one by one and took their places in a semicircle on the "stage" (the carpeted area of their classroom). When William walked in, he didn't see us at first. Ed was able to get away from work to watch the show, and William had no idea he was coming. So when he did spot us, his eyes got wide and he grinned ear-to-ear and couldn't stop grinning.

Then the kids started singing. Except for William. At first he just looked around with a smile frozen on his face. Then he started oinking. Like a pig. While all the other kids sang, my kid oinked. And not just quietly. It was loud. And he thought it was hysterical. That's our boy!

I guess it was his version of stage fright. I know he knew the song, because he sang it for us the night before. I think he was just shocked to see Ed there, and a little overwhelmed by the sight of all the parents. I can't really blame him. I got stage fright, too.So my kid oinked while the other kids sang and then recited a poem. All the parents clapped, and then we had tea sandwiches and ice cream sundaes.The best part for William was that he got to go home early with Daddy. He and Ed got Seth from his class, and they went home while I went back to work.

We've asked William a few times why he oinked during the performance. He just goes all silly and I think he gets a little embarrassed. Poor guy! I hope he isn't always the kid who goofs off during a performance out of sheer embarrassment or fear. There's always one. Most parents think it's funny. (But they're glad it's not their kid.) Some parents think it's annoying. (And they're glad it's not their kid.) I guess it's a good thing I've always thought it was funny and sweet.

(William's the one in the middle.)

Buttons

William has this thing about buttons. The thing is, he will not wear anything with buttons. Sometimes, he will wear pants with a button closure, but that is rare. As for shirts, no button-downs, no henleys, no polos. It makes it kind of hard to dress him up. Today, his class is having a special performance for the parents, and the kids are supposed to wear their "Sunday best." So guess who was running around at 9:00 p.m. last night, looking for Sunday best clothes for her son who refuses to wear buttons? That's right. Me.

I went to Target first (I also needed to pick up birthday presents for Seth, whose birthday is in TWO DAYS!) but found nothing. I guess after Easter, no one buys "Sunday best" clothes anymore. So then I went to Kohls. They had polos, so I thought MAYBE William would consent to a shirt with only two buttons. I also found a clearance outfit with a sweater vest, button-down shirt, and pants. I didn't need the button-down or pants, but the vest was cute, and since it was clearance, I went ahead and bought the outfit.

This morning, I showed William the vest and shirt. At first, he refused to wear it. But then I offered to remove the buttons from the polo shirt. Voila--problem solved. He's wearing the polo and vest with khaki pants (elastic-waist, with velcro-closed cargo pockets). And he looks pretty darn handsome. Hopefully I'll get a picture during his performance. If I do, I'll come back and post it. I had wanted to take a picture of him this morning, but I thought I better not push my luck!

Menu Plan Monday -- April 19

Last week's menu plan bore little resemblance to what we actually ate, but it all worked out fine in the end. I'm starting this week's plan from Saturday, since that's when I planned it. And I'm still working on using up things from the freezer.

Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas

Sunday: Pork Schnitzel, asparagus, dinner rolls

Monday: Sirloin steak, boiled new potatoes, salad

Tuesday: Salmon, green beans, roasted potatoes

Wednesday: Tacos (using some frozen taco-seasoned beef from the freezer)

Thursday: SETH'S BIRTHDAY! I'll probably make mac-n-cheese and broccoli for the boys. My mom is coming in town that day, so she might pick something up for us. Otherwise, the adults will scrounge.

Friday: Homemade calzones or pizza

Saturday: Dinner out

Two exciting things happened this weekend. First, I brought reusable bags to the grocery store and USED THEM! Although it's shameful, this is a first for me. I even remembered to put them back in the car after I unloaded the groceries. But then I forgot to take them into Target with me this afternoon. But that's okay. You gotta start somewhere.

The second is that I joined in with Food Waste Friday (on Saturday) sponsored by The Frugal Girl. Check out my Project365--Dinner Edition blog each week to see how much food I'm wasting (i.e. how much money I'm throwing in the garbage can and down the sink). I'm hoping that blogging about it will motivate me to do a better job at using up what we have.

For more great menu ideas, check out OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Too Many Thoughts to Be Coherent

I guess this calls for randomness.

Seth will be 2 years old on Thursday. TWO YEARS OLD! And William be FOUR YEARS OLD in 27 days. Not sure what birthday presents we're getting for the boys yet. William is really into space, Star Wars, and of course, big trucks. And Seth--poor Seth. We have all the toys he could ever need. He's not obsessed with anything in particular. So I have no idea what to get him. I'm thinking a ride-on toy for outside. I guess we better hurry and make up our minds.

We've been working on overnight potty training with William, with no success. Out of the last five nights, he stayed dry one night. I'm not too worried, but I'll be asking the pediatrician about it at his 4-year well visit. I've read that some parents wake their kids up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, but that sounds horrible to me. He can just wear pull-ups, thank you very much.I've also read there is a part of the brain that is responsible for waking you up when you need to use the bathroom, and it develops later for some kids. Of course I'm worried that William will be a bed wetter, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. (I think I was a bed-wetter until I was about 6 or so.)

We've also taken William off of Pulmicort (his asthma medication), so we'll see what happens. He's been on Pulmicort for about 2 years because for a while, every time he got a cold, he'd end up wheezing. This past year, on the Pulmicort, he has only wheezed once. So we're going to see if his lungs have developed enough that he won't need medication anymore.

We are entering the season of plans-every-weekend. This weekend is a friend's birthday party, next weekend is Seth's birthday party, the following weekend, we hope to take the boys camping, the next weekend is the Truck Touch, a local high school reunion, and Mother's Day, the next weekend is William's birthday party, and the weekend after that is my annual Girls' Weekend. Whew! I'm tired already.

I'm super excited to try camping with the boys. We live near a big lake that has car camping spots, in addition to mini golf, a kids' train and carousel, an ice cream shop, lake trails, and boat rentals. The best part is that it's about 15 minutes from our house. So if the outing is a flop, we can just go home. Hopefully, the boys will love it, though, and we'll have lots of camping trips in our future to look forward to.

I have a list of things I want to do with the boys this summer. This list includes grow tomatoes, visit the Baltimore Aquarium, go see a minor league baseball game, go to the beach, and go to Sesame Place in PA (and visit Megan and Joanna). I'd like to try to fit in a trip to Florida (could combine that with the beach) but I'm not sure that finances will allow for that. We'll see! Hopefully it will be a fun, fun summer.

What a Difference Six Months Makes

The boys' school has picture day twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Since Seth was an infant, he has freaked out whenever they try to take his photo. The huge lights and reflectors and "stage" and photographer have scared the crap out of him. A year ago spring and this past fall, I went over to the school during picture time in the hopes that me being there would calm him down. He calmed down enough to have his picture taken, but not enough to smile. He did smile big in the fall picture taken of him with William. I was standing right there, and the photographer went through great lengths to get the boys laughing. It was a cute picture.

Yesterday was the spring picture day. I headed over to the Center as usual to be there for Seth's picture. I needn't have bothered, though. After Seth watched one of his classmates get his picture taken, Seth shouted, "My turn! My turn!" He practically mowed his teacher down trying to get to the picture stage. He smiled and laughed and shouted, "Cheese!" I don't think he cared one bit that I was there. After he was done, I got William from his classroom and they took their picture together, both smiling the sweetest smiles. Looks like I may be spending a lot of money in picture packages this time around!

Menu Plan Monday -- April 12

Last week, I had a meal plan (even though I didn't post it), but we ended up not following it. It all worked out fine, though. This week, I am trying to clean out the freezer and pantry, in my continuing effort to save money on groceries. As I've been cutting coupons and scoping out the best deals, I realized that every day, I waste a LOT of food, which is basically money in the trash can and down the drain. It's appalling! One of our problems is that Ed and I are not great about eating leftovers. And while I try pretty hard to just make what we're going to eat that night (unless I specifically plan to repurpose leftovers), that doesn't always work. I also forget about things that are in the freezer, so I recently did an inventory, and this week's menu focuses on trying to use up what we have. And I'm also committing to making a huge effort towards not wasting food. With that in mind, here's this week's menu:

Monday: Leftover grilled chicken, green beans, corn on the cob (for the boys), leftover salad (trying to finish it up so it won't go to waste)

Tuesday: Chinese beef broccoli with rice

Wednesday: Omelet made easy (with ham that's been in the freezer for a while, and leftover broccoli from Tuesday night). I'm not sure if William will eat this, so I'll offer plain ham and broccoli if he doesn't.

Thursday: Cilantro lime chicken with avocado salsa. I'll be making this with chicken thighs from the freezer. I'll have to get to the store for cilantro and avocados. And neither of the boys like avocado, so I'll make a different veggie for them. And if I don't get to the store at all, I can make a lime-garlic-soy sauce marinade instead.

Friday: Ham and potato hash (trying to use of the rest of the ham from the freezer, and hashed brown potatoes, which have also been in the freezer for a while). I'll probably make pasta for the boys, to eat with the ham, because neither one of them like potatoes. I may change my mind and make a ham and potato chowder instead.And if I'm really ambitious, I'll set up the bread machine to make some homemade bread.

Saturday: Dinner out with Ed--dinner for kids TBD

Sunday: TBD--hopefully some kind of fish or seafood

Awesome Weekend

Our visit with Megan, Sam, Seren, and Wyeth was fantabulous. They could not have been nicer or less obtrusive guests. This was the second time I've seen Megan and Sam (and Seren, too), but it truly felt like we were old friends. I felt so comfortable with them that I didn't worry one bit that my house was only marginally fit for company. Megan and Sam are so down to earth and are such warm and thoughtful people. It was pleasure spending time with their family this weekend.

They arrived on Friday afternoon and we met up at our house when the boys and I got home from work. We had picked up pizza, so after the kids played together for a while, we corralled them into the kitchen to eat. We even managed to stay with our usual routines for the most part, getting all the kids to bed at the normal time-frame. Once the kids were asleep, we had a chance to chat before it was time for all of us to hit the hay.

On Saturday, the real fun began. We were out of the house by 8 a.m., all 8 of us packed into the minivan. (LOVE the 8-seater!)

Then it was off to downtown, to see the Cherry Blossom Parade.

We arrived early enough to get curb-side seats, but that meant lots of time kill before the start of the parade. Seth and Wyeth wasted no time diving into the mulch bed next to our spot on the curb.

Wyeth was serious about moving some dirt.

Then the parade began. Seth fell in love with Megan and Sam from the moment they arrived, so he spent lots of time cozying up to them both during the parade. (Notice Seth's hand on Megan's leg.)

There were Mustang cars, huge balloons, floats, horses, marching soldiers, lots of bands, clowns, unicyclers, beauty queens, Japanese dancers, jump-ropers, and more. Here's Elmo:

After the parade, we let the kids ride on the carousal by the Smithsonian castle.

Then we walked back towards our parking spot and stopped to eat a picnic lunch at the Taft Carillon. Seth crashed in the stroller for a while, while William played around the water fountain that surrounds the carillon.

I think we were home by 2:00. Seren and Wyeth took naps. My kids did not. But Megan graciously played with my kids, instead of napping with hers, which my kids, of course, loved. In the afternoon we headed outside to play and grill dinner. After eating dinner on our deck, we got all the kids down to sleep at their usual times again (pretty impressive!), and the adults got more time to chat on deck, with beer and wine in hand.

This morning, we finally got pictures of the kids, and one (just one!) of Megan and me. Of course, I had not showered, and William wasn't even out of his pajamas yet. But no matter. The visit was awesome, and all the kids did great. There weren't any meltdowns or issues until this morning, and even then, it was minor. I guess four-year-olds can only stand so much sharing and getting along. LOL!

I'm so glad Megan came, and I hope she and Sam were able to relax a little and enjoy the weekend. They were such gracious guests and we really enjoyed having their whole family. I can't wait to see them again. Thanks for everything Megan!

Company's Coming!

It looks like our weekend plans are going to work out. Megan and her family (Sam, Seren, and Wyeth) are coming to visit! I am super excited and can't wait to hang out with them and have our families get to know each other. Megan and I got together for lunch one day when she was in DC for business about two years ago. And William and I got to meet Sam and Seren during that trip. But as Megan said, that was two babies ago! So we all have a lot of catching up to do.

They should be arriving this afternoon. The plan for tonight is to get pizza and hang out. Tomorrow morning, we'll be braving the DC crowds for the annual Cherry Blossom Parade. After the parade, we're going to play it by ear. If we can get ourselves organized enough, we'll bring a picnic lunch and either hang out in DC and eat lunch there, or we may head back to Virginia to visit this awesome park. We'll just see how it goes. Our goal is just to hang out together and avoid stress as much as possible. So if the only thing we do is hang out at our house, that's fine, too. No pressure! Hopefully I will get at least a few pictures that I can post on Sunday.

In other news, William's class is taking a field trip to the Capitol today. I will not be tagging along, but I wish they could bring a Web cam along so I could watch them. He's excited because they plan to ride the subway car that goes from our office building to the Capitol. I bet that will be the highlight for most of the kids!

Operation Get Tough with Seth is not really happening, but he is sleeping better. He's only woken up once the last two nights, and both times, his pacifier had fallen to the floor so after I returned it to him, he went right back to sleep. At some point in the not-too-distant future, we'll force the pacifier issue. But it's not something I'm looking forward to.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Beth

Taking the Time

I think there's a general consensus among my blogging friends that we're all trying to live in the present more, trying to appreciate the small moments that happen every day, trying not to rush and wish our days away. With that in mind, I managed to make the most of a small moment this morning on our way to work. I needed to get gas, and while I normally would have made Seth and William stay in the car while I was filling 'er up, this morning, I freed both of them from their car seats and let them both "help." William likes to help me put the nozzle in the gas tank. Seth likes to push the buttons after I've swiped my card. This morning I even let William wash the car windows with the gas station's squeegee. It meant a few extra minutes of taking them out of and then putting them back into their car seats. But it also meant lots of smiles, no crying or whining, and a positive experience at the start of our day.

Of course, now I'm doomed because they're going to expect to get out of the car with me EVERY time I stop to get gas. But maybe that will teach me to take care of filling up the car either by myself once the boys are asleep, or when I'm not in a hurry. Regardless, it was worth it. Those extra minutes that I spend with the boys, even though they may be inconvenient or not part of my "plan," add up to a whole lot more than just time. It's a daily struggle, to be sure, not a destination but a journey. For today, at least, I feel successful.

Catching Up

A catch-up post is in order.

We had a great weekend with gorgeous weather. We dyed eggs on Saturday, did Easter baskets and egg hunt on Sunday morning, had Passover dinner with family on Sunday evening.

William got a splinter in the heel of his foot on Sunday evening, and the boy will. not. let. us. touch. his foot. He freaks like he freaks when he's going to get a shot. The splinter is in too deep to pull it out without really rooting around. We called the doc and they said to watch for infection, but if he can walk on it and it doesn't bother him, it should work its way out. We'll see.

I had the day off on Monday, so I took the boys to daycare and came home to clean and start tagging items for a consignment sale in a few weeks. Today it was back to work, back to routine.

Ed is studying for his Java certification, so he's been hogging the computer. I need a laptop.

Super Awesome Friends are possibly coming to visit this weekend. I say "possibly" because they have kids about the same age as William and Seth, and what are the chances that all 4 kids will be healthy enough to get together. Fingers crossed that it will all work out! I'm soooo excited, but don't want to jinx it, so I won't say any more.

Operation Get Tough begins again. Between stomach virus and coxsackie, the whole CIO effort flew out the window. But I'm committed to getting that child to sleep! (Poor Seth!)

That's all for now.

Just Call Me Dr. Hahn

I took Seth to the doctor's this morning, expecting him to have an ear infection. But his ears were perfectly clear. Then the doctor checked his throat, and it turned out that he had a lot of pus and blisters on his throat, so the doctor suspected strep. He took a culture and we waited for the results. The results, however, turned out negative. So back to square one. The doctor said it could be coxsackie, although his symptoms weren't consistent with Hand-Foot-Mouth disease. Basically, he has some kind of virus. We're supposed to keep him hydrated and give him Motrin or Tylenol for pain.

When I got home, I immediately looked up coxsackie on the Internet and I diagnosed Seth with Herpangina. It's almost textbook. I say almost, because his fever didn't last very long at all, and it's more common for the fever to last 2-3 days. And also, his appetite hasn't been too bad. But every kid is different, right? Last night, Seth slept very fitfully, but he didn't spike a fever again. I eventually brought him into bed with me. He woke up at 6:00 a.m., his bright and cheery self. He wasn't clingy or cranky at all, so I never would have guessed that his throat was an issue. Go figure. Anyway, he'll stay home with Ed tomorrow, although now that his fever is gone, technically, he can go back to school. But he's drooling a lot, and he has a lot of mouth blisters, so I think it's only fair that we keep him home.

Between the stomach virus and the coxsackie and all the other rhino-viruses circulating out there, it will be a miracle if William stays well.

Coupon Adventures

I spent a LOT of time this past weekend going through coupons and store circulars, trying to put together the best deals and seeing how I could save us some money. Our weekly grocery bill has crept over $100/week, and I'm feeling like I'm not taking advantage of the opportunities to save us some money. I mostly shop at Safeway using my club card. I'm pretty good at buying only things that are on sale with the Safeway card.  I'm not good at using coupons. First of all, manufacturers coupons are usually for items that I don't normally buy, or they're for processed foods that I should be avoiding anyway. So I save more money by not buying the items at all, versus buying them on sale, even with coupons. If there does happen to be a coupon for something I typically buy, I'll clip it, and then forget that I have it. If I manage to put it in my purse, I'll forget to use it at the grocery store. I can't tell you the number of times I've forgotten to use a coupon, even when I had it in my pocket, or better yet, in my hand. It's mind-numbing.

There are two services that do electronic coupons and load them onto your club card. This is awesome, except many of the items are for money off of TWO items, and since I don't have the coupons in front of me, I forget, and usually, I only buy what I need for the week. I'm trying to get better about this by looking at the electronic coupons when I make my list, and then writing the number of something I need on the list in order to use the coupons.

I have also tried going through the different store circulars, and figuring out which store has the most items that I need on sale. This is almost as time-consuming as going to three different stores to buy what's on sale. Time versus money--I always have to consider this as a full-time working mom. And I've been shopping at Safeway for so long that inevitably, when I do try a different store, they don't carry certain products that I consistently buy. Which is frustrating. And it usually ends up a wash anyway, which each of the stores having several items that I normally buy on sale, but none of them are ever clear winners in terms of saving money.

Also frustrating is the coupons themselves. Like most grocery stores these days, my Safeway doubles coupons (as do Shoppers Food, Harris Teeter, and Giant--sometimes). But this weekend, I figured out that most coupons are now for $1.00 off two items, which means they can't be doubled. (The doubles only apply to coupons up to $.99.) So, back to square one. This weekend I clipped coupons, checked out circulars, made lists for each of four stores, with the items I needed that were on sale, and what coupons I could use to save even more. It turned out that I didn't really have that much in the way of coupons. Harris Teeter had some good deals, and they were tripling coupons (they run specials where they triple from time to time), but the only coupon I could use for tripling was .$75 off of two Total cereals. If I bought two boxes (on sale 2/$6), it would come to $1.87 per box. I like raisin bran, so I would have gotten Total raisin bran, but Safeway had Kellogs raisin bran on sale for $1.88/box. So not worth it to go to a different store. 

Giant, however, is running a special where they'll double coupons that are $1.00 in value. They have four "doubler" coupons in the paper that you have to clip, and with each one, you can double 4 coupons. So in theory, you could double 16 $1.00 off coupons. After going through the circular for on-sale items, the one great deal that I could score there would be for ReddiWhip cans of whipped cream. I think they're normally $4 per can, maybe a little less. Giant has them on sale for 2 for $4. I have a $1.00 off two coupon, which could be doubled, giving me a final price of $1 per can. That's a deal that may be worth going to Giant for.

Harris Teeter had several things on sale that I have coupons for, and even though they wouldn't be tripled, but I could still use the coupons and save money. But Harris Teeter is not very close to my house, and not near anywhere that I usually go, so it would involve an extra trip, involving gas and time. Ugh. Also, lots of HT items are buy one, get one free (B1G1), but since I don't know what one item costs, it doesn't help much when I'm trying to comparison shop. Safeway lists their sale items as 2 for $price, so I know what the cost is. (With the "two for" items, you don't have to buy 2. One item is half the price.)

The one big deal I scored at Safeway was on Betty Crocker cake mixes. Safeway had them on sale for $.69 each when you buy 4. I had a coupon for $.75, which was doubled. I ended up with four cake mixes for $.31 each. Now, I didn't need any cake mix, and I certainly didn't need 4 boxes, but both boys are having a birthday coming up, and Ed loves cake, so they will be put to good use. 

What I'm hoping is that like menu-planning, "couponing" will become easier and less time-consuming with practice. If I build up a stockpile of coupons, maybe I will find that I can start saving money on my "regular" items. But of course, I'll have to remember to use them!

Menu Plan Monday -- March 29

Sunday: Turkey spaghetti with garlic bread and watermelon

Monday: Popcorn Shrimp, corn on the cob, watermelon

Tuesday: Beef, cheese, and noodle bake, garlic bread

Wednesday: Chinese chicken broccoli

Thursday: Free-for-all

Friday: Pepperoni calzones, fruit

Saturday: Pork schnitzel, asparagus, dinner rolls

For many more menu plans and menu planning tips, visit Organizing Junkie!

A Taste of Things to Come

Saturday was one of those vaguely planned days that turned into an awesome day. For starters, we all ran errands together as a family, which usually doesn't work out very well, but it did on Saturday. We got William's haircut first (and didn't have to wait at all). Then we headed to Home Depot, but we took a slight detour so Ed could get something to eat. While Ed ate, Seth and William and I browsed around a nearby Kaplan Learning Store. I love that store, and the boys do, too. They were having crafts, so William and Seth spent a few minutes (literally a few) making paper puppets. William and I read a book, Seth played with balls and with a cleaning set (brooms, mop, duster), we checked out every aisle. It turned into a really nice detour! After that, we hit Home Depot and loaded up on mulch and flowers. It was pretty crowded, but we were in and out quickly, and the boys even got to see the fork lift unloading big pallets of mulch. All in all, we really enjoyed the errands.

The best part of the day, though, was the afternoon. During Seth's nap, William and I headed outside to start planting the flowers we had bought that morning. It wasn't long before Seth woke up, and then both boys decided they wanted to play on the playground. We abandoned the flowers and ran into a few more neighborhood kids on the playground. Kylie (8) was there (one of the girls with whom William had played on Thursday), along with Elizabeth (7) and her brother Daniel (5). The four kids started playing together, so Seth and I went back to our house to continue planting. Ed was out by then raking and spreading the mulch. The playground is about 50 yards (I'm really bad at estimating distances, but it's not very far) from our house, so Ed and I let William play without our direct supervision. This was our taste of things to come. It was awesome! We could hear the kids laughing and shouting. When it got quiet, we'd go check on them. They eventually migrated off the playground and played on the pathway behind our house. Then William invited them to play on our back patio. They played in the sandbox and blew bubbles. Then they headed back to the playground.

Seth, meanwhile, wanted to stay close to Ed and me. He was determined to help Ed rake the leaves. Then he'd pick them up, one by one, and put them in the big trash bag. I was able to clean out all our pots and plant the flowers we had bough uninterrupted. It was glorious! William had such a great time with his "new friends." He has gotten more and more independent as he has gotten older, and while this is a natural, and somewhat obvious, progression, I wasn't sure that William would ever get there. At home, he always wants me around, often begging me to play with him. He rarely plays in the basement by himself, and if I go upstairs, within minutes, he's right there with me. So watching him play with other kids, independently, was so awesome. But of course, a little bittersweet. My baby is growing up and it won't be long before his world doesn't involve me quite so much. So for now, when I start getting frustrated with his neediness, I think twice. It's the same reason I let William climb into our bed in the early mornings and lie on top of me. And why I "rock-rock" with Seth in the wee hours of the morning. Because I know these days are numbered, and boy will I miss it when it's gone.

Not Such a Bad Sick Day

Seth is over his bug and we're all back at school and work today. I stayed home with the boys yesterday, to make sure Seth was better, and we had an okay day. I only lost my temper a few times with William. He's in a lovely phase where he likes to hear us repeat ourselves several times until he sees steam coming out of our ears, and then he'll follow our directions. It's making Ed and me crazy, but clearly, that's his objective.

In the morning, we went to Barnes and Noble and had a good time reading lots of books. Seth found a willing mom to read a book to him while I was reading a book to William. It was pretty cunning, really. First he started playing with a 1-year-old girl, doing peek-a-boo, and jumping and laughing. Then he tried handing a few books to the little girl, and then he handed the books to her mom and batted his eyes and flashed his devilish grin and sat down right next to her with his hands clasped together in his lap. What else could she do but read to him? She was very sweet.

After the book store, we went home for lunch and nap. And after nap, we finally played outside. I had hoped to go to Home Depot in the morning to buy some flowers for our front pots, but that just didn't happen. So we played outside. William latched on to our 8-year-old neighbor and one of her friends and followed them around like a little puppy dog. They were super sweet and played with him for a long time. (See my Project 365 blog for some cute pictures.) He loved every minute of it.

I even remembered to bring my camera outside to shoot pictures. I still haven't mastered the manual controls, though, so I played with the auto settings, now that I know a little bit more about them. There's a portrait setting which makes the background unfocused and the subject focused, and there's a panorama setting, which makes the foreground and the background equally focused. But when I'm in those modes, I can't see what the aperture and shutter speed settings are, so I don't really know what the camera is doing. But at least I have a better understanding of how different aperture settings make different pictures. I haven't gotten to metering or ISO yet, and clearly I have SO MUCH MORE to figure out. But I figure if I stick to it, slowly (really slowly) but surely, I'll get better. But for now, here are some of the pictures I took.

(This last one cracks me up. This is how Seth likes to play basketball, sitting in the chair right in front of the hoop. I guess he needs to get out more!)

Better?

Seth has not thrown up again since Monday night, and he didn't run a fever today. But he still has diarrhea, so we'll be staying home again tomorrow. He ate hardly anything today, so obviously, his stomach still isn't quite right. William still seems okay, so knock on wood that he stays that way. I wish we lived much closer to school so I could take him in instead of keeping him home with the germs. But such is life.

The weather is supposed to be really nice tomorrow, so I'm hoping to make a Home Depot run in the morning for bark mulch and maybe some new flowers, depending on what they have. Probably just pansies right now, but those will do. Anything would be better than the dead plants we currently have in our planters. If I'm going to take an annual day (since I'm out of sick leave), I want to make the most of it! Maybe I'll even bring the camera and take a few pictures.

Not so Great Ending to a Great Meal

Dinner went pretty well tonight. It cooked up quickly, Seth kept me company while I worked, William watched Benji while he did his nebulizer treatment, Ed got home just in time for us to all eat together, and the food was tasty. Seth, however, declined to eat anything again. Clearly something is going on with him. He had an okay day at daycare. He wasn't fussy or clingy, but was a lot more lethargic than usual. His teachers said he ate lunch, but on the ride home, he didn't drink his apple juice or eat any crackers, which is unusual. He wanted chocolate milk when we got home, so I gave him some, and held him while I made dinner.

During dinner, he didn't touch anything, and he didn't sit down with us.  But when it came time for dessert, he wanted an ice cream sandwich. I went ahead and gave him one, feeling bad for him that he's been feeling bad. Big mistake. Less than 5 minutes after eating it, he vomited all over himself and the floor. It wasn't pretty. (It never is!) But 15 minutes later, after getting cleaned up and taking a warm bath, he was playing and begging for more chocolate milk. I gave him some, although I'll probably regret that before too long. Please please please don't let the rest of us catch a stomach bug! We'll be staying home tomorrow. After the boys went to bed, I mopped the kitchen floor, and hopefully, I can prevent the boys from sharing sippy cups tomorrow. If school weren't so far away and traffic wasn't so atrocious, I'd take William to school in a heartbeat. But it really isn't worth the trouble. Hopefully, we'll have a good day. If not, there's always TV!

Menu Plan Monday -- March 22

I've been thinking a lot about my week-night dinner prep, looking back over the last few months and what we've been serving/eating, trying to figure out how to streamline things even more, yet maintain some sense of healthy, family eating. After hearing from many of you about what you're serving dinner, I felt much better about where we are. And I even felt a little proud for what I've been accomplishing. And I also realized that I need to cut myself a lot more slack. I want to continue to menu plan, and now that I've gotten in the habit of cooking one meal for everyone (with subs here and there, as needed), I don't plan on cooking separate meals for the boys and Ed and me. But I will work in a leftovers night, where I can plan on a quick, easy meal for the boys, and Ed and I can scrounge. And although I'll assign a day for this, I'll work my menus to be flexible enough to fit that night in anywhere. Some nights Ed has to work late. Some nights, traffic will be horrible. Some nights, I'll forget to thaw something in time. So flexibility is definitely the key.

This week, for example, the pepperoni calzones will take a bit of prep-ahead work, assuming I make the dough from scratch, which I plan to do. Just in case that doesn't work out, though, I have Grands biscuits that I know will work in a pinch. So we'll see what happens. I'm also not sure if the boys will like the chicken adobo, so they can have deli ham and cheese if that's the case. Anyway, just trying to make compromises to make it all a bit easier. So here's this week's menu:

Sunday: Sauteed scallops, angel hair pasta, asparagus, dinner rolls

Monday: Pork Piccata, wild rice, green beans/salad

Tuesday: Slow cooked chicken adobo, rice, broccoli

Wednesday: Leftovers, mac-n-cheese, maybe sandwiches

Thursday: Pepperoni calzones, fruit

Friday: Grilled steak, broccoli, dinner rolls

Saturday: TBD

For more great ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie!

Weekend Report

The great weather continues, and what a difference it makes! On Saturday, I took the boys to a park near Annapolis and met a friend and her kids. The kids played, we had a picnic lunch, they played some more, and then crashed on the way home. In the late afternoon, Ed and I took the boys to the park by the airport to watch the planes land. It was crazy crowded, but the boys still had a blast. We brought dinner with us, but the boys were too distracted to eat.

Today we mostly hung around the house. The boys played outside with Ed while I went to the grocery store. I met a friend for lunch, but when I got back, William and I took a long walk while Seth and Ed were off somewhere else. (William got to play in a skid steer loader that was parked in the pool parking lot. That made his day!) The boys played on the deck for a while, too, blowing bubbles and playing with William's firetruck that squirts water. My plan for the day was to clean all the bathrooms, but it took me all day (with lots of starts and stops) just to clean two. That's okay. I took these pictures from my bedroom window. Pretty funny.

So that was about it. I'm feeling a bit better about things after the weekend, but still a bit apprehensive about how to make the time after work more meaningful for everyone. I guess that's my ultimate issue--feeling like I'm not making the most of my time and letting small things overwhelm me. But I know, like everything, it's a work in progress. Good days, bad days; ebb and flow; yin and yang; yada yada yada. Well, maybe not yada yada yada, but you get my drift. Just hoping for a better week--that's all!

Target Fixes Everything

Nothing like a trip to Target to fix what ails you. William's class is having a picnic today, and parents were instructed to send the kids to school with a backpack, water bottle, and lunch. William already has a backpack (Lands End, with his initials), but it's a full-size one, so I thought we might be able to find a smaller one. I also needed a water bottle and wanted to find a lunch bag. So after school and work, we headed to Target. Target is one of William's favorite places, so he didn't even dawdle on the playground after school. We headed straight to the car as soon as I picked him up.

At Target, we found the backpacks first, and the first one he saw was a Star Wars backpack. That was it. It didn't matter that it was a full-size one and we already had a big one at home. It was a STAR WARS backpack. He was soooo excited about it that I couldn't say no. (I could have, but I didn't really want to.) Meanwhile, Seth spotted an Elmo backpack, and that was it for him. At least his was small.

After backpacks, we found the water bottles and lunch bags. Guess what lunch bag William picked out? You got it, Star Wars. He then spotted a Star Wars water bottle, but it was $14, so I drew the line at that. Instead we found a $3 water bottle that would work just fine. After we loaded up our cart, we headed to the toy section so the boys could play for a bit. While playing with the toys, William had a slight pee accident, and Seth pooped, so we headed out to the car to clean up. (I never carry the diaper bag anymore--guess maybe I should!) William wasn't done playing with the toys, though, and he really wanted to eat dinner at Target, so we headed back inside. We ate first (pizza, chicken nuggets, and popcorn--dinner of champions!) and then played a little more. We didn't get home until 8:00, but it didn't really matter. It was a really nice evening and the boys had fun and they behaved and it was a nice break from the norm.

As for my post yesterday, I just have to say that you guys ROCK! Not only did I get the empathy/sympathy that I needed, but I also got awesome advice and ideas. Sandwiches for dinner are a great idea, and something both kids will eat (for the most part). Also, giving the boys their own dinner one or two nights a week so that Ed and I can have a nice dinner after the boys go to bed is a great idea. I really like having family dinners, and the boys seem to behave better and eat more when we're all sitting down together. But there are plenty of nights when Ed works a little late anyway, so we could easily work that into a regular routine. As for the bath, I know the boys don't need a bath every night, but it's just become so routine that they expect it now and throw a fit when they don't have one. They really love bath time. But I have been skipping bath more often lately, so it's not as big of a deal. On the other hand, as the weather warms up and they spend a lot more time outside, they're going to start coming home filthy. And since they're both in daycare all day, I feel like the daily bath helps wash away the daycare germs. But still, frequent hand-washing will go much further in keeping those germs at bay! And a washcloth rub down can function just as well. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't think I can ever give up this blog. (Not that I was thinking I would.)  I would miss the interaction and support way too much!

Working It Out

I've been thinking about the "purpose" of my blog lately, about why I post and what I want to convey. First, I
consider this my kids' "baby books" so to speak, the place where I record milestones and photos and funny anecdotes about their lives growing up. Second, I see it as part memoir--something my kids and family can read to remember who I was and how we lived and what life was like. Third, I see it as a way to keep in touch with friends and family, to let them know what's going on in my life. I like the fact that it's unobtrusive--there if they're interested, but not forced down their throats. And fourth, it has become my way to interact and to connect with moms like me, to share experiences, seek advice, get empathy, and basically, to bond. I have met some amazing women through my blog, women who have become my friends in every sense of the word. I guess it's the '00's version of playgroups, but without the kids interrupting all the time! (What the heck do you call this decade, anyway? Or the decade that just passed, since it's 2010 now.)

So it sometimes feels like each post is directed at a different "audience" or is meant for a different purpose, and my blog is a bit, um, unfocused, disorganized. But I've since realized that my life is pretty unfocused and disorganized, so it suits me just fine. Ultimately, it's a pretty accurate reflection of who I am.

When I changed my blog name to Working It Out a while ago, I thought I would focus a lot of posts on how I balance (if there is such a thing) working full time outside the home with raising two kids and being a wife and daughter and friend. And I guess I do have many posts that reflect how I'm trying to work it all out, even if I'm not explicitly referring to that. But lately, I've been feeling like I haven't been working it out at all. I feel stuck in a cycle that I don't know how to break out of. We're not getting home until 6:00 p.m., and usually even later. We're barely getting out of the house by 7:30 a.m., which means traffic sucks and it takes an extra 10-15 minutes to get to school. I'm getting to work "late" almost every day. I'm giving all of my energy--both emotional and physical--to my kids and not to my husband, which is straining our marriage. Yet I feel resentful at the thought of having to "give more" to my husband, even though I want desperately to feel more connected to him.

I know that we could change some things to try to work out some more "balance." But every alternative has some kind of negative consequence. There's always a trade-off, and trying to prioritize and balance the "must-haves" with the "like-to haves,"--especially when those lists don't always mesh with your partners, is extremely challenging. There are no "right" answers, only what "works." And then what do you do when it stops working? Things are always changing. The boys will be in elementary school in the blink of an eye, and things might get better, or they might get worse. My employer might start allowing telecommuting or flexible scheduling, and that might make things better. Ed might get a promotion that requires him to work longer hours. I guess we'll cross those bridges when we get to them. But for now, how can I get a handle on our routine?

I think one of the biggest problems this week has been the time change. I know it's nice to have extended daylight in the evenings, but it's not like we actually gained an hour of daylight. We lost it on the morning end. Now I have to drag my butt out of bed when it's pitch black outside, and I HATE that. And I'm not falling asleep until closer to midnight, which sucks. And the kids are all whacked out. William has been having a really hard time falling asleep. And they're waking up cranky. Not to mention the fact that coming home with that much daylight just makes William want to play outside when we get home. So yeah, now I'm supposed to work playing outside into my routine of make dinner, eat dinner, do nebulizer, take baths, read stories, and go to bed--all in 1 and 1/2 hours. Why is DST such a good idea? I think it sucks and I don't want it anymore.

For now, I guess I need to work on the little things. Better prep the night before to streamline the mornings so we get out the door earlier. The earlier we get to school and I get to work, the earlier we can leave and get home. Now that the weather is nicer, I can meal plan for the grill more. And meal planning definitely helps, although I wish I wouldn't feel guilty for feeding my kids boxed mac-n-cheese and processed chicken nuggets, because those things go a long way into making dinner easier with the kids. But I do feel guilty and I do feel the need to do a better job feeding my kids. So I will keep up the meal planning, hoping that one day, it will be super-easy and not so mind-consuming. And I need to remember that everything is a phase--whether it's tough times or good times. This too shall pass. I need to keep the focus on enjoying my kids, experiencing things with them and letting life happen, and I need to focus on my husband and reconnecting on that level that we both need. And ultimately, I probably just need to get more sleep so I'll stop being so darn grouchy!

Two down, Thirty-six to Go

William had his second visit to the dentist today. With two down, I figure two visits per year until he's 21, and that leaves 36 more appointments to go. That's only regular cleanings, of course. Who knows how many more visits things like braces and wisdom teeth will bring. At any rate, William did so well during his visit. I was so proud of him! On his first visit, he got a little scared and I had to sit in the chair with him on top of me while the dentist examined his teeth. This time, he went right to the chair and climbed in. He answered all of the dentist's questions. And he held his mouth open and sat very still while the dentist examined and cleaned his teeth. When it was over, he said, "That was fun!" Then he waited so patiently while I had my teeth cleaned. At first he played with Legos. Then he just sat in his chair and watched me. The dental hygienist thought he was so cute. When we made our next appointments, I went ahead and made his first and mine second again, so that I could be with him during the visit. But I think after that, I can schedule our visits for the same time. I don't think he'll have any problems being in the room by himself.

Prior to the dentist appointments, I let William come to my office with me after we dropped Seth off at daycare. He watched Martha Speaks on my iPhone for a little while, and then doodled and wrote on some memo pads. He helped me make a cup of hot tea, and talked to a few of my co-workers. After the dentist, we stopped at Subway and ate lunch. It's so nice to spend one-on-one time with him. And he loved every minute of it. He didn't even freak out when I took him back to school. As long as we can keep getting great reports from the dentist (we were both cavity-free!), I will look forward to our biannual dentist trips together. Of course, there's always Seth to consider. He'll start going to the dentist soon. Not sure if I'll try to make their appointments back to back, or go with them each separately. After days like today, I'd lean toward separate trips--special one-on-one time with mom or dad. But that might not always prove convenient. In the meantime, though, I'll bask in the glow of a successful day.

Menu Plan Monday -- March 15

Monday: Oven fried haddock fillets, broccoli, dinner rolls

Tuesday: French dip sandwiches (with leftover roast beef), mixed fruit

Wednesday: Corned beef with cabbage (and potatoes)

Thursday: Pork piccata, salad, wild rice

Friday: Homemade pizza (or Rubens with leftover corned beef)

Saturday: TBD

For more great meal planning ideas, visit Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Weekend Report

We had a good weekend. It rained all weekend, though, starting Friday. Boo for that. But yesterday, I took the boys to a birthday party in the afternoon and they both had a blast. And today, William and I went to his first swim class. It's a group toddler-and-me class, so I'm in the water with him. We've already done this format a few times, but I'm hoping this time will be different. And today was great, so it looks promising. The warm belly suit helped a lot in ensuring that he didn't get too cold. (The water was freezing!) And he was fine in the water. He got in and out of the pool with no problem, and practiced moving his arms like the instructor said. He didn't want to blow bubbles, but he does it in the tub all the time, so I know he'll get there. My plan is to complete this class, and by then, he'll either be ready for the next class which is instructor only, or I'll find one-on-one instruction for him.

Not much else to report. I'm reading The Help and all I want to do is get back to that book. So I'm cutting the blogging short tonight. I did manage to figure out a menu plan for the week, so that will go up first thing tomorrow morning. I'm excited because I bought a new crock pot today. There aren't a whole lot of meals that my family enjoys from the crock pot, but I'm not ready to give up just yet. 'Till next time!