Where'd I go?

ShankRabbit decided to get sick this weekend...so I was busy keeping him fed, hydrated and medicated so he'd return to tip-top shape. Well, he may not be 100% just yet, but he's much better.

Due to "sick patrol," I didn't get a chance to read everyone's blog posts this weekend. Expect comments on old posts, because that's how I roll.

* * * * *

The heat just kicked on and Peanut is on all fours over the floor vent. She's having a great time letting the air blow the hair out of her face and laughing.

Such simple things amuse us - kids and adults alike.

* * * * *

One of the coolest things I witnessed this weekend was ShankRabbit, B.C. (before the cold) and my brother-in-law, playing their guitars in the backyard while Peanut crawled around. I love warmer weather.

* * * * *

I seriously messed up my knee cap on Saturday night. I won't go into specifics, but I will tell you that a metal-framed doorway + one klutz = a lot of pain. Let's hope it's only bruised and nothing more serious.

* * * * *

I just said the following to my daughter, "Let me see what's in your mouth...stop trying to swallow it!...Plastic is NOT for eating!"
Why must she clamp her mouth shut and attempt to bite me at the same time when I'm fishing for something in her mouth? I could have sworn I gave birth to a human being, not a puppy.

Now I will try to find the source of said plastic.

* * * * *

Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: The Bangles
Song Title: Walk Like An Egyptian
Kid-friendly?: Yep

Fatherhood Friday

I wish I could say I had a post all lined up for this week's Fatherhood Friday...but I don't.  You see, I inadvertantly posted what I was going to write about for today yesterday.  Ugh.  I know this probably breaks some obscure blogging rule somewhere, but I'm going to tell you to read yesterday's "You're right" post.

I know, I suck.

I'll be back to my regularly scheduled randomness on Monday.

Link-a-rific...and Giveaways!

This time, I'm not doing the giveaway...I'm promoting giveaways.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm sure you meant 'giveaway' in its singular form, no?"

No, giveaways - PLURAL!

You just have to stop by Look What Mom Found (it can be done by clicking the link or using the button on the left of my blog). Her spring blog party is in full swing and she's giving away some awesome stuff -

Like a pair of Pedoodles shoes...

Or a RuffleButts diaper cover...

How about some Baby Rock Apparel?

There are other items offered in the giveaway for all those who don't have kids - so everyone, GO CHECK IT OUT!

(A big thank you to Peanut Butter and Smelly's Dad for leading me over there through his blog)

You're right

ShankRabbit used to be the type of person who never liked to admit when he was wrong. In the early part of our courtship whenever I was right, he'd never say, "you're right." Instead, he'd opt not to say anything at all. He has gotten much better about this - even going as far as saying, "you're right honey."
I dare to say I may have been the same way...but, moving on...

Peanut's first birthday is on the 19th of April. We are planning a small* get-together the day before for close friends and family. Our house isn't equipt to accommodate everyone we'd like to invite, so I suggested renting our church's banquet space for the party. ShankRabbit was confident we could do it at home. I disagreed.

Fast forward to yesterday. I had several days to think about his idea and I came to the conclusion that he was right. We'd have to move some of our furniture to the basement and borrow chairs from people, but other than that - we could do it. And with the money we'd save, we could use it for more food and decorations.

So, I hopped on gmail and we had the following conversation:
me: So...I've been thinking
Shankrabbit: uh oh
me: We should have the birthday party at home
Shankrabbit: um
whoa
OK
hold on
Let me ask you something
What were you wearing when i proposed to you?
me: We could move the dining room table out and replace that with seating...(borrow chairs from others if we need to)...
Oh...uh, bears sweatshirt, guard sweatshirt, jeans, cowboy hat**
Why?
Shankrabbit: Just want to make sure it's you
and not... some crazy possessed version of you
'cause I'm pretty sure you are asking me if my idea was good
me: I'm not asking...I'm telling
I've really had time to think about it
And if it's not nice out, we can still accommodate a good amount of peeps in the house
Shankrabbit: Yeah... see
This is going to take like 5 minutes to sink in
'cause
it just makes so much sense
and... I'm not used to you making sense
me: Hey now!
Shankrabbit: And I'd be glad to help you now that all my ideas can come in to play too
me: Well, there go all my ideas and half my brain cells! (I just smacked my head into the ceiling). Owie!***
Shankrabbit: Since... you know... all my ideas were based on us at home. Ooouch. I'm sorry.
me: OK, butthead...I get it! You rock! You have the BEST. IDEAS. EVER. Bow down to the almighty SHANKRABBIT!
Shankrabbit: thank you.

---
* "small" used to mean 8-10 people to us. But since Peanut was born, we've added more people to our close circle. Now, a "small" party is about 25 - give or take a few.
** I'm sure you're very curious why I was wearing this particular outfit. This requires a post all its own.
*** We have slanted ceilings in our upstairs area...I smack my head on it quite often.

Spring - the good and the bad

I think it's going to be a two-nap Wednesday...for Peanut, not me (though I should). Because we went out last night, Peanut had her nightly routine interrupted - which is why she sawin' logs on me right now.

* * * * *

We were outside enjoying the fantastic weather yesterday and I noticed little green sprouts in the flower beds. Tulips will be here soon! (and then disappear almost immediately, as our bunny-friend that lives under the deck loves to consume them).

* * * * *

Speaking of spring...

I'm sorry to all the entomologists out there, but I can't stand bugs! If they are outside, fine...no big deal. It's the moment they enter the house, MY territory, that I get peeved. I've had two unpleasant bug encounters today. Ugh.

* * * * *

Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: Something Corporate
(you should check out Andrew McMahon's side project as well - Jack's Mannequin. Also a good listen)
Song Title: Punk Rock Princess
Kid-friendly?: Yep

Tuesday short

It is not your typical St. Patrick's Day in the Midwest:



70 degrees? In the middle of March?! Wow.

Although I'm certainly not complaining (who would?), I can't decide if I'm happy about this or not. It's gorgeous outside and I fully intend on taking Peanut out after her nap, but it's just a tease. It goes back down to the 50's tomorrow. Just one brief day of warmth.

* * * * *

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is an Irish saying my grandfather used all the time:

May those who love us, love us.
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he can't turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping.

Thank goodness it's...Monday?

It has been one crazy ride this weekend. You all read about "my fault" Friday, a baby shower on Saturday, and then today - visiting the brother-in-law in the hospital after an appendectomy. Oy. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

I hope my week is less eventful...maybe a few hours of watching the paint dry or dust accumulate. Oh, who am I kidding - I have an 11 month old! Calm, quiet days do not exist.

* * * * *

I really need to remember to photograph my craft projects before I give them away. I made 2 blankets (1 jersey, 1 flannel and fleece), 1 pair of baby booties, a personalized onesie, 2 burp cloths, and a set of three baby blocks for the baby shower. I was pretty excited with how everything turned out. Though, there are the nit-picky thoughts of "oh, I could have done this different/better..." infiltrating my mind every 5 minutes before I give away any homemade craft. As a perfectionist, I know that those thoughts will never go away.

* * * * *

Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: Matisyahu
(an orthodox Jewish man does reggae/hip-hop songs about God. For real!)
Song Title: King Without A Crown
Kid-friendly?: Yep

It's all my fault - the long version

I'm admitting that it's my fault now so please don't say, "well, you have no one to blame but yourself." I get it...so let me whine, OK?

Let's start with Thursday night. I put Peanut directly into her jammies after dinner. I normally don't do this, but I thought since she SOAKED her day clothes with water during dinner and it's so close to bedtime, why find a new outfit to wear?
(this will be important later...remember this)

I'm getting Peanut to sleep and I put a binky in her mouth - a freshly rinsed one. For anyone that has rinsed a binky and put it into a baby's mouth knows that it makes a squishy noise (from a little water getting trapped inside the nipple). Peanut starts to squirm and wake up from this noise. I frantically find a new binky and settle back into the rocking chair with her - now our typical 10-15 minute bedtime routine is now a half hour.

I go to bed way later than normal. I'll blame the siren song of the internet and ShankRabbit for that one.

That brings us to Friday...

At 6:45am I hear wailing from the baby's room. It is way to early for her to be awake...so I go in there thinking the job will only require a replaced binky and some back rubbing. I look in her crib to find a HUGE wet spot on her bed. Remember the early pajama time? Well, I forgot to change her diaper before her final bottle of the night - hence the overflow.

I call in ShankRabbit to change out her bedding and make a new bottle (hoping the soothing warmth of a bottle will lull her back to sleep). I realize this is fruitless when she starts smiling and barking at me. She's awake, dang it all! I'll just take a nap when she does...yeeeeah right.

We go upstairs to our TV room and cuddle on the futon to watch some kid shows. She's done with "cuddle time" around 9am. We do breakfast and then play a bit. 12pm rolls around and she's rubbing her eyes heavily. She has to eat lunch before her nap since she has a tendency to sleep right through meal time. We do lunch, get cleaned up, and it's time for a nap!

She's 3/4 of the way through her bottle and it dawns on me - I didn't change her diaper AGAIN! Seriously...where are my brain cells?! Instead of having a repeat of this morning, I decide to change her after the bottle. Oh great...she's sleeping. What do you think happens once I expose her girl parts to the cold room air - I'M AWAKE!

I try soothing her any way I can. I even leave her in her crib (praying that she'll lay her head down). For a while, everything is quiet...then I hear the binky tapping on the crib. Then her head. Then a cry. Then the binky, then her head...I think you can guess what's next.

I was upstairs listening to her over the monitor, so I decide to go save her before she knocks herself out. Once I hit the kitchen, I'm overwhelmed with the smell of crap. I sniff the garbage disposal, the garbage can...nothing. It's not until I give up searching and reach Peanut's room that I find the source.

I've heard of a sound barrier before, but never a smell barrier. I crossed the line between the bathroom and her room and about died. No wonder she wasn't trying to sleep...she had a diaper full!

I clean her up and try to get her to sleep. Giving up, we go back to playing. She so tired she's sitting up, with a blanket to her face, rocking back and forth. I try this nap thing again. Success! Now my turn, I lay down and I'm just about to enter the world of rainbows and flowers and sunshine when....WAAAAAAAAAAAH!

20 minutes. That's all she had to give.

Fast forward several hours and here we are. It's midnight and I'm still awake. Why, you ask? Because I like to torture myself, obviously.

Fatherhood Friday: An important holiday!

READER'S WARNING: I'm pretty sure I don't have a following of children reading my blog, but if you have nosy little ones peering over your shoulder while you catch up on blog reading, you may want to send them in the other room while you read this post.

I don't want to be responsible for having your child ask "what's a BJ?" (and I'm not talking about the yellow dinosaur on Barney and Friends)

* * * * *

STEAK AND BJ DAY

Here's the story...taken from an email I received several years back. You can read about the start of this holiday in the Urban Dictionary.

"You know the drill. Every 14th of February you get the chance to display your fondness for a significant other by showering her with gifts, flowers, dinner, shows and any other baubles that women find romantic. Every Valentines day you rack your brains for that one special, unique gift that will show your wife or girlfriend that you really do care for them more than any other. Now ladies, I'll let you in on a little secret; guys really don't enjoy this that much. Sure seeing that smile on your face when we get it right is priceless, but that smile is the result of weeks of blood, sweat and consideration. Another secret; guys feel left out. That's right, there's no special holiday for the ladies to show their appreciation for the men in their life. Men as a whole are either too proud or too embarrassed to admit it.

Which is why a new holiday has been created.

March 14th is now officially "Steak and BJ Day." Simple, effective and self-explanatory, this holiday has been created so you finally have a day to show your man how much you care for him.

No cards, no flowers, no special nights on the town; the name of the holiday explains it all, just a steak and a BJ. That's it. Finally, this twin pair of Valentine's Day and Steak and BJ Day will usher in a new age of love as men everywhere try THAT much harder in February to ensure a memorable March 14th!

The word is already beginning to spread, but as with any new idea, it needs a little push to start the ball rolling. So spread the word, and help bring love and peace to this crazy world. And, of course, steak and BJ's."

Random Thursday #2

One of my blog friends, Liz, is going to look at a preschool for her daughter tonight. Here is my train of thought:

Wow...that's got to be one heck of an emotional roller coaster for her - her baby all grown up and stuff. Wait...Peanut is going to be a year old in a month! Holy crap! She's that much closer to preschool!

Here's the plan: I'm going to find that Peter Pan fellow, jump him for all his magical, Neverland fairy dust, and douse Peanut in it. She's never growing up, got it? GOT IT?!

* * * * *

Has anyone else watched the show "Word World?" Little did I know the word drawings I used to make in grammar school would become a show.

Time to...(dum dum dum dum dum) BUILD A WORD!


* * * * *

Are you having a so-so day right now? Need a little laugh? Stop by the Daddy Files blog and listen to his son laugh uncontrollably at bubbles. There just something about hearing a baby laugh that makes your day better.

* * * * *

We're still feeling like poo warmed over in this household, but Peanut slept from about 9:30pm until 8:45am. I am a (somewhat) well-rested mama.

* * * * *

Today's post was brought to you today by the letter H:

Ugh.

Me, sick + hubby, sick = baby, sick

baby, sick = horrible sleeper

That's the story of our life right now.

Gotta go comfort the screecher.

Wednesday whatnots

Happy Johnny Appleseed Day!

In honor of this random holiday, I share with you a camp song/meal prayer I learned a long time ago:


Oh, the Lord is good to me (clap clap)
and so I thank the Lord (clap clap)
for giving me the things I need: the sun and the rain and the apple seed
the Lord is good to me (clap clap)
uh huh (clap clap) uh huh (clap clap)
uh huh uh huh uh huh LET'S EAT!

Now, you could do the educational thing and find information on this fellow and enrich your minds...or you could just go eat an apple. That's mind-enriching AND you get to eat. What could be better?

* * * * *

I missed out on wishing you a Happy Mario Day yesterday (Mar. 10 looks like the word "Mario"...get it?). He was launched as a character in 1983. What a way to make a person feel old, huh? I can still remember blowing on the old school Nintendo cartridges before putting them into the machine. Ah, memories...

* * * * *
It's Wednesday...you know what that means...

Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: Journey
Song Title: Any Way You Want It
Kid-friendly?: Yep (seeing as there is only 9 actual words to the whole song, just repeated in different configurations...I think it's OK)

If you're a Celiac, I hope you're not Catholic

As made evident by my profile message to the left, my husband has Celiac disease. Simply put, he cannot have wheat (and many other grain) products. We are not sure if Peanut has a gluten intolerance yet or not, so we are holding off introducing gluten into her diet until well after her first birthday. Anyway...

I am part of a discussion board for "gluten-free" families. One mother brought up an issue - her daughter, who is gluten intolerant, wants to take part in communion in their church. However, they are Catholic and they were told that a gluten-free alternative could not be provided...only a "low-gluten" option. End of story.

I found this odd. Why on earth would the church not be accommodating to people with this disease? A gluten-free communion wafer is still a bread product...it's not like she's asking them to bless and administer a Snickers bar. Our church is happy to provide a gluten-free option for our family, but we are Lutheran.

I won't bore you with all the research I did (it certainly fascinated me, though). I will tell you this - apparently, in order for it to be "valid" Eucharist, the bread must be made from wheat. You can read about it here.

You take gluten out of the communion wafer and *poof* it's not suitable to be used as the body of Christ?

Wow. Is there anyone out there that understands this?

I used to be Catholic...and with as much as I know, I still don't get it.

My head is in a slight fog today. The weather here in the Midwest is all over the map, so my sinuses have to suffer. So, let me apologize ahead of time for any "what in the world is she talking about?" moments.

* * * * *

I'm watching Sesame Street with Peanut. They were reading the story of the princess who kissed the frog. According to them, once she kisses the frog and he turns into a prince, they "became friends and lived happily ever after." Just friends, huh? Wow...you'd think after all she did for the frog, he'd at least ask her to be his girlfriend. Who'd want to buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

* * * * *
I was watching "Muppets Take Manhattan" last night (I really do watch big kid shows...I swear!). It's been a long time since the last time I saw it - and I apparently forgot the Swedish chef has human hands. For some reason, this really creeped me out. Anyone else?

* * * * *
There are roughly 349 craft projects that I want to do right now. Ok, maybe only 200 - but close enough (first though, I have to complete a gift by Saturday). If I ever won the Lotto or came into a lot of money, after taking care of the necessities and donating a good portion to charity and our church, I'd lavish myself with fabric, yarn, a super-deluxe sewing machine, and other fun craft things. Heck...I'd create a tricked-out craft room. With tons of ORGANIZATION! Oh man...a girl can dream, can't she? Do you think I could get Xzibit to sign on for "Pimp My Craft Room?"

* * * * *
I finished the giveaway elephants on Saturday. So, C. Beth and BeckwithAni, they will be in the mail very soon! Check your email though, because I have a question I need you both to answer before I ship them.

* * * * *
Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Song Title: Sing, Sing, Sing
Kid-friendly?: Yes

A body part by any other name...

Ah yes, another Fatherhood Friday. Today's topic: body part names

I'm not talking about your arms or feet...

I hope you know where I'm going with this.

In our household, the women-folk have a "hooha" and then some variation of ta-tas/boobies. I would like to clarify that our child will know the proper terminology for each part, but it won't be our 'go-to' word. This applies to any body part, really - how often do you call your collarbone a clavicle?

I know some mothers prefer not to use nicknames for these parts, going straight for the medical terms. They argue that if the child had to communicate something about these parts (lets say, to a doctor or police officer) they wouldn't understand.

I'm all for teaching your child the proper terminology, but the reason above is not a strong argument.

Children are pretty adamant about trying to make you understand what they are saying...so a little thing like a nickname for a part isn't going to stifle what they have to say - they'd probably just point and say "this thing!"

So, here's a question to you: What do you think? Do you have nicknames for these parts?

Random Thursday #1

Since I started doing Fatherhood Fridays last week, I decided it was best to save my random post for a different day and focus my Friday post on one idea (lest the new readers get all sorts of confused).

* * * * *
Peanut learned how to pivot-crawl in a circle. This lead to a hilarious scene the other night of her circling a toy. If only I had thought to capture it on video.

* * * * *
Peanut's "Silent Night" book is losing its battery power. She was playing with it yesterday and it sounded like a distorted horror movie tune - complete with creepy flickering lights. Who knew "Silent Night" could be so fear-inducing? I was freaked out. So, it shall remain turned off until we buy a replacement battery. I'm not looking forward to the day when her stand-up monkey toy starts to do the same thing.

* * * * *
We are raising a howler monkey. She loves to screech, as loud as she can, whenever ShankRabbit and I are hugging...or when we are playing tag around the house she uses this ear-piercing holler as a defense mechanism.

Upon researching 'teh intarwebz' for a picture of this crazy monkey (the real one, not Peanut), I realized our nickname of "howler monkey" is more appropriate than we thought:

...the din can be heard up to three miles (five kilometers) away. ...The noise sends a clear message to other monkeys: This territory is already occupied by a troop.

Wouldn't it be great if I could share video of this with you? Oh, you don't want your ears to bleed? I understand.

Short Wednesday post

I've had this "new post" screen up for an hour and a half. It's not that I can't think of anything to write today, I'm just in the middle of three things...and as all parents know, you try to get as much done during nap time as possible.

A few tidbits...

- I just downloaded the new Joshua Radin CD from Amazon.com for $1.99. Word.

- It is supposed to be in the 40s today! YAHOO! Warm weather, here we come!

- I had a dream last night about going to a job interview .I blame my best friend for that subconscious suggestion. And if you are reading this Beamer, good luck!

Crap...Peanut is awake. See what happens when you try to make a quick post?

* * * * *
Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: Cheap Trick (or the Letters to Cleo cover works, too)
Song Title: I Want You To Want Me
Kid-friendly?: Yes

The concert.

I had the great idea of taking several pictures from the Joshua Radin concert and using them for my post today. However, I was WAY too wrapped up in the concert to think about busting out the camera. I took only one photo...and as you can tell by the quality, I wasn't really focused on making it a great shot:










I enjoyed the concert...that's all that matters.


A HUGE thank you goes to my brother-in-law for inviting me to this concert. I had a blast!

Well, I got a post idea now...

First, I would like to thank the sponsors:

A big thank you to Marvy LePens. Your slim style and excellent ink flow make for a great writing instrument

And, of course, to Peanut. For without your curiosity in things that you're not supposed to have, you wouldn't have tried to steal this from me.

-

When you combine one arm-flailing, angry 10.5 month old and a writing instrument (thankfully capped), one might get an eye injury.

I can't properly see out of my right eye right now. Let's all hope my vision isn't affected for very long. I would prefer to watch Joshua Radin with both eyes, if possible.

Nothin'. Nada.

I have been sitting here for a good 1/2 hour or so trying to think of what to write. Normally, I can think of at least 5 things...today, I got nothing. So, in a total "I just can't make a real post today," here is a list of 25 random things about me for you to enjoy:

1. I speak about it fondly, but there very few things I miss from my "Chicago" life. I miss living in the city and the friends I had, but I certainly don't miss my dating life. Or the overpriced tiny apartments. Or the noise.

2. I have a very sensitive nose. Too much of a scent/odor can give me an instant headache. That is why I hold my breath when passing people on the street - I don't want to smell them. Maybe it's because of this that I have great lung capacity. Think about it – walking down a street in downtown Chicago. Yeah...enough said.

3. We definitely want to have another kid someday...but seeing as how great our little one has been, we've half-entertained the idea of only having one.

4. I used to work at Victoria's Secret when I was in college. My favorite task was “bunching” the cotton panty tables.

5. Because of #4, I (used to) meticulously organize my underwear drawer – by type, color, and size. Though with a kid, I don't do it as much anymore.

6. I love love love love organization. The Container Store is my porn. I like having containers for everything...but since I don't, a lot of stuff gets thrown into piles/boxes. It makes me sad.

7. I went to a therapist every week from 11 years old until I graduated high school. I miss it.

8. I like to think that I am the same fun, outgoing person I was in high school, but I'm not. I used to love being on stage...now I have severe anxiety attacks just thinking about it. I had to sit down on the stage stairs to give a speech at my best friend's wedding (my legs were shaking so bad I couldn't stand up).

9. It's no secret that I had a rough childhood. Maybe it's insensitive of me, but I hate when people overplay the 'victim' card.

10. I probably would have been a veterinarian (or at least been a volunteer at an animal shelter) if I didn't get so emotionally attached to animals.

11. Giving up my dog was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I check the humane society website on a consistent basis to see if she was returned...even though I know she ended up with someone who could give her the attention I couldn't.

12. I have never felt completely at home in any place I have lived. That is why I don't decorate – I leave that to ShankRabbit. I am hoping that changes with the first house we buy.

13. I've started several art projects to give to one specific person. I can never finish one because I'm nervous what he/she will think of it.

14. If ShankRabbit came up to me today and said his job was taking him to a different state, I'd pack up in a heartbeat. I'd miss friends and family, but I'm tired of the Midwest.

15. I'd love to live in a small town (as long as there was a big town/city not terribly far away).

16. I want to play the uilleann pipes someday.

17. I've had several ideas for possible dream jobs – forensic scientist, miniature maker, the person who makes the clay sculptures for an animation company (like Pixar), luthier, piano tuner, art therapist, microbiologist...the list keeps going.

18. I hate the font Comic Sans. I don't know why.

19. I was thisclose to visiting England for a modeling event, but the trip fell through. I used the money I saved for the deposit on my first apartment.

20. I hate watching fights (fist fights, UFC, etc). In school, kids used to run to watch them, I ran the opposite way. Though, when it comes to people I care about, I'd throw down in a minute. In third grade, I punched a kid because he and his buddy started fighting my brother. They were all two years older than me.

21. I love that my memories are associated with all 5 senses. It makes them very real.

22. My biological mom was a hippie – so pot was no stranger to our household. I had no idea that a glass pipe was drug paraphernalia until I was in 8th grade.

23. I love hearing people's life stories (that probably explains why I love reading people's blogs).

24. My mom was 17 when she joined Ringling Bros. circus. She rode elephants, spun around on the high rope, wore elaborate costumes...I sometimes wish I did the same thing at that age instead of going right to college.

25. One of the most meaningful gifts I ever received was my friends' version of “While You Were Out.” I hope that someday I can do something just as special for them.

* * * * *

Dance Party Time!
(Have no idea what I'm referring to?...read the bottom of this post)

Artist/Band: The Police
Song Title: Message in a Bottle
Kid-friendly?: Yep

Random Friday #4

Welcome, Fatherhood Friday visitors! (Yes, I'm aware I'm not a dad...but the members of dad-blogs are very welcoming to the womenfolk, too).




Sorry about yesterday's text getting smaller and smaller. I have no idea what happened there - and I couldn't fix it, no matter how hard I tried.

* * * * *
What in the world would require the "rinse only" cycle in the dishwasher? Couldn't you just hand wash/rinse it? I'm thoroughly confused (and, obviously, have never used this option). Has anyone out there used this?

* * * * *
I use two spoons at mealtimes with Peanut. One for me to feed her; the other for her to play with (so she won't snatch the food one out of my hand...as she so frequently does). Recently, I had to upgrade to three spoons because she steals BOTH spoons - one for each hand. I'm all about being a kid and exploring and having fun, but when you use your spoons like this...



...and prevent me from getting food into your mouth, then we've got issues.

Consequently, I go through NINE spoons a day. Ugh. My hands are chapped from all of the spoon-washing I have to do each day.

* * * * *
We have dance parties in our household. The who, what, when, where and why doesn't matter - if someone calls out "dance party!" you drop everything and dance. Typically, this has been during dinner prep time (when ShankRabbit is home). I can't explain how proud I am to see Peanut sitting on the floor laughing and bouncing to the beat of the music. *tear*

In honor of this, I will be posting a "dance party song of the day." I think I'm going to do this on Mondays and Wednesdays - because, let's face it, Mondays and Wednesdays tend to drag along (at least for me). If you have a song that you'd like to recommend for our dance parties, please post a comment or drop me an email. I love discovering new music.

Buuut...since I'm thinking about it, I start one off for the weekend -

Artist/Band: Motion City Soundtrack
Song Title: The Future Freaks Me Out
Kid-friendly?: There is one f-bomb in there, but I typically sing "Ah, flip it!" really loud over that part.

Sisters, sisters...

Thank you, title writing skills. Not only do you royally suck, but you've gotten the "White Christmas" song stuck in my head.


As you know, I did a giveaway last week and announced the winner on Saturday - Beckiwithani (and C. Beth won as well because she referred her). And for those that don't know, they are twin sisters.

I gave them several options of fabrics to choose from - many colors of flannel, fleece, cotton, etc. They emailed me (separately) what choice they made. Here it is, verbatim -

Beckiwithani: "I love the purple stars fabric, and I think it would look nice with white accents. (Was I correct that one of those whites is a softer fabric? Hard to tell from the pic. But if so, that's the one I'd like as an accent. If not, plain muslin or whatever is fine.)

C. Beth: "Okay, I really like the [purple] star fabric. Would either of the white fabrics (in the All Fabrics pic) look good for ears and belly?"

I had to re-read these emails several times (and double-check that they did not cc: each other). Did they really choose the same fabric - even down to the accents?

Yep.

* * * * *

Peanut used to wake up at 8-8:30am. Now, it is between 7:15-7:30am.

Ugh.

I really need to start going to bed sooner. Or I need to drink more coffee in the morning. I have a feeling the latter will win by a landslide.


Speaking of wake-up times...here's a question for the parents/caregivers. When it comes to daylight savings time, do you adjust your child's bedtime accordingly? Do they wake up at the adjusted time?

Peanut was too young to notice a difference this past fall. But now that "spring ahead" is coming up, I'm concerned my I-have-serious-issues-with-change daughter may just blow a gasket.

Joshua Radin

For a long time, I never had one specific favorite artist or band. If someone asked the question, I would answer, "well, depends on my mood."
Come to think of it, 99% of the people I know would probably answer the same way. Huh. Is there anyone out there that has ONE favorite artist/band?

A few years ago, I found myself looking for an artist/band that had a "folky" feel...but not too folky. And I believe I can credit my dear friends A&B for helping me with this quest. Their first dance song at their wedding was "Paperweight" - Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk (I love that song!). I was intrigued by this Joshua guy...wondering what his other stuff sounded like.

Well, I really liked it. I saw him in concert a short time later, when he was on tour with Schuyler Fisk...and that's when it happened. I discovered my new favorite artist. If someone were to ask me today, who's your favorite artist or band, I can confidently say, "Well, depends on my mood...but I can never go wrong with Joshua Radin."

So, if you haven't heard his music yet, go check him out. You can go to his website or his myspace page to get a sampling of his music.

And, if you really, really like him...click on the link to the left. His song "I'd Rather Be With You" is up for VH1's top 20.

* * * * *
So, why did I share all this with you?

1. He's amazing. Mm hmm.

B. My brother-in-law just asked if I'd like to go to a Joshua Radin concert on Monday night. WaitletmethinkaboutitYES PLEASE!


That is all.

Peanut Scissorhands, the Demon Child

How to make sure you are diligent about clipping your daughters fingernails -

get sliced across the cheek with one of her talons.

Ow.

* * * * *

As I posted before, we attended a wedding reception on Saturday. We had a lot of fun, but this threw off Peanut's routine. She went to bed WAY late, got up an hour earlier and spent Sunday being "clingy demon child." Think Jack-Jack from "The Incredibles"...minus the cute baby part. Of course, with all the change going on, her nap/eating schedule went to crap...thus causing another late bedtime and a 4am wake-up call.

By Monday morning, this was the conversation ShankRabbit and I had once we heard her babbling in the monitor:

Me: *grumble, grumble* I SO don't want to get up.
SR: Heh. Yeah, I don't think she's very high up on your list right now...
Me: No. She's just below coffee.


I love her. Really I do.

The new hair

We have successfully located our battery charger. Therefore, I can show you the promised "new hair" photos.

We attended a friend's wedding on Saturday. My brother-in-law and his wife were watching Peanut for us while we partied like rock stars (or at least made an attempt):



A lot of fun was had. A lot a lot.

And I can tell you one thing for certain (as pointed out today by a friend who also attended): we are not 21 anymore.

The photo choices

As you can see, I changed out the photo of me from the left-hand side of the blog. I thought the previous photo looked a little too 'drugged' for my taste (I swear I wasn't). Thinking my darling husband must have some kind of photo for me to use, I looked through our photo folders...

Let me just show you the kind of stuff I'm working with -


Reeeal attractive there, Isabella. Stuffing your face...how hot.


Serious girl is serious.


Really? Food again?!...you know if you keep it up, people are going to think all you do is eat.


Yep. You're a heifer.


Sleeping with your mouth open. How, uh...attractive. I think. Why don't you show them your drooly pillow too?


A little too excited. Yes, it's a football game...caaaalm down, girl.


Let me see if I understand. You fashioned a top...out of your pant legs?
I have no words.

A Winner!

And there we have it, folks...a random number has been chosen. After making sure everyone was assigned a proper number (had to exclude any posts that didn't count...like ShankRabbit's and mine), I consulted random.org for a number...and it was...

8

Congratulations, beckiwithani!

And since she was referred by C. Beth, she wins as well!

So ladies, please email me at jenniferisabella [at] gmail [dot] com to discuss fabrics and such.

To everyone else, thank you for your comments. It's always nice to feel the love every once in a while (even if it was solicited by free things).

Random Friday #3

I'm not really sure if this is the 3rd Random Friday or not...so, I'm declaring it to be so. Here we go -

* * * * *


This is a picture the homemade teething biscuits I made for Peanut, all set for the freezer. They were easy to make and taste exactly like sugar cookies. Really! I have no problem admitting I ate one...or two...

* * * * *
Have you ever been in such a rush to get out of the house that you forgot to brush your teeth? Ok, maybe a few of you can agree.

And since you ran out of gum the day before, you grab a peppermint candy cane to munch on as you run out the door?
I didn't think so.

* * * * *
Peanut was playing with her fridge letters last night and pulled a few off. These were the only letters she removed:



Now, is she from Boston and trying to tell me she wants to party or does she need a bathroom break?
Maybe it's a different word entirely. I've never been good at anagrams.

No creative title comes to mind

Sorry about the crappy post today. Three reasons why -

1. I didn't do my usual evening write up the night before. Peanut was trying to negotiate her actual bedtime (read: took A LONG time for her to finally crash for this night).

2. I took Peanut to the eye doctor today to participate in the InfantSEE program (free eye exam for children under a year old). She wasn't too happy about getting a light in her eyes and eye drops, but she did pretty well. And I - er, she - even got crayons out of the visit, too.

3. I wanted my giveaway to be the first post on this blog for a little while longer. And if you missed it, go here.

* * * * *
Did I mention I got my hair cut and colored on Tuesday?

I went to a new stylist. There's nothing wrong with Sarah, the girl I always go to...it's just that a gift certificate to a different salon = new stylist for the day.

I get a little nervous going to someone new. I have very curly hair that can be quite temperamental - there is a history of bad haircuts to back me up on this one. Like this one (though this was for a hair show...it's supposed to be wild and crazy):


Me, circa 2001
Three shades of red and itty-bitty "fringe" on my forehead. Not too bad, really. However, once I got home and showered, the semi-permanent red color on top bled, leaving behind a ketchup and mustard hue. So hot.


But, after all was said and done...I'm happy with it. And no, it does not look anything like this photo. Thank God.

I'll post a picture eventually. I still haven't found my camera battery charger. Do you know where it is? Your guess is as good as mine right now.

More to come

I really do have a more substantial post in the works, but it's 3:30pm, Peanut went down for a nap about 20 minutes ago and I have 1,397,569 things to do before she wakes up. I have no idea how long this nap will last...it's like a ticking time bomb, without the huge explosion (who knows, her diaper may prove otherwise).

So, in the meantime, check out my previous post about the giveaway. Leave a comment and you could win!

Elephants on parade...and a giveaway!

So, here they are. Handmade stuffed animals!
(forgive the picture quality - our camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger)




the one on the left is actually light purple, not blue

These turned out pretty darn cute, I think. I had to do embroidered eyes (instead of buttons) as these are gifts for newborns. Don't want to give a choking hazard as a gift, now do I?


And because I had so much fun making these, I want to make you one, too. So I'm diving into my first giveaway:


1. Leave a comment on this post to enter.

B. Encourage other people you know to post a comment as well (but don't let them forget to say that you referred them). If your referral wins, you win, too!

III. I will pick a winner on Saturday, February 20th.

Once a winner is chosen (oh, US and Canada mailing addresses only, please), I will contact you to discuss fabrics and colors.

Any questions? Let me know.

Doesn't taste like chicken

We keep our house at a comfortable 66 degrees during the winter. Needless to say, there isn't much "nakie time" for Peanut...only before, during, and after bath time. It didn't occur to me that this was such a big deal until today.

I was in the process of getting clothes for her to wear. She was mad at her pajamas for some reason (who knows...she was tearing at her snap closure on the changing table) so I let her hang out in her crib in just a diaper for the time being. After about a minute or so I look over and see one of the funniest sights to date -

She was licking her shoulder. Like an ice cream cone.

This was the first time she was naked for an extended period of time (well, not really...there were a few times as a very small infant, but she was not aware of it). During bath time, if she's not clinging to rubber ducky for security, she's staring at the water, practically motionless, waiting to get out. What kid doesn't like bath time? Obviously ours.

I did take some video of this event on my cell phone, but I have no idea how to get it from my cell phone to this blog post (I know I could just email it to myself, but it's not the right format).

So, as a consolation prize, I will post the pictures of the baby gift I made...tomorrow.

Food and projects (not food projects)

I am incapable of making a box of macaroni and cheese and not eating it all in one sitting. I feel overfull after I'm done, but I do it every time. You'd think I'd learn. Someday I'll tell you all about how I can't wait for things to cool down before I eat them.
Though my food behaviors would tell you otherwise, I am a human...not a puppy.

* * * * *

I completed another project over the weekend. I'm really proud of myself because I started it on Saturday and was done this morning...with TWO of the same thing. I know, I know...who is this and what have I done with Isabella?!

I was under a deadline. Our landlord (also one of ShankRabbit's coworkers) and his wife are having twin girls. She is due this week! I only found out about it on Wednesday, so I can honestly say I didn't procrastinate on this one.

I have a couple more items to add to the gift, so I won't post pictures until the gift is ready to go out the door...but it will be by tomorrow at the latest.

OK, I'm off to lie in a mac 'n cheese-induced food coma on the floor with my child. Have a great Monday!

The Christmas quilt

So, I made my first quilt EVER as a Christmas present for my brother-in-law. The three brothers and three sister-in-laws exchanged names. The rules to the gift: 1) had to be handmade and 2) $25 limit on all materials.

I didn't have as much time as I would have liked and I also didn't have the appropriate tools (like a rotary cutter and board), so I had to make do. I think it turned out somewhat OK considering...




A modified version of the "rail fence" quilt. Since I didn't have a rotary cutter, my pieces came out in slightly different sizes, so I had to improvise...



As you can see in this close-up - the ends wouldn't have lined up, so I had to put a strip of fabric in between each row.

I didn't take a picture of it, but I tied off the quilt in the back. However, since I didn't have a large needle (I'm really good at having what I need, aren't I?), I had to do it with thick embroidery floss instead of the ribbon I bought for this purpose.

I think next time I make a quilt I'll be sure to have the appropriate tools.

Random Friday

It's time for another random Friday installment -

Mystery bruises
You know...you find a bruise and say, "huh...I wonder how I got that one."
One foolproof way to figure out where a mystery bruise came from - hit it on the same thing that you did in the first place. My example? The windowsill in our bedroom. Ow.

Food is for eating
Peanut loves to blow raspberries...while she's eating. In fact, she will do this as soon as she gets a mouthful of food. It's even better when the spoon hasn't left her lips yet - giving her ample ammo for a 1 foot radius of sprayed food. When I am the one feeding her, it's annoying, but as a spectator, it's so darn cute.

Ready...OK!

We've never been "headband" people. I'm not talking about us adults wearing them...I'm pretty confident ShankRabbit could rock a Walter Payton-esque sweatband like nobody's business. I'm referring to baby head accessories.

Peanut wore hats when she was first born, mainly to keep her head warm. Other than that, nothing else adorned her head. Until recently...

Over the last couple months she's had quite the growth of hair on the top of her head (sadly, the back of her head still needs some time to catch up). While it's still not enough to put up in a cute ponytail or pigtails, it's still fun to mess with...like the obligatory mohawk in the bath tub.

Grandma got her a set of hair bows for Christmas. She'll probably be off to her first day of school before she really needs these, but in the meantime, let's have some fun:




You can just hear her saying, "2, 4, 6, 8...who do we appreciate?! MOMMY, MOMMY! YAAAAY MOMMY!"

Ok...it's just me. I can have dreams, can't I?


*Side note: Yes, that is a plastic mixing bowl in her Pack 'N Play. I promise she has other toys. Oh, and about that Silent Night book...I know it's February - she's just far too attached to it for me to take it away. It may have the eerie stylings of a horror movie soundtrack, but she loves it.

3 pounds of fun

Warm day + melting snow + 3 pounds of tree roots clogging a drainage system =



Yes, that is water on our basement floor. On the plus side, we've gone through our basement flooding before (torrential downpours of June 08 - major flooding, disappearance of Lake Delton)...so nothing of real importance was sitting on the floor. And I caught the water early enough it didn't have a chance to spread throughout the entire basement. Still...it sucks cleaning that stuff up.

* * * * *

When you've given your child all toys possible to keep her occupied while you make dinner, you improvise.

I present you with the purse....of WONDER:



(oooh, aaaah)

Provides at least a half hour of entertainment - crinkling the paper, taking it out of the pockets and putting it back in, petting the leather of the purse, trying to open the zipper...

Who would of thought those Valpak coupons I don't use could be so beneficial in other ways?

Giveaway

There is a giveaway on C. Beth's blog right now. A really pretty bird necklace.

Please stop over there, tell her I sent you, and leave a comment.

You could be a winner!

So, go here.

Or click on the link to the left.

Either way...go leave a comment!

Please and thank you.

Musical happy dance

Have you ever heard a song and the only thing you could think is...

.whoa.

There are no other words to describe the feeling you just had listening to it.

That just happened to me. And believe it or not, it was a song that is not finished. Before I share with you what song that is, I want to know if you have ever experienced this same thing -

Tell me, faithful readers, what song made/makes you go "whoa?"

We thought we had more time

There is something we haven't done in our household yet.

Babyproofing.

I know, I know...what's taking us so long? It's not that we don't want to or anything - we just haven't gotten around to it. As of last night, it's now become a major priority. Why now, you ask? Peanut just figured out how to open a cabinet door. Dang it.

We can't just pick up a mega-box of the cheapo cabinet locks. Since we're renters of this house, not owners, we don't have the authority to screw a bunch of holes into the cabinet doors. Therefore, we have to get the adhesive-backed magnetic locks. Considerably more expensive.

* * * * *

As I was feeding Peanut her dinner last night, I was trying to find more finger food options. She's mastered Veggie Booty and cheese pieces. I wanted to find her something a little more challenging, but yummy (and gluten-free). Enter Rice Krispies.

She loves them. Though, when she's done eating them, they become a fun way to decorate the floor.

Home phone hatred

I never had any ill feelings toward our home phone until today. I was in the process of getting Peanut down for a nap. We were lounging in her rocker, both half asleep, listening to the radio. All of the sudden:

RING RING RING! RING RING RING!

We both jumped. I cursed the phone for not only scaring the beejebus out of me, but setting my nap progress back by 20 minutes. This leads to me being temporarily upset at the person who called...like they should know what I'm doing at that time.

* * * * *

Peanut has been waking up from her naps very sad. I am now required to cuddle her for at least 15 minutes after she wakes up or else she flies into a crying fit. But I can't complain - a) there will come a day she won't want to cuddle anymore and b) she takes pretty good naps, which allows me to get a lot done.

Random kitchen thoughts

I just learned yesterday, while making incredibly easy, fantastically yummy Crock Pot pulled pork (courtesy of the Crockpot Lady), that we do not have a pair of tongs. That is just one of those items I assumed we have.

We have two can openers (identical ones, mind you) and an obscene amount of cooking utensils. But no tongs.

Huh.

* * * * *

I have to admit something...we have a lot of appliances. It all started with our wedding registry. We didn't want matching china - we wanted a food steamer. What can I say, we're simple folk.

Now, 2.5 years later - it's insane. Aside from the typical appliances (coffee machine, toaster, blender) we have a Crock Pot, coffee grinder, steamer, bread machine, deep fryer, dehydrator, mixer, air popper, George Forman...I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting to mention.


But I would love a waffle maker someday.


Addictions are hard to break.

Trolls

I'm not talking about the storybook ones.


Wikipedia definition:

An Internet troll, or simply "troll" in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.


This is a touchy subject in one of the online communities I am active in. Even saying someone is a troll (joking or not) can get you in a lot of trouble. Of course, this extreme repercussion for just uttering the word "troll" did not come as a shock...there was a lot of trolling going on in our group for quite some time. Some seemed to be people that didn't even belong in our group - some were active members posing as someone else to stir up some sort of controversy. Either way, it causes a lot of drama.


Here's the question that keeps bouncing around in my head: why would someone do something like this?

I just don't get it.

And as someone who doesn't like drama (in real life or online), I don't think I ever will.

"Arf arf!" says the baby

This was originally posted on my family website. You can visit it here.

* * * * *

Last Sunday, we spent time at A&B's place to hang out and work on some baby shower invitations. After getting those completed (and might I add, they rock!), we were sitting around watching Peanut chase Bernie (A&B's Italian Greyhound) around the floor. She wanted to sit and pet him - he wanted to run around and play. At one point Bernie barked at us because he wanted someone to play tug-of-war with him. Peanut looked right at him and said, "arf arf arf!"

I kid you not.

I was so amazed/impressed/proud, that I got all teary-eyed. Can you blame me?

Another random day

This afternoon I heard a loud noise outside. It was like a city bus, but louder. I glanced out the window and saw a large dump truck followed by what looked like a front loader (pardon my construction equipment ignorance...I'm pretty sure that's what I mean), but it had a chopping attachment on it...and it was grinding away at the layers of snow and ice that have solidified to the curb/street. I've never seen this before...brilliant idea. Although, I don't think our street is that bad. I hope they go over the other major streets in our area - some are so bad that cars parked along the "curb" are actually taking up a full lane in the street.

* * * * *

People don't believe me when I tell them this, but I used to take notes in my sleep during high school and college. You might be thinking, "oh, I'm sure you would stop writing when you finally fell asleep." Not so. I would doze off taking notes and continue writing while asleep. My notebook would have distinct word scribbles on the page (if I can find one of the notebooks, I'll take a picture of it and post it for you). When I woke up, I'd take a look at where I left off and keep writing. Of course, the word scribbles were mostly illegible, but at least the teacher thought I was still taking notes.

Short thoughts

I love searching through the fabric remnant bin at JoAnn Fabrics. I wish I could show you what I got, but it's for a gift...so you'll have to wait.
Which reminds me, I still have to post a picture of the Christmas gift I completed for my brother-in-law.

* * * * *
Peanut is extra ticklish when she's tired. She is laying next to me and I'm tickling her feet to keep her occupied while I finish this post. Her squeals are hysterical!

License plate ponderings

I have a two-part question that I hope you can answer.

1) If you spend the money to get a specialty license plate (e.g. $25 a year for a Green Bay Packers plate) and then additional money to get it personalized (in this example, $15 a year), why would you have it say "GBPKRS" or "PKR FAN"...isn't that implied by the extra money you spent on the plate?

2) Let's say you own an Audi GT. Why would you get a personalized license plate that reads "AUDI GT"?


Maybe I'm missing something. If so, please share. I just don't get it.

* * * * *

In other news...

Peanut had her 9 month check-up today. All is good...though, height-wise, she has officially outgrown her infant car seat. *sniff*

Hello Sesame Street, we meet again

Now that I've been home with Peanut for a few weeks now, we are settling into somewhat of a...routine. I fear using that word because once I do, she changes things up. Like her 10-11 hour sleeping stint lasted all of two nights. Now she's back to one middle of the night wake-up call.

Part of her morning rou...er, schedule...consists of a little bit of "quiet time." We snuggle and watch a kids show until it is time for her first nap of the day (favorite part of the day for me, hands down). And right when she's ready for quiet time, Sesame Street starts.

It's been a LONG time since I last watched Sesame Street. I remember watching this show every day right before afternoon kindergarten. Yep...it's been that long. I have babysat many children since that time, but they were all interested in the cool, new shows like Thomas the Tank Engine, Dragon Tales, and Dora.
And to all those knowing parents/caretakers out there, I'm sorry if I got any of those theme songs stuck in your head, because they are now in mine.

Although they've added many characters and segments, Sesame Street is still the same show it was many years ago. They still have a letter and number of the day. Gordon, Maria and Luis are still there with Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster and Count von Count (among others).

As sappy as it sounds, I'm glad I get to share this with my daughter. It's fun, educational, and there is no part of it that drives me up the wall (I won't name shows, but there are some that are like nails on a chalkboard to me). AND...they have big name guest stars on each day - today it was Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Dr. Phil. Yesterday it was Jack Black and Feist.

I'm not afraid to admit it to everyone out there - I *heart* Sesame Street.

With mobility comes injuries

Now that Peanut has mastered the art of crawling (at least she thinks so), she's ready to do more complex things. Just like her father...once something is completed it's on to the next task without a second to breathe. And she's quite the daredevil, too!

She has been pulling herself up on objects for a while now, but she has incorporated a new twist - letting go with one hand to turn around, grab a toy, etc. Most of the time she is pretty good at this...but yesterday her forehead and the wood frame of the floor length mirror on the wall got friendly (she was kissing herself and babbling in the mirror and turned around to see me). She now has what looks like a carpet burn right in the middle of her forehead - about the size of a dime. Add that to the bruise from Tuesday's adventure (shelf + head = pain and tears), and we've got one beat-up looking kid.

*sigh* The product of two klutzes. Poor kid has no chance.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go

The last post got me reminiscing about my time as a foster child. I'll write more about my experience as this blog rolls along, but for now here is something that just popped into my head:

I didn't have a suitcase when I moved from home to home...I used black garbage bags. At times I would hold on to these bags for a while after I moved in case I needed to use them again. They would sit, folded up, in a corner of a closet or under my bed just like a regular suitcase. I wasn't until I was a freshman in high school (and in my final foster home) that I got my first duffel bag. Such a simple item, but it made me feel important.

A few years later, I read about Suitcases for Kids, a service project that is dedicated to the collection of duffel bags and suitcases for kids in foster care.

Duh! This made so much sense. Unfortunately, there was nothing like this in Chicago when I was "in the system," but I was thankful it was created for all those other kids out there.

If you are interested in participating, visit the link above. It gives all the information you need to start a collection in your area.

Why I save...

Hello, my name is Isabella, and I'm a pack rat.

I've always been this way. We didn't have much money growing up so anything I got, I saved. For example, my parents weren't the sentimental types...so if I did really well on a spelling test I would hang it up in my room, not on the fridge like many other families did. This led to many folders full of graded classwork and projects littering my room.

Even moving out of my parents' house (at age 11) I kept up my pack rat ways. But in the process of moving from one foster home to the other - at times with only an hour's notice - I lost a lot of things. But this didn't stop me from trying to save what others might throw away...ticket stubs, class notes, papers/projects for school, etc. This is what I did to bring "home" with me wherever I ended up. It was familiar and it was mine.

I am much better now. I wasn't terrible about it, but I have learned to cut back. Now most of the clutter on my desk and in various parts of the house are due to not wanting to sort through the crap and throw it out...not because I have an attachment to it.


So, admit it...any other pack rats out there?