Saturday, August 30, 2008

Daycare Update

I spoke with the director and the teacher that changed B.'s diaper. They both apologized and just said they had no idea how it could have happened. After talking to the teacher about how she changed his diaper, I quickly figured out how it happened. Because B. doesn't like when she changes his diaper, she only scooted his shorts down a tiny bit and pulled the diaper out. I think the BM rolled out into his shorts, and she was just oblivious that it happened. Ugh!

Luckily, B. moves up to a new classroom on Tuesday. This particular teacher is almost never in his new classroom. I am hoping it stays that way, so we can avoid any more diapering issues with her.

I am REALLY excited that B. is moving into the new class. I really like both of the teachers in his new classroom. They also try to teach the kids the Spanish and sign language for common items around the room. I think he will really enjoy this new class.

-Denise

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Daycare Issue

One of the toughest decisions a mom will have to make is whether or not to go back to work or to stay home with her child(ren). I knew when we had our son that I would have to go back for financial reasons. I also really do enjoy my job as a teacher. I was not ready to give up teaching and my students. This is not to say I don't love my son. It is just the decision we made that was best for our family.

For the most part, we really do like our son's daycare. We do believe his teachers genuinely care for him. We have had a few issues at times, and there are a few things we wish were done differently. Today was one of those days though that really just makes me wonder what goes on there at times.

I picked my son up from daycare this afternoon and got his daily report sheet as well. This reports what his meals and snacks were, what activities were done, and what his diaper schedule was like for the day. As we were walking to the car, I started smelling poop. I figured he must have just gone and glanced at his sheet. It said he just went before I got there. I still figured he had gone more, and I would change him when I got home. When I got him out of the car at home, I could feel that his shorts were now wet. Assuming we had a really bad diaper, I rushed him right upstairs. I was shocked at what I found.

As I pulled off Ben's shorts I found a large pancake of BM stuck to his leg and the inside of his shorts. His diaper was completely dry and completely clean on the inside. How in the world did the contents of his last poopy diaper end up on the inside of his shorts and on his leg?!?!?!? I had to scrub hard to get some of it off of his leg. I thought I was going to be sick as I tried to clean his shorts. Ugh!

I am going to call his daycare tomorrow and discuss the issue. Yes, I know there are mistakes and no one is perfect, but this just seems crazy to me. Was the woman (not his usual teacher) that changed him completely not paying attention when she changed his diaper? I just don't get how this happened.

I will let you know how the conversation goes tomorrow.

-Denise

Monday, August 25, 2008

My New Favorite Restaurant

I think I am in love...with a new restaurant that is!

I received a gift card for PF Changs a few months ago. I had never been there, but thought it would be nice to try it since we had a gift card. We finally went today after I was craving Chinese food yesterday. The odd thing is that I used to love Chinese food, but when I was pregnant I could not stand the smell of it. The thought of eating it was enough to make me want to get sick. Yesterday's craving was a surprise. We could not get out to eat last night, so we went to PF Changs today.

The food was awesome! I will absolutely go back there again. We had the spring rolls (yum!) as an appetizer, my husband had the crispy honey chicken for his meal, and I had the lemon chicken for my entree. I ate every single bite! I would go back there again tomorrow, if I could. Unfortunately, a pesky thing called working will keep me from getting to return immediately.

I will say the service was a bit slow, but the food was definitely worth the wait. I just hope next time we have room to try the deserts. The tray the servers walked around with looked amazing! I will have a tough time deciding between the chocolate cake or the cheesecake. I may have to leave it up to whoever goes with me though because there is no way I could eat one of these desserts by myself. They are huge.

-Denise

Sunday, August 24, 2008

I am addicted to...

coupons!

I like saving money using coupons. Yes, it can be a pain at times, but I think the overall aggravation is worth it in the end when a little extra money stays in my pocket.

Here are a few of my favorite online coupon links-
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/

Some of the above links require you to register, but some just allow you to search and print. I also frequently check out Target's online coupons before a major trip. They often have great printable coupons that can be stacked with reg. manufacturer coupons. You can get to a coupon generator for Target through http://www.afullcup.com/ or at the Target web site. Click on "Super Target Coupons and Specials" under the store section at the bottom of the http://www.target.com/ page. I normally can't get out of Target without spending at least $100 on diapers and other items, so a few saved dollars is still a help.

-Denise

Friday, August 22, 2008

Battling Insomnia

I am dealing with insomnia, AGAIN! I deal with real insomnia a few times a year. On a daily basis I have trouble falling asleep, but there are times throughout the year when I really struggle to sleep at all. I am apparently dealing with it again now. Not being able to sleep is a real struggle when I have to take care of my son and work a full time job. I am hoping that this time it will be a short-term problem, but I have no way to tell.

I hope that anyone reading this sleeps well tonight! If I can sleep, I would be so excited. No, wait, I would be asleep!

-Denise

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Finding a Bargain

I have been searching for a few items lately that I really want, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.

1) A Halloween Costume-Yes, Halloween seems forever away, but I learned the hard way last year that you have to shop early if you are looking for a particular costume. Last year I fell in love with the pirate costume from Old Navy, I waited for an upcoming sale, went to the store to save on shipping, and then found out the costume was only available online and was now sold out. I should have just ordered it earlier and not worried about the sale in this case. My desire to get the costume at a lower price caused me to miss out...almost. I did end up finding a used pirate costume from the same store on ebay, but I paid almost the same as a new one to get it and have it shipped. I just had to fall in love with the hot costume for toddlers!

This year, I started looking earlier. We picked a Thomas costume that I found online at Target. It retails for almost $30 plus shipping on their site! This time ebay is my friend. I am getting the costume for less than half that price and shipping is very reasonable.

2) A Purse-I fell in love with a Vera Bradley microfiber purse. I was shocked at the price tag of $90. I again went to ebay and was able to find it for a slight discount including the shipping.


No, I don't buy everything off of ebay, but there are some good deals there if you know what you are looking for. I do comparison shop frequently between online stores, brick and mortar stores, catalogs, and ebay. Saving a few dollars is always worth the extra effort.

B. is going to be such a cute Thomas the Tank Engine! I can only imagine how excited he will be when we show him the costume.

I am off to count the days until my purse arrives!

-Denise

Monday, August 18, 2008

Getting Back On Schedule

The start of a new school year is almost here, so it is time to get B. back on his regular routine. Staying up a little late, sleeping in a bit, and not going to daycare full time is about to end. B. starts daycare full time again this week. I work a few days this week and most of next week even though I don't start teaching until after Labor Day. On a regular workday, B. has to get up at 6 AM so we can all get out the door. I am not going to jump right back to that since I like to sleep too, but we will be easing into earlier waking times and bed times as well.

Tonight's response was the usual, "No, Momma!" when I ushered him upstairs a few minutes earlier than usual. He verbally protested, but overall the earlier time was pretty easy. Hopefully the rest of our schedule transition will go smoothly, but I am not holding my breath!

-Denise

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Traveling With A Toddler

We are back from visiting my sister and her family in NY. No matter where we go, it is never easy traveling with a toddler. I can deal with living out of a suitcase, long hours in the car, and more, but trying to get a toddler to take a nap or to go to bed in a strange place is just rough. We brought our son's blanket, his sleeping bag he naps on at daycare, his special CD that he listens to as he falls asleep, his nightlight, his favorite, book, etc., but none of this matters when it is a strange bed/room/house.

Total time from start of nap until he fell asleep-1.5 hours
Total time from start of bedtime routine until he fell asleep-2 hours

I love visiting my sister, but I am so glad to be home! Hopefully we will all sleep great tonight.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Daddy Diaper Disaster!

Last night I was invited to an event with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. We get along great, byt the way! Daddy was on tap to get our son to bed. For some reason he forgot the diapering procedure for night time, and I ended up with quite a mess in the AM. We are currently using a size 6 regular diaper with an Underjam pull-up over top. He outgrew Huggies Overnights, which worked great, so this is our current solution. We are working on potty training, but it will be a while till we are okay with over night.

When Daddy put the little guy to bed, he put on two pull-ups and no regular diaper. Daddy didn't think there would be a difference, and I quickly explained that pull-ups can't hold anywhere near the same amount of pee a regular diaper can. This morning our son woke up with soaked pajamas and a soaked crib. I could practically wring out the sheet and his pajamas. Needless to say, Mommy had a lot of laundry to do today. Daddy says he has learned the error of his ways (and felt bad our son was so wet this AM)!

We are going to be out of town for the weekend. I will be back to post on Sunday night or Monday. Have a great weekend!

-Denise

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

No, Momma!

After four different appointments, and two actual visits to the portrait studio, we finally got our son's picture taken today for his 2nd birthday. Whew! The first two appointments were cancelled after he managed to cut his face with his nails-TWICE! The third appointment was one we actually went to, but he refused to get his picture taken after only one photo was taken. I believe the flash scared him and he just kept saying, "No, Momma!" He never cried or got upset, but he just refused to stand in front of the camera.

Today was the fourth apppointment and the second one we physically went to. Although it was not easy, we did manage to get some great shots. I have to say the technicians at Sears were great with him both times. I was going to just give up if today went poorly.

I have to say the whole experience was rather frustrating. I kept trying to tell myself to just chalk it up to a 2-year old's fears, but it was rather trying for Mommy as well. Having Daddy there today was also a HUGE help. My son normally LOVES to get his photo taken, but not by those big cameras and flashes. Hopefully by next year he will be over this fear.

I will say it is really worth checking into all of the photo packages and a la carte options that are available at a portrait studio. Although we received a flyer in the mail with what seemed like a great deal, in reality it was going to be more expensive than buying individual sheets through the a la carte menu. We did get to use one coupon for a free 10 x 13 though. Overall we spent around $50 compared to the $70 the deal package would have cost with the extras we wanted or the $120+ package they try to get you to purchase.

-Denise

Monday, August 11, 2008

A Relaxing Day

I finally went and used a gift certificate I got for Christmas today. It was for a local spa, so I went and got pampered! The best was the spa pedicure. The special pedicure they were doing this month was a strawberry ice cream fizz with a chocolate mask and they serve you strawberry ice cream while you are getting the pedicure. Heaven! The best part was the massaging chair as my back was killing me! I can tell that it is a week for a chiropractor visit. I can't seem to go more than two weeks without an adjustment. The adjustments really seem to help with my constant back pain.

Another bonus was that I got a coupon for a discount on another pedicure before the end of October. While I wouldn't normally bother once the cooler weather starts to set in, I think I might just indulge in another pedicure. Mommy's can use some relaxation time at any time of the year!

-Denise

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Weekend Plans-Cleaning, Playing, Shopping and More!

It is a beautiful weekend with fall-like temperatures. I am loving it! I took my son to the park this morning, and he had a blast! I think we may go back again tomorrow, if we have time.

Now that the little one is napping I will be off to clean the house. Nothing like having lots of people over to get you motivated to clean. I am actually having an At Home America party on Thursday, so I want to try to get the place looking nice. Some of the friends I have invited from work and elsewhere have never been to my house, so I don't want it looking like a pigsty! I am sure my son will still manage to have toys strewn around the living room no matter what though. Oh well. Welcome to a home with an active toddler!

Although I am doing some extra cleaning today, I have been trying to get rid of clutter all summer. I have gotten rid of several things through my local Freecycle. Check out your local Freecycle if you never have. It gives your discarded items a second life and helps keep items out of landfills. http://www.freecycle.org/

Tomorrow I will be doing more cleaning, but we will head over to Best Buy to pick up some new Elmo videos for my son. They are on sale tomorrow for $7.99 each and you get a free Sesame Street plush. My son will be all over that! "Watch Elmo?" is a frequent question/plea in my house, so mommy even appreciates the opportunity to get some new Elmo videos to add to the rotation. I have some of the old ones memorized. Between Elmo, the Wiggles, and Thomas my brain is regressing to toddler mode. I think I will appreciate going back to work at the start of the school year just to not have to listen to the same Wiggles songs every day.

Enjoy the weekend!

-Denise

Friday, August 8, 2008

I love my doctors!

I have been battling severe anemia since I had my son two years ago. I was anemic before that (pretty much since I was in college), but recently I was really struggling. I was finally referred to a hemotologist who diagnosed a B-12 deficiency and iron deficient anemia. My iron count was 2 when I wnet there for the first time. After four IV iron infusions, it is now 553! I am so happy. It has taken three weeks to feel the positive effects, but I feel so much better now. Really! Maybe now I will have the energy I need to chase around my toddler. Okay, maybe not, but it can't hurt!

-Denise

Thursday, August 7, 2008

A little about me...

This is my first blog. Yes, I am a blogging virgin...LOL! I have become addicted to reading several blogs (see the ones listed), and I finally decided to start one of my own. I am not sure where this will take me and exactly what I will post, but I am excited all the same.

I have a 2-year old son that is definitely in the terriblt twos stage. He is an absolute joy to have in my life even when he has a total meltdown! Really! My husband and I went through many struggles to start our family. Even though those years were some of the darkest days of my life, I am still okay for having had to go through such heartbreak because my son wouldn't be here today otherwise.

I love to read, garden, watch movies, travel, and spend time with my family. I also enjoy reading blogs, finding frugal tips and savings to save a few pennies, and keeping in touch with friends through the wonderful world wide web.

Stay tuned...there is more to come!

-Denise