House of Estrogen

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 29, 2010

 

For Today...

Outside my window... it was really pleasant today. I spent the afternoon putting up Christmas lights wearing jeans and short sleeves.

I am thinking... that my newly purchased Christmas lights look quite nice, if I do say so myself.

I am thankful for... our wonderful Thanksgiving trip to the mountains of NC with good friends. It was such a great vacation.

From the kitchen... candy cane JoJo's. YUM!

 I am creating... Christmas cards, still. Shutterfly's 30% off deal ends tomorrrow, so I need to get them finished!

I am going... to finish my Christmas shopping this week.

I am reading... Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosney. I'm not usually a big fan of historical fiction, but I've really liked this book so far. It is about the 1942 Paris roundups when thousands of Jewish families were sent to Auschwitz. It is a fictional novel but based on this little-known period of French WWII history. I finished Mockingjay (The Final Book of the Hunger Games). It was my least favorite of the three Hunger Game books, but I still enjoyed it.

I am hoping... that my cousin  continues to make good progress with her speech therapy and re-learning how to eat with her new "trist" (her word, not mine! Her new tongue was constructed with tissue from her wrist, thus a "trist").

 I am hearing... Elise complaining. Nina singing. Addie questioning. J.C. answering.

Around the house... suitcases, bags, and boxes needing to be unpacked.

One of my favorite things... Starbuck's gingerbread, but can you believe I haven't had any yet this holiday season? I'm trying to lose weight, so I'm resisting. It taunts me every time I go in there though.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... holiday parties with both Elise and Nina's classrooms and Swim with Santa. The girls track-out on Friday, so no more school for them until 2011!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Addie on our trip to the mountains. Can you imagine sleeping like this? It hurts my neck just looking at her. I'm quite certain I wouldn't be able to move my neck for a month if I slept like that.

 

    To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Belated House of Estrogen Happy Thanksgiving!

This is just a quick fly-by post to wish all of you a belated Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you had a wonderful holiday full of great food, lots of fun, and quality time with loved ones. We certainly did.  I have vacation posts coming, but for now... just a quick picture from the Blue Ridge Parkway!

 

Kraft, Are You Listening?

In preparation for our Thanksgiving feast, I've been channeling my grandmother this week. I made her chocolate cake tonight and her broccoli cheese casserole last night. Once again, while making the broccoli cheese casserole, I mourned the discontinuation of Kraft's garlic cheese roll. Apparently, I am not the only one. Tomorrow marks two years since I posted this post about Kraft dropping the garlic cheese roll from their product line-up. In those two years, my blog has received hits from search engines on that post nearly EVERY day. Of the top twenty Google searches that result in visits to my blog, nine are for that post. People search for "kraft garlic cheese roll substitute", "substitute for kraft garlic cheese", "substitute garlic cheese link", "kraft garlic cheese roll".... you get the idea.  People are searching for this product daily. It isn't only missed around the holidays when people are attempting to make their grandmothers' recipes. This product hasn't been on grocery store shelves for over two years, and people are still on a quest for the non-existent perfect substitute.

Kraft, are you listening?  We're begging you... bring back the garlic cheese roll! Cooks everywhere are googling, blogging, and begging. We need our garlic cheese rolls! Our grandmothers' recipes aren't the same without it!

For the Love of Socks

Did I say love? I meant hatred. No, loathing. Is there a word worse than loathing? On the Oprah XM station, they always use the word "vitriol".  I have no idea how to use that in a sentence with "socks", but I like the way it sounds. It just sounds so full of anger and hatred. Just say it... vitriol. See what I mean?

There are no words that strike more fear in me in the mornings than, "Mom, I need a pair of socks!"  That sentence sends me cowering under my covers. Socks should not be this complicated. They should not be this frustrating. Socks should not involve this much vitriol!  (There... that sentence works, right? maybe? OK... I know it doesn't, but it sounds good, so I'm going with it.)

My girls have NO socks in their drawers. None. Zero. I think Addie has one pair of aqua socks, but the big girls have none.

Every clean sock in the house (with the exception of socks belonging to J.C. who dutifully mates all of his socks and puts them in his drawer after each load of laundry) is in a laundry basket... a large full-to-the-brim laundry basket.  Why not just mate them up and put them away, you ask?  Because THERE ARE NO MATES! I don't understand this. Truly, I don't. When my mom was here a couple weeks ago, she kindly offered to match up socks (not knowing the magnitude of the job... I'm quite certain she wouldn't have offered had she known what she was getting herself into). She spent a good 30-45 minutes trying to match up socks and wound up with THREE pairs - THREE!! out of an entire laundry basket of clean socks! How is that possible?

This morning, I decided Addie needed red socks (the aqua pair in her closet just wasn't cutting it with her brown, orange, and red dress). I found four red socks in the basket... four different shades of red, four different styles, four different sizes, and not a single match. 

Nina had P.E. today. I hate P.E. day. P.E. day requires sneakers. Sneakers mean that your socks show. Every other day, I require the girls to wear flip flops (no socks!), or boots (socks don't show. They don't have to match!). P.E. day... Sneakers... Sigh.  I culled through the basket looking for any two socks that matched. I finally came up with two that were similar in style - both white, both ankle height, one ruffled, one straight. That had to do.

Where do the socks go? How is it possible to have a basket full of dozens and dozens of unmatchable socks?  I'm seriously tempted to throw away the entire basket (yes, the laundry basket too as it must have bad sock karma at this point) and start over.  Everyone in the family (with the exception of J.C. and his OCD-sock-matching tendencies) will wear white socks, all one style, all one size. Addie will just have to suck it up and wear socks with the heels up around her knees until her feet get bigger. I just don't know any other way to handle this sock crisis of epic proportions.

I hate socks. I loathe socks. Vitriol.

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 22, 2010

 

For Today...

Outside my window... we finally have pretty fall leaves - reds, yellows, oranges, purples - beautiful!

I am thinking... that Addie looks too much like a little person today and not enough like a toddler. No more pleated skirts for her!

I am thankful for... well kids. Everybody is going to school/work today! That's the first time in a week. I'm crossing fingers I don't get a call from a school today to pick one of them up!

From the kitchen... Thanksgiving prep work - cranberry sauce, mac&cheese, broccoli casserole, and chocolate cake!

 I am creating... Christmas cards.

I am going... to take Nina to the dentist today to get her palate expander expanded again.

I am reading... Mockingjay (The Final Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. I'm not flying through this one like the other two, but it is pretty good too.

I am hoping... that my cousin continues to heal from her surgery complication-free.

 I am hearing... everybody eating cereal.

Around the house... Polly Pockets. I hate those &*#$ things!

One of my favorite things... Christmas music on the radio! I know it is too early for some people, but I love it.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... Thanksgiving fun! 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... the girls with Grandmama last night. Excuse the cell phone quality pic.. it has been a rough week! 

 


    To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Tis the Season...

... for illness after illness on top of illness.  I've been a bit MIA from the blogging world of late, but the House of Estrogen is more of a House of Germs right now.  Addison has been miserable all week with hand, foot, and mouth disease. She looks like she has an awful case of chicken pox on just her hands, feet, and in her mouth. She has survived on popsicles and teddy grahams (or in toddler-speak, "beers") all week since anything acidic or salty gets spit out with "OW! IT HUHTS!"  That girl has had a rough week. Just as she is coming over the hump though, everyone else has taken a nosedive. Nina has a fever, sore throat, and sore tongue. I'm anticipating pox on her hands and feet any day now. I have a sore throat, and I'm desperately hoping it is just a cold, not hand, foot, and mouth. Elise has some sort of belly issue going on.  Our token testosterone family member is germ-free so far. It is only a matter of time though until we take him down with us.

I'll return to more regular blogging once we're back to the land of the living. For now, I'm going to go distribute Motrin to the masses and crawl in bed.

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 15, 2010

 

For Today...

Outside my window... a clear, sunny, lovely fall day.

I am thinking... about a nap. I think I will take one.

I am thankful for... that my cousin Lisa  is doing so well after her 11 hour surgery on her tongue cancer. Most especially, I am thankful for the news today that the biopsies of her lymph nodes were negative and all her surgical margins were clean!  She still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but I'm thankful things are good so far.

From the kitchen... smoked pork chops, mac & cheese, and asparagus.

 I am creating... Christmas lists. Elise's list is pretty well complete, but I have no clue what the other two want. I'm so behind this year!

I am going... to pick up groceries later that I ordered online this morning. Whoever came up with online grocery shopping should be awarded a Nobel Prize.

I am reading... Mockingjay (The Final Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. I finished Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), and I think I may have liked it even better than the first book! Tough call though - both are excellent. 

 I am hoping... that Addie gets over this case of hand, foot, and mouth disease soon. She is so pitiful. New spots seem to be breaking out on her hands almost hourly, and she is hardly eating anything.

 I am hearing... quiet... Addie is napping.

Around the house... boxes to take to Goodwill. I cleaned out my closet yesterday.

One of my favorite things... a good nap on the weekends.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... Daisies and Jump Rope for Nina, Girl Scouts and Hip Hop for Elise, dentist and doctor appointments for me, and making dinners with a friend. 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Elise's Girl Scout troop at their rededication ceremony. Most of these girls have been in the troop together for the past four years.

 


    To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

I Still Love You, Part 2

Nina, when you came home from school wearing a BRAND NEW PAIR OF JEANS that had NEVER BEEN WORN BEFORE with two holes in them and told me that you got hot, so you cut the holes to cool you off, I still loved you. You seem to have every intention of sending me to an early grave, but I do still love you. Really, I do. I think. Probably. Most Days, anyway. OK, yes, I do. I still love you.

That said, if you're going to take scissors to clothes again, could you PLEASE wear a pair of rotten old hand-me-down Old Navy jeans instead of the brand spankin' new Next ones?  You might prolong your mother's life by a few months.

Thank you.

 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 8, 2010

 

For Today...

Outside my window... we have a gorgeous sunny day today. I think I'll grill tonight.

I am thinking... that Mondo was robbed on Project Runway. Anybody else agree? Heidi should have held her ground and made Mondo the winner. Gretchen so didn't deserve it. I'm still miffed. Can you tell?

I am thankful for... my parents being here here the past few days. We've had a good visit and seen several possibilities for places for them to live.

From the kitchen... grilled chicken, I think, with maybe some veggies and pasta? i haven't made it to the grocery store yet.

 I am creating... not much right now, just this blog post.

I am going... to a Moms' Night Out tomorrow night - looking forward to that.

I am reading... Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), by Suzanne Collins. I really had no clue how she was going to go forward with the story after The Hunger Games ended, but WOW! This book starts off with a bang. I absolutely love it. This one starts out as a page-turner from page one. This week, I finished The Hunger Games, and I was so glad that I had borrowed the full trilogy from Audrey so that I had immediate access to the second one and didn't have to wait for it from the library.

 I am hoping... that two surgeries go well this week. My cousin Lisa is having a ten hour surgery for her tongue cancer tomorrow. They will reconstruct the tongue with tissue from the inside of her wrist and repair her wrist with skin from her thigh. I've dealt with two surgical sites in one surgery before, and that was rough. Three sounds brutal, but she's one tough cookie! Addie's daycare teacher (and babysitter and family friend) is having bariatric surgery on Wednesday.  Both surgeries sound scary with difficult recovery periods, but I think both are a step in the right direction. I'll be sending many prayers and healing thoughts out to both this week.

 I am hearing... a nice quiet house.

Around the house... the usual clutter.

One of my favorite things... currently, I'd say my favorite thing is reading the Hunger Games trilogy!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... the usual chaos. I don't know how people manage more than 3 kids' activities. This week, we have: Elise's hip hop class, my volunteering in Nina's classroom, a fall festival at Addie's daycare, my Moms Night Out, jump rope for Nina, an ice cream social at the girls' school, Veteran's Day off of school, so the girls will go to ice skating camp for the day, eye exams for both big girls, and weekend Girl Scout events for both girls.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... the girls and my parents... not sure why my dad didn't smile, but this is the best shot I got!

 

    To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

I Still Love You

This morning, when you threw the glass paperweight at me which hit me in the nose and made my nose bleed, I still loved you.

 

After that, when I gave you two outfit choices for the day and asked you which you wanted to wear, you threw them both on the floor, yelled, "NO WEAR DEES!", and selected a summer sundress from the closet. I still loved you.

 

Once I finally got you dressed and started to help you put on your brown boots that matched your brown dress, you threw them down, yelled, "NO WEAR DEES!", and put on one red Croc and one pink/purple swirled Croc. I still loved you.

 

Later this morning, when you threw yourself down on the floor of the bathroom in the pediatrician's office to throw a tantrum and then chose to crawl all the way down the hall back to the exam room, I still loved you.

 
 
When I got you up from nap this afternoon and you kept yelling, "NO! NO! NO!" in my face for no apparent reason, I still loved you.

 

Addison... you are two and a half, and I still love you. (You make it awfully hard some days though.)