One of Each

The Mayhem that is bath time/ bedtime at our house:)

Iphone auto correct you kill me...

Recently Larry and I decided to get with the times when it comes to our cell phone technology.  We recently got iphones.  We totally drank the koolaid.  We don't know what we would do without them now.  We love everything about them EXCEPT every once in a while the text autocorrect really does some funny things- mostly because we get tap happy and hit send or post before we realize that auto correct has betrayed us.  This happened to me today.
I was trying to text a church friend to ask "Time for the Mother's Day breakfast-9:30 or 8:45am?"
I mistyped and the auto correct promptly replaced the misspelled word with what it thought I was trying to type.  I tried to backspace (all this while holding a baby) and ended up hitting send.  SO... My friend Chris Taylor got this text message :

Time for meat.  

Bless him that he didn't respond with anything too snarky.  Just three little questions marks ??? beacuse I was laughing so hard as was EVERYONE in our staff meeting that I couldn't see to send him another message

Pretty Girl

Caught a few moments with the little girl before nap yesterday...

Easter Hamm

Here is a recent funny from the dinner table:

We are enjoying our Easter dinner- Ham and the fixings.  I look at Brooks across the table and ask him to please stop playing with his food and eat his ham. 
He replies: "It's not Hamm- it's Evil Dr. Pork Chop!"  Then he proceeds to take a bite.
I hope he is not too devastated when he discovers where bacon comes from...

Bunny Update

Apparently folks- there actually was a bunny at my son's school.  He didn't make it up.
One of the teachers dressed up as the Easter bunny and all the kids took a picture with him. 

Here is Brooks and Shawn the Bunny:

I know it looks as if Brooks is about to punch the bunny-but he didn't.

Oh- and we asked, the bunny didn't have a name- Brooks did make up that part. :)

Weekend Recipe- Chocolate Fruit Dip

This one is easy peasy and soooo YUMMY!

Chocolate Fruit Dip

1 8oz tub of cool whip (fat free works just as well as regular if you want a low cal alternative)
1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl (microwave safe) melt the chocolate chips in your microwave -30 second intervals.  In a separate bowl add 1/3 of the tub of cool whip and the chocolate. 

It is important to use a different bowl from the one you melted the chocolate in so you don't completely melt the cool whip.

Stir the cool whip portion and the chocolate until completely combined.  The add the remainder of the cool whip and fold together until well blended.

You can eat right away or you can refrigerate and enjoy later.

We like this one with bananas, strawberries and pineapple- but it is good with everything!

A bunny at my school

Brooks:  "there is a bunny at my school."

Mommy: "really?"

Brooks: "yes, he is a white bunny."

Mommy:  "neat, what is the bunny's name?"

Brooks: "Shawn"

Apparently folks, there is a white bunny rabbit at my son's nursery school and his name is Shawn.  This could be a fabrication, however because when I asked who brought the bunny to school Brooks replied "his name is... (scratching his head and thinking for a moment) 'Got it.' Then he laughed hysterically.

More investigation is necessary. Stay Tuned...

Birthrights

April is Cesarean Awaremenss Month in honor of that here is my expereince with cesarean birth and VBAC.
Some people know my story, journey- struggle really to have a VABC delivery with my second child. 
After my first C-Section, I had no idea that I was suddenly in a category of obstetric patients that have VERY limited choices for future childbirths.   During my first labor my son wasn't in distress, I wasn't in distress.  I didn't know my options, I made a lot of uneducated choices and didn't ask any questions.  The doctor said it was time for a c-section and I believed him.  I'll never truly know if it was really necessary or not.  My gut is that it wasn't. I didn't realize when I consented to that first surgery that I would feel so strongly about it later- feelings of loss, grief and that I was somehow broken because I didn't deliver my son normally-vaginally.

In searching out a VBAC provider or in other words a doctor who would support my choice to try to have a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.  I realized very quickly with my second pregnancy that those kinds of doctors are almost impossible to find.  I thought I found one- but alas he pulled the bait and switch with me in my last trimester.

At 34 weeks I found myself searching out a new provider and having to drive over an hour and a half to Atlanta to see Dr. Joseph Tate.  He is pretty much one of the only options for a truly VBAC supportive provider in the state of GA.  Women drive hours from as far away as north FL to see him.

Some people were supportive, some were incredulous- sure I was nuts for wanting something so much- sure I would deliver on the side of the hwy in an attempt to get to Emory on time- an hour and a half a away without traffic.

I was able to deliver my daughter, Lucy, on February 10, 2011 via natural VBAC.  I could not have done it without a husband who supported my choices and drove me to Atlanta, who understood, listened and helped me process my grief over my first C- Section.  I also could not have done it without ICAN- the International Cesarean Awareness Network.  The local chapter in Athens and the Atlanta chapter were invaluable resources who supported me, answered questions and understood in ways that family and friends couldn't.
When I was able to hold my daughter in my arms for the first time- without surgery- it was without a doubt the most empowering, amazing moment of my life.

There is a wonderful documentary that was done in Atlanta with MY doctor- the incredible Dr. Tate and all the wonderful women of ICAN Atlanta.  If you want to see and understand what this is all about- I HIGHLY suggest you watch it.  It sums up my experience completely and any of the women they interview could have been me.  If you want to understand - even just a little- watch it.  It is worth the time.

Splinter Update

Just in case any of you were wondering- the splinter is still in Brook's hand.  No worries though, he has gotten over it and has stopped asking for bandaids.

Get It Out

If you have kids then you know all about stains and have probably learned a thing or two about getting stains out. Here are a few of the tricks I have used successfully over the past 3 years of mommyhood:

PERMANENT MARKER OR INK ON FABRIC:  cheap hairspray- that's right the cheaper the better.  You know those auquanet aerosol cans your grandma uses- yep- just spray some on the stain until it is saturated- let it sit for a few minutes.  I just throw the item in the wash with the rest of the load, but you can also use a soft brush to rub at the stain and apply more hairspray if necessary.
You can also use rubbing alcohol in the same manner but hairspray works better.

DISCLAIMER* You are supposed to test a small hidden portion of the fabric first to see if it is color fast- but I never do this- who has the time?

INK OR PERMANENT MARKER ON LEATHER:  Think tennis shoes or Robeez or perhaps those lovely leather couches that belong to a certain university that will remain unnamed.

CUTICLE REMOVER!  Health and beauty items save the day!  You'll find this in the nail care section- any brand will do, but Sally Hansen works great in my experience.  Put a blob of cuticle remover on JUST THE STAIN- be very careful not to spread it all over- the small tip of the tube will make this easier.  Let is sit a few minutes and then rub rub it off with a soft cloth.  You may have to do this more than once.
I got BLACK permanent marker out of a brown leather sofa this way.  I also successfully removed blue pen ink from pair of robeez this way as well.

CAUTION- Don't let it sit on too long (more than 5-10 minutes at a time) or you may scar the leather.  If you do leave a funny spot on the leather a bit of leather conditioner or shoe polish will fix it right up.

FOOD GRASS OR OTHER STAINS in CLOTHING:
Biz (the powder not the liquid) works great!  An overnight soak in the washer with about double the recommended amount has gotten just about every stain out that we have encountered: spit-up, poop blow outs, baby food stains (yes carrots and sweet potatoes), grass stains and other miscellaneous stains.

What makes Biz so great are the enzymes  that actually eat away at the stain but leave the fabric intact.  Meat Tenderizer (spice aisle)  works the same way.  I mix a cup of meat tenderizer, a cup of washing soda (NOT baking soda) and a cup of 20 Mule Team Borax together and use it the same way I use Biz.  It works great.    If I have a lot of items I soak them in the washer or I have a big bucket that I use as well.  I also have some smaller bowls and containers for the 1 or 2 items that need special soaking.
You can also mix up a paste of the homemade mix and apply it directly to the stain- let it sit until dry and then throw it in the washer.

Here is my Stain Fighting Arsenal:

• Latex Gloves- because some stains are just GROSS
• Old Tooth Brush- for rubbing out stubborn stains
• Cuticle Remover
• Small Bowls and a Pop stick for mixing up and application of pastes of Biz/enzyme mixture
• Air Duster- learned this from a former dry cleaner- they use a high pressure air blower to BLOW out some stains- really. 
• A spray bottle of hairspray
• My baggie of meat tenderizer mixture
• Baby Powder- apply liberally to ring around the collar, lay a washcloth on top and apply a hot iron.  Shake off the powder and the collar stain comes off as well!
• Regular Detergent and Regular Bleach

*** this is a recycled post- but still helpful, I hope.  I would also ADD to this list
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.  It makes a great alternative to chlorine bleach for whites and other stubborn stains.  Also- random- but we have a front loader washer that came with this apartment and towels always had a weird smell very soon after washing.  I add a cup of peroxide to the wash when we do towels and no more smell!

splinter

Major drama at our house tonight over a minor (and I mean teeny tiny sliver) splinter.  Brooks got a splinter in his hand and has been milking it for all it is worth.  We are on bandaid #2. At our house bandaid = sticker and sticker =great. He's asked us to kiss his boo boo repeatedly which is just gross because most of the time the palms of a three year old's hands are nasty- except for the five or so minutes after he's just washed them.
Larry and I tried our best to get the splinter out.  It was traumatic for all and we still didn't get the little sucker out of his hand!
So if anyone has any suggestions on how to get a splinter out of a three year old's hand without weeping and gnashing teeth- PLEASE let me know!

Weekend Recipe

I'll re-enter the blogging habit with a favorite post- the Weekend Recipe.

Peanut Butter Porkchops (this one was a hit with Larry)

4 pork chops- bone in are best- but tenderloin chops would be good too (not as juicy)
1 medium onion- sliced julienne (google it)
1/2 cup of peanut butter, I used natural creamy, but you can use whatever you have
4 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup flour
2 cups of beef or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 325.
Heat 2 tbsps of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add the pork chops and brown on both sides- 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove the chops and place in a 9x13 glass baking pan or glass dish and set aside.
Add the onions to the hot skillet and saute them until they start to brown a little.  When the onions are mostly done and starting to brown layer them on top of the chops in the baking dish. 

Turn the heat up to high and add the other two tbsps of olive oil.  Stir in the flour.  You are making a light roux or toasting the flour a little to add flavor.  When the flour/oil mixture is light brown (think the color coffee with a lot of cream) add the stock, turn down the heat and stir until thickend.  You may need more or less stock depending on how thick you like your gravy. 
Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.  Pour this sauce over the onions and chops.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour in a 325 degree oven.  Serve over rice.

I Moved!

I gave up the worpress blog- abandoned is more like it.  It just got too clunky to post pictures and videos and such.  Whenever I thought about posting- it just made me tired so I didn't post.

Here I am at a new blog host and hopefully it will be easier to use- so far it is AND hopefully I'll be motivated to post more often.

SO add me to your readers, change your bookmarks and blogrolls and stay tuned:).

Christy C-H