Are you a Disney Fan? I am. Then again, how could I not be with my in-laws?! Then this Disney game is sure to please!-I'm sure it's fun to build too. It's a free download for this week only. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Children should be Heard and not just Seen
Is it really that hard for people to understand childhood? I mean, I've had several occasions where the presence (and possible misbehavior) of my child was the end of someone else's world. Today's experience is just one of many such shocking occasions.
I was at Earthwise Building Salvage in Seattle. My dear son was in his stroller, behaving well. Once he finished his bottle that changed. He made some complaints (small squeals) of disapproval over still having his bottle. I quickly took it and put it away. He settled down for a few minutes, then boredom ensued. I mean, a place like that with so much eye candy really requires he be out of his stroller, right? NO! So I quieted his protests, and continued around the corner. Seriously though, on a scale of 1 to 10 his screaming was a 2. Trust me, I've heard the whole scale. But just as he got noisy my cell phone rang. My dear husband wanted me to drop in at his office. So I am chatting with him for a brief minute.
THEN I noticed her. A slightly older (50-60 years) lady, dressed decently enough, glaring at me and my son from 15 feet away. First it was a glare, then when my son squealed again, it was full on stare down. Then somewhere within her she found the audacity to speak to me:
Lady - "Does your son HAVE to Scream." (I wish you could have heard the venomous, challenging tone in her voice. At that very moment I pitied her offspring while doubting the fact she had any.)
Me - "Yes." (And then quickly back to my husband on the phone.)
Lady - (Quite aghast at my response.) "I did NOT come here to listen to your son scream. You should quiet him."
Me - (Completely disgusted by her at this point. Plus my son had squawked twice, and was now quiet.) "I'm sorry but if you are offended by my son you should leave, because I'm going to continue shopping."
At this point, to avoid further altercation I quickly wheeled my son around a corner, but not before noticing an employee pop her head around the corner to catch a glimpse of us. I finish my conversation with my husband quickly and wheel my son over to the window panes that I planned to purchase. My mind is racing. I've experienced things like this before. Will the employee try to respect this customer and ask me to leave? Great. Why did I even respond the way I did. (And yet, I was secretly applauding the fact that I stood up for myself for once.) Oh well, I figured I'd make my purchase and run.
Then, not at all surprisingly, the employee approached me. Not at all timid in her approach. I'm nervous. I'll admit, things like this have gone awry in the past.
Employee - "Oh my gosh, I am SO SORRY."
Me - (What the heck? Not quite expected. Let's run with it.)
Employee - "I can't believe anyone could be so rude."
Me - (I know, I think that lady had major issues. Wait, you're siding with me?) "I know, I was rather surprised myself."
Employee - "I'm seriously so sorry, I can't believe that. I asked her to leave, and not to come back."
Me - (Gasp, What?!) "Oh, wow, OK. I'll admit, I couldn't believe she would say that to me."
Employee - "Me either, I can't believe she was like that, your son was really not bothering anyone. And he's so cute." (Smiles at him.)
Me - (Wow! This employee is more shook up then I am.) "Oh, you would be surprised how rude people can be about children and them making too much noise."
Employee - "You're kidding me. I can't believe that anyone could be that way about kids."
Me - "Me either."
At this point I showed the employee what I wanted to buy. She carried it all to the till for me, rang me up, and helped me load the car. The whole time, she's in shock and can't stop talking about how rude that lady was.
After I load my son in the car and start to get in myself I see that the employee has not made it very far. She's telling a co-worker about the whole thing. She's still in shock over it. He looks up at me, and yells "I'm so sorry about that." I yell back "It's OK. Oh well, I'm over it, thanks though. I just hope she (the employee) can get over it and have a good day." to which he replies "Too late."
I pull out, thinking over the whole situation and remember the General Conference talk on laughter. No, I won't let it ruin my day. I will just laugh over the great story. I will also remember the fabulous service I received at Earthwise and continue to return!
Grant it - if my son had been having a full on temper tantrum in the store, I think the only right thing in that situation is for me to leave. But remember, these were little squawks.
So to the old adage "Children are to be seen but not heard." I reply "Children should be heard and not just seen." And my Mom, the education guru herself would say "I worry about quiet children, there is usually something wrong with them."
I was at Earthwise Building Salvage in Seattle. My dear son was in his stroller, behaving well. Once he finished his bottle that changed. He made some complaints (small squeals) of disapproval over still having his bottle. I quickly took it and put it away. He settled down for a few minutes, then boredom ensued. I mean, a place like that with so much eye candy really requires he be out of his stroller, right? NO! So I quieted his protests, and continued around the corner. Seriously though, on a scale of 1 to 10 his screaming was a 2. Trust me, I've heard the whole scale. But just as he got noisy my cell phone rang. My dear husband wanted me to drop in at his office. So I am chatting with him for a brief minute.
THEN I noticed her. A slightly older (50-60 years) lady, dressed decently enough, glaring at me and my son from 15 feet away. First it was a glare, then when my son squealed again, it was full on stare down. Then somewhere within her she found the audacity to speak to me:
Lady - "Does your son HAVE to Scream." (I wish you could have heard the venomous, challenging tone in her voice. At that very moment I pitied her offspring while doubting the fact she had any.)
Me - "Yes." (And then quickly back to my husband on the phone.)
Lady - (Quite aghast at my response.) "I did NOT come here to listen to your son scream. You should quiet him."
Me - (Completely disgusted by her at this point. Plus my son had squawked twice, and was now quiet.) "I'm sorry but if you are offended by my son you should leave, because I'm going to continue shopping."
At this point, to avoid further altercation I quickly wheeled my son around a corner, but not before noticing an employee pop her head around the corner to catch a glimpse of us. I finish my conversation with my husband quickly and wheel my son over to the window panes that I planned to purchase. My mind is racing. I've experienced things like this before. Will the employee try to respect this customer and ask me to leave? Great. Why did I even respond the way I did. (And yet, I was secretly applauding the fact that I stood up for myself for once.) Oh well, I figured I'd make my purchase and run.
Then, not at all surprisingly, the employee approached me. Not at all timid in her approach. I'm nervous. I'll admit, things like this have gone awry in the past.
Employee - "Oh my gosh, I am SO SORRY."
Me - (What the heck? Not quite expected. Let's run with it.)
Employee - "I can't believe anyone could be so rude."
Me - (I know, I think that lady had major issues. Wait, you're siding with me?) "I know, I was rather surprised myself."
Employee - "I'm seriously so sorry, I can't believe that. I asked her to leave, and not to come back."
Me - (Gasp, What?!) "Oh, wow, OK. I'll admit, I couldn't believe she would say that to me."
Employee - "Me either, I can't believe she was like that, your son was really not bothering anyone. And he's so cute." (Smiles at him.)
Me - (Wow! This employee is more shook up then I am.) "Oh, you would be surprised how rude people can be about children and them making too much noise."
Employee - "You're kidding me. I can't believe that anyone could be that way about kids."
Me - "Me either."
At this point I showed the employee what I wanted to buy. She carried it all to the till for me, rang me up, and helped me load the car. The whole time, she's in shock and can't stop talking about how rude that lady was.
After I load my son in the car and start to get in myself I see that the employee has not made it very far. She's telling a co-worker about the whole thing. She's still in shock over it. He looks up at me, and yells "I'm so sorry about that." I yell back "It's OK. Oh well, I'm over it, thanks though. I just hope she (the employee) can get over it and have a good day." to which he replies "Too late."
I pull out, thinking over the whole situation and remember the General Conference talk on laughter. No, I won't let it ruin my day. I will just laugh over the great story. I will also remember the fabulous service I received at Earthwise and continue to return!
Grant it - if my son had been having a full on temper tantrum in the store, I think the only right thing in that situation is for me to leave. But remember, these were little squawks.
So to the old adage "Children are to be seen but not heard." I reply "Children should be heard and not just seen." And my Mom, the education guru herself would say "I worry about quiet children, there is usually something wrong with them."
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mexican Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
This post is especially for my friend Kelly, who has apparently been craving this since I took her some last week. This is a super easy to prepare recipe and a family favorite already. It's a variation on the Campbells Chicken and Rice Casserole.Ingredients:
1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 cup water
3 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (I usually eyeball this, so it might need more)
2/3 large can corn (drain if canned)
2/3 large can beans (drain if canned)
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves (I usually do 2 large ones cut up.)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
(I prefer this with black beans, but it's good with Pinto, Kindey, and others)
Directions:
Stir the soup, sour cream, water, taco seasoning, corn, beans, and rice in an 11 x 8-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish.
Top with the chicken. Cover.
Bake at 375°F. for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with cheese. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir rice before serving.
Friday, October 10, 2008
50 Things I Love
I confess - I started this blog with doubts as to whether or not I would be successful at blogging. Somehow, it's become something I look forward to doing. I love to share my news, update my friends, show my latest creations, point people to things I find exciting, and ultimately record some of the day-to-day.
So in honor of my 50th post I felt I should share 50 things I love with you all:
Home Decor
1. Pure Red Dinnerware by Mikasa (Which I will probably never own.)
2. Band Saw Safe by Alex Schlegel
3. Fantasy Pumpkins by Hallmark
4. Thrifty Decor Chic Blog (A Girl after my own heart, home decor on a budget!)
5. TJ Maxx I know it's known for discount shoes and clothes but check out their home decor
6. Ross Dress for Less same as above
7. Sugar Molds at NapaStyle
8. Organic Cotton Pin-Tuck Duvet Cover (this will be my new bedding ASAP, natural color)
28. Kali Leenstra Photography
Graphic Design
29. Adobe Creative Suite I would die without this.
30. Free Design Goodies links from Today's Creative Blog
Events
31. Modern Circus Soiree and all other ideas at Hostess with the Mostess
32. Murder Mystery Nights
33. Fairs Summer, Fall, Craft, Christmas, you name it
34. Simply Doing Something - my version of Girls Night Out
35. Enrichment (I'm especially looking forward to Super Saturday)
36. Creative Keepsakes Scrapbook Conventions
37. Of course, I can't forget Date Nights!
Places
38. Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa
39. La Boca and many locations in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Cuanto es que te extrano mi querida)
40. Canada - I am Canadian!
41. Leavenworth, WA
42. Lake Tahoe
43. San Diego
Sports
44. Argentine Tango
45. Ice Skating
46. Synchronized Swimming
Church
47. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
48. General Conference
So in honor of my 50th post I felt I should share 50 things I love with you all:
Home Decor
1. Pure Red Dinnerware by Mikasa (Which I will probably never own.)
2. Band Saw Safe by Alex Schlegel
3. Fantasy Pumpkins by Hallmark
4. Thrifty Decor Chic Blog (A Girl after my own heart, home decor on a budget!)
5. TJ Maxx I know it's known for discount shoes and clothes but check out their home decor
6. Ross Dress for Less same as above
7. Sugar Molds at NapaStyle
8. Organic Cotton Pin-Tuck Duvet Cover (this will be my new bedding ASAP, natural color)
Patterns
9. The Chemisette Handbag by Craft Apple
10. Monkenottokauhmen (Pronounced Monkey-not-too-Common) by Q.D. Patooties
11. Sophia Tunic at Burda Style
12. Kimono Top at Sew, Mama, Sew
Fabric
13. Amusement Park by Jessica Jones
14. Digital Fabric Printing at Spoonflower.com
15. Heather Bailey her designs and her Blog
Romance
16. The first thing she ever said to him was "I Love You" Suzanne at Just Another Hang Up
17. Antique Cars I know some people dream about sports cars, or limousines, horse drawn buggies or even just a car with A.C., but I can't imagine anything more romantic to drive around in than an Antique Car.
Food
18. Empanadas (I'll post a few favorite recipes sometime soon)
19. BYU Mint Brownies (Just in case you actually miss these.)
20. Pumpkin Chowder at Light Refreshments Served
21. Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole by Campbell's (I love to make variations on this.)
22. Peanut Butter Cups
Crafts
23. Scrapbook Layout by Leslie (not just this one, but it's a favorite)
24. Bird House on Kimberly's Blog
25. WallFlowers Decorative Vinyl Lettering
26. San Diego Zoo Crafts for Kids
27. Floral Arrangements I used to work in a flower shop.
28. Kali Leenstra Photography
Graphic Design
29. Adobe Creative Suite I would die without this.
30. Free Design Goodies links from Today's Creative Blog
Events
31. Modern Circus Soiree and all other ideas at Hostess with the Mostess
32. Murder Mystery Nights
33. Fairs Summer, Fall, Craft, Christmas, you name it
34. Simply Doing Something - my version of Girls Night Out
35. Enrichment (I'm especially looking forward to Super Saturday)
36. Creative Keepsakes Scrapbook Conventions
37. Of course, I can't forget Date Nights!
Places
38. Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa
39. La Boca and many locations in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Cuanto es que te extrano mi querida)
40. Canada - I am Canadian!
41. Leavenworth, WA
42. Lake Tahoe
43. San Diego
Sports
44. Argentine Tango
45. Ice Skating
46. Synchronized Swimming
Church
47. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
48. General Conference
Family
49. My Adorable Son
50. Last and Definitely the Most My Husband (Oh How I Love Thee)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
My Latest and Greatest Projects
This week I've had a little more time to work on things. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I actually neglected cleaning my house during my son's naps in order to complete these.
My new diaper bag:
I bought a $3 bag at Wal-Mart that was really quite ugly. It became the pattern. I changed the pockets (so they were diaper-bag worthy) and with a much better fabric choice - I think it's my favorite bag thus far. (I've had plenty.)
My new wreath:
This idea is actually not mine. I found it and copied it off someone else's blog - she has all the instructions there. I'll link it later. I'm not sure if this will be my wreath or a gift to a lucky friend. We'll have to see if it works with my decorations!
My new diaper bag:
I bought a $3 bag at Wal-Mart that was really quite ugly. It became the pattern. I changed the pockets (so they were diaper-bag worthy) and with a much better fabric choice - I think it's my favorite bag thus far. (I've had plenty.)My new wreath:
This idea is actually not mine. I found it and copied it off someone else's blog - she has all the instructions there. I'll link it later. I'm not sure if this will be my wreath or a gift to a lucky friend. We'll have to see if it works with my decorations!
Walking in the Clouds
Alright, that's not quite true, but it's sure how it feels today. We finally had our carpet installed on Friday! Goodbye scratchy stained, filthy, carpet and carpet bugs. Hello, soft, clean, all one color carpet!
I must confess, the color turned out different from what I originally thought, but it's still perfect to me. If only the new carpet smell would go away. Any suggestions?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Garage Sales and Consignment Shopping
The past two weekends I have been having fun at Garage and Consignment Sales. At the garage sales I mostly looked for toys. I decided that it's time to add new toys (you know the loud, obnoxious, exactly what will entertain your child for hours kind) to my back-up collection. In case you're wondering, that's the stash in the garage that you rotate when your child is bored and driving you completely insane. (OK, so it happens once in a while.) Anyhow - I had great success:
Garage Sales:
$5 Older Fisher Price Great Adventures Pirate Ship $20 on E-Bay
$5 Fisher-Price Drop and Roar Dinosaur $20 on E-Bay
$3 Hasbro Playskool Ball Busy Ball Popper $20 on Amazon.com
$5 Older Fisher Price Magic Castle $20 on E-Bay
$1 The Lion King Play Set $15 on E-Bay
$8 Old Navy Stunt Driver Costume (worn once and never even washed) $30 on E-Bay
$12 Children's Place Girls White Furry Winter Coat $25 on E-Bay (this was for a friend)
$30 solid wood desk (worth well over $100 and our favorite out of all new and used we've seen)
$1 Photo Frame (to fit 4 8x10 size photos)
Consignment Sale:
$44 4 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, 1 sweater, 2 pyjamas, and a swim outfit with the built-in life vest (all like-new condition, that's $3.35/piece)
Let's just say we saved a ton of money shopping this way! And we had a ton of fun.
Garage Sales:
$5 Older Fisher Price Great Adventures Pirate Ship $20 on E-Bay
$5 Fisher-Price Drop and Roar Dinosaur $20 on E-Bay
$3 Hasbro Playskool Ball Busy Ball Popper $20 on Amazon.com
$5 Older Fisher Price Magic Castle $20 on E-Bay
$1 The Lion King Play Set $15 on E-Bay
$8 Old Navy Stunt Driver Costume (worn once and never even washed) $30 on E-Bay
$12 Children's Place Girls White Furry Winter Coat $25 on E-Bay (this was for a friend)
$30 solid wood desk (worth well over $100 and our favorite out of all new and used we've seen)
$1 Photo Frame (to fit 4 8x10 size photos)
Consignment Sale:
$44 4 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, 1 sweater, 2 pyjamas, and a swim outfit with the built-in life vest (all like-new condition, that's $3.35/piece)
Let's just say we saved a ton of money shopping this way! And we had a ton of fun.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
A Whole World to Discover!
Now that my little dear is in Nursery (accompanied by Mom or Dad still as he's not quite 18 months) I have been amazed to see how quickly he learns, and how much he is taking in even when he doesn't seem to be. For instance, he loves "Ring around the Rosy" now. As soon as I sing it he starts spinning around. I guess it's way more fun with a whole bunch of kids than with just Mom. He begs for "Popcorn Popping" too. He used to just make the popcorn pop but now he's picked up on the other movements and is trying to do them too. He's also learned a lot of new sounds effects for toys. Ha ha.
But the craziest part of it all is he's really blossoming socially. He is learning to interact with other kids a lot better, and look forward to it. Last week after one of his friends visited he walked around the house calling her for hours. I'm not kidding. Annie has become a favorite pal of his. I must confess though, I have reason to be concerned.
This week he's also had 3 firsts: "I love you Daddy", "Hug" and "Honey". It's got me worried that his open mouth kisses, agressive hugs, and flirty smiles are not all for Mom and Dad. Is it too young to tell him he can't have a girlfriend until he's 16? I certainly hope not because every time he asks for Annie I am thinking it.
But the craziest part of it all is he's really blossoming socially. He is learning to interact with other kids a lot better, and look forward to it. Last week after one of his friends visited he walked around the house calling her for hours. I'm not kidding. Annie has become a favorite pal of his. I must confess though, I have reason to be concerned.
This week he's also had 3 firsts: "I love you Daddy", "Hug" and "Honey". It's got me worried that his open mouth kisses, agressive hugs, and flirty smiles are not all for Mom and Dad. Is it too young to tell him he can't have a girlfriend until he's 16? I certainly hope not because every time he asks for Annie I am thinking it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Desperate Need
My Mom and I were talking about General Conference this week as we look forward to watching it this weekend. She mentioned how every Conference she is uplifted and the messages are so wonderful but how come time for the next Conference it's almost like you're in Desperate Need of the Spiritual uplifting.I feel like that today. I can't help but look forward to an awesome weekend learning from the leaders of our church. General Conference has always been something I look forward to. After the amazing talks during the R.S. Broadcast last weekend, I am sure we're in for some amazing talks. I have no doubt that the Desperate Need will be filled.
I will confess, the fact that we can watch Conference on BYUTV from home makes the 4 sessions a lot easier to listen to. Especially considering the fact that we won't have to try to keep the toddler entertained.
So to all those of you watching General Conference, I sincerely hope that you are uplifted as well.
The Sick Bed
Yesterday was probably the hardest day for me. Our little son got sick in the car as we dropped off my husband for work. The clean-up was no big deal, I'm almost used to that. It's just watching his poor little body go through all that.In the afternoon we went to the doctor. I've been wanting to get allergy testing, and we went to a new Dr. yesterday. She had him at the lab pronto to get testing done. I think I finally found someone who will listen to me.
But here's the hardest part of the day: the allergy test itself. Luckily, it was not the skin prick but the blood panel instead. It nearly broke my heart in two to hold him there screaming as they drew blood though. I'm not so good with needles, so I told the nurse I was worried I might faint. She laughed, until she realized I was actually serious. I held up though, and I'm so proud of my little guy for how well he did.
Unfortunately, he's come down with something. Hence the getting sick in the car yesterday and all over his crib last night. It's so hard to see him in pain. I just want to reach into his body and pull the bacteria out (or virus). I know that sounds crazy, but I really don't want him to have to be sick ever. I guess you could say my Mother Heart is aching for him.
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