Happy Birthday, Bethany!!

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Bethany,
Happy Birthday to you!

Hey all you other readers,
You should pop over to Bethany's blog today and leave her some birthday wishes, or add a comment here.

Have a great birthday, Bethany!

All In A Day's Work

Once upon a time there was a certain 4-year-old boy who complained of nothing to do.

Despite a playroom full of toys, a brother to get into mischief with, he found himself bored.
There was reason to feel sorry for this boy, too.
You see, his mean mother would not play with him all day long, every single day.
She had the nerve to attempt to do other things, assuming her almost 5 year old could play alone for some time, and use his imagination.

The winter months and weather only made this problem worse. It's not like this poor boy could play outside. Too cold, or too wet and muddy from melting snow. One day spring would return...

So what were they to do?

The solution lied in a purchase made last summer: the Responsibility Chart.
If you take a look, you can see that this brilliant chart offers chore-ideas that are age-appropriate, and it's nicely laid out for each day of the week. You can switch out the chores as needed, and it's user-friendly enough for the child to check off himself.

This chart has been a lifesaver for us. I first saw it at my friend Crystal's house. A few months later we bought one ourselves. We got away from using it for a bit, but it's back up and is a nice addition to the home.

Think it sounds mean to have a 4-year-old doing chores?
At first I did.
But then I noticed a change in him. He felt useful and productive, and he was taking pride in his things. The next thing you knew, he was telling me how he wanted to organize this or that.
I love it. :)

We don't have Aidan do a full list of chores every single day. And sometimes he gets a free pass. But on the days he doesn't have a chore to do, he isn't as happy.
I know this is a stage he will quickly outgrow, but we're already learning how important it is to enable the kids to help out around the house, and just how much they can learn and grow from that.

I like what I read here, as it is pretty much my view as well: "The value of chores resides in the lessons learned from accomplishing them: a sense of pride, the development of self-respect and the experience of being connected to others who depend on and value the child's contribution."

So far Aidan is great about getting himself dressed (obviously that one has been for a while now), he does a fantastic job setting the table (see picture below), he makes his bed, most of the time does a good job picking up his toys, and he is usually pretty eager to do his "homework", which is writing practice, flashcards with me, etc.
Just 2 days ago he surprised us and took out the trash-as in the big trash bag from the kitchen trash can. The bag was full, and he took it to the garage all by himself. Nice! We were proud.:)

The last 2 weeks he has been doing his chores without being asked (with a few exceptions;), and he is an eager-beaver to put the smiley face for the chore he has completed.
He does earn rewards, such as a treat or trip to the dollar store at the end of the week, but most days he doesn't even notice, and the rewards aren't a given or always expected.

It's all in a days work for Aidan. Tell me-- do your kids do chores around the house?

Wordless Wednesday: Ash Wednesday

Can you tell Brennan didn't want to slow down for a picture?And yes, I just think they look so cute with the ashes on their foreheads. :)

Not keeping it wordless...it was hilarious at Church this morning. Once Brennan saw the ashes on our foreheads, he just couldn't control himself. He thought it was the funniest thing. He kept trying to scrape Aidan's, giggling and saying "Didi", which is how he says Aidan's name.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

Brightened My Day!

Not realizing I even entered a contest, I was pleasantly surprised to get an e-mail informing me I won these beautiful earrings:Aren't they nice? :) I'm looking forward to wearing them.
Thanks to Steph at Adventures in Babywearing for hosting this contest, and special thanks to jaC Jewelry for the earrings!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini

Referred to as Dorothy's Chicken Tetrazzini in this cookbook, my source:

Makes 6 Servings

3-4 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 cups chicken broth
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup half & half
1 lb cooked spaghetti

1. Combine chicken, broth, and soup in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
3. During last hour of cooking, stir in half & half.
4. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked spaghetti.

*Notes: We're not mushroom fans, so I omit the fresh mushrooms. We get enough of the flavor from the soup.
I've seen many variations of this recipe, and several of them include peas in the sauce. FYI.

While you could go without cooking the chicken beforehand (just set the slow cooker for a longer cooking time), it's an added step that ensures better flavor. Hopefully worth it! If time is an issue, consider browning the chicken the night before & stashing it in the fridge until it's time for the crockpot.

We were supposed to try this last night, but wound up with Grilled Cheese instead. We'll be trying this soon. If it doesn't turn out as I expect, I'll let you know. :)

Menu Plan Monday--February 23, 2009

Monday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini
Tuesday: Cheesesteaks!! Sort of becoming a Fat Tuesday tradition. :) Happy Mardi Gras! Wednesday: Oatmeal Pancakes (another tradition)..Ash Wednesday-start of Lent
Thursday: Pork & Potato Skillet
Friday: Baked Mac & Cheese with peas on the side (meatless Fridays during Lent)

Thanks to I'm an Organizing Junkie for hosting MPM.

$42 Rug

Hey,
So when we were moving in we started to look for a large area rug for our living room.
We like the nicer rugs, but weren't in the market to spend a couple hundred bucks on one single rug.
Persian rugs are nice, but they are expensive, too.

We started checking stores. Garden Ridge had a nice selection, but even there the cheapest
8 x 10 was over $100. It was disheartening.

I should clarify...we did find an 8x10 rug for less, but it was that super cheap, paper thin style that I've only seen in dorm rooms.
No thank you.
It would have been a waste of money.

Fortunately we were strolling through one of our favorite local stores, and as luck would have it, we found this 8x10 padded rug for $42! And it was the only one left.
We weren't crazy over the pattern to it, but the color is neutral and matches, so we walked out of there, with our rug, feeling pretty darn good.

I mentioned this a while back on Facebook, with several people saying they wanted pictures.
As I said, it's nothing fancy, but it's serving its purpose quite well. :)

(pardon the ugly couch in the pictures, as well as the clutter. I took these about a month ago, and we have cleaned up since then:)

We've Reached a Verdict

After touring schools, weighing pros & cons, and having Aidan's first parent-teacher conference, we have reached the verdict!

We want to send Aidan to our parish school. It's a Catholic school, PreK-8th grade, uniforms, family-community feeling, close to home, they offer busing, and much more that we were pleased to learn.

I can say that as far as public schools go, the one we're zoned for is pretty good. Our district has continually ranked higher than most in our state, so that is good to know. I was impressed with the principal at the public school, but all in all, it's not what feels best for Aidan.

I feel like sending him to the public school would be good, but sending him to our parish school would be best. And I want what is best.

I need to majorly start praying. Tuition is an obstacle, of course. I wish it wasn't, but life happens, and it is. We are going to do everything we can to swing it. I feel so strongly I want him in that environment...another post to come on that later.

A few days ago we went to parent-teacher conferences. I was nervous! Aidan has spent his share of time in the time-out chair, so I wasn't expecting the greatest news, but yet not expecting a bad report, either. I was pleasantly surprised. :)
Speech is paying off, his teacher can understand him more clearly (she better after the money we're spending!), he has grown in his ability to control his behavior, and there was no apprehension about his kindergarten readiness. Yay! Not that I had a doubt, but it's so nice to hear others agree.

It's also nice to hear his Speech teacher constantly saying that his comprehension level is way up there, that he is progressing ahead of the typical schedule, etc. I am proud of this kid.

Registration is this week for our public school. We'll be there to register him as a back-up plan.
Open House at our parish school is March 1, and we'll be there. We'll be signing him up for school at that time, applying for financial aid...the whole schabang.

Oh, one odd & annoying thing to mention. Our public school is half day kindergarten. They offer full day, but you have to pay a tuition rate (of more than our parish school), and no financial assistance is offered for that. Our parish school is full day only.
Isn't that frustrating?! It's been for me, anyway.
I originally was thinking half day for Aidan, but seeing how much he has grown and matured, not to mention how much he loves going to school, I feel full day is a good option for him.
Time will tell what happens.

There is the verdict.
Say a prayer we can make it happen, please! And send some money vibes our way. ;)

The Other Side of It

Today we have our first parent-teacher conference.

SCREAM!!!!!

Kidding, sort of.
This will be my first time on the parent end of this. They arrange for conferences to discuss kindergarten readiness, and mostly because in the past parents kept requesting it.

Given that my son is quite energetic, I'm a tad bit nervous.
Academically I know he is ready for kindergarten.
Let's just see what his teacher says.
I hope he's been behaving himself...

This Says It All

Tired.
But MUST. Keep. Going.

Ah, to be nearly two.

Menu Plan Monday--February 16, 2009

Monday: Crockpot Greek Chicken (similar to this recipe)
Tuesday: Soup & Sandwiches
Wednesday: Tacos
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Italian-Style Rice & Beans

It's been forever since I participated in MPM, but we've moved and gotten somewhat settled in. It's definitely time to start cooking again and stop the fast-food trips.

Go here for many other menu plan ideas.

Local Celebrity

Local celebrity, or so it feels. :)

Each month our local library displays artwork from the area schools. This month it is featuring Aidan's preschool! We finally made it over there on Friday to check it out. Today I took a picture.

We kind of went against the grain with our preschool decision. In our town, there is one particular preschool that is "THE" preschool. The funny thing is, it's considered to be "the" preschool for most parents because it has a car line, meaning you don't have to take your child into the school, you just drop him off in a car line.

Convenient? Sure.
Was it enough of a reason to sell us on that school? No.

I actually like the fact that we have to go inside the classroom each school day to drop Aidan off & pick him up. It establishes a connection between home and school that I find to be invaluable.

Anyway, now that I went off on a tangent, back on topic.
I love that our library does this, and that Aidan's school participates. Seeing their artwork displayed in a public place makes them appreciate what they do, and they develop a sense of pride and confidence.
Yes, from one silly project.

We enjoyed seeing his picture on display, and of course recognizing his classmates', too.
So VOILA! Pictures. :)

Aidan's is just to the left of his face

Happy Valentines Day!

We don't really do anything for Valentines Day, but I'm wishing you a good one, anyway. ;)

I think it's nice for those people who are making special plans today, going out to dinner, getting dressed up, or whatever it is most couples do today.
We've never gotten into the day, and I'm quite fine with that. My husband is never expected to give me anything more than a Hershey bar. ;)

Whatever your plans, have a great day! And if you have any memorable V-Day stories, share it!

It's "Friday the 13th"!

In honor of today I took The Dead Quiz.
I did pretty well, considering I haven't seen all the movies mentioned.

I'm not really "excited" about today, but it's a blog topic if nothing else. ;)
I grew up watching horror movies. I'd say A Nightmare on Elm Street was a favorite.
I probably saw more than I should have, and at far too young an age, but it was fun.

My husband, on the other hand, has barely seen any scary movies.
No idea how that happened.

ONE day I will get him to watch a scary movie with me.
I'm OK not watching them, but once in a while, they're just fun.

Btw, I was pretty surprised to see there aren't many horror films playing on cable tonight.
Huh.

I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

I heard that song on the radio today...talk about way back when.
It immediately took me back to my senior year of high school. I was visiting my brother at college, touring the school to decide whether or not I would go there.
While visiting him, I ended up at a party off campus, doing an Aftershock shot off an ice structure. This song was playing.
Ah the good ol' days....

Fast forward to present time. The song still struck me.
Why?
Because lately I feel like I've been knocked down, yet have to get up again.

Brennan was very sick last week. During that time, the only way he'd sleep is by being held & rocked. Being sicker than he has ever been, we were ok with that. However he is no longer sick, and we need him to sleep like he used to again. Only he is not.
If you are not acquainted with the strong will a 22 month old can have, let me assure you they are amazing little beings. Brennan is a very stubborn, very strong-willed child. (I blame it on my father.)
His sleep habits this week have reminded me of when Aidan was a colicky baby. That is a time in my life I never want to repeat, mentally. I was incredibly depressed. Needless to say Brennan has been wearing on me, and I am one step away from going to the cookoo's nest, if ya catch my drift. We will battle again tonight. I am mentally prepared to battle for 1.5 hours. Beyond that, I will surrender. Let's hope I don't have to surrender.

Knocked down. Getting back up...

So after driving around with the boys yesterday to get out of the house, we come home to a leaky roof. Boy now I am really feeling lucky! Fortunately it's in the bathroom. As far as leaks go, we lucked out in that aspect. Patrick has become quite handy, and was able to resolve it temporarily. We have 2 different companies coming this weekend to give us estimates on a new roof. We've already had one, and the quote was astronomical. I am really crossing my fingers with hopes of a lower estimate. Join me.

Knocked Down. Getting back up.

I admit I am not an optimist. I wish I was, but it's been my nature to be more of a pessimist. When I start to feel down, it's a quick downhill slope from then on.
Right about now I would love to be surrounded by sunshine in a warm, sunny location. Beach/pool nearby. Daiquiris. Beach music.

On the brighter side of things, today was Aidan's Valentine's Party at school. His first one. :) He was so gosh-darned cute. I love this little man. We put together his Batman valentines, taped a Tootsie Roll on each one, then he picked out a single stem flower for his teacher and teacher's aid. He handed the flowers to them right away, and it was so stinking cute. He has a huge heart.

Even cuter?

There are twin girls in his class. (the ones he says he's married to. Both of them)
We pulled into school at the same time, and when they saw Aidan holding flowers, one of the girls said to him, "Aidan are those roses for me?".
Awesome. You gotta love it. The girl just turned 5, and she is already so smart. ;)

Snuggling Aidan has been therapeutic for me this week. I've told him that, but I know he doesn't quite get it. Luckily I can look at him and see what is yet to come. He was no picnic as a baby, but look at him now. Smart, huge-hearted little guy.
I'm hoping the same for Brennan.

Last but not least, tomorrow Aidan has speech. We made a valentine for his speech teacher.
What did we do?
Hee-hee. I think I am so clever.
We made a paper heart, he glued on one of his Batman valentines, then we wrote "You leave me speechless" on it. Har har. I know.
I love it.

Thanks for reading. This post was much longer than I anticipated.

Wordless Wednesday: Cracking Me Up

Bears Are Smart

You know, with that whole hibernation thing. If we really had a "next life", I'd totally come back as a bear.

I usually look forward to February. In the past it's been a good month for us. (nixing my week long hospital stay in 2007).
So far February '09 has not been so wonderful.

We're crazy busy with moving into our house, cleaning out our previous townhouse, Pat starting his 2nd semester of classes...

Then Brennan.

Our first weekend fully in the new home, with a to-do list a page long, and we had to scratch it all.
Brennan started getting sick on Tuesday. At first we thought it was the previous night's dinner not agreeing with him, but he continued to throw-up throughout the day. Then he also started w/ the diarrhea. Wednesday he seemed a tad better, but that evening he got worse. Thursday was terrible, and Friday I finally took him to the Dr. I had called them on Tuesday, but got the "it's a virus, let it run its course" thing.
At his appointment on Friday the doctor diagnosed him with strep. Huh? She said his throat was red, but there were no white dots, his strep test came back negative, and so on. Still, she's the doctor, not me.
While there, Brennan got a shot of something in each leg to ease up the vomiting. According to the doctor, we should have seen improvements within the hour.

We did not.
In fact, he was getting worse, and now looking dehydrated.

I called the doctor again Saturday morning, and the nurse just told me to expect this another 4 days or so with his bug. Wanting to scream at her on the phone, I instead hung up and ran my mouth to my husband about how I do not like this Pediatric practice.

By 3:30 he was terrible, and we took him to the ER. I was a bundle of nerves and very emotional, but it was well worth the trip there.

It was actually a good experience at the hospital. We barely had to wait, the nurse and doctor were wonderful...
Brennan does not have strep. He has Rotavirus. His blood work did show dehydration, as well as low Potassium levels. Sad as it was, they gave him an IV. I confess to leaving the room while they did that-leaving my husband to hold him down and face him. (what can I say? I know my weaknesses) Two & a half bags of fluid later, along with a dose of Zofran, and my baby was doing much better.

The ER doctor scored even more points by sending us home with a prescription for the Zofran. Apparently it's a very pricey medication, and they called it "golden". It is one of the best for anti-nausea. He told me that he doesn't really say this with any other drug, but if Brennan does not need it, do not throw it away. Any family member could use it, it's hard to get an Rx for, etc.
Thankfully Brennan has not needed it. He seems to be on the mend. :)

I have to thank Crystal again for helping us out. Without any notice she let us drop Aidan off at their house, and they watched him for 5 hours while we were at the hospital with Brennan. Thank you, Crystal!!! You are a great friend.

Brennan being so sick (it's the worse he has ever been) has meant me rocking him most of the day, creating a decent toosh-dent in our chair. The house has not gotten any more unpacked, I've barely read blogs, e-mails, mail...you catch my drift.
I'm hoping we're saying goodbye to the icky stuff, and can hopefully resume our busyness of unpacking and organizing.

Several people have asked me for pictures, so here are a few:

The boys, first night in our new house

Happily riding their cars around while I unpack

Their play room, a tad more origanzied
Aidan had Silly Week at school. This was a combination of PJ Day and Wacky Day. I loved his propeller hat.
Obviously before B got sick...our first snowman! Pat & Aidan built him. He was a nice addition to the family. (has since melted)

The Beginning of a Good Month

Or so I hope. :)

February is one of my favorite months, excluding the weather.
It started on as one of my favorites when I was in college and student teaching.

There are so many little holidays in February, it's a short month, and thankfully, the last full month of winter (at least officially. In Ohio we have wintery weather usually until April).

February kicks off with the Super Bowl. (like my pun?:) GO STEELERS!!!
I still love the city of Pittsburgh and can't wait to go back.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. I don't know why, but I love Groundhog Day. We always did fun things with it when I was teaching, like making our predictions, shadow-searching...it just set a positive mood that carried with me. Plus you get all day of the movie Groundhog Day. Bill Murray is pretty funny.

It's my nephew Ryan's birthday on the 5th, which is always a nice opportunity to see my side of the family.

Valentine's Day~Pat and I have never gotten into Valentine's Day. I think it's nice for those who do, but it's not a big deal for us. I don't expect a gift from him, or even flowers. Pretty much just bring me home a Hershey bar and it's all good. Most Valentines Days one of us has worked.
I am excited for Aidan since he has a party at school, and this is his first year doing official Valentines. :) They're already bought, of course, and to no surprise, they are Batman.

Probably the most festive day in February is the 24th this year-
Fat Tuesday
Mardi Gras
Paczki Day
Many different names, all with one similar trait-EATING! It's the day before Lent begins, so people pig out. We mostly stick with donuts or paczkis for breakfast. Dessert (consisting of chocolate, of course). I would love to make a King Cake one year. Maybe I'll try it this year, who knows. I know of at least 3 different people who could give me a recipe, and they're from New Orleans so it's accurate. ;)

I don't enjoy Lent, but it's nice to reach that point in the year, anticipating Easter, Spring, and it also means my boys' birthdays. This year Aidan's birthday is actually on Easter Sunday. Brace yourselves for future posts where I melt down in disbelief over having a 5 year old, who is about to start kindergarten!

The month ends with my sister-in-law, Kely, due with her 3rd baby. She's having another boy. I am excited to see the new little one, watching their family transition into a family of 5.

There are the extra things in February, like Lincoln's birthday, Presidents Day, Washington's birthday...I also had fun planning for those lessons when I was teaching. We'd make our Abe Lincoln hats, imagine ourselves in a log cabin, teaching ourselves to read.
I look forward to utilizing that experience with Aidan and Brennan.

The beginning of a good month. Or so I hope.
How about you? Does a good month lie ahead?