michelle November 19th, 2008
For the first time, I was able to combine my children’s doctor check-ups into one visit.
Punky and Spunky are both perfectly healthy.
Punky had drawn a picture of me while we were waiting for the doctor. Their doctor couldn’t get over Punky’s artistic ability- she even put a note on his chart about his giftedness in this area. Spunky showed off her wide vocabulary, as well. At her age, kids are supposed to have 6-7 intelligible words; she can say 60-70 (or more!). I am so proud of my kiddos!
Here are their stats:
PUNKY- Weight: 39 lbs (95th %) Height: 40 1/4 inch (94th %). This is the first time ever that his weight has surpassed his height. He has always been tall and thin.
SPUNKY- Weight: 21 lbs 14 1/2 oz (31st %) Height: 32 1/4 inch (89th %). She went from 45th to 89th in height. They actually measured her more than once because kids typically don’t have such a great growth spurt in height and, especially, not between 12 and 15 months.
We actually had a fun time in the doctor’s office. Punky used the bathroom five times and even did number two- I was so proud of him. He is doing such a great job with that now (I know you all wanted to know that!).
michelle November 19th, 2008
Being my normal early-for-appointments-self, we all arrived at the portrait studio about 10 minutes before our session time. The kids were happy to run around and play for the FIFTY MINUTES that we waited, but by the time they photographer called us in to take the portraits, my kids were ready to go. Spunky wanted nothing to do with it and kept trying to escape. Punky didn’t want to do anything that the lady told him to- he kept doing the exact opposite.
At one point, I was ready to give up.
The photos were terrible!
Spunky was crying.
Punky was, well, being a punk.
Fortunately, another photographer had just finished up a session and came in to save the day. She did some funny things that made the kiddos laugh and we got ONE really great photo and another pretty good photo. But we only needed one.
I had a $4.99 coupon and got 2 10×13, 1 8×10, 2 5×7, 16 wallets and 16 minis. What a deal!
Was it worth it? YES!
Would I do it again with both of the kids any time soon? Probably not.
michelle November 19th, 2008
michelle November 18th, 2008
michelle November 17th, 2008
I am taking the kiddos to have their portraits taken tomorrow morning. We were originally supposed to go last week, but this happened:
Let’s hope we make it through the next 19 hours!
michelle November 16th, 2008
I buy fruit leather all the time for the kids (my hubby loves them, too). But here is a great, easy recipe. I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan on it!
Applesauce Leather
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped.
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegan sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
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Simmer apples over medium heat about 20 minutes or until very soft. Place in blender and add the other ingredients.
Dehydrate in a dehydrator or in oven. To dry in an oven just set temp at lowest possible setting about 140 degrees. Dry until fruit feels leather like; yet pliable. This would probably best be done on parchment paper, Remove the leather while it is still warm and roll it up.
michelle November 15th, 2008
I first saw this on Marfa’s blog, and I love sharing “green” tips and ideas; so I thought I would join along.
The Wayfaring Wanderer is giving away a set of “green” items: a Reusable (Earthfare) Shopping Tote bag, Tree Free Photo Frame and a Living Green
a Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability. To be entered into the drawing, all you have to do is follow the directions on her blog post.
5 Things That I am Doing Right Now
- Recycling- we don’t have pick-up, so I have to drive into town to do it.
- Repurposing- I use things like glass jars for storage, the kids make art projects out of cereal boxes and other cardboard items.
- Reusing- we use cloth diapers and cloth napkins.
- Cleaning- I use homemade cleaners.
- Biggest change: no plastic bags! (I forget to bring my bags in to stores sometimes; so this is still a work in progress).
What I am Working On or Don’t Do (But Could)
- Reducing- I have been working on buying only items that can either be recycled or repurposed (this can be very difficult at times).
- Scaling Down- we have a shed full of things that we don’t use. These things could be repurposed or given away.
- Less Purchases- I have tried to stop buying as many pre-made foods and making more recipes from scratch.
- Less Waste- I read about a lady in England who has a family of 4 and only throws away one bag of garbage per week (due to reducing and recycling). I have been working on trying not to waste as much.
- Supporting Local Producers- I need to purchase more food from local Farmer’s Markets and stores that sell American-made products.
My Nomination: Since I first saw this on Marfa’s blog, I nominate Marfa!
michelle November 14th, 2008
| What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Northeast
Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
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| Philadelphia |
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| The Inland North |
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| The Midland |
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| The South |
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| Boston |
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| The West |
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| North Central |
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What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz |
michelle November 13th, 2008
The first few layers of the bone marrow biopsy looked fine, but as they got deeper down, they found lymphatic tissue, which could indicate that she has lymphoma. Now another test is being run on those cells, and we should have the results in 4-5 days from now. My mom will also need to have a PET scan to see if she has lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymphatic system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is called Hodgkin’s disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
We can’t tell if they doctor is just trying to cover all his grounds or if it really seems to be lymphoma. All we know is that there is more waiting involved.
If the tests come back saying that it is not lymphoma, my mom will wait and go back to the doctor in five weeks to see how things are going. Please keep praying for my mom as we still don’t know what is going on. Thanks!
michelle November 13th, 2008
I followed this recipe almost exactly, but I think it really needed more sugar because the scones weren’t sweet at all. I would double the sugar if I made these again. When I made them, I added one and a half tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of nutmeg, which I think really made it smell and taste festive for autumn. I enjoyed the texture and consistency of these scones; although, they aren’t are crumbly as scones made with real butter.
Non-Dairy Ginger Pumpkin Scones
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 cup non-dairy margarine
- 2 cups pureed pumpkin
Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and ginger). Cut in the margarine, adding a bit at a time until mixed. Add pumpkin and combine well.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough a few times, pushing it into a large circle, a few inches thick.
Cut into 12 or so triangular pieces. Imagine you are cutting a pizza so that you get even, triangular slices.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until done.
