RSV Adventure

This adventure in motherhood has not been a good one and I am still in the midst of it. It has been scary, frustrating, sad, and horrible. I've never felt so scared as when Grace stops breathing and turns blue. She is so tiny and so frail and this has just been a very terrifying week. Today she seems to be a little better, and last night was pretty peaceful. I am hoping she is beginning to kick this and we can start weaning her off of the oxygen. I love my kids so much and it hurts my heart to see my little one with tubes in her nose and struggling for air. This experience has made me want to keep both of my kids in a bubble to protect them from any germs and sickness. Though I am still exhausted and running on low sleep I got a little more sleep last night while Josh stayed up with Grace. I am sure I could sleep because the nights are getting less eventful and I know I would hear her if she began to choke, but as tired as I am, I cannot bring myself to sleep because I am so scared she might stop breathing and I wouldn't hear her. I am scared of losing her if I sleep. There is no way I could have done this without my friend, Naomi and my mom. They have given and sacrificed to help in any way they can and comforted me and I am eternally grateful and incredibly blessed to have them. I am also thankful for the doctors and nurses and the oxygen company that have given so much of their time to come by and check Gracie at my request and listen to me on the phone. I appreciate the peace of mind they have given me in a time of uncertainty. Mercy has also been so good. I love her so much. She looks and acts so much like me. I love to watch all of the new things she does and says...she is developing and learning so much so quickly! I am so glad I worked so hard the previous weeks getting the house organized. Surprisingly it has stayed somewhat clean during this time! I have straightened it up everyday and kept it clean. I love living in a clean house and keeping it clean is becoming a habit. I never though I would get this far in my organizing and cleaning efforts. I am incredibly tired of the weather, though. The rain, rain, rain, wind, rain, cold...and it gets to me at times. But in moments of depression, I have been able to keep myself occupied with the kids, cleaning, and making a wallet (Which I still need to finish now that things are slowing down). I am also excited because I am getting a treadmill today! One more thing to work on to better my life! I plan to really get in shape! I am hoping that this next week the weather will be good and we can get outside and do somethings if Grace is better. Its yardsale season and I LOVE going to yardsales even if I don't really buy anything or only have a few dollars. But, again, this is all depending on the horrible weather and whether or not it decides Craig, Co has had enough (which I feel we have had enough rain to last YEARS). I would really like to take Mercy to the carnival this weekend to see the lights and everything if Grace is better and of course if its not raining. I think she would enjoy some of the rides and I know she would definately love some cotton candy (IF I decide to share, its my favorite thing EVER!) Well thats about all of my thoughts for the day. Laundry time!

How Incredibly Interesting This Is

Written by Mockarena // May 26, 2011 // Money Rocks //

So, guess what you’re spending your tax dollars on?

Farmville, music videos, and March Madness.

I’m not making this up. You can read Senator Coburn’s entire study at the sourcelink, which features an investigative report on the National Science Foundation (NSF). In the report, Coburn provides examples of the research studies that our tax dollars have paid for, and they are MINDNUMBINGLY STUPID.

Let’s review.

1. Facebook’s Farmville game was studied by the NSF at a cost of $315,000 to taxpayers, in order to determine whether playing it helps adults develop and maintain relationships. Seriously. They seriously spent our money to do this.

2. IU-Bloomington and NY University got ONE MILLION DOLLARS from us to analyze baby names, only to conclude that popular names are popular. Yup – that seems like money well spent, doesn’t it? Thanks, NSF, for letting us know that people follow trends. That is GROUNDBREAKING.

3. Some chick at UC-Davis got 50k to create a website that shows music videos about science. The songs include such masterpieces as “Money 4 Drugz” and “Biogas is a Gas, Gas, Gas.” The purpose? To “support a broader network of scientists, teachers, and songwriters, and that will support testing of the most effective ways to use music to increase understanding of scientific concepts and natural history.” And just look at the lyrics of Money 4 Drugz. Obviously, they increase understanding of scientific concepts, you guys. Don’t you see?

Working in the lab is a pretty sweet gig / The people are smart and the toys are really big / But we can’t be chill when our homies are ill / So we write a new proposal to create another pill / If you have malaria we wanna take care o’ ya / And if we succeed then no one has to bury ya / And so we beg for grants, even though it’s so demeaning / ‘Cause you need a good stash for a high-throughput screening

Chorus: We need money for drugs / We ain’t no thugs / But it takes more funds / To kill more bugs (parasites yo!) We start with expression of recombinant protein / A soluble product is a reason for emoting / We quantify its function and look for inhibitors / And find the delimiters of active-site perimeter/ When the SAR is leaving us baffled / We call in the chemists to create a new scaffold / It’s not like making meth—it’s really hard to do it / But we’ve got to break through to a brand-new therapeutic/ Chorus (repeat and fade)

I don’t know about you all, but I am totally dumber for having read that.

4. Duke University got 80k from NSF to come to the EARTHSHATTERING CONCLUSION that really good college basketball programs attract the best players. I’m not kidding. Against all logic and reason, it turns out that really good players like playing for the best teams. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?!?!?!

5. The College of Charleston, SC got almost $600,000 to see how well shrimp can walk on a treadmill. And yes, you read that right.

There are countless more examples, you guys. And they get more and more ridiculous. The whole report is worth your time to read, if only to get you riled up enough to stay angry and engaged and ready to vote anyone willing to spend money on this nonsense out of office in the next election

Written by Mockarena // May 26, 2011 // Money Rocks // http://chicksontheright.com/2011/05/26/oh-thank-god-15/

WOW! Who would have thought a good nights sleep was possible?

I actually completely finished a big project that I started! I finished cleaning and organizing the spare bedroom! What a miracle! Yesterday was an awesome day...we finally got a kingsize bed! And last night we finally got a pretty good nights sleep! So awesome! We started looking when, after much research and debating, decided to let Grace sleep with us so I could nurse her easier and get a little more sleep. However she still seems to have her days and nights mixed around and so she doesn't sleep much at night unless she is actually nursing. So I wasn't sleeping very good because it was so cramped in our queensize and Josh is a pretty rough sleeper and the nights were pretty restless and uncomfortable. I also worried that one of us would push the other or something would happen that would cause one of us to roll over on Grace. So we decided to try to find a kingsize and finally did for a small price. I had so much fun driving to Steamboat to get it with my friend, Naomi. So nice of her to take the time to do it and nice of her husband to let us use his truck! Last night I actually think I got 6 1/2 hours of sleep. Almost double what I have gotten since Grace was born. It was AMAZING! A kingsize bed is definately a must have if you are co-sleeping. To top that off...the people we got it from threw in a TV for free which is so cool. We used to have a tv in our bedroom, but we NEVER used it, so it sat there collecting dust. My parents had a tv from when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and it barely worked. They would never spend the money on a new tv because as long as they had the IDEA that they could still maybe see or maybe hear (through the fuzziness) a movie that the tv was still working therefore wasting money on a new tv was ridiculus. So I gave them our bedroom tv. They loved it! They had no idea that details and small sounds in a movie could be heard. It was as if they had just discovered electricity for the first time or something like that. But unfortunately, though we hadn't used it in months, the next day I missed our tv. I had urges to watch it in bed, even if it was just one movie.(That always happens when you throw something away or give something away...you always need it or want it right after.) So anyway, yesterdays tv find was rather exciting for me...even though we didn't have the urge to watch a movie in bed anymore HAHAHAHA. This afternoon I began a new adventure of making a cash wallet. Its gonna be pretty intense. I went to my mom's house and went through all of her craft stuff and fabric and picked out some cool stuff. I hope to have it finished by tomarrow afternoon. (Things take much longer to do than they should with a baby that eats all the time and a 2 year old that gets into things 24/7) Oh and I am doing so well today with cutting back on smoking...my goal is to quit eventually but I am trying to add time in between smokes until I don't want one anymore. I am at about 3 hours in between which is pretty good for me. This evening I plan to go dumpster diving again for coupons. I love the saying "its always darkest before dawn. So if you are going to steal your neighbors newspaper, thats the time to do it" Unfortunately none of my neighbors get the Sunday paper so it doesn't apply. And I don't seem to get up early enough on Sunday to get one at the store so I will resort to dumpster diving and maybe this time succeed. And not have to pay for a paper. So now I'm off to start cutting the fabric for my wallet! Wish me luck!

Bad Weather = Lots Accomplished!

I am totally enjoying my new adventures of being a mom of a 2 year old and newborn! Sometimes it gets crazy, but I thoroughly enjoy the craziness! In fact, I thrive on it. I have been spring cleaning still. At times this can be discouraging because it takes me 6 hours to complete a 1 hour task because I either have to stop and feed Grace(She eats at the most inopportune times) or I have to control Mercy (Which takes the largest percentage of my day). But at least it is getting done. I would also get more done if the house didn't get trashed everyday. But before I can start my spring cleaning each day I have to clean up cheerios off the floor, wash dishes, etc. The other day I cleaned the shelf in the laundry closet. That was interesting. There were boxes up there that have just been moved from house to house and have never been unpacked or looked in. They are from probably 4 years ago. Well most of that stuff went into the trash! Today I am working on the spare bedroom. This is the room that collects all of the junk that nobody knows where to put. It is literally piled 3 feet high. It took me 2 hours just to clear a small path so I would have somewhere to begin. The trashman is definately going to have his work cut-out for him tomarrow morning picking up the millions of boxes and bags next to the dumpster. I am at a point in my life where I am tired of junk and clutter. I am tired of "plans" to have a yardsale (besides where will the stuff go if we don't sell it? back in a pile for a "future yardsale"? HAHAHA I don't think so.) Off to the curb it goes. It makes me so happy! So hopefully today I will be able to finish the spare room, though doubtful. I have also been cooking dinner everyday. Some turn out awesome, some not so much, and some have been epic failures. But I continue to try. Today I am making a new recipe for chicken in the crockpot. I am going to be taking it to my parents for dinner too. Let's hope it is good! I made the most amazing stromboli the other night. My mom was out of town so I took some to my dad and he LOVED it (which is huge deal because he is so used to my moms AMAZING cooking for the last however many decades that they have been married.) My family loved it too, so it will definately be a repeat recipe. The hamburger helper with potatos though, will not be a repeat. DISGUSTING. So the weather is suppossed to be bad for the next few days. Hopefully I can finish my spring cleaning, and try a few more new recipes. I also need to work on my couponing skills. They are lacking a bit compared to my friends who are saving up to 99% of their totals. I will get right on that! I am loving my adventures! Until next time, Domestic Diva, OUT!

Floppy Tostadas

I am slowly adjusting to having to go places with a 2 year old and newborn. At least I am adjusting! I had a wonderful time at biblestudy today! Afterwards we went to Walmart! That is the first time I have gone just myself and the girls. It was interesting but it worked out ok. Last night I cooked dinner for my husband's boss, his girlfriend, and her 2 kids. I have never cooked for anybody except my husband and my parents, so I think it pretty well considering. I wasn't able to make what I had wanted to, but the homemade tortillas and steak and chicken turned out alright. It wasn't the best dinner though. For some reason the tortillas were very thick so my husband called them floppy tostadas because you couldnt really fold them like a burrito or they would tear. So we ate them with a fork with the meat and toppings on top of it. Therefore...floppy tostadas. However, tonights dinner turned out awesome! I have never really been proud of anything I have ever made, and I am pretty darn proud of this stromboli! It is awesome! And I was so frustrated the last few nights trying to make dinner in the evening when both kids are fussy, that I decided to make it earlier and then just keep it warm until dinner time. That also worked out and during "arsenic hour" (as my mom calls it) it was calm and peaceful! Yay!

Dinner!

I had planned to try to make stromboli tonight but circumstances outside of my control caused me not to have grocery money until tomarrow instead. SOO...I am making do with some meat and makeing homemade tortillas for burritos! While looking around online I found some awesome recipes and thought I would share this one because I have tried it before and it is really good!

Ramen Mussolini...a great ramen noodle recipe to try !

INGREDIENTS
* Chicken flavor ramen
* Olive oil
* Shredded Parmesan cheese
* Srichacha chili sauce
* Chopped onion
* Bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the chicken ramen, and be sure to break brick up well. Cook for the usual time, add seasoning after it finishes boiling. Allow the ramen to sit, covered, for a few minutes to absorb flavor and then drain the liquid. Next, add olive oil, and stir. Then add Srichacha chili sauce and stir very, very thoroughly. Finally, add chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Stir it all up and enjoy a very quick, easy recipe. As for amounts of each ingredient, do it to your own tastes. I use a lot of onion, cheese, and chili sauce, but not too much bread crumbs. A good starting point would be 1 tbsp of bread crumbs, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, and a few dashes of Sriracha to taste. The ramen recipe is ready to serve...enjoy !

Mother's Day Weekend

Friday I started my weekend off with a nice date at the park with my friend and her 2 year old son. It was so much fun to watch Mercy play. I definately have not been getting her out to do things enough...so that was lots of fun. I cleaned up the house but didn't do anything very exciting on Friday. On Saturday I went to a Scentsy party and got the most wonderful scent thing ever. It makes my entire house smell good! I LOVE IT! Then, Saturday afternoon we had Mercy's 2nd birthday party and it too was lots of fun! It really makes me sad that she is growing up so fast though. I keep realizing that I need to enjoy it while I can because everyday that goes by she grows up. Even Grace is a little over a month old and it seems as though I just had her. I plan to have lots of fun this summer with my girls! Then Saturday evening my wonderful husband planned a quick romantic date for us and even had my mom watch Mercy. That was my Mother's Day gift because he had to work today. This morning I got up, enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and got the girls ready for church. It was the first time I have ever had to get myself, a two year old, and a newborn ready for church by myself. (Of course I have gotten them ready to go other places, but I usually don't care if Mercy looks like a dirty, homeless baby because I don't want to change her outfit every two minutes!) At church, my friend invited me to go to lunch with her because she knew Josh was working and my mom was out of town, so that was nice. I was feeling kind of bummed to spend it alone and that made my day! Also, I was scared to go because Mercy doesn't always act the best at restaraunts. I even explained to my friend that we might be humiliated by her behavior. HOWEVER, I think that my child was temporarily overtaken by some unknown well behaved child because she was actually really good! I was amazed. Then I was really excited because Josh came home a little early from work so we walked down to the park and enjoyed a nice evening after watching movies. Today I am feeling so happy and so overwhelmed with love from friends and family. I have always been afraid to make friends after some bad experiences but I am finally letting other women into my life and finding it to be refreshing rather than hurtful as I had assumed it would be. Well, my cleaning, cooking and couponing continues tomarrow! I think I will attack the bathroom closet. That is something I have been putting off...in fact, I think I had mentioned in my last post that I had intended to do it Friday. Ooops. Tomarrow. Definately!

A Good Day

Yesterday morning when I was trying to decide where to spring clean and organize next, I realized that the living room and kitchen in my house were trashed because of a lack of a attention (and attention from a two year old) while I was busy doing cupboards and closets. So I decided to clean them really well, but as I started I realized I couldn't stay inside all day! It was such a beautiful day so I packed up the kids and took them to Grandma's house so Mercy could play outside. She had so much fun! (I am still trying to decide whether Grandma or Mercy had more fun.) When I got home I started cleaning the kitchen and living room EPICALLY. I washed the crayon and yuckies off the wall, I moved out the furniture and vacuumed behind, under, and around everything, including the window sills. I swept, mopped, and had some fun setting up the playpen/changing table so we can actually use it. When Josh came home I explained the new rules...clothes to the laundry basket immediately, trash to trash can immediately and when you use something, put it in its new home. Hopefully this works! Also at my mom's house I had a crafting adventure. I have always wanted a baby sling so its easier to control Mercy while holding/feeding Gracie. I found some old fabric, (which I LOVE and had used in a quilt I made when I was little) Found some rings and sewed a ring sling! I am still trying to figure out how to use it without Grace falling out, but it will definately be handy! Last night was my first couponing experience. I had a list of things I needed for the house (no food items) just personal items such as diapers, wipes, razors, deoderant, dog food, cat food etc. The total on everything was $80 but I only paid $61! So I saved $19 dollars. It was so much fun because we needed everything we got (no extra things that I had coupons for) and saving money when you have to spend some is always fun!Tuesday is going to be my big couponing/grocery shopping day! I am excited for that as well. Today my adventures include cleaning out the bathroom closet and scrubbing it, going (hopefully if the weather stays nice) going to the park with a friend and the kids, and a birthday party tonight! Yay! Its friday!

"Dumpster Diving" Adventure

So because of my new couponing, I was in need of an important component...coupons. A friend of mine told me to go to the paper recycle dumpster north of town and so I headed out there yesterday evening with my husband and kids in the car. The only way I could figure out how to get in was to open the giant door at the end of it...so I pulled out all the latches etc. and when the heavy door finally opened, I couldn't fit in it because it was chained still. A couple people also pulled up to throw some more things in. Extremely embarrassed, I put the door back as it was, got in the car and left, horribly dissappointed that I didn't have any coupons. All the while Josh was laughing at me and even getting Mercy to laugh at me. Today, however, my friend explained the RIGHT way to get into the giant dumpster. I must get on my car roof (pulled very close to the dumpster) and actually jump in. Once in I can get all of the coupons I need! To get back out, I will have to stack up bags, paper, etc, because the dumpster is not that full. I won't be able to do this today (I have biblestudy this evening) But hopefully tomarrow I will be able to get in, (and out) with some coupons!

Adventure #1

My first adventure is this blog! I have never really done this before. I seem to have lots of extra time on my hands these days and I plan to spend it trying new things. Today I learned how to do couponing from a friend of mine. I may not be as good at it as her but it is definately something I will enjoy doing! This last week I also began the adventure of spring cleaning...It takes a little longer than it should with a 2 year following me around undoing things I do, but eventually I will be done. I hope to get this house ORGANIZED so maybe it will be easier to keep clean. I seem to not have accomplished very much so far, but if I keep working at it Im pretty sure the results will be worth all the time. My family and myself are not very organized, but changing that is my goal. Today I started our bedroom, which has both kids' clothes in it as well. I got their clothes sorted and ended up with lots to donate. I also went through mine and tomarrow I plan to finish that room. The big end to the spring cleaning will be the spare bedroom AKA the collection zone. It seems to collect everything that doesnt have a home...which is just about everything because of the lack of organization. So basically that's it. I will be sharing the things I do with my kids, the things I organize and the new things that I cook. It may be boring to read, but it gives me something to do!