School Lunch

Preparing school aged children's lunches has got to b one of the most thankless jobs on the planet. Aside from the fact that kids have less developed taste buds; kids are notoriously picky. What they like one week or one day for that matter, they probably won't like at another point. There's the fact that most lunches cannot be heated or refrigerated, and the waste from what is not eaten. Plus, what about they buy at school to eat? Then there are the allergies both for your child and the children they interact with. I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but sometimes what my kids eat for lunch doesn't lend itself to being packed up for school.

This summer I will need to pack two lunches every day that my children may or may not eat. That their teachers or grownups in charge will see and tell me whether they ate or not. They say they don't judge but, I know they are wondering why I send the soup when clearly child number one or two won't eat it.

These are the things I think about. Believe it....or not.
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Here's the Story, of a Girl Named Ami

So, here's my question about blogging. If I haven't blogged in a while, am I obligated to catch you all up with every detail that has happened since we last spoke? Because frankly, I don't remember most of it. Certainly not the tasty little tidbits you come here for. If I was forced (by my own self) to recount the last seven days, I fear I'd only remember the obvious facts, rather than the nuances that make a great story.

I promise to recommit myself to you, dear readers, if you give me another chance. I'll try not to have it go on this long again.

The good news is that Sam is getting an iPad for school. That is a huge relief. I still feel behind on doing daily one-on-one work with Sam, so I need to get on that. He continues to get up at an absurd hour, one that I will not repeat, since I will be visiting it in about six hours. Through The Little Person, we've made friends that I hope enjoy us as much as we do them. I feel struck by my recent realization that Sam is moving ahead in grade levels he surely hasn't passed. I'm still trying to come to terms with that.

I've found Sam a new swimming instructor, who will teach him at her home pool. We are crossing our fingers that this works out. The Little Person is going to learn from her as well. I'm cautiously optimistic...

We are working on some potential house renovations. Trying to alleviate some small problems, and also to stay in our house during construction. For Sam. Moving out would be really stressful for me as far as keeping an eye on Sam. Our house is such a safe haven for us with him. I don't think I'd realized that until just now. Have a few nice trips planned for the next several months. Without children. Taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with close friends from Juneau and high school (me).

The Little Person and I (and Gram today) have been going to the beach at the lake. I have really enjoyed it. It's a cool option to have nearby. I am looking forward to taking Sam. I think I will bring buddy, to be helpful with Sam (or The Little Person). Vegetable garden is coming along. More planting to do!

The thing that has taken up a lot of our time, at least our thinking time, is discussion about renovating our house. We would like to give the outside character as well as curb appeal and renovate two of the bathrooms. What we do is spend lots of time driving around and discussing what we like, or looking up pictures on the internet. Or drawing pictures (M, not me) to explain our ideas.

That's all I got. For now.

The Newest Member of Our Family

The Cecils have been busy watching frog TV. Max the frog is the newest member of our family. He has his own tank, picked out by The Little Person, along with a live plant, blue rocks, and a Spongebob figurine. The bet in our house is how long we can go before we have to buy a new frog...The kids are very happy to sit and watch Max, and it's killing them not to feed him constantly and tap on the glass. So right now he is on the kitchen table so they can be supervised and M and I can frog-sit.

Sam had a great day at school today. He even got up in the 5 o'clock hour, for a change. He is doing a little of the crazy laugh, otherwise known as inappropriate laughing. I know it sounds like a small thing, but he keeps coming over and hysterically laughing at Max the frog, very loud, in my ear, and it's driving me a little nuts. I can hear him laughing in the basement right now...

It's nice to have a weekend at home, and we are not going anywhere, but it's also a weekend largely without childcare. Fortunately, Babysitter Extraordinaire is coming to save us on Sunday night. Also, I am feeling TONS better, and a lot less exhausted since I started taking my medicine at night. Now I can stop Googling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I even managed to call a contractor to set up a meet and greet for our potential house renovation. Looking for a low-key, if not relaxing weekend of house/yard chores, and frog TV (and a little yoga...). We finally planted our vegetable garden, and it makes me happy to look at our little seedlings. Still working on security measures so that little creatures don't enjoy our strawberries before we do!

Next week, we meet with Sam's team to discuss the school purchasing an iPad for him. I am also exploring after school activities for him. I would like to find a good swimming situation for him again, and I have a wild idea about finding him a music teacher. On my longer term list is calling back the Dr. at the sleep clinic, but since I can't wrap my head around him having a sleep study, I have been procrastinating.

I have been too tired and as a result overwhelmed to even think about most of the things on my to do list, but now that I'm BACk, maybe I'll be able to take care of a few things. I am feeling guilty about not having done computer work with Sam after school in a while. Also, i need to find him a developmental pediatrician, and consider an eye exam. And did I mention he will need a spacer in his mouth since one of the teeth he got pulled won't come in for several years?

The Cecil Diet is going swimmingly. I haven't lost much weight, but I feel less squishy, if that makes any sense. I may have to cut out my current daily cheat-the chai tea latte one-cuppers that M bought me by accident instead of plain chai tea, and now I love first thing in the morning...

Working on a couple of mini-vacations, which give me something to daydream about at the crack of dawn, when I am up with Sam. I feel so lucky to be in a place with the kids and our life that I can even consider that. Reminds me of how far we've come and how many people we have to thank.

The Farm, The Walk, The Birthday, The Moms

Last time on Sammy Noodles...

Okay, so Tangerini Spring Street Farm was awesome. Besides the name. We even met Mr. and Mrs. Tangerini, the farmers. We picked greens, fed goats, played in the sandbox, hid in the hay maze and had ice cream. We also made some new friends, besides the barn cat. It was a beautiful setting, and a great way to wile away a Thursday afternoon. They even have farm shares just for flowers! I may have to get me one of those.

The NECC (New England Center for Children) 5K Walk/Run was Saturday morning. We split up the family, so M could take The Little Person to his soccer game with Grammy, and Babysitter Extraordinaire and I (she even drives my car!) could take Sam to the walk. Small flaw in the plan. The Weather From Hell. The Little Person arrived at his game, got on the field, the thunder started, and his coach promptly got them off and the game was cancelled. At first he was the only person who moved and responded to the thunder and lightening (M said everyone else kinda stood there and continued playing for a few minutes).

Sam and I picked up Babysitter Extraordinaire, she got in the driver's seat, and we drove to the venue. After we got there, we spent some time milling around in a building filled with other participants, none from our team, chasing Sam. Then we found the team, took a team picture, and they cancelled the walk. So we tried to register/get our bags of stuff, but the waiting was hard. Someone from Sam's school said they would collect everyone's bags, so we took off! We stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get Sam a chocolate glazed donut and put on a movie for him (god bless the DVD player in the headrests I got for my birthday). Then we dropped off BE, and Sam and I drove home to prepare for the party. After being up since 4 and driving around for 3 hours, I was pretty tired, so I barked out some crabby comments and then my family was happy for me to take a nap.

The party was GREAT! We waited till 4PM to make the call on the bouncy house because the weather was so iffy. We decided to go for it, and it was well worth it, even though we did have to unplug it a couple of times when the rain started. It turned out to be a really good mix of people, and I'm pretty sure everyone made some new friends. The food turned out well (thank you, Bob), and the Spiderman cake was AWESOME! No fighting or crying from the kids, and every adult seemed engaged in conversation with somebody else. We realized that this was our first real party since living here, and I think I would do it again. Sam loved blowing out his candles, and even got some alone time in the bouncy house. The only problem was that there was no official present opening, and the presents got opened and played with throughout the night, so we have no idea what was from who!

The next day, Mom, MIL and got massages and went for a nice lunch. I think everyone had a nice day. The MIL said it was the best massage she's ever had! The Mom wanted to stay all day and get more treatments! But we moved on to the lunch spot, found a great spot to have coffee, and then wandered next door for lunch. I had a lobster risotto which I ate every bite of. It was not heavy like I expected, and had wonderful peas in it. The pomegranate mimosa may have helped...We did a little shopping/wandering around and then took the long way home. I arrived to a beautiful pot of hydrangeas from my family. I was inspired by the 5 huge sweet potatoes we had, so I volunteered to make sweet potato enchiladas for dinner. A few games of Rummy Kube later and we called it a night. All's well that ends well.

Oh, a P.S. The boys made me really great presents for Mother's Day. It was really special to unwrap their gifts and read there homemade cards. I think it was my best Mother's Day ever!

With New Eyes

My goal for this week is to observe and appreciate The Little Person. Sure, he does a lot of things that drive me nuts, but he is beautiful and funny and Little. Still little. And I want to enjoy him while I can. While he still wants to be with me. I feel like I spend so much of my time yelling at him lately, and instead I am trying to have empathy. To snuggle a little extra, smile instead of getting mad, and be on his side a little more. So far, it's working.

Today we are going to Tangerini's Farm, in Millis. Friends of ours have a share as part of a CSA program, and gave it to us while they are on vacation this week. I don't think there is a whole lot growing yet, but I think it will be fun to go see the farm and the plants and animals. Plus, they have ice-cream.

Personally, I am exhausted. I feel like a broken record about the tired thing, but there we are. My mini goal for the day is to squeeze in a rest period. Maybe it is something beyond getting up at 4 that is making me so low energy. I think I will consider that...after a nap.

Sam took his iPad to school today to try it out in that venue. M took off all of the fun apps, so we'll see how that goes. So far, I'm going with no news is good news. This weekend is the 5K fundraising walk for the school that partners with Sam's program in our town. I haven't done a very good job fundraising, mainly because I hate to do it. It's still on my list, so maybe I'll get some sort of request/plea out tonight. Then on Saturday night we have Sam's birthday party. I am actually looking forward to it. I hope he enjoys it.

Thing One And Thing Two

Let's see, it has been a while. I had a post started, but now it seems to dated and tangential. I meant to post half a dozen times, but things kept happening. Not important things, just things. Make sense?

Sam has been good overall i guess, but weirdly into things. M's shaving cream. The matches. The pump soap. The knives (he actually is a good cutter). So there is that. And, recovering our schedule and structure post vacation. There has been more TV watching and more snacking then I would like. And he and I haven't done as much computer work lately as we had been prior to our trip. But I'm too tired to protest or put in the extra effort to change the situation. I don't know if it's his early wakings, or something in my own body, but I have been fairly low energy lately. Also, I seem not to have a lot of patience. And I feel frustrated at not keeping up on this blog, and generally being behind on my own stuff. And yet, I'm too tired to do much about it. At least not cheerfully.

That said, we had a great weekend in Vermont. It was fairly warm and humid, and so we spent a lot of time outside, running around, hiking and playing. Sam spent some time in the muddy pond, and there were some water squirters involved in the festivities. We even went to lunch at The Long Trail Brewery, on a particularly nice day. The kids did okay, but I remember feeling stressed and annoyed. We also got to have a nice dinner out at the home of some Alaskan friends now living east. Plus, there were a couple of additional Alaskan folks we hadn't seen since we've been back. So it was a very nice, comfortable evening with old friends. Then we arrived back to get the evening report from my MIL. Apparently there was some shaving cream shenanigans from both children, and they made a huge mess.

We went to the Aquatic center in White River Junction, Vermont on the way home yesterday. We purposely went on a weekday, and it was fairly empty. Which was perfect for us. the kids had a ball, and we enjoyed ourselves too. They had a water slide, a splash park/water playground area, and a lazy river (my favorite). The price was reasonable, and the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating as we tried to prevent Sam from running, or going down the water slide head first. After the kids were exhausted, we left, bribing them with the lure of french fries. Amazingly, we didn't hit traffic, even leaving the Aquatic center after 3PM.

We came home and had a BBQ with my parents. They got all the food, and M just had to grill. I had just had it with the kids by this point, but the cherry on top was when we went to put the kids to bed, and take a walk while my Mom stayed at the house. M went to start the process, and found The Little Person in the bathroom, on the toilet. Great. Not so great was the poop on the floor. Apparently, he somehow didn't make it, squatted on the floor, and then got on the toilet. And got it on the shower curtain, his pants and other things I won't mention. M was in the think of it and didn't want me to come in and help, so I didn't. When we were finally walking later, I said that I was sorry he'd had to deal with that. he said it was fine. I said, "No, I'm really sorry, that sucked."

My loving husband looked at me and said, "I just felt bad for you." Confused, I asked why. M replied, " Because all I could think (while it was happening) was how I never want to have a dog again. Because that's what it reminded me of. Having to clean dog poop off the rug. And I feel bad for you, because I know how much you want one." And I was quiet. I knew I was supposed to feel sympathy for M having to deal with the whole encounter. But instead, I was pissed at the loving husband and the evil child for ruining my puppy dreams.

Day One

Actually, tomorrow will be the first full day of The Cecil Diet since we didn't do any exercise today other than walking through COSTCO and chasing children (partly on a bike). My theory, is that if we do it together, it will help with our commitment and the success of our project. Of course, we have different goals. My goal is to feel happy, both physically, and when I look in the mirror. M's goal is to get in shape and lower his cholesterol, which was alarmingly high at his recent physical.

Most of it we already do, sort of, most of the time. It's getting that to doing all of it, really, more than most of the time. M must decide whether to kick his Arnold Palmer (ice-tea/lemonade combo) and twice a day mocha habit. I need to cut out (again), the sugar in my coffee, the sugar (period!), and maintain portion control. I eat well for the most part and exercise 2-3 times per week, but I would like to eat better and exercise (even if it's a walk) every day. I will be working out 3x/week with Mer, and when we are home on weekends, going to a yoga class. I feel like I look okay (mostly), but I would like to feel more comfortable in bathing suits and the like. Not to mention when I am sitting or bent over and everything feels all crushed together.

Why tell you this, you ask?

Because, in my experience, telling people something makes it more real. And the more people you tell, the more of a commitment. At least, that's my plan. I have done it before, so I know I can do this. I am not that far off actually, I just need a little kick in the ass. I am starting to slide into feeling a little more comfortable at a bigger size, which is a slippery slope. I'm in decent shape overall, and I think if I were a little thinner I would be able to do even more physically and would be able to see more of the results of my effort. Right now, I am mainly developing muscle, which is great, but I need to either exercise more and or eat less/differently if I want to see a significant change.

In other news, we are busy readjusting to life after vacation. The kids did AMAZING on the plane ride home. Best ever. It was a really fun trip, and we did a lot more than we have in the past. We went to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram, The Living Dessert, The Children's Discovery Museum of palm Desert, Joshua Tree, the big pool, and a hike in our favorite local place. We even all went out to lunch at an old school deli. It was busy, but we definitely got some chill time, alone and as a family. There were golf cart rides, neighborhood walks, and even some naps! I can't wait to go back.

We are busy planning Sam's 7th birthday festivities. There will be some mellow stuff on his Birth Day (this Wednesday) and a trip to an indoor water park in White River Junction, VT, as well as a proper party, complete with bouncy house in the backyard, pizza and a cool cake.

It is one of those weeks where we have SOMETHING, almost every day. The Little Person has a hearing evaluation tomorrow (because at first I was annoyed and then concerned at what I hope is just a four year old not paying attention to me and asking me "What did you just say?" every five minutes); Sam has a dentist appointment and his seven year physical; there are the Birthday Festivities and probably a home visit with Sam's teachers. Oh, and there is Mer, kicking my ass at the gym three times this week, and M has a chiropractor appointment tomorrow.

We in the process of are planning a house renovation to expand the master bathroom, change the look of the house and redo the deck (because it is falling apart). My job is to start calling folks to discuss design ideas and get appropriate referrals. I sense we will need an architect as well as contractor, but that still needs to be determined. As an aside, M is looking into applying to the show This Old House to help us in this endeavor. We are not looking to save money so much as we feel like those guys are experts who do a great job, are from our area, and have access to fantastic resources. Saving money and adding some "green features," would be a bonus.

Also, the vegetable garden needs to be planted, and we need to pick out some perennials, bushes and a tree or two for the front yard. Going to the nursery for flowers and plants in the spring is sort of a Mother's Day tradition for my Dad and I that started when Sam is born. It always makes me happy. When the Sam was a baby, and we lived in Alaska, my dad would go to the nursery there and pick stuff out for me, and plant it. Now that I am in a better place, I enjoy going with him. Sometimes we get crazy and bring The Little Person.

That weekend, Sam and I are doing the NECC walk, which is an fundraising walk that benefits the New England Center for Children, which coordinates with our town to run Sam's program (for kids with autism spectrum disorders) in the public school. I did it alone last year, to scope it out, and I think Sam can handle it. Of course, I am bringing Babysitter Extraordinaire for help and moral support as well as good conversation. We will be on a team from our town, comprised of families, staff at the program, and friends. That's also the same day as Sam's birthday party. The other half of our family will come out for the walk if they can make it after soccer practice. It is a lot, considering The Little Person has another birthday party that day, and Mother's Day is the day after, but it was the best way to get all of our parents there. My plan on Mother's Day is to ditch my family and hang out with both the Mom's for the day. I imagine there will be some shopping and a good lunch involved. Maybe a spa treatment if I am lucky.

As The Little Person Says, "Is that it?" And the answer is YES. For now.