You guessed it!! The boys are sick... well technically *John* is sick. Cody was sick for like 3 seconds and he is fine now so geez, that A&T removal really did him good.
John has had a cough for a week now but no other symptoms and it wasn't getting any better. In fact Sunday and Monday nights were the worst.
So I took him to the ped and he put him on antibiotics for it.
On Monday night, I stayed up late after a crazy day (due to the presidential elections, the boys didn't have school Friday and Monday), to get some work done as I am leaving for the show on Friday... I went to bed before 1am... and as soon as I laid down, John started coughing up a lung...
So I rush in there and get him up and as I am holding him high up, he throws up all over me from my head down to my toes... Because of his GI issues, he throws up very easily!!
So I had to get him settled, get him his inhaler and then once he was ok, I took a shower...at 2am!
I didn't get a wink of sleep Monday night... Tuesday I kept them from school and Tuesday night I had a better night, John only coughed a little bit but I did sleep for 3 hrs on the couch, sitting upright with John clutched to my chest but we had an OK night...
I sent them to school today after the 3rd day of antibiotics. What he has is not contagious anymore because of the antibiotics, it's just a common upper respiratory infection (no fever, no runny nose, no change in appetite or mood) so we will see :)
Hope you are all well!!
T.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Carolyn Savage... a saint in my book!!
On Thursday, Caroly Savage had a c-section and delivered a healthy baby boy, who was given to his biological parents immediately.
Carolyn Savage went through IVF to have one more baby but the clinic which they used, messed up, and she was implanted with the wrong embryo. The Savages continued with the pregnancy anyway knowing at the end of it, they will have to give the baby up to his biological parents. You might think "oh that's mighty gracious of them, what wonderful people" and you know, they are... even if the next sentence wasn't true. You see, this would be Carolyn's *last* pregnancy. Her health was so compromised that she has *no* other chance to have another baby...
As I sat there reading this incredible moving story, I thought, how can legislation be like this? Why not allow the couple to keep the baby as their own??
And then I put myself into their position: Imagine my John or my Cody, accidentally implanted into someone else's womb, being raised by someone else... it could have happened since the boys were the result of a cancelled IVF cycle (well not cancelled, converted let's say - I didn't get to retrieval but I did all the previous steps).
I am awed and humbled by this couple and I pray to God, that please, someone, carry *their* child for them so they can have the baby they so crave... since this is the only way Carolyn and her husband will now be able to have just one more...
(and now this whole think makes me re-think our decision of having one more if we decide to do IVF - yikes!)
Carolyn Savage went through IVF to have one more baby but the clinic which they used, messed up, and she was implanted with the wrong embryo. The Savages continued with the pregnancy anyway knowing at the end of it, they will have to give the baby up to his biological parents. You might think "oh that's mighty gracious of them, what wonderful people" and you know, they are... even if the next sentence wasn't true. You see, this would be Carolyn's *last* pregnancy. Her health was so compromised that she has *no* other chance to have another baby...
As I sat there reading this incredible moving story, I thought, how can legislation be like this? Why not allow the couple to keep the baby as their own??
And then I put myself into their position: Imagine my John or my Cody, accidentally implanted into someone else's womb, being raised by someone else... it could have happened since the boys were the result of a cancelled IVF cycle (well not cancelled, converted let's say - I didn't get to retrieval but I did all the previous steps).
I am awed and humbled by this couple and I pray to God, that please, someone, carry *their* child for them so they can have the baby they so crave... since this is the only way Carolyn and her husband will now be able to have just one more...
(and now this whole think makes me re-think our decision of having one more if we decide to do IVF - yikes!)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
First week of SCHOOL!!!!
Hello friends!!
Today is Saturday and we've just completed an entire week of pre-school!!!
First of all, let me tell you, we all survived... two of us actually had FUN, one of us drove a gazillion times back and forth but we all survived it!
My boys going to school is a huuuuge deal people; it is the first time in four years, I gave been in any kind of schedule that does not revolve around the kids. Also it is the first time if four years that they are not home for a few hours and my time IS really MY time. There are no interruptions, I can concentrate, I can plan and execute and work...
At least in theory.. because the first 3 days weren't going so well.
Monday was ok but I was behind on errands so I spent the entire time the boys were in school, getting those done.
Tuesday I had to go early to introduce Anna (the therapist) to their teacher because Anna will be picking the boys up twice a week for their therapy (since the Center is next to the school).
On Wednesday we had a horrid day; John bit a girl and his teacher and Cody had such a huge meltdown, I was forced to pick them up early. The next day I was told it's best if they didn't stay overtime because Cody couldn't handle it. Two teachers and the principal (former teacher and the kindest person on earth) couldn't calm him down. He wanted mommy :(
Thursday was better, except, Therapy again and Friday was the only day I really DID have all to myself and got some work done!!
Unfortunately by 10pm, my eyes were drooping. A whole week's worth of getting up at 6.30am really got to me and by 10.30 I was out like a Christmas light!
It is a big change for us and the boys but a positive one I'd like to think.
An amazing thing happened this week right off the bat. The boys are playing by themselves. They are in the house, and they are playing all alone... the two of them. Quietly (mostly).
We've been trying to get this to happen forever... one week of school and they are pros!
I kept thinking back to when I was a kid; I used to play alone... but then I remembered that during the day, there was a ton of other kids to play with.
You could walk out of the house, into the front yard and into the street and play with other kids.
My kids can't do that. We live in an apartment building and there are no other kids to play with here. No wonder they didn't know how to play on their own, with each other and they wanted mommy there all the time.
But already they have gone from winning for mommy all day, to playing on their own and interacting.
I am looking forward to more days like Friday when I do my routine and have time to work. I am looking forward to going to all their school stuff, baking cakes for the class and the bazaars and just being a regular mommy for once, not a crazed one.
I am SO looking forward to meeting new moms and making a few friends.. God, I miss friends! No offense to my online friends, I mean local friends, that I can go over for coffee and do stuff with...
School rocks!
Today is Saturday and we've just completed an entire week of pre-school!!!
First of all, let me tell you, we all survived... two of us actually had FUN, one of us drove a gazillion times back and forth but we all survived it!
My boys going to school is a huuuuge deal people; it is the first time in four years, I gave been in any kind of schedule that does not revolve around the kids. Also it is the first time if four years that they are not home for a few hours and my time IS really MY time. There are no interruptions, I can concentrate, I can plan and execute and work...
At least in theory.. because the first 3 days weren't going so well.
Monday was ok but I was behind on errands so I spent the entire time the boys were in school, getting those done.
Tuesday I had to go early to introduce Anna (the therapist) to their teacher because Anna will be picking the boys up twice a week for their therapy (since the Center is next to the school).
On Wednesday we had a horrid day; John bit a girl and his teacher and Cody had such a huge meltdown, I was forced to pick them up early. The next day I was told it's best if they didn't stay overtime because Cody couldn't handle it. Two teachers and the principal (former teacher and the kindest person on earth) couldn't calm him down. He wanted mommy :(
Thursday was better, except, Therapy again and Friday was the only day I really DID have all to myself and got some work done!!
Unfortunately by 10pm, my eyes were drooping. A whole week's worth of getting up at 6.30am really got to me and by 10.30 I was out like a Christmas light!
It is a big change for us and the boys but a positive one I'd like to think.
An amazing thing happened this week right off the bat. The boys are playing by themselves. They are in the house, and they are playing all alone... the two of them. Quietly (mostly).
We've been trying to get this to happen forever... one week of school and they are pros!
I kept thinking back to when I was a kid; I used to play alone... but then I remembered that during the day, there was a ton of other kids to play with.
You could walk out of the house, into the front yard and into the street and play with other kids.
My kids can't do that. We live in an apartment building and there are no other kids to play with here. No wonder they didn't know how to play on their own, with each other and they wanted mommy there all the time.
But already they have gone from winning for mommy all day, to playing on their own and interacting.
I am looking forward to more days like Friday when I do my routine and have time to work. I am looking forward to going to all their school stuff, baking cakes for the class and the bazaars and just being a regular mommy for once, not a crazed one.
I am SO looking forward to meeting new moms and making a few friends.. God, I miss friends! No offense to my online friends, I mean local friends, that I can go over for coffee and do stuff with...
School rocks!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
John, love my life...
(before I start, just wanted to say that I know I talk about John a lot and in the past I had been accused of not loving Cody as much or playing favorites. This is NOT true. I love both my boys equally but I chose to share more things about John because John is in a special place right now and I know many other moms go through this and I am hoping that if they read this, they might not feel so alone...)
Yesterday we had our meet and greet at the school...
I had to fight back tears several times, seeing my boys in MY school, in MY classroom.
George thought the school was "old"... it is... it was built in 1933 and has been in continuous operation since then. Today's principal, is my age, the grand-daughter of the founder and we were in the same class for 7 years...
It really FELLS like MY school and I hope my boys are as comfortable in there as I was...
It's old but clean and at the same time, modern... it kind of feels like Hogwarths!
It doesn't look like it but it feels like it.
Before me and my brothers, my mom was in that school.. so you see, it's kind of a family tradition.
It's a private school and it costs quite a bit to attend.
For those out there who find my job prestigious and think I make a ton of money, well, I don't! Yes my dolls sell for good money BUT they also cost me a good amount of money to make. Each doll costs me around $500 to make if you count my time into it. My supplies come from abroad (add tax and customs and shipping) so yeah... expensive.
Plus I don't really make that many anyway per month.
It's not like we are dirt poor; we own our tiny apartment, and two inexpensive cars (one 20 years old) but private school tuition for two, well that's a big price tag even for a rich person.
HOWEVER, my father is a supervisor in this school! And I get 45% off... THAT's how I can afford it. Could I have afforded it otherwise? NO!
I didn't intend to send the boys to this school... but when John was diagnosed and then refused acceptance to our local public pre-school, I had to search for alternatives.
In this school, I know they will be well cared for... and their grandfather will be there all day should they need something.
It was the best solution for us even if it wasn't the most economical (500 Euros a month for the two).
A lot of people see John, the way he is now and give me funny looks. He doesn't LOOK special needs.. true! Most of his life-hampering problems have been worked through in the last 2 years. We have pretty intense therapy and from February onwards we are taking 7 hrs a week worth of therapy. So yeah, John has improved LOADS.
So why are still IN therapy?
He walks, talks, kind of runs, climbs and he is super smart...
But is he up to par with other (almost) 4 year olds?
No... on the inside, his soul, his way of understanding certain things, John is still 2 years old. Not his mental state, he is not mentally disabled... but his soul, his psyche... John is still a baby.
He understands consequence like a baby does... or danger...
Physically he is doing great ... his gait is almost gone, most of the hand flapping is gone and the days of toe walking are in the past.
He still doesn't have muscle tone from the navel up. His arms are like straws due to the lack of muscle. He still can't do things like kick a ball or turn his waist... some said I am focusing on the details and I am putting a little boy through a lot... but you see, it's those details that remain that will set him apart from his peers. He will be the one who can't do PE or performs poorly... the one with the odd body shape and the match figure body and the huge head (he totally still sports the preemie look!!)...
Some days his behavioral issues become to much... his quirks and his sensory problems are so many... Some days this all I see... a special needs, "different" child... when I am tired and worn out, a couple of times I have thought that "if only he didn't have this"... but then I snap of it. John is who he is and I love him BECAUSE he has "this"... "This" is what makes him JOHN... and I love John... as he is.
Would I trade the past years for a child with no brain damage? No! Because I would be trading in JOHN and I want JOHN in my life... I don't want to "cure" John... I want to help him improve on what he IS and deal with it and one day stay alone and proud and confident... even we never get rid of the weak muscles, even if he walks with a gait that (could get) worse over time... Even if he wears glasses for the rest of his life...
He is the love of my life along with his brother... and is a very special child whose intellect amazes EVERYONE around him and he CHARMS the socks out of everyone who meets him... and *I* alone was CHOSEN to be his mom...and THAT is a huge PRIVILEDGE... it is a priviledge to me, to be the mom of a SPECIAL NEEDS child...
And I am humbled and a better person because of that fact. It changed my life, it changed me to my core and I fear John and Cody have taught me far more than I can EVER teach them... and for that I will always be in their debt.
"Different" doesn't always mean defective or undesirable!
My sons, I want you to stand up to life and look it straight in the eye and then say "Bring it on!!" with a smile...
Yesterday we had our meet and greet at the school...
I had to fight back tears several times, seeing my boys in MY school, in MY classroom.
George thought the school was "old"... it is... it was built in 1933 and has been in continuous operation since then. Today's principal, is my age, the grand-daughter of the founder and we were in the same class for 7 years...
It really FELLS like MY school and I hope my boys are as comfortable in there as I was...
It's old but clean and at the same time, modern... it kind of feels like Hogwarths!
It doesn't look like it but it feels like it.
Before me and my brothers, my mom was in that school.. so you see, it's kind of a family tradition.
It's a private school and it costs quite a bit to attend.
For those out there who find my job prestigious and think I make a ton of money, well, I don't! Yes my dolls sell for good money BUT they also cost me a good amount of money to make. Each doll costs me around $500 to make if you count my time into it. My supplies come from abroad (add tax and customs and shipping) so yeah... expensive.
Plus I don't really make that many anyway per month.
It's not like we are dirt poor; we own our tiny apartment, and two inexpensive cars (one 20 years old) but private school tuition for two, well that's a big price tag even for a rich person.
HOWEVER, my father is a supervisor in this school! And I get 45% off... THAT's how I can afford it. Could I have afforded it otherwise? NO!
I didn't intend to send the boys to this school... but when John was diagnosed and then refused acceptance to our local public pre-school, I had to search for alternatives.
In this school, I know they will be well cared for... and their grandfather will be there all day should they need something.
It was the best solution for us even if it wasn't the most economical (500 Euros a month for the two).
A lot of people see John, the way he is now and give me funny looks. He doesn't LOOK special needs.. true! Most of his life-hampering problems have been worked through in the last 2 years. We have pretty intense therapy and from February onwards we are taking 7 hrs a week worth of therapy. So yeah, John has improved LOADS.
So why are still IN therapy?
He walks, talks, kind of runs, climbs and he is super smart...
But is he up to par with other (almost) 4 year olds?
No... on the inside, his soul, his way of understanding certain things, John is still 2 years old. Not his mental state, he is not mentally disabled... but his soul, his psyche... John is still a baby.
He understands consequence like a baby does... or danger...
Physically he is doing great ... his gait is almost gone, most of the hand flapping is gone and the days of toe walking are in the past.
He still doesn't have muscle tone from the navel up. His arms are like straws due to the lack of muscle. He still can't do things like kick a ball or turn his waist... some said I am focusing on the details and I am putting a little boy through a lot... but you see, it's those details that remain that will set him apart from his peers. He will be the one who can't do PE or performs poorly... the one with the odd body shape and the match figure body and the huge head (he totally still sports the preemie look!!)...
Some days his behavioral issues become to much... his quirks and his sensory problems are so many... Some days this all I see... a special needs, "different" child... when I am tired and worn out, a couple of times I have thought that "if only he didn't have this"... but then I snap of it. John is who he is and I love him BECAUSE he has "this"... "This" is what makes him JOHN... and I love John... as he is.
Would I trade the past years for a child with no brain damage? No! Because I would be trading in JOHN and I want JOHN in my life... I don't want to "cure" John... I want to help him improve on what he IS and deal with it and one day stay alone and proud and confident... even we never get rid of the weak muscles, even if he walks with a gait that (could get) worse over time... Even if he wears glasses for the rest of his life...
He is the love of my life along with his brother... and is a very special child whose intellect amazes EVERYONE around him and he CHARMS the socks out of everyone who meets him... and *I* alone was CHOSEN to be his mom...and THAT is a huge PRIVILEDGE... it is a priviledge to me, to be the mom of a SPECIAL NEEDS child...
And I am humbled and a better person because of that fact. It changed my life, it changed me to my core and I fear John and Cody have taught me far more than I can EVER teach them... and for that I will always be in their debt.
"Different" doesn't always mean defective or undesirable!
My sons, I want you to stand up to life and look it straight in the eye and then say "Bring it on!!" with a smile...
Saturday, September 05, 2009
"You're SO pushing your luck mister!"
Says Beau the Cat...
Had to share this picture... he certainly has purrsonality my boy... seriously, he is SO human, he scares me some times...
Don't mess with the Beau ;)
Monday, August 03, 2009
Beau the cat
Five years ago, it was 2004 and I had been having a most horrible year... I had lost a baby at 11 weeks while my husband was deployed for 9 months and to top it off I was wearing a brace around my busted leg.
I was miserable and lonely... my nameday was coming up (15th August) and I suddenly had an idea... At the time we had no pets. My husband isn't very fond of them in the house. Me on the other hand, am the opposite. I am crazy about animals and it was really hurting me not to have at least one...
So when I got up that morning I was determined to bring a little pet home and I was looking through the ads.
I came across an ad that said "Siamese kittens for sale, purebred, parents on the premises" so I called and Niki drove me there.
I sat down surrounded by these teeny tiny kittens. They were 30 days old (it is custom here in Greece to take the animal home as soon as they have teeth and can eat).
Their mom was a gorgeous typical applehead tortoise Siamese and 4 of the five kittens looked just like her. All but one...
I was approached by this little scrawny, almost hairless and tiniest of all kitten. He looked up at me with eyes that were a very light blue (not dark like the others). He was all white except his nose, tail and ears. Those were a dark grey.
With a swift move, he grabbed hold of the padding from my brace and climbed nimbly up my leg, curled on my knees and let out a sigh before falling asleep.
We chatted with the breeder for a bit, the little kitten sleeping on me the whole time.
When it was time for them to eat, the breeder banged a spoon on the cat food can and all kittens came scurrying. The one sleeping on me, jumped up at the sound of food, and tried to jump on top of the coffee table next to my chair... He missed it by that much, hitting his nose on the glass as he fell.
He sat there for a second, dazed and then ran to his mommy, crying like a human baby would!
Then came the million dollar question: which one are we taking home?
The answer was obvious. I didn't have to pick one... one had picked me instead. He slept on me like he somehow knew me .. I didn't care he was the smallest, scrawniest and ugliest. I didn't even care he didn't remotely resemble a Siamese... we belonged together.
So Beau came home... he spent 20 minutes under the kitchen table and then he owned the place.
He never once knocked anything over, he never jumped on a table to eat our food. His onl vice is sliced smoked turkey.
He is calm and easy going and has a big purrsonality. He will wait for you by the door to come home, and he will curl at your feet on cold nights. He might not be the cuddliest but this is good because he is never in your face.
He will come to you for petting when he wants to and he nip at you if you ignore his wishes and won't forget easy.
He didn't keep his white color but gradually turned a light grey that turns darker in cold weather and lighter in the summer.
When he was a few months old we took him for his shots and the vet said he is a very rare cat for Greece. At first we thought he was a Blue Siamese but now the officials are saying he is actually a Lilac since he is too light for a "blue".
The ugliest of the lot turned into a well build and beautiful and rare specimen...
He saved my sanity that summer in more than one ways... he would save my sanity in the years to come when I was trying for a baby. He will always be my companion and I will always be his mommy...
I love you Beau Hugs!!
Here is his page (with photos!) http://www.catster.com/cats/132383
I was miserable and lonely... my nameday was coming up (15th August) and I suddenly had an idea... At the time we had no pets. My husband isn't very fond of them in the house. Me on the other hand, am the opposite. I am crazy about animals and it was really hurting me not to have at least one...
So when I got up that morning I was determined to bring a little pet home and I was looking through the ads.
I came across an ad that said "Siamese kittens for sale, purebred, parents on the premises" so I called and Niki drove me there.
I sat down surrounded by these teeny tiny kittens. They were 30 days old (it is custom here in Greece to take the animal home as soon as they have teeth and can eat).
Their mom was a gorgeous typical applehead tortoise Siamese and 4 of the five kittens looked just like her. All but one...
I was approached by this little scrawny, almost hairless and tiniest of all kitten. He looked up at me with eyes that were a very light blue (not dark like the others). He was all white except his nose, tail and ears. Those were a dark grey.
With a swift move, he grabbed hold of the padding from my brace and climbed nimbly up my leg, curled on my knees and let out a sigh before falling asleep.
We chatted with the breeder for a bit, the little kitten sleeping on me the whole time.
When it was time for them to eat, the breeder banged a spoon on the cat food can and all kittens came scurrying. The one sleeping on me, jumped up at the sound of food, and tried to jump on top of the coffee table next to my chair... He missed it by that much, hitting his nose on the glass as he fell.
He sat there for a second, dazed and then ran to his mommy, crying like a human baby would!
Then came the million dollar question: which one are we taking home?
The answer was obvious. I didn't have to pick one... one had picked me instead. He slept on me like he somehow knew me .. I didn't care he was the smallest, scrawniest and ugliest. I didn't even care he didn't remotely resemble a Siamese... we belonged together.
So Beau came home... he spent 20 minutes under the kitchen table and then he owned the place.
He never once knocked anything over, he never jumped on a table to eat our food. His onl vice is sliced smoked turkey.
He is calm and easy going and has a big purrsonality. He will wait for you by the door to come home, and he will curl at your feet on cold nights. He might not be the cuddliest but this is good because he is never in your face.
He will come to you for petting when he wants to and he nip at you if you ignore his wishes and won't forget easy.
He didn't keep his white color but gradually turned a light grey that turns darker in cold weather and lighter in the summer.
When he was a few months old we took him for his shots and the vet said he is a very rare cat for Greece. At first we thought he was a Blue Siamese but now the officials are saying he is actually a Lilac since he is too light for a "blue".
The ugliest of the lot turned into a well build and beautiful and rare specimen...
He saved my sanity that summer in more than one ways... he would save my sanity in the years to come when I was trying for a baby. He will always be my companion and I will always be his mommy...
I love you Beau Hugs!!
Here is his page (with photos!) http://www.catster.com/cats/132383
Friday, July 31, 2009
Summer is here!!!
Yay!! Summer is here!! Summer is here!!!
Wha? Whaddayamean summer is almost OVER!?!?
Today was our last day of therapy for a MONTH...our last swim class for a month and now I get to spend lazy mornings with my kids, NOT driving all over town strapping and unstrapping kids to car seats and I now feel like the summer has started...
We weren't (read: couldn't afford) going to take a vacation but we were in luck as my mother in law had two extra free holiday tickets which are provided by the government to those with a low income every other year... So for very, very, very little money (ridiculously little) we will be going away for a whole week at the end of the month.
I am really looking forward to that although I am looking at a mountain of work to finish before I am able to go away for a week.
In other news, John got a virus and on Sunday he was running a 101 fever with no other symptoms. It lasted 24hrs and it was gone... then on Tuesday some time in the am, *I* was running a 101 fever only I felt like a truck had hit me.
I was incapacitated on Wednesday (can I get a "thank God for mother in laws who live next block!?) but I feel much better today.
And tonight John rushed to the toilet right after I had given him his bath and he had blowout diarrhea all over my bathroom floor. Niiiiice.. (not!)
Then I had the same over the last couple of days so... VIRUS... AGAIN!!
Seriously!! STOP IT!!!
I hate being sick and I am too busy to be sick!! So QUIT IT ALREADY!!
Geez....
So uhm... yeah... that's pretty much it for now..
I am looking forward to a quiet weekend!!!
Until next time!
T.
Wha? Whaddayamean summer is almost OVER!?!?
Today was our last day of therapy for a MONTH...our last swim class for a month and now I get to spend lazy mornings with my kids, NOT driving all over town strapping and unstrapping kids to car seats and I now feel like the summer has started...
We weren't (read: couldn't afford) going to take a vacation but we were in luck as my mother in law had two extra free holiday tickets which are provided by the government to those with a low income every other year... So for very, very, very little money (ridiculously little) we will be going away for a whole week at the end of the month.
I am really looking forward to that although I am looking at a mountain of work to finish before I am able to go away for a week.
In other news, John got a virus and on Sunday he was running a 101 fever with no other symptoms. It lasted 24hrs and it was gone... then on Tuesday some time in the am, *I* was running a 101 fever only I felt like a truck had hit me.
I was incapacitated on Wednesday (can I get a "thank God for mother in laws who live next block!?) but I feel much better today.
And tonight John rushed to the toilet right after I had given him his bath and he had blowout diarrhea all over my bathroom floor. Niiiiice.. (not!)
Then I had the same over the last couple of days so... VIRUS... AGAIN!!
Seriously!! STOP IT!!!
I hate being sick and I am too busy to be sick!! So QUIT IT ALREADY!!
Geez....
So uhm... yeah... that's pretty much it for now..
I am looking forward to a quiet weekend!!!
Until next time!
T.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Ben & Jerry's not TOM & Jerry!!!
Saturday morning is usually the day I do the main grocery shopping which includes detergents and edibles for most of the week.
I am a little geeky when it comes to meat and veggies; I want to buy them on the day or the next tops so I do a lot of meat and veggie shopping during the week. Oh! And Milk too… I get milk 2-3 times a week.
So yesterday, in the heat wave (43 Celsius! Yikes!) I was very comfy in my all new, A/C Car while I drove with John in his car seat behind me, to the super market. I found quite a few bargains including trainers for the boys (leather!!) for only 3 Euros!! Last few pieces and I managed to get a size up for each boy in hopes they will wear these in the Fall and Winter at school.
I also picked up a few accessories for the car because yes, I am THAT geeky… I got a new car and naturally I need the bells and whistles… I got a flashlight and a phone charger for my Nokia since the car comes with an outlet especially for charging your phone. Of course since I don’t smoke, the lighter in the car is useless for me so I could charge the phone there but imagine if I DID smoke… oh the horror of not having the lighter because the f’ing phone was charging! But I digress… so we got to do our shopping and just as I was dreading the mile long queue at the checkout I see it… a freezer filled with Ben and Jerry’s, with a beam of heavenly light shinning right on it and angels singing and playing their little harps. And then I heard God’s voice as he instructed me get me a tub of Chunky Monkey!
Having lived abroad I know B&J’s… my husband (and about 90% of the Greek population) have NO idea…
Which is why when I got home and told hubby: “Honey! Guess what? I got shoes for the boys for next to nothing!! They had awesome sales and Oh! I picked us up some Ben and Jerry’s!!”
And my husband naturally replied “Great honey. Just pop it in the DVD..”
I stood there and blinked a few times in confusion… then it hit me!
“No honey! Not TOM and Jerry!!” naturally my husband thought I had found a bargain Tom and Jerry DVD for the boys…
After lunch, I made ice cream cones… Hubby eyed it warily… Then took a small lick of the banana goodness and grimaced… “What IS this?” he asked smacking his lips in disbelief.
I felt hurt!!! It’s Ben and Jerry’s!!! Only THE best ice cream EVER!!!
Two minutes later and while I was preparing my own cone I heard him say… “Make me another one! This stuff is GOOD!!”
Ha! Another convert… Looking forward to the other 99 flavors to come to Greece (we are limited to 5 right now!!)
I am a little geeky when it comes to meat and veggies; I want to buy them on the day or the next tops so I do a lot of meat and veggie shopping during the week. Oh! And Milk too… I get milk 2-3 times a week.
So yesterday, in the heat wave (43 Celsius! Yikes!) I was very comfy in my all new, A/C Car while I drove with John in his car seat behind me, to the super market. I found quite a few bargains including trainers for the boys (leather!!) for only 3 Euros!! Last few pieces and I managed to get a size up for each boy in hopes they will wear these in the Fall and Winter at school.
I also picked up a few accessories for the car because yes, I am THAT geeky… I got a new car and naturally I need the bells and whistles… I got a flashlight and a phone charger for my Nokia since the car comes with an outlet especially for charging your phone. Of course since I don’t smoke, the lighter in the car is useless for me so I could charge the phone there but imagine if I DID smoke… oh the horror of not having the lighter because the f’ing phone was charging! But I digress… so we got to do our shopping and just as I was dreading the mile long queue at the checkout I see it… a freezer filled with Ben and Jerry’s, with a beam of heavenly light shinning right on it and angels singing and playing their little harps. And then I heard God’s voice as he instructed me get me a tub of Chunky Monkey!
Having lived abroad I know B&J’s… my husband (and about 90% of the Greek population) have NO idea…
Which is why when I got home and told hubby: “Honey! Guess what? I got shoes for the boys for next to nothing!! They had awesome sales and Oh! I picked us up some Ben and Jerry’s!!”
And my husband naturally replied “Great honey. Just pop it in the DVD..”
I stood there and blinked a few times in confusion… then it hit me!
“No honey! Not TOM and Jerry!!” naturally my husband thought I had found a bargain Tom and Jerry DVD for the boys…
After lunch, I made ice cream cones… Hubby eyed it warily… Then took a small lick of the banana goodness and grimaced… “What IS this?” he asked smacking his lips in disbelief.
I felt hurt!!! It’s Ben and Jerry’s!!! Only THE best ice cream EVER!!!
Two minutes later and while I was preparing my own cone I heard him say… “Make me another one! This stuff is GOOD!!”
Ha! Another convert… Looking forward to the other 99 flavors to come to Greece (we are limited to 5 right now!!)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Gearing up for baby!
I want another baby... we want another baby.
The reaction to these news is usually one of eye wide disbelief...
What do you mean you want another baby? You have two of them already!
Or, you can't even handle the two you have, why would you want another?
Or, you had the pregnancy from Hell and the recovery from the Abyss, why would you go through that again?
And you are all right... it's difficult, it's painful but... my family feels incomplete. Ever since I got the boys all I could think of was how one day they will be big brothers.
I didn't feel ready before but now I do... For a long time I tried t convince myself I did not in fact want another baby... I didn't need another baby, I had enough on my plate. I am raising twins and it has been extra hard with the boys' speacial needs etc.
But I am now 100% sure I do in fact want and need just one more baby... is this greed?
When I was struggling with my infertility, I prayed and asked for ONE baby... and God being all gracious took pity on me and He gave me TWO... and now here I am again, on my knees asking for one MORE baby... and I am not sure what the answer will be :(
I do know I don't want to go through the medicated route again so I will take the "prayer and hope for the best" route... God showed me the way last time by (literally) guiding me to my RE and I prayer He will show me the way again, hopefully this time circumventing the RE ;)
So yeah... we will see. Wish us luck!!!
If it's meant to be... it will be...
The reaction to these news is usually one of eye wide disbelief...
What do you mean you want another baby? You have two of them already!
Or, you can't even handle the two you have, why would you want another?
Or, you had the pregnancy from Hell and the recovery from the Abyss, why would you go through that again?
And you are all right... it's difficult, it's painful but... my family feels incomplete. Ever since I got the boys all I could think of was how one day they will be big brothers.
I didn't feel ready before but now I do... For a long time I tried t convince myself I did not in fact want another baby... I didn't need another baby, I had enough on my plate. I am raising twins and it has been extra hard with the boys' speacial needs etc.
But I am now 100% sure I do in fact want and need just one more baby... is this greed?
When I was struggling with my infertility, I prayed and asked for ONE baby... and God being all gracious took pity on me and He gave me TWO... and now here I am again, on my knees asking for one MORE baby... and I am not sure what the answer will be :(
I do know I don't want to go through the medicated route again so I will take the "prayer and hope for the best" route... God showed me the way last time by (literally) guiding me to my RE and I prayer He will show me the way again, hopefully this time circumventing the RE ;)
So yeah... we will see. Wish us luck!!!
If it's meant to be... it will be...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Universe is against me!
Today it was my special day!!
Today was the day when I would get to go out WITH A GIRLFRIEND, just the TWO of us, no kids, no hubbies to a MOVIE... a M O V I E!!! Just US... no.kids!!
I also had to ship a doll...
I also had to go down town in the searing heat with my sister in law to buy some supplies so we can make some favors since I am now helping her with her wedding/christening organizing/business thingie...
So she came in late... and it took us about 3 hours from the time we left until we got. During that time G called me 3 times to scream at me, because how dare I leave him for THREE HOURS with the kids?? And where was food? The kids were hungry...
I assured him I was bringing food and then hang up and cried..
My life sucks.. I can't go anywhere without the kids and when I do, my husband calls 45 times, screaming at me...
We got home, fed the family and quickly went out the door to ship my package and catch my movie...
My feet hurt so much from the trek I considered not going for a moment... but then I did go.
Of course, problems started from the get-go.
Traffic to the mall was TERRIBLE!! I barely made it in time to ship the package!
We couldn't find a place to park because of all the days, we had picked today and today was the first day of sales.. the place was packed to the brim. Who said people have no money!?!?!? All I saw was HORDES of people carrying a DOZEN bags each... Do you know what I will buy during the sales? NOTHING!! Why? Because I trully have NO money... except maybe a pair of summer sandals for John because he needs a pair...
Anyway, we managed to park and send the package, then went to buy tickets only to find the movie we wanted wasn't available until 21.15 (My Sister's Keeper).
So we saw The Proposal instead. Nice film but one you would see in a theater. Nice for pizza and pop corn at home with the girls but otherwise ... blah. Sandra Bullock, you are too old for this and we can tell ;)
(we can also tell you had "work" done) and anyway GET OFF RYAN!!! ;)
Right... but that wasn't the bad part... the bad part was that the movied ended at around 21:00 pm... when the stores were closing... and everyone wanted to leave...
And the queue to pay for the parking was 45 people long... IN EVERY TELLER...
And when MY turn almost came, the person in front of me broke the machine...and then we had to wait another 10 minutes for the fat man with the brown belt and the BLACK shoes to come fix it.. total waiting time: 30 minutes.
Then there was a queue of cars this time trying to leave the parking... another 15 minutes... and then there was a queue of cars on the street... and the highway that takes me home? PACKED!! Like... cars were STOPPED for minutes at a time... for no reason...
And I hit my toe when I was trying to get into the bathtub... and I saw my movie with my friend... but apparently my husband was sending me negative vibes all the time because did I enjoy my evening? I did not :(
I suppose in another 3.5 years when my husband keeps the boys while I go out again, I might have better luck...
I had 4 hours out to myself.. I should be grateful and I am... I am also a bit pissed because he gets 10 hrs a day to himself... and he goes out twice a week with his mates... God why did you make me a woman?
Today was the day when I would get to go out WITH A GIRLFRIEND, just the TWO of us, no kids, no hubbies to a MOVIE... a M O V I E!!! Just US... no.kids!!
I also had to ship a doll...
I also had to go down town in the searing heat with my sister in law to buy some supplies so we can make some favors since I am now helping her with her wedding/christening organizing/business thingie...
So she came in late... and it took us about 3 hours from the time we left until we got. During that time G called me 3 times to scream at me, because how dare I leave him for THREE HOURS with the kids?? And where was food? The kids were hungry...
I assured him I was bringing food and then hang up and cried..
My life sucks.. I can't go anywhere without the kids and when I do, my husband calls 45 times, screaming at me...
We got home, fed the family and quickly went out the door to ship my package and catch my movie...
My feet hurt so much from the trek I considered not going for a moment... but then I did go.
Of course, problems started from the get-go.
Traffic to the mall was TERRIBLE!! I barely made it in time to ship the package!
We couldn't find a place to park because of all the days, we had picked today and today was the first day of sales.. the place was packed to the brim. Who said people have no money!?!?!? All I saw was HORDES of people carrying a DOZEN bags each... Do you know what I will buy during the sales? NOTHING!! Why? Because I trully have NO money... except maybe a pair of summer sandals for John because he needs a pair...
Anyway, we managed to park and send the package, then went to buy tickets only to find the movie we wanted wasn't available until 21.15 (My Sister's Keeper).
So we saw The Proposal instead. Nice film but one you would see in a theater. Nice for pizza and pop corn at home with the girls but otherwise ... blah. Sandra Bullock, you are too old for this and we can tell ;)
(we can also tell you had "work" done) and anyway GET OFF RYAN!!! ;)
Right... but that wasn't the bad part... the bad part was that the movied ended at around 21:00 pm... when the stores were closing... and everyone wanted to leave...
And the queue to pay for the parking was 45 people long... IN EVERY TELLER...
And when MY turn almost came, the person in front of me broke the machine...and then we had to wait another 10 minutes for the fat man with the brown belt and the BLACK shoes to come fix it.. total waiting time: 30 minutes.
Then there was a queue of cars this time trying to leave the parking... another 15 minutes... and then there was a queue of cars on the street... and the highway that takes me home? PACKED!! Like... cars were STOPPED for minutes at a time... for no reason...
And I hit my toe when I was trying to get into the bathtub... and I saw my movie with my friend... but apparently my husband was sending me negative vibes all the time because did I enjoy my evening? I did not :(
I suppose in another 3.5 years when my husband keeps the boys while I go out again, I might have better luck...
I had 4 hours out to myself.. I should be grateful and I am... I am also a bit pissed because he gets 10 hrs a day to himself... and he goes out twice a week with his mates... God why did you make me a woman?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Saturday morning...
Saturday morning and I wake up from a relatively good night's sleep, to find both boys sitting on my bed, next to my head, talking about Transformers. I close my eyes, pretending to be asleep, when G's booming voice comes from the next room, ordering me up because it's 10 am (!!) and they are hungry!
God Forbid the man pours some cereal in the bowls followed by, oh the arduous task, of pouring milk on top...
I shouldn't complain really (and yes I saw the eye rolling, you!) because getting out of bed at 10am when you have two kids under the age of 12 (when I think I will be fairly ok letting them get up before me, relatively secure in my knowledge that they won't blow up the house while I catch some extra zzzzzzz's) is a very rare treat indeed and I totally let G grab my boobs while I was making breakfast more than once today, to thank him for this gift of extra sleep. (and for those new to my blog, G is my husband!!)(just in case you were wondering...)(and Yes I talk in parentheses ... I also air quote a lot when I talk..and I wave my arms.. at the same time)
So I woke up on this (hot) Saturday morning after a dream in which a) I had gotten my new car which was bigger than I remembered and everyone wanted to take it from me and b) I had somehow gotten pregnant, this time with a little girl... hmmmmmm, bizzare!
Oh and today I got the Mother Of All Migraines... and I can't get rid of it.. .and I will certainly die because OH.MY.GOSH.THE.PAIN...THE.AGONY...
Off to take my Excedrin...and crossing fingers it doesn't make me nauseous this time...
Cheers,
T.
God Forbid the man pours some cereal in the bowls followed by, oh the arduous task, of pouring milk on top...
I shouldn't complain really (and yes I saw the eye rolling, you!) because getting out of bed at 10am when you have two kids under the age of 12 (when I think I will be fairly ok letting them get up before me, relatively secure in my knowledge that they won't blow up the house while I catch some extra zzzzzzz's) is a very rare treat indeed and I totally let G grab my boobs while I was making breakfast more than once today, to thank him for this gift of extra sleep. (and for those new to my blog, G is my husband!!)(just in case you were wondering...)(and Yes I talk in parentheses ... I also air quote a lot when I talk..and I wave my arms.. at the same time)
So I woke up on this (hot) Saturday morning after a dream in which a) I had gotten my new car which was bigger than I remembered and everyone wanted to take it from me and b) I had somehow gotten pregnant, this time with a little girl... hmmmmmm, bizzare!
Oh and today I got the Mother Of All Migraines... and I can't get rid of it.. .and I will certainly die because OH.MY.GOSH.THE.PAIN...THE.AGONY...
Off to take my Excedrin...and crossing fingers it doesn't make me nauseous this time...
Cheers,
T.
Friday, July 10, 2009
And there we go again...and again... and yet again!
I am starting to realize I have been spoiled rotten by the hired help.. the nanny, who I couldn't afford anymore and had to let go of. I had been spoiled by opening the kids' closet and actually finding laundered and ironed clothes (and because I know you will ask, this is Greece, we iron, period ;)). I had been spoiled the luxury of working until late, yet not worrying about waking up early the next day because all I had to do was to open the door at 8am and someone else would look after the boys while I caught up on much needed sleep.
So yeah... at the end she cut corners and was way too expensive but I miss the nanny.. there, I've said it.
Somehow I suck at being a housewife/working mom. I am definitely doing something wrong because my apartment is in terrible shape, I fed the kids take out 3 times this week alone and the pile of clothes that need ironing is touching the ceiling, yet I haven't really sat down at all.
Granted I am the only one doing any kind of cooking or cleaning, G doesn't even take his dirty dish to the sink...forget loading the dish washer but still... I bow down to those women who can keep a fairly decent level of tidiness and cleanliness and still work... although the way I see it, once they are in school (away from the house 7 hrs a day) I should be able to plan/clean/work/cook with much better ease... you know... without two 3.5 year old F5 tornadoes under my feet..
Oh and yeah I did break my big toe 2 weeks ago by dropping the iron on it at 8am on a Monday morning while trying to press G's uniform...
And today I made it bleed twice once by rolling a 28lbs watermelon on it and Cody just stepped on it (and he weighs wayyyyyy more than 28lbs!) an hour ago...
Crappity, crap crap!
I am so ready for that black cloud of bad luck to leave me, I tell you!!!
Sigh...
Until next time,
T.
So yeah... at the end she cut corners and was way too expensive but I miss the nanny.. there, I've said it.
Somehow I suck at being a housewife/working mom. I am definitely doing something wrong because my apartment is in terrible shape, I fed the kids take out 3 times this week alone and the pile of clothes that need ironing is touching the ceiling, yet I haven't really sat down at all.
Granted I am the only one doing any kind of cooking or cleaning, G doesn't even take his dirty dish to the sink...forget loading the dish washer but still... I bow down to those women who can keep a fairly decent level of tidiness and cleanliness and still work... although the way I see it, once they are in school (away from the house 7 hrs a day) I should be able to plan/clean/work/cook with much better ease... you know... without two 3.5 year old F5 tornadoes under my feet..
Oh and yeah I did break my big toe 2 weeks ago by dropping the iron on it at 8am on a Monday morning while trying to press G's uniform...
And today I made it bleed twice once by rolling a 28lbs watermelon on it and Cody just stepped on it (and he weighs wayyyyyy more than 28lbs!) an hour ago...
Crappity, crap crap!
I am so ready for that black cloud of bad luck to leave me, I tell you!!!
Sigh...
Until next time,
T.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
What was I thinking?
So you've read my previous post and you know I got the boys a new bed, and a table for us, hoping to start turning a new page in our family life... I've been folloring FLYLADY and trying very hard to get CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) under control.
In the last 3.5 years, since the boys were born, I've assimilated a lot of junk... Since the boys are first children in the family, there are showered with presents... times two! You know what that means right?
So today I got up determined to wrestle their room... and it's now been 5 1/2 hours since I started and I am *almost* done. I took a picture before I started and I will take a picture when I am done...
I am very proud of me and I bet the boys will love their new room too... more room to play in, no more broken toys and things are more easily accecible now.
Of course I now have to do the rest of the house... eeeek! And we live in a small apartment. I can't imagine what we would do if we owned a larger one ... hmmmm. Nope I do know.. I would just throw everything in the spare room and call it "storage" ;)
My feet are burning.... I need a coffee... and I still need to go to the super market.
Stay tuned for pics!!
T.
In the last 3.5 years, since the boys were born, I've assimilated a lot of junk... Since the boys are first children in the family, there are showered with presents... times two! You know what that means right?
So today I got up determined to wrestle their room... and it's now been 5 1/2 hours since I started and I am *almost* done. I took a picture before I started and I will take a picture when I am done...
I am very proud of me and I bet the boys will love their new room too... more room to play in, no more broken toys and things are more easily accecible now.
Of course I now have to do the rest of the house... eeeek! And we live in a small apartment. I can't imagine what we would do if we owned a larger one ... hmmmm. Nope I do know.. I would just throw everything in the spare room and call it "storage" ;)
My feet are burning.... I need a coffee... and I still need to go to the super market.
Stay tuned for pics!!
T.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
What a day!!!
It's 8:50 PM as I write and I can tell you one thing... MY FEET ARE KILLING ME!!!
Why? Because I've been using them (mostly to stand) all day long!!! I've had a loooong but fruitful day which included (but wasn't limited to) shopping, having coffee with dad, finding a bargain, taking apart a bunk bed and a toddler bed, putting together said bunk bed while trying to keeps the toddlers off it at the same time and then discovering my house if a mess and I have no energy left to clean it (sorry Flylady, the only thing I will do tonight is the dishes!).
So today I was supposed to go to IKEA to get a table .. we have a table. George picked it... it is big and clumsy and stuffed in a corner. It is a dinning table... for 10... my husband thought we NEEDED a dinning table, you know, because we are such big party throweres, God forbid we did not have a big table for all of them... Our apartment is small... 70 sq. meters small. The table barely fit. Then we had the twins and we now eat on the coffee table..
My husband has often accused me that I am neglecting the house and the kids and all I do is work. So now that we have no nanny anymore and I *can't* work, I decided to prove him wrong.
So I went to IKEA to get a table that will fit in the apartment (with the twins still occupying it) and my bestest store didn't let me down... I got a Norden table for four that folds down into a teeny tiny thing. Thank you oh magnificent Swedish designer, you have saved my family...
So no more eating on the coffee table. Starting tomorrow when G will put said table together, we eat properly in real chairs like a family ought to do...
To go with our new table, I got two chairs for the boys... the kind without the white cushions that do not cost an and a leg, and if they spill spaghetti sauce on, I will just merrily laugh and wipe clean with a Wettex.
So I wrote down the numbers of all items, picked out an awesome shower curtain (since the glass shower cabin didn't survive the twins) thinking how I should have spent the 12 Euros and gotten the shower curtain to begin with instead of the 500 Euros for the glass cabin, my excuse being that was 8 years ago and we were newlyweds and plans for kids were in the very distant future...
Then we headed for the cashiers when I turned my gaze towards the bargain section, not really interested to buy anything else... and then I saw it and my heart skipped a beat and I dragged my dad towards said section to take a closer look...
You must know that I am never lucky with bargains... I have never gotten a bargain, a real one... I have also never won anything in a lottery/drawing/raffle. I am THAT unlucky... but today the IKEA god smiled upon me because there it was, right before my eyes and nobody had bought it... Cody's bunk bed FIFTY F'ING PERCENT OFF!!!!
I literary climbed on top of it while I sent my dad scurrying off to get two carts to load said bed... a couple were interested in the bed but my eyes shooting darts must have detered them because they went the other way...
Pause here while I explain the story behind "Cody's bunk".
Before I had the boys we got them the Levsik cribs that turn into beds for up to 5 years old and we were pretty happy with the quality and the price of them.
However, Cody at 3 1/2 is the size of a 6 year old... he is tall... too tall for his bed... his feet hang outside of it.
SO when we saw that Cody needed a bigger bed, we went back to IKEA in search of one. When I saw the Kura, I knew it was the one... it was christened "Cody's Bunk" and ever since that fateful day, whenever I was in IKEA, I HAD to go and see it on display saying how the day was coming when I was going to buy it... and by now every single member of my family and most of my friends who had accepted my invitation to come to IKEA with me, KNEW about Cody's bunk... in fact I think they were organizing donations to raise the money so I would get the bed sooner AND STOP PESTERING THEM ABOUT IT!!!
The Kura, is the perfect young child bunk bed because it is very low and has wood all around it so no way to roll off while you sleep and no openings that you child can "catch" on if he indeed falls off.
It also flips so it's not really a bunk bed or you can use the top for toy storage which is what we do.
And it only cost 170 Euros without a mattress.
And I got ours for 84 today... and I am SO happy :)
The "day"
So here is how it goes: you take the item you want from Bargains, pay for it, then take it apart yourself.
It tooks us 45 minutes to undo it and an hour to re-do it at home...
And then I had to do a little magic... I fit This (the table):
And This (the bed):
And two of these:
Into this:
This is my car. It's a Renault Clio model of 1992. No the car in the picture isn't MY car but MY car is exactly LIKE the car in the picture including the color.
And yes we desperately need another car, even though this runs fine (mostly), it's a furnace in the summer for the kids because it has no A/C and you must have heard how hot Greece is in the summer.
On the other hand, hey, free sauna!!
So we got home and I put the bunk together after apart the toddler bed... and then I dashed (literally) to the super market half an hour before closing... and here I am now... Elephant ankles and all...but I HAD to tell you about how awesome I did!!!
And now...back to your scheduled program!!
Byeeeeeeee I am off to put my feet up and pray I can wear my shoes again tomorrow!!!
xx
T.
Why? Because I've been using them (mostly to stand) all day long!!! I've had a loooong but fruitful day which included (but wasn't limited to) shopping, having coffee with dad, finding a bargain, taking apart a bunk bed and a toddler bed, putting together said bunk bed while trying to keeps the toddlers off it at the same time and then discovering my house if a mess and I have no energy left to clean it (sorry Flylady, the only thing I will do tonight is the dishes!).
So today I was supposed to go to IKEA to get a table .. we have a table. George picked it... it is big and clumsy and stuffed in a corner. It is a dinning table... for 10... my husband thought we NEEDED a dinning table, you know, because we are such big party throweres, God forbid we did not have a big table for all of them... Our apartment is small... 70 sq. meters small. The table barely fit. Then we had the twins and we now eat on the coffee table..
My husband has often accused me that I am neglecting the house and the kids and all I do is work. So now that we have no nanny anymore and I *can't* work, I decided to prove him wrong.
So I went to IKEA to get a table that will fit in the apartment (with the twins still occupying it) and my bestest store didn't let me down... I got a Norden table for four that folds down into a teeny tiny thing. Thank you oh magnificent Swedish designer, you have saved my family...
So no more eating on the coffee table. Starting tomorrow when G will put said table together, we eat properly in real chairs like a family ought to do...
To go with our new table, I got two chairs for the boys... the kind without the white cushions that do not cost an and a leg, and if they spill spaghetti sauce on, I will just merrily laugh and wipe clean with a Wettex.
So I wrote down the numbers of all items, picked out an awesome shower curtain (since the glass shower cabin didn't survive the twins) thinking how I should have spent the 12 Euros and gotten the shower curtain to begin with instead of the 500 Euros for the glass cabin, my excuse being that was 8 years ago and we were newlyweds and plans for kids were in the very distant future...
Then we headed for the cashiers when I turned my gaze towards the bargain section, not really interested to buy anything else... and then I saw it and my heart skipped a beat and I dragged my dad towards said section to take a closer look...
You must know that I am never lucky with bargains... I have never gotten a bargain, a real one... I have also never won anything in a lottery/drawing/raffle. I am THAT unlucky... but today the IKEA god smiled upon me because there it was, right before my eyes and nobody had bought it... Cody's bunk bed FIFTY F'ING PERCENT OFF!!!!
I literary climbed on top of it while I sent my dad scurrying off to get two carts to load said bed... a couple were interested in the bed but my eyes shooting darts must have detered them because they went the other way...
Pause here while I explain the story behind "Cody's bunk".
Before I had the boys we got them the Levsik cribs that turn into beds for up to 5 years old and we were pretty happy with the quality and the price of them.
However, Cody at 3 1/2 is the size of a 6 year old... he is tall... too tall for his bed... his feet hang outside of it.
SO when we saw that Cody needed a bigger bed, we went back to IKEA in search of one. When I saw the Kura, I knew it was the one... it was christened "Cody's Bunk" and ever since that fateful day, whenever I was in IKEA, I HAD to go and see it on display saying how the day was coming when I was going to buy it... and by now every single member of my family and most of my friends who had accepted my invitation to come to IKEA with me, KNEW about Cody's bunk... in fact I think they were organizing donations to raise the money so I would get the bed sooner AND STOP PESTERING THEM ABOUT IT!!!
The Kura, is the perfect young child bunk bed because it is very low and has wood all around it so no way to roll off while you sleep and no openings that you child can "catch" on if he indeed falls off.
It also flips so it's not really a bunk bed or you can use the top for toy storage which is what we do.
And it only cost 170 Euros without a mattress.
And I got ours for 84 today... and I am SO happy :)
The "day"
So here is how it goes: you take the item you want from Bargains, pay for it, then take it apart yourself.
It tooks us 45 minutes to undo it and an hour to re-do it at home...
And then I had to do a little magic... I fit This (the table):
And This (the bed):
And two of these:
Into this:
This is my car. It's a Renault Clio model of 1992. No the car in the picture isn't MY car but MY car is exactly LIKE the car in the picture including the color.
And yes we desperately need another car, even though this runs fine (mostly), it's a furnace in the summer for the kids because it has no A/C and you must have heard how hot Greece is in the summer.
On the other hand, hey, free sauna!!
So we got home and I put the bunk together after apart the toddler bed... and then I dashed (literally) to the super market half an hour before closing... and here I am now... Elephant ankles and all...but I HAD to tell you about how awesome I did!!!
And now...back to your scheduled program!!
Byeeeeeeee I am off to put my feet up and pray I can wear my shoes again tomorrow!!!
xx
T.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The big comeback!
Wow!!!
It's been more than a YEAR since I last updated this blog... no wonder some of you are e-mailing looking for an update!!
It's kinda hard to remember exactly what happened this past year, but I can sum it easily for you. The boys grew 4 inches taller (with Cody being steadily in the 99% percentile and John at the 75%!), George's belly grew 10 inches since last year and I grew 500 new gray hairs and lost about 1,000,000 brain cells in the process.
Other than that, I am happy to report that besides being CRAZY (and I do mean C R A Z Y) busy, we are happy for the most part...
After a few dozen therapy sessions, George and I have found our balance and boundaries again.
John's Cerebral Palsy seems almost undetectable as his gait has improved tenfold.
Cody's speech is now recognizable by 70% of people IF he speaks slowly... and they are both enrolled to swim class and pre-school for next Fall.
In the course of a year I have sculpted and produced loads of new dolls (which you can view in my other blog http://sculptorsdiaries.blogspot.com) and by general consensus I have somewhat improved which WAS the point anyway thank-you-very-much, I have written a book and I am in the middle of writing 4 more on the subject of sculpting.
Cody's love for swimming and his open hearted eagerness as well as his beyond his age built and height (the ped estimates his adult height to somewhere between 6' 6" and 6' 9"!!) have made him the target of several coaches who would love to add him to their water Polo team which accepts kids from age 6; however we were "assured" that Cody will fit in nicely starting NEXT YEAR!!! (age 4)
John has been crazily in love with HOT WHEELS and he goes around merily announcing to the world that once grown, he will become an F-1 Driver... hmmmmm wonder where he got that from? ;)
Why, I have no idea... it's like like MY ENTIRE FAMILY ARE CAR FREAKS!!! No, no... what gave you that idea? ;)
John has made remarkable progress this past year. He went from "obviously special needs" to "he looks normal". He has tried so hard and he is my hero.
And this sums up my year... which brings up to today.
For which I will write about... tomorrow.
Hey! I just got back to personal blogging!! I don't want to overdo it on my first day back ;)
Until next time,
Tina
It's been more than a YEAR since I last updated this blog... no wonder some of you are e-mailing looking for an update!!
It's kinda hard to remember exactly what happened this past year, but I can sum it easily for you. The boys grew 4 inches taller (with Cody being steadily in the 99% percentile and John at the 75%!), George's belly grew 10 inches since last year and I grew 500 new gray hairs and lost about 1,000,000 brain cells in the process.
Other than that, I am happy to report that besides being CRAZY (and I do mean C R A Z Y) busy, we are happy for the most part...
After a few dozen therapy sessions, George and I have found our balance and boundaries again.
John's Cerebral Palsy seems almost undetectable as his gait has improved tenfold.
Cody's speech is now recognizable by 70% of people IF he speaks slowly... and they are both enrolled to swim class and pre-school for next Fall.
In the course of a year I have sculpted and produced loads of new dolls (which you can view in my other blog http://sculptorsdiaries.blogspot.com) and by general consensus I have somewhat improved which WAS the point anyway thank-you-very-much, I have written a book and I am in the middle of writing 4 more on the subject of sculpting.
Cody's love for swimming and his open hearted eagerness as well as his beyond his age built and height (the ped estimates his adult height to somewhere between 6' 6" and 6' 9"!!) have made him the target of several coaches who would love to add him to their water Polo team which accepts kids from age 6; however we were "assured" that Cody will fit in nicely starting NEXT YEAR!!! (age 4)
John has been crazily in love with HOT WHEELS and he goes around merily announcing to the world that once grown, he will become an F-1 Driver... hmmmmm wonder where he got that from? ;)
Why, I have no idea... it's like like MY ENTIRE FAMILY ARE CAR FREAKS!!! No, no... what gave you that idea? ;)
John has made remarkable progress this past year. He went from "obviously special needs" to "he looks normal". He has tried so hard and he is my hero.
And this sums up my year... which brings up to today.
For which I will write about... tomorrow.
Hey! I just got back to personal blogging!! I don't want to overdo it on my first day back ;)
Until next time,
Tina
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