Daybook for March 31, 2010

[Edit - while writing this, I heard a big thump from Goose's room where she was having "quiet time" and, well, she has gotten her first skinned knee and her first goose egg on her head in the same week! Ouch!]

Outside my window... Breezy again, but the sun is shining and it's in the 70s! I think it would be hot if not for the wind...

I am thinking... that I don't know where March went.

I am thankful for... forgiveness, and the ability to start anew.

From the learning rooms... Goose is working on a lesson in physics, that helium balloons don't stay up forever. I was able to cut off a bunch of heavy ribbon and "dead" balloons so that some are still floating, but the inevitable isn't going to be pretty, I don't think.

From the kitchen... I'm planning to make this Mushroom Soup from The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. My mom and I made it once and it was yummy. I also plan to make Katie's Hearty Lentil Stew for Good Friday. Other than that, lots of leftovers as I try to keep from wasting food - lasagna and meatloaf to name two.

I am wearing... a blue striped long-sleeved shirt and denim capri pants. And Crocs. I was probably about the last person to jump on the Crocs bandwagon but they are SO comfortable and I love being able to slip them off and on easily.

I am creating... a new "church bag" for Goose, similar to her Halloween treat sack that she's been using for her church bag. (I pack a handful of things in her church bag to help keep her quiet during church and moreso during Bible study.) This one has Care Bear appliques that I scavenged from a bargin bin piece that was the top for a jumper.

I am pondering... a chapter in Matthew Kelly's book "Rediscovering Catholicism" on fasting. Willpower has never been my strongest virtue, but this book puts things in a way unlike anything I've ever come across before.

I am reading... the same things as last week. And added to the pile: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian, The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved by Sandor Ellix Katz (that might go for a giveaway here!), and Household Ecology by Julia Percivall and Pixie Burger, which is from 1971 but I'm looking forward to flipping through. (It might also go as a giveaway.)

I am hoping... for another early bedtime for Goose tonight. She's tired.

I am hearing... windchimes from the front porch. I love how they sound.

Around the house... it's amazing what 20 minutes can do. Too bad I have about six rounds of 20 minutes that I need to do!

One of my favorite things... spring flowers. They will be blooming before we know it.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Holy Thursday and Good Friday services. I have little else besides that planned. Easter dinner will be at my in-laws.

A picture thought I am sharing... Goose enjoying her new paints.

Yeast Elimination Diet

A couple of weeks ago, my parents stayed here on their way home from my brother's. I wasn't sure when they were coming and wasn't exactly prepared to cook, but I ended up making a yummy supper of lasagna, a half recipe of herbed oatmeal pan bread, peas and a half recipe of butterscotch bars. YUM. I'm a re-submitting this post for the latest installment of the spring cleaning carnival at Kitchen Stewardship. The first topic for which I submitted this was Get the Gluten Out, and Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free wrote about her (very interesting!) experiences here. The latest installment is Get the Refined Sugar Out (at Kitchen Stewardship) and the guest poster is Donielle from Naturally Knocked Up, and you can read her post Cutting Back on Sugar.

Back to me. A couple of years ago, I couldn't have eaten that supper. Goose and I struggled with yeast for several months after she was born. It started with her diaper rash, that would NOT go away. Since I nursed her exclusively, I had my own troubles, too. An excellent resource for breastfeeding and thrush is this page on KellyMom.com. (Actually, KellyMom.com is an excellent resource overall for breastfeeding.) There is a lot of info on La Leche League's yeast page as well, and here is what Dr. Jack Newman has to say about yeast.

Though it is not specific to breastfeeding and thrush, I read The Yeast Connection, its corresponding website, and the cookbook (which I borrowed via interlibrary loan), all excellent resources.

We tried a very, very long list of things to get rid of the yeast. Nystatin. Diflucan. Gentian Violet. All Purpose Nipple Ointment. A weak vinegar wash and left the flaps down on my nursing bra for fifteen minutes after nursing, and changed nursing pads after each nursing session. Grapefruit Seed Extract. Acidophilis powder. Yeast detox supplements through our chiropractor. The only thing that finally worked was a yeast elimination diet.

*****Please note that you should work closely with your health care provider if you suspect you are having difficulty with yeast, also known as candida. I am not a doctor, nor do I even play one on TV.*****

There are a number of yeast elimination diets on the interwebs. I happen to be a rather picky eater, so I struggled to find one that I could actually follow, and I still made a few compromises. I finally ended up mostly using the diet from QFAC. I was able to follow it for about two weeks and both Goose and I were able to clear up our problems. I also lost several pounds! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sustain the diet (or weight loss, sigh), but I've been thinking it would be a good thing to do periodically for my health.

My friend Sarah wrote a very informative post on Why Grain Free? at her blog Sarah's Musings that gives a lot of great information. Unfortunately grains are not just a filler for me (remember, I'm a recovering vegetarian married to a cow farmer!) so I don't think I could go completely grain-free. But it certainly gives a lot of food for thought.

Check out a lot more posts on gluten-free here at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free and more on cutting out the sugar here at Naturally Knocked Up. The giveaways for the gluten part of the carnival are closed, but go check out the ones for the sugar part!

Also, go check out some great posts on nursin' babies over at the Breastfeeding Blog Carnival at Modern Alternative Mama!

About Me, Part 5

When I left off with part four back in October (for heaven's sake!), I had just met a handsome cow farmer in Wal-Mart and he took me on a dinner date. I was head over heels right from the start. Hubs lived about two hours away from me, so we visited each other on weekends. We met in July, and we were engaged the next January, with the wedding set for October.

I quit my job at the end of June or so and moved into the house where we live now. Hubs lived about 10 miles away. My first job here was a part-time position in HR and Training/Development at a nursing home near here. For some reason, there was very little about that job that ended up being a good fit. The straw that broke the camel's back was after I had a conversation with a nurse's aide.

One thing that had been reinforced during orientation was that insurance paperwork was sent out from the corporate offices after the employee had been with the company for a certain amount of time. It came in a plain looking envelope (so as to not attract the attention of would-be identity thieves, I think), and it was stressed to keep an eye out for it and not throw it away, that there was nothing that could be done if it was gone until open enrollment came around again.

You guessed it, the aide tossed her insurance. I told her there wasn't anything that could be done, because I didn't think there was anything that could be done. The interim director called me out on the carpet. I finally realized it didn't make sense to be beating myself up for a job I didn't like. I put my notice in and focused on planning my wedding, which you can read about here.

We had a lovely honeymoon in Colorado and when we returned, I began looking for a new job. I ended up landing an HR job for a local manufacturing plant, working about 25 hours a week. It ended up being a great job, and I really enjoyed working there. The president - my boss - is quite a character. He once told me (mostly jokingly) that he hired me because I was married to a farmer, so he knew I wouldn't be moving away. I told him that I fixed his wagon, because I planned to stay home after having a baby.

I ended up working there for three and a half years and though it was hard work, I enjoyed it for the most part. Of course, all the while, I was learning to be a farm wife, too. Tractors, corn, wheat, cattle, all that. My main interest? The barn cats. And one that Hubs brought home, that we named Nappy.

Next up - being preggo with the Goose and an ice storm that left us without electricity for a week.

Link Roundup - Skinned Knee Edition

Goose just turned three. This week marked her very first skinned knee! She was running around outside while I was picking up trash (between some blowing around and somebody chucking a bunch of cans, there was a lot!) and the inevitable happened. Her knee took the worst of it - putting a small hole in her pants - while the other knee is bruised and both palms have a bit of road rash. I'm surprised she's lasted this long without one, I guess.

Lots of good stuff around the interwebs this week.

MAKE
Oh, I know Goose would love this Mini Rain Stick from Busy Bees.

These Flower Prints from Soda Bottles are SO CUTE. (@ Frugal Family Fun Blog)

How fun for Easter - Bunny Houses at Home Sweet Home.

This little Removable Flower Garden at She Wears Flowers is so, so cute!

EAT
Tipnut has a Butter Q&A. I think it was The Pioneer Woman who said "don't be afraid of butter. God made cows."

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers posted a yummy sounding recipe for Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (with NO corn syrup!). And, I can say from personal experience, that her butterscotch bars are out of this world. The pan barely lasted 12 hours (and that includes overnight - though I only made a half batch). Next time I think I'll add a bit more flour as they were VERY buttery on the bottom.

I pink puffy heart hominy and was very intrigued by this article at Mother Earth News on Make Masa - Nixtamalize Your Corn. I doubt I'll try it, but I'm fascinated by the process!

Ooh, these Twisted Breadsticks at Minutes To Spare sound YUMMY.

As do these Lasagna Roll-Ups from Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles.

Love the recipe and love the story - check out Great-Grandma Louise's Tortillas at Sarah's Musings.

Speaking of the Pioneer Woman, the only reason I haven't made these Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares yet is Hubs doesn't like lemon and that leaves the whole pan for me. Goose would probably give me a run for it, though!

DO
Not sure how I missed this last week, but I really enjoyed this post on Early Reading Strategies for Little Learners (subtitled Giant Post on Teaching My Child with Down Syndrome How to Read) at Pondered In My Heart.

Who doesn't love Mad Libs? :>) You can find some Easter ones here at Classroom Jr. (and apparently many other Mad Libs).

For you pregnant mamas, check out Make Room for Baby to see what's going on with your innards right now. :>) (@ Museum of Science and Industry)

PRAY & PONDER
This article at The Common Room called Boys and Girls Are Different. Really. gives lots of food for thought on the differences in learning styles by gender.

Annunciation Thursday marks the beginning of a Novena for impossible requests. It runs all the way through Christmas. You can find the prayers here at Domestic-Church.com.

Danielle Bean has plenty of experience as a mom of 8 upon which to draw inspiration for her post 5 Ways to Survive a Stomach Virus. I hadn't ever heard the one about canned peach syrup but I'm definitely tucking that one away.

One more post-partum depression post - Healing From Post Partum Depression at Catholic Mommy Brain.

Happy clicking!

Daybook for March 23, 2010

Outside my window... Breezy today, and kind of cloudy. We didn't get outside, but Sunday was such a delightful day, and I think there's more in store for the rest of the week.

I am thinking... about our parish's 125th anniversary celebration this fall. The committee met this morning, and things are coming together reasonably well.

I am thankful for... Easter. I don't think I've ever looked forward to it as much as I have this year.

From the learning rooms... a bit of gardening. Goose sort of helped me with starting seeds on Sunday. Then she quickly lost interest. :>)

From the kitchen... Everybody else cleared out their freezer in January and February, I'm just now getting around to thinking about it. There's lots of stuff in there that I don't even realize is there, and I hate wasting food!

I am wearing... tan lightweight sweater and red pants. I had forgotten I even had this sweater until this weekend. Should've been wearing them all winter long!

I am creating... Bibs. And I'm really pleased at how they are turning out!

I am pondering... How I try so hard to control things. Especially Goose's sleep. And it just isn't really in my control at all. Plus, God's in charge, who am I to try and buck that?

I am reading... the same things as last week. And added to the pile: The Makers Diet.

I am hoping... for an early bedtime for Goose tonight.

I am hearing... a fit. The third of the afternoon. See above. (Update: She's doing the head bob in her high chair, which is a rare occurrence. Here's hoping.)

Around the house... I need to get busy. Stuff has snuck up on me.

One of my favorite things... footie PJs.

A few plans for the rest of the week... One of these Wendesdays, I need to renew my drivers' licence, Stations of the Cross on Thursday (I think the last one?), and this weekend is the first of kids' consignment sales in the area. Not sure if I'll make this one or wait for the next one. Hubs might be gone, and taking Goose is not my idea of a good time - it's pretty crowded. Our parish's penance service is on Sunday.

A picture thought I am sharing... I hope to put together a whole post on Goose's birthday, but here's one to start.

How To Wash a Toddler's Hands

(PS - I updated my Enormous Toddler Bib/Napkin post to show a pic of the bib in action!)

Little hands can get every bit as dirty - or dirtier! - than big hands. Every time I think that Goose is mostly out of the sucking and chewing on fingers phase, I find her hand in her mouth. I think she might have some molars moving, as she's been chomping a lot lately.

So, I've been trying to pay a bit more attention to keeping her hands clean. Here's how we do it.

We have a stepstool that we keep in the bathroom. She uses it to get on the potty, and to wash her hands.








Our soap of choice is Johnson's Buddies soap. If you read MoneySavingMom.com, you know that there are often printable coupons to get the soap for free. Can't beat that! I like how the soap foams up quickly as it has a fabric covering, and it smells GREAT. Best of all, it doesn't contain triclosan. (Click through below to Katie's post to read much, much more about it.)









Since Goose still doesn't quite have the hang of lathering her own hands, I help her. I start by working up a lather with the bar myself, then I put it in her hands and wrap my hands around hers as shown in the picture. While I admit we probably don't wash for the full 30 seconds, I try to work up a good lather and then spend almost as much time rinsing and rubbing her hands under the water.

As I mentioned earlier, I am participating in Spring Cleaning: Get the Junk OUT! at Kitchen Stewardship. Go read Katie's post on Get the Antibacterials Out (and bleach), and read what other bloggers are doing on the subject.

Enormous Toddler Bib/Napkin

I've been thinking lately that Goose's bibs just aren't quite fitting the bill anymore. For the most part, she's a very neat eater, but she occasionally drips and drops. We had been given a couple of the full-body bibs for when she was starting to eat, and they got me to thinking.





I made a pattern by laying out a bib and tracing around it. Instead of tracing the legs, I rounded the bottom. When I cut it out, I added some room for seam allowances.
























In case you don't have a similar bib and want to give it a try, the resulting pattern is about 21.5" tall at the tallest point, 14.5" wide at the widest point, and the neck hole is about a 3.5" circle (OK, it's obviously not quite a circle, but that's what the opening measures).


















I then pinned the pattern to fabric and cut it out. Most of the bibs have a plain back, but I made a few to be reversible. Please note that unless your pattern is symmetrical (which mine isn't!) you should flip the pattern over when cutting one of the pieces so the right side will be facing out if you wish to reverse it.

I didn't do this, and ended up with the wrong side of the fabric facing out. It's not the worst thing in the world, I figure. Goose doesn't care!

Initially, I wasn't going to line them with anything, because as I noted, Goose is a pretty neat eater. After making the first one and trying it out, I decided they needed something inside. I used my pattern piece to cut some flannel, but instead of making it go all the way up to the neck straps, I just cut it off about an inch under the neck. Saves fabric, and saves sewing through so many layers at the top where it's wonky enough on its own!

I made mine by stitching the flannel to the back side of the bib (on the wrong side), then sewing the back and front together with wrong sides together leaving an opening, turning right side out, pressing, then topstitching, making sure to close the turning hole. For the last bib, I think I'll just stitch the top part of the flannel to the back, then stitch all of them together.

Lastly, I added velcro to the neck tabs to hold the bib on. Here are the other bibs I made:





























And here's a picture of one in action!












Linking up to:





and Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom.

Link Roundup - SPRING Edition

It was a gorgeous day here today! Goose took a short but much needed nap (this time, the bribe was Ms - M&Ms - and she was threatened with "Mama will eat your Ms if you don't take a nap!") and then we played outside, hung out a load of laundry, and did a bit of garden prep. I think this is going to be the best summer yet! Even though my insomnia has taken a turn for the worse lately, it was still an awesome day.

Let's keep the happy thoughts going with some clicking around, shall we?

MAKE
Holy cow, check out these Geode Easter Eggs for kids - love them! (@ those northern skies)

Monkey Sew, Monkey Do has a tutorial on how to Make Your Own Moby Wrap, which isn't as hard as you might think!

Also a "holy cow" - check out the Mini Mei Tai tutorial at Owlet Designs.

EAT
Bear Hugs Baby has a post on Make Your Own Easy Bake Recipes, and it's nice that they use "real" ingredients, too.

I've heard such good things about Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day, and Melissa Wiley's Dough Business post is no exception.

Katie at Kitchen Stewardship is discussing The Health Benefits of Sprouting.

Not only does Katie's recipe for Hearty Lentil Stew sound yummy, I love her tradition of preparing it on Ash Wednesday and then freezing the rest for Good Friday.

It's a proven fact that Parmesan cheese makes everything better, and I have no doubt that it's also true for this Roasted Cauliflower at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures.

I'm kind of glad I didn't find this until after Goose's birthday 'cause I'd have been tempted to switch her cake to these Homemade Fruit Fun-Fetti Cupcakes from scrumdilly-do!

This is a very fun post from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship - Want Traditional Food? Read "Little House" Books. Great points!

DO
Gingerbread Snowflakes is coloring Easter eggs with Kool-Aid - how fun!

Along those lines, do stuff! is dying yarn with Kool-Aid in the crock pot.

Making it Lovely has some really good DIY Painting Tips, Tricks, and a Step-By-Step Guide, with thanks to Amy at Finer Things for pointing it out.

Though Goose has a ton of books already, I love posts like this one from Jessica at Shower of Roses on their favorite Picture Books for Easter.

My biggest downfall to something like Trent's Idea Notebook is that I don't always have a pocket to keep it in. :>) (@ The Simple Dollar) But I could really use something to help me remember things, so I might need to look at adapting it...

PRAY & PONDER
I thought there was a good deal of wisdom in Are We Raising "Soft Kids"? Why Sports Are Non-Negotiable In My Family at words from cana. I think there is a lot that can be learned from sports, but there is a fine line between participation and over-scheduling. There is also a follow-up post.

There is a LOT of info popping up on the 'net this week about Post Partum Depression, an issue that is near and dear to my heart in many ways. Blessed Among Men writes of A Better Way, discussing progesterone therapy. Faith & Family Live has a post on Beat The Baby Blues. Elizabeth Foss has some Quick Answers on what works for her. Kate Wicker at Momopoly has More Thoughts on Postpartum Depression. I haven't listened to it yet, but there is also a podcast at Faith & Family Live on Baby Blues and Blessing.

And regarding motherhood, this piece on What Is it With Me and Carseats? is very moving.

My own Lenten journey hasn't been what I expected it to be, and Katie at Kitchen Stewardship was just in time with her piece On Sacrifice and Suffering.

Happy clicking!

Daybook for March 16, 2010

Outside my window... It's SPRING! The grass is greening up, most of the snow is melted. It wasn't all that warm today, but it'll get there and at least the sun was shining.

I am thinking... that we are officially in "nap purgatory." Goose has taken 3 naps in the last 5 days, but last night, it was about 10:15 when she finally gave up and went to sleep. But if she doesn't get a nap, she's cranky. This too shall pass...

I am thankful for... my Goose, who turns three tomorrow! My parents and hubs's parents are coming for supper.

From the learning rooms... nothing new. :>)

From the kitchen... more cheeseburger meatloaf, and this chocolate cake though I'm leaving the cocoa powder out of the frosting so it will look like clouds. There will be Care Bears involved, and a rainbow made out of skittles. Oh, and probably some homemade donuts.

I am wearing... among other things, my Miraculous Medal. I got it last year for my birthday, I think, and I love it. Though I think I need a new chain for it.

I am creating... see above Care Bear cake.

I am pondering... all the blessings in my life.

I am reading... the same things as last week. And added to the pile: He Leadeth Me.

I am hoping... that a college acquaintance missing from Omaha is found soon. And reminded to ponder my blessings again - she is one of those people who seemed to have everything. Please say a quick prayer for Jennifer and her family.

I am hearing... splashing. Goose is in the tub and just about to get PJs on.

Around the house... it's cleaner and neater than it has been for a while! The decluttering is helping, and I look forward to getting some more stuff out this week. Hurricane Goose went through earlier, but we picked up before her bath and it's better.

One of my favorite things... a kitty sleeping in a sunbeam.

A few plans for the rest of the week... chiropractor appointment tomorrow morning, make the cake, Goose's party, Stations of the Cross on Thursday and Altar Society afterwards, and I think that's it.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... well, not yet. I'll try to get a good one tomorrow of the birthday girl to post.

You can read LOTS more Daybook posts here.

40 Bags Update - Bags 34 - 44

Bags 34-42 - Yeah, I know I don't have all the "bags" shown in the picture. But as I mentioned in my post on using Buy It Now to sell on eBay, I had some pretty good luck selling stuff. I sold some DVDs, books, stuffed animals, Chinese iron chime balls (really!), the shaving set, and an extra electric fondue pot, along with some other assorted things.







Bag 43 - For about five years, I served on the regional health board. After Goose was born, it just didn't fit in my schedule anymore. For some reason, I didn't get rid of the stuff! So finally I checked with the director, destroyed the paperwork per her suggestion, and passed the bag itself on to my replacement. It seems so small, but it was a big relief!








Bag 44 - I cleaned out Goose's closet to pass stuff along to my cousins who are having babies. Some of it was unopened, some was partially used...what's family for, right? :>)






Finally, to update on bags 3&4 (towels), I had a former co-worker contact me and request I make some bibs for her son's daycare out of towels. So, I went through and pulled out the hand towels and am making some bibs and a bit of extra cash!