Ice ice baby...

A few months ago I started chomping ice. Pretty soon I craved chomping ice. I would have a drink and my degree of happiness with it was directly related to the quality of the ice cubes. A friend of mine who works in a dentist's office noticed that I was doing this and told me I was going to ruin my teeth. Made sense so I thought I'd just stop, but I didn't. I have never in my life craved anything, sure I'd think "hey ice cream sounds good right now" but I didn't CRAVE it. I never chew hard candy, I don't smoke, do drugs, drink (don't I sound fun ;-) ). I started to realize that this was a bit bizarre. It's ICE. Frozen water. So, like everything else I wonder about, I googled "ice chewing".

Heck if ice chewing isn't a form of pica (a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive (e.g., clay, coal, soil, chalk, paper, soap, mucus, ash, gum etc.) or an abnormal appetite for some things that may be considered foods, such as food ingredients (e.g., flour, raw potato, raw rice, starch, ice cubes, salt,)). Craving or chewing ice is called pagophagia and is associated with iron deficiency anemia which I have had for years. They don't know WHY people who are iron deficient crave ice.

Isn't that just bizarre? I organize a blood drive at my office four times per year and I'm about 50/50 on whether or not I can donate at any given time. It's always because my iron is low or borderline. Guess I'd better hunt down some green leafy veggies.

I just love google. Anything you want to know or are wondering about, you can find an answer for. I'm teaching Zack how to search for the answers to all his bizarre questions like "why is water wet?".

Gooooood Morning...

Did you enjoy your weekend? To say ours was slug-like would be an understatement. Since getting my sling off last week, my shoulder hurts MORE, due to the lack of support, so I've sort of been wallowing in self-pity while at the same time trying to keep the savages from uprising.

Friday afternoon I received the kids' report cards. Zack did well, as expected. I praised him and told him that I was VERY proud of him. Then I waited for him to leave with Matt to go to the baseball game. HOT DAMN Skyler blew my socks off with all 4's and Oustandings on her report card. I waited to make a big deal out of it because there's already a bit of competition between the kids. She asked if she did better than Zack and I had to explain that she did fantastic for HER, it didn't matter how Zack did and whether he did better or worse than she did. She's trying to get good grades for herself. She seemed to take that as a yes. Zack's reward for school work done well has always been a trip to Game Stop and since inheriting her brother's Nintendo DS she hasn't chosen a girly game so off we went. She chose a game and spent the evening saying "Mom, watch this. Watch this Mom". We DID get to go bed early, just as I had planned.

Saturday we barely moved. The kids played in their rooms. Matt and I competed for Most Closely Resembles a Vegetable. I think he won. I eventually took Skyler to the pool.

Sunday was errands with two children in tow. I desperately needed groceries. I don't usually bring the Can-I-Haves with me but I can't push the cart by myself yet. I came home with more crap than ever and I'm not sure if any of it can be made into a meal, but the task was accomplished. Matt helped out a friend in a charity event and found the rest of us separated into our own little worlds when he got home. Skyler has begun the task of decontaminating her room with the promise that we could paint and rearrange. I'm hoping to do that this weekend. I'm sure I'm biting off more than I can chew, as usual.

That was us in a nutshell. Nothing exciting - why am I so tired? This whining about my shoulder knocks me out!

Three Things...

The delightful Whimsy of The Creamery has noticed a drought in the blogosphere. She's come up with the idea of posting three blog posts that you think others should read. This will hopefully give each of us an introduction to a new blog that's fantastic or show off a specific post that you think is wonderful. Check out Whimsy's blog over the next few weeks where she'll link all the Three Things posters together giving you a list of great reads.

Three Things You Should Read According to Amanda:

Michel from Facts Are Strictly Optional is hysterical. She's living in Sudan working for the US Embassy. Her post Dear, USO is particularly enjoyable.

Linda from All & Sundry is amazing. She is what I would call a word magician. She has this way of combining them that makes you think "YES. THAT is a perfect description of that particular parenting event." Her post Blanket Apologies came to mind when I was trying to think of something great to show you as an example.

Matt, Liz and Madeline is a blog that tugs (HARD) at your heartstrings. It's the story of a father, Matt, raising his daughter, Madeline, after losing his wife, Liz, the day after Madeline's birth. Matt has been featured in People and on Oprah for the work he's done to help widows and widowers with the Liz Logelin Foundation. I started reading his blog not long after Liz died. You won't be sorry if you go back to the beginning.

That's my list of three. Perhaps I'll make it a Friday event.

P.S. - if you're already reading these blogs tell me in the comments. What do you love about them?

Teach your boys to love...

I walked into the gym go pick the kids up today and when I called his name Zack turned and his whole face lit up and he said "Mommy you look so beautiful today, such a pretty Mommy". I gave him a huge smothering hug and told him how happy he makes my heart. Tonight, while we were chatting before bed, I told him that someday he'd make an awesome husband because he already knows how to say sweet things to make his partner feel loved. He learned this from his father who is equally sweet with his words.

Men, don't be afraid to teach your sons to love. They will in turn BE loved as I am so sure that Zachary will be when he grows up.

Gamer...

Zack is a video game lover through and through. For his birthday, he got My Sims Kingdom.


I had been looking for a game that was adventure based but didn't have violence or guns or any of that other stuff that boys find fascinating. At first he gave it the old "you're lame Mom" eye roll but he came around and he's been begging me to play it with him for months. Video games are really my idea of a slow and painful death. I don't have the patience, dexterity, or desire actually to play. He caught me in the right mood the other night so I sat and played FOR THREE HOURS. THIS is why video games are evil. They are a giant time suck. We did have fun together and I might have continued playing last night after the kids went to bed. This game is exactly my speed as it is geared towards five year olds (slight exaggeration as it requires reading but there's certainly nothing difficult that most children couldn't handle). There is no violence, nothing is timed, you can dress your character in cute outfits, and the graphics are cute. I even get my own magic wand.

Do I get to be called a Gamer now? No?

Worth the re-read...

I was searching my blog for a particular picture and had to go WAY back to 2007 and found this post. I burst out laughing. Even if you've read it before, it's good a second time. It's part of the Skylerism series of posts.

Old people and airports - kid conversations...

Shoulder update...

It's been five weeks since my shoulder surgery for a labral tear. I'm still fairly useless on the right side but am getting better (not in leaps and bounds, more like quarter inches). I will admit that I am surprised daily that there is still this much limitation and pain. I was TOLD there would be but I guess I just didn't believe it.

Things that are still impossible/difficult/painful to do:
* Wash my hair with two hands.
* Dry my hair with any sort of non stuck-my-head-out-of-a-window look.
* Use a mouse right handed
* Reach for anything further than half-arm's length.
* SLEEP comfortably.
* Roll over (picture a turtle on its back)
* Take off a shirt
* Pull in any direction. My bathing suit springs to mind - that's a comedy show.
* Hold a book while reading in bed

Everything else is just moderately difficult. Nothing is easy. I start physical therapy next week. The pain should really kick in good then. If one more person TELLS me that (which I already know so they are clearly just trying to rub it in) I'm going to kick them in the junk.

Father's Day...

The kids desperately wanted to take Matt mini-golfing for Father's Day so after gifts and breakfast we drove out to the beach where there was a new mini-golf place that they all wanted to try. I went along as the official Father's Day Adventure photographer.





It was crazy hot so we walked down to the beach. The water was BEAUTIFUL but really rough. The lifeguards were constantly blowing their whistles.





We had some delicious beach lunch and then went back for another round of golf. This place lets you play as many times as you want. This time they played speed golf. Only holes in one counted. Zack got two legitimate ones. Skyler got one that I gave a little nudge to. Matt, well...



Only Skyler and I could get hurt playing/watching mini-golf.


Later we went home where Matt parked himself in his big blue chair and watched the U.S. Open. He proclaimed it a top-three Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad. He was out and about when I called to wish him a great day!!! I love you Dad!

Bigots...

I ran into this family of bigots last weekend while we were in Delaware. Their t-shirts were so offensive to me that I actually had my mouth hanging open when the man walked up to me and made a comment about my arm sling. Need a close up?



"One Man. One Woman. That's Marriage."

I think the thing that burns my butt the most is the fact that these people either have ancestors who were discriminated against or they themselves have been. HOW in their small small minds do they think that it's okay to discriminate against others? To define another couple's marriage? To tell another couple whether or not they have the right to happiness? It wasn't so long ago that inter-racial couples weren't allowed to marry either? Was that okay?

I don't want to give their organization any attention but I hope that if anyone googles Delawarefamilies.org they'll find my blog too. Feel free to email them at info@delawarefamilies.org to tell them just how ignorant you think they are too!

/rant

Beautiful Mommy...

At least once a week Zack will look at me and say "Mommy, I just love your face. You're the most beautiful Mommy in the world". The best part is that although he's totally the type of kid that's always wondering what's in it for him, these particular statements are said with true love and wonder. Sometimes it takes my breath away.

Channeling Bakerella...

I'm not sure what got into me yesterday but I decided to take on two baking projects one of which was extremely labor intensive. This little burst of inspiration usually hits around Christmas time and then lays dormant for a year.

First, my friend Michelle linked me to an awesome recipe, from Bakerella, that she made for her husband's birthday. This recipe probably uses an entire week's worth of fat and calories but is to die for, so beware.

You start with two boxes (my favorite kind of recipe)

Add the cookie mix right on top of the brownie mix:

Comes out like this:

Then comes the REALLY fatty part. You add a chocolate ganache topping:

I'd post the recipe (it's super fantastically easy) but in all fairness, link to Bakerella's blog and get it right from her.

Next, I damn near lost my mind and decided that I could take on making Cupcake Pops, also from Bakerella. Once you link over there and see all the amazing examples, scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the post and check out the how-to's of making these. My reasoning for choosing to make these was that a friend of ours is retiring from the military and having a big party (today) and I wanted to make something neat for the party.

First you bake a cake. Then you cool it completely.


Then you crumble finely in a bowl and mix in a container of cream cheese frosting.




Roll this into 1" balls. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate until the next day.


Use a 1.25" cookie cutter to form into cupcake shapes.




Dip bottoms into melted chocolate, add lolli sticks. Let sit until the chocolate hardens.



Dip the tops in white chocolate and immediately add decorations. Let sit until harden.

Wrap in candy bags and tie with ribbon.




Sit back and wonder what the heck possessed you to try THIS.

Open Letter to the Owner of Virginia License Plate "JRM 10"...

Dear JRM 10 (Virginia),

Remember last Sunday when you were driving south on Route 113 in Delaware? Remember when you didn't check your blind spot and made a rapid change into the left lane despite the fact that MY car was IN the left lane occupying the space you decided that YOU needed to occupy? Well, THANKS for that.

Thanks for teaching my children what seat belts are really used for.

Thanks for reminding me that I AM a good defensive driver.

Hey if you DID check your blind spot and you didn't see me, perhaps it's because both your front and back windows are completely black. I'm not sure that's legal in our state but it's certainly doing you no favors. Did you feel the mental daggers I shot into the back of your head for the remainder of the time we shared the road? No? Well Karma is a bitch buddy. It'll come around eventually! I hope that the next time you mortally danger another driver that the mother in the car with her CHILDREN is as equally a reactive driver as I am or you'll be sorry you didn't heed this particular warning.

p.s. - if you hadn't knocked the entire contents of the front seat of my car to the floor, I would have taken a picture of you and posted that here too. We'll just have to settle for your license plate.

The Boon Docks...

When I was a kid, most spring breaks were spent driving to my Aunt Lisa's house in Delaware. One of our favorite places to eat was The Boon Docks in Smyrna, Delaware. It was super casual, a lot of fun, and had the best crabs.

Despite plenty of visits to my aunt's house over recent years, we hadn't been to The Boon Docks in fifteen years. We got the whole group together and trooped out there Saturday night.
Nadia and Ransom

Skyler


We sat on the back porch. It's such a cool atmosphere.







The food was incredible:









We had a fantastic time recharging memories.