just for fun...
12.08.2009
homemade baby food: peas and allergies
okay. i admit there hasn't been much of an update on the homemade baby food front since the first post. well, that's because the next food item i decided to introduce him to since the last post were peas.
i was actually getting ready to post something about peas, but after the third day feeding gibson peas there was a reaction that i hadn't planned on. bright red, bumpy splotches all over his stomach, arms and legs. and they were spreading!
at first i thought it might have been the yogurt i ate, but it was actually the peas. as soon as i stopped feeding him peas, the red splotches began to disappear (phew).
then his doctor said i should also stop eating peas (so sad...not really) along with any peanut product since peas are in the same family as peanuts (i can't believe i didn't know this...legumes...duh!). we also found out that mr. chunk has eczema that may have been caused by the allergic reaction. or, the eczema could be an indication of other allergies in the future. so at his 9 month visit, the doctor will most likely refer me to an allergist for gibson.
this is all so new to me since emma wasn't allergic to anything except fresh strawberries. and even that was a very mild case (3 red bumps on her arm. that's it.). no one else in our immediate family is allergic to anything so this really caught me off guard.
so...no peas for me or my little giblet. we did move on to some other foods, but i'll save that for another post.
i was actually getting ready to post something about peas, but after the third day feeding gibson peas there was a reaction that i hadn't planned on. bright red, bumpy splotches all over his stomach, arms and legs. and they were spreading!
at first i thought it might have been the yogurt i ate, but it was actually the peas. as soon as i stopped feeding him peas, the red splotches began to disappear (phew).
then his doctor said i should also stop eating peas (so sad...not really) along with any peanut product since peas are in the same family as peanuts (i can't believe i didn't know this...legumes...duh!). we also found out that mr. chunk has eczema that may have been caused by the allergic reaction. or, the eczema could be an indication of other allergies in the future. so at his 9 month visit, the doctor will most likely refer me to an allergist for gibson.
this is all so new to me since emma wasn't allergic to anything except fresh strawberries. and even that was a very mild case (3 red bumps on her arm. that's it.). no one else in our immediate family is allergic to anything so this really caught me off guard.
so...no peas for me or my little giblet. we did move on to some other foods, but i'll save that for another post.
top ten tuesday
this week we bring you our top 10 christmas albums or songs (list compiled by aaron and me):
1. john denver and the muppets: a christmas together album
[gonzo: "now bring us some figgy pudding.." ms. piggy: "piggy pudding?" gonzo: "no FIGGY pudding. it's made with figs." ms. piggy: "oh." gonzo: "and bacon."]
2. duke ellington's nutcracker suite album
[the dance of the sugar plum fairy and more all jazzed up. this one gets me dancing around the house.]
3. "oh holy night"
[this has to be our favorite. this song can either be amazing or painful depending on the vocal styling of the singer.]
4. "all i want for christmas is my two front teeth"
[so i can with a merry chrithmath!]
5. the vandal's christmas album
[NOT for the faint of heart...oi!]
6. "feliz navidad"
[not to be mistaken with "police stole my car"]
7. a charlie brown christmas album
[the whole album is great...]
8. "fairy tale of new york"
[a pogues christmas favorite]
9. "o come all ye faithful"
[love this classic]
10. elvis' christmas album
[i-a-a-a'll ha-haaave a bluuuee christmas, without youuuuuuuuu...christmas is not complete without a little elvsi. thank you, thank you very much.]
runner's up: brady bunch christmas album, "there won't be snow in africa," "the 12 days of christmas," tchaikovsky's nutcracker suite, "go tell it on the mountain," "joy to the world."
what are some of your favorite christmas songs or albums?
1. john denver and the muppets: a christmas together album
[gonzo: "now bring us some figgy pudding.." ms. piggy: "piggy pudding?" gonzo: "no FIGGY pudding. it's made with figs." ms. piggy: "oh." gonzo: "and bacon."]
2. duke ellington's nutcracker suite album
[the dance of the sugar plum fairy and more all jazzed up. this one gets me dancing around the house.]
3. "oh holy night"
[this has to be our favorite. this song can either be amazing or painful depending on the vocal styling of the singer.]
4. "all i want for christmas is my two front teeth"
[so i can with a merry chrithmath!]
5. the vandal's christmas album
[NOT for the faint of heart...oi!]
6. "feliz navidad"
[not to be mistaken with "police stole my car"]
7. a charlie brown christmas album
[the whole album is great...]
8. "fairy tale of new york"
[a pogues christmas favorite]
9. "o come all ye faithful"
[love this classic]
10. elvis' christmas album
[i-a-a-a'll ha-haaave a bluuuee christmas, without youuuuuuuuu...christmas is not complete without a little elvsi. thank you, thank you very much.]
runner's up: brady bunch christmas album, "there won't be snow in africa," "the 12 days of christmas," tchaikovsky's nutcracker suite, "go tell it on the mountain," "joy to the world."
what are some of your favorite christmas songs or albums?
12.07.2009
month of t
the month of november was filled with many t activities, which was our letter of the month.
introducing the letter t:
our usual 1st craft/activity to familiarize emma with the letter t.
triangle hunt:
we looked for triangles in everyday objects such as the roof of houses or when i make her toast cut in half to make two triangles. emma also made triangles with her colored markers, which was an impromptu activity she initiated on her own (yay!).
t foods:
we had toast with cinnamon and sugar or jelly, plenty of tea (i had planned on throwing a tea party but did not have enough time to fit it in), turkey, and tacos topped with tomatoes.
toes:
we counted her toes, and my toes, and gibson's toes and came to the conclusion that people have ten toes. i also trimmed her toenails then proceeded to paint them a nice shade of red. she loves getting her nails "done" and is very careful to wait until they're completely dry before doing anything too active.
telephone:
we talked to ibu on the phone, and emma used her play kitchen telephone to talk to all of her friends.
telescope:
we used our telescope to look outside at the far away trees and houses, and tried to find some birds and squirrels up in the tree tops and telephone wires.
thanks:
during dinner time, we took turns sharing 3 things we were thankful for as a family. we also memorized psalm 118:1 from the bible: give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.
tutu time:
emma had a number of occasions during the month of november to twist, tip-toe and turn to music in her red tutu. i also had fun doing the same...but, sadly, no tutu for me.
tickles:
tickles for emma, tickles for gibson, tickles for daddy, tickles, tickles, tickles all around!
tooth and toothbrush:
emma brushes her teeth twice a day. we took extra time this month to discuss why it's important to brush our teeth.
trace:
we went outside and traced our hands, our feet, mommy's body, emma's body, and other various objects with chalk. i also gave her some tracing paper and showed her how you can trace pictures with it. she liked the idea, but wasn't really into doing it a whole lot (probably because it was a little too tedious for her).
tree:
we observed during our walks that most of the trees have no leaves anymore compared to what he had seen in october. she also enjoyed "climbing" a few trees along our walking route.
tree-hugger:
thumb:
we made thumbprint cookies filled with jelly. emma's favorite part was making little holes in the dough balls with her thumb. and of course, we can't forget one of daddy's old band name, "thumb." emma made sure to point out the big red thumb on daddy's shirt (the band's logo...creative, eh?).
t books:
tom's tail
albuquerque turkey
fun facts about turtles
ekor siapa ini (means who's tail is this in indonesian)
all aboard a true train story
the remarkable riderless tricycle
twister:
a fun-filled game that got the whole family involved (mom and dad had to do some pre-game stretches).
tail:
if my car had been more cooperative, i would have taken the kids to the nature center to look at some of the animals and their different types of tails. but instead, we talked about the types of tails different animals have (bushy, long, short, skinny, etc.). then we proceeded to compare and contrast blue's tail with other animal tails such as squirrels, pigs, cows, and lions.
turkey:
we made a turkey out of leaves and a pine cone. we found the leaves in our backyard and the pine cone was found from one of our walks around the neighborhood. i really liked how it turned out and its use of simple, easy to acquire materials.
thanksgiving:
we celebrated thanksgiving with a wonderful feast shared with family. as you can see, emma comes from a long line of women who love to chew on turkey bones, chicken bones, t-bones, beef rib bones (much like her mommy, and her auntie astrid, and her ibu...).
tyler:
and of course, the month of t would not be complete without big brother tyler.
i had planned on a couple more crafts to go along with some of the activities above, but time was not on our side. fortunately, i plan on repeating the letters again after we go through them all the first time so what ever i don't get to in this round maybe i'll get to next time around.
we will be taking a break for the month of december, though i'll be sure and share some of our christmas related activites.
until january 2010!
introducing the letter t:
our usual 1st craft/activity to familiarize emma with the letter t.
triangle hunt:
we looked for triangles in everyday objects such as the roof of houses or when i make her toast cut in half to make two triangles. emma also made triangles with her colored markers, which was an impromptu activity she initiated on her own (yay!).
t foods:
we had toast with cinnamon and sugar or jelly, plenty of tea (i had planned on throwing a tea party but did not have enough time to fit it in), turkey, and tacos topped with tomatoes.
toes:
telephone:
we talked to ibu on the phone, and emma used her play kitchen telephone to talk to all of her friends.
telescope:
we used our telescope to look outside at the far away trees and houses, and tried to find some birds and squirrels up in the tree tops and telephone wires.
thanks:
during dinner time, we took turns sharing 3 things we were thankful for as a family. we also memorized psalm 118:1 from the bible: give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.
tutu time:
emma had a number of occasions during the month of november to twist, tip-toe and turn to music in her red tutu. i also had fun doing the same...but, sadly, no tutu for me.
tickles:
tickles for emma, tickles for gibson, tickles for daddy, tickles, tickles, tickles all around!
tooth and toothbrush:
emma brushes her teeth twice a day. we took extra time this month to discuss why it's important to brush our teeth.
trace:
we went outside and traced our hands, our feet, mommy's body, emma's body, and other various objects with chalk. i also gave her some tracing paper and showed her how you can trace pictures with it. she liked the idea, but wasn't really into doing it a whole lot (probably because it was a little too tedious for her).
tree:
we observed during our walks that most of the trees have no leaves anymore compared to what he had seen in october. she also enjoyed "climbing" a few trees along our walking route.
tree-hugger:
thumb:
we made thumbprint cookies filled with jelly. emma's favorite part was making little holes in the dough balls with her thumb. and of course, we can't forget one of daddy's old band name, "thumb." emma made sure to point out the big red thumb on daddy's shirt (the band's logo...creative, eh?).
t books:
tom's tail
albuquerque turkey
fun facts about turtles
ekor siapa ini (means who's tail is this in indonesian)
all aboard a true train story
the remarkable riderless tricycle
twister:
a fun-filled game that got the whole family involved (mom and dad had to do some pre-game stretches).
tail:
if my car had been more cooperative, i would have taken the kids to the nature center to look at some of the animals and their different types of tails. but instead, we talked about the types of tails different animals have (bushy, long, short, skinny, etc.). then we proceeded to compare and contrast blue's tail with other animal tails such as squirrels, pigs, cows, and lions.
turkey:
we made a turkey out of leaves and a pine cone. we found the leaves in our backyard and the pine cone was found from one of our walks around the neighborhood. i really liked how it turned out and its use of simple, easy to acquire materials.
thanksgiving:
we celebrated thanksgiving with a wonderful feast shared with family. as you can see, emma comes from a long line of women who love to chew on turkey bones, chicken bones, t-bones, beef rib bones (much like her mommy, and her auntie astrid, and her ibu...).
tyler:
and of course, the month of t would not be complete without big brother tyler.
i had planned on a couple more crafts to go along with some of the activities above, but time was not on our side. fortunately, i plan on repeating the letters again after we go through them all the first time so what ever i don't get to in this round maybe i'll get to next time around.
we will be taking a break for the month of december, though i'll be sure and share some of our christmas related activites.
until january 2010!
12.03.2009
it's nice to know she thinks of us
emma: oh! look at the plant over there. it's getting big!
me: uh-uh. it must like that window sill.
emma: that's the plant from VBS that i made.
me: did you plant it yourself?
emma: no. my teacher helped me put it in the dirt.
me: oh. did you make that plant for mommy and daddy?
emma: no. [said in a rather firm and matter-of-fact tone of voice] i made it for myself.
me: uh-uh. it must like that window sill.
emma: that's the plant from VBS that i made.
me: did you plant it yourself?
emma: no. my teacher helped me put it in the dirt.
me: oh. did you make that plant for mommy and daddy?
emma: no. [said in a rather firm and matter-of-fact tone of voice] i made it for myself.
12.02.2009
word(full) wednesdsay::first ever
my very first commissioned work for Hope Through Health fundraiser/silent auction event. the hand-embroidered images are sewn onto a yellow toddler tee.
creating the images was the most challenging aspect of the whole process. my talented husband drew up the lady carrying the basket and gave me lots of helpful feedback along the way.
thanks for the opp. astrid and clint!
more wordless wednesday here and here.
creating the images was the most challenging aspect of the whole process. my talented husband drew up the lady carrying the basket and gave me lots of helpful feedback along the way.
thanks for the opp. astrid and clint!
more wordless wednesday here and here.
12.01.2009
top ten tuesday
our house will be 100 years old next year. while i love living in a non-cookie cutter, turn of the century home, what i don't love is how drafty this house can get during the winter months.
part of the "charm" of having an old home is trying to keep it true to its original bits and pieces as much as possible. sometimes that means you might have to sacrifice getting those energy efficient windows. or repairing and painting the wood siding instead of putting vinyl siding (though i don't care for that anyway).
so today's top 10 is a list of tips and tricks that we've learned since living in this house in order to prevent our heating bill from getting out of control.
top 10 ways to manage your heating bill and stay warm in the house:
1. three words: peel and seal. why did it take us 5 years to finally using this stuff? it's awesome. seals up all the little nooks and crannies around your windows so heat can't escape and cold air can't come in. props to our friends sean and katie for suggesting this.
2. put shrink wrap plastic around your windows, especially if you do not have double pane windows.
3. curtains. even thin ones can keep the heat in. get the thick panels for the bedrooms and you will be nice and toasty.
4. purchase a couple of portable electric heaters. turn down the heat and use the portable heaters to heat the main area you'll be using. i usually do this during the day but once the kids are in bed i turn up the central heating to keep the little ones warm in their room.
5. turn down your heat when you're out of the house. this one was SO obvious i can't believe i didn't do this more often. duh!
6. block drafts from underneath the door with a rolled up towel or a nifty door draft stopper (which we don't have but probably should). you can purchase one or learn to make one here.
7. put weather stripping around the door frame for your exterior doors to get a tight seal and keep cold air from seeping in.
8. get corrie to knit you some super warm blankets and sweaters to use while your chillin' (ha, ha...no pun intended there) on the couch.
9. invest in a pair of warm slippers for yourself and the whole family. walking around in bare feet (or even in socks) can keep you from staying toasty.
10. get some down comforters for your bed. that way, you can stay warm while keeping the thermostat down at night.
anyone else have any inexpensive tips and tricks for keeping the heat inside this old, creaky house?
part of the "charm" of having an old home is trying to keep it true to its original bits and pieces as much as possible. sometimes that means you might have to sacrifice getting those energy efficient windows. or repairing and painting the wood siding instead of putting vinyl siding (though i don't care for that anyway).
so today's top 10 is a list of tips and tricks that we've learned since living in this house in order to prevent our heating bill from getting out of control.
top 10 ways to manage your heating bill and stay warm in the house:
1. three words: peel and seal. why did it take us 5 years to finally using this stuff? it's awesome. seals up all the little nooks and crannies around your windows so heat can't escape and cold air can't come in. props to our friends sean and katie for suggesting this.
2. put shrink wrap plastic around your windows, especially if you do not have double pane windows.
3. curtains. even thin ones can keep the heat in. get the thick panels for the bedrooms and you will be nice and toasty.
4. purchase a couple of portable electric heaters. turn down the heat and use the portable heaters to heat the main area you'll be using. i usually do this during the day but once the kids are in bed i turn up the central heating to keep the little ones warm in their room.
5. turn down your heat when you're out of the house. this one was SO obvious i can't believe i didn't do this more often. duh!
6. block drafts from underneath the door with a rolled up towel or a nifty door draft stopper (which we don't have but probably should). you can purchase one or learn to make one here.
7. put weather stripping around the door frame for your exterior doors to get a tight seal and keep cold air from seeping in.
8. get corrie to knit you some super warm blankets and sweaters to use while your chillin' (ha, ha...no pun intended there) on the couch.
9. invest in a pair of warm slippers for yourself and the whole family. walking around in bare feet (or even in socks) can keep you from staying toasty.
10. get some down comforters for your bed. that way, you can stay warm while keeping the thermostat down at night.
anyone else have any inexpensive tips and tricks for keeping the heat inside this old, creaky house?
thanks!
thanksgiving holiday marks the beginning of a very busy period for us. well, not all of us as a family, per se. just my husband.
the start of thanksgiving means the start of long hours and long weeks every week until christmas day for him (with the last 2 weeks until christmas being the most extreme). it means saying good-bye to him, so to speak, until christmas when it comes to a screeching halt. and then it's all over until next year. this is nothing new to us. not that we've come to accept it, but i suppose we're used to it after 8 years of the same cycle.
but the thanksgiving holiday is also a celebration for us. not only is it a celebration of thanks but it is also a celebration of having dad home with us before the madness of his holiday work schedule begins. it is the time where we soak up as much family togetherness time as we can before single-mom nights, weekend work days, and limited communication time between A and the family.
so on thanksgiving day we celebrated with family. lots of family! much like last year. we had A's parents, corrie, and special visitors from DC (my niece melody, my sister astrid, her husband clint and son anthony). it was a great day full of delicious food, conversations, and much laugther.
we took our DC visitors around some of our favorite spots like the gypsy beans, room service and the made in the 216 holiday shoppe.
we walked down to the library and greensmart gifts, and took them to chelsea's where melody found 3 fabulous vintage purses (i don't think they were all for her).
emma was in heaven because there were plenty of people willing to sit down and read her a book. it seemed that every time i looked she was on someone's lap reading a book.
gibson also enjoyed the extra attention. so many new faces! it's hard to imagine that the next time he sees them he'll probably be walking.
thanks for making the long drive to the 216 my DC family! it was so fun to wake up and see your smiling faces, get into our silly sister giggles, and hearing the house full of your voices.
the start of thanksgiving means the start of long hours and long weeks every week until christmas day for him (with the last 2 weeks until christmas being the most extreme). it means saying good-bye to him, so to speak, until christmas when it comes to a screeching halt. and then it's all over until next year. this is nothing new to us. not that we've come to accept it, but i suppose we're used to it after 8 years of the same cycle.
but the thanksgiving holiday is also a celebration for us. not only is it a celebration of thanks but it is also a celebration of having dad home with us before the madness of his holiday work schedule begins. it is the time where we soak up as much family togetherness time as we can before single-mom nights, weekend work days, and limited communication time between A and the family.
so on thanksgiving day we celebrated with family. lots of family! much like last year. we had A's parents, corrie, and special visitors from DC (my niece melody, my sister astrid, her husband clint and son anthony). it was a great day full of delicious food, conversations, and much laugther.
we took our DC visitors around some of our favorite spots like the gypsy beans, room service and the made in the 216 holiday shoppe.
we walked down to the library and greensmart gifts, and took them to chelsea's where melody found 3 fabulous vintage purses (i don't think they were all for her).
emma was in heaven because there were plenty of people willing to sit down and read her a book. it seemed that every time i looked she was on someone's lap reading a book.
gibson also enjoyed the extra attention. so many new faces! it's hard to imagine that the next time he sees them he'll probably be walking.
thanks for making the long drive to the 216 my DC family! it was so fun to wake up and see your smiling faces, get into our silly sister giggles, and hearing the house full of your voices.
11.25.2009
wordless wednesday::emma's artistic interpretations
11.24.2009
top ten tuesdsay
with thanksgiving upon us this thursday, this week's list is about thankfulness.
top 10 things i am thankful for (in no particular order):
1. my hard-working, loving and patient husband. and my 3 wonderful children.
2. being able to stay home and manage all aspects of running a household.
[what a privilege it is to be home when the kids come home from school, and not have to rush from daycare to home in order to make dinner and get homework done before bedtime (we've experienced that before and it's VERY stressful on both parents and kids). it is an honor to be a full-time home manager (or home engineer or whatever you want to call it), and not have to split my energy in two (or more) different jobs (i've experienced that too, and, again, VERY stressful and VERY draining).]
3. our community and the meaningful relationships we have developed with the people in the area since our move here 5 years ago.
4. God's mercy, neverending love, and faithfulness.
5. Jesus and his sacrifice.
6. my husband's job and health benefits (even though i gripe about it sometimes).
7. the home that God provided for us so that we may use it to show hospitality to others.
8. the opportunities provided for us to share what we have with others.
9. God's word to guide, correct, and teach us and our children.
10. my extended family and my church family.
wishing you a warm and fulfilling thanksgiving holiday.
what are you thankful for this week?
top 10 things i am thankful for (in no particular order):
1. my hard-working, loving and patient husband. and my 3 wonderful children.
2. being able to stay home and manage all aspects of running a household.
[what a privilege it is to be home when the kids come home from school, and not have to rush from daycare to home in order to make dinner and get homework done before bedtime (we've experienced that before and it's VERY stressful on both parents and kids). it is an honor to be a full-time home manager (or home engineer or whatever you want to call it), and not have to split my energy in two (or more) different jobs (i've experienced that too, and, again, VERY stressful and VERY draining).]
3. our community and the meaningful relationships we have developed with the people in the area since our move here 5 years ago.
4. God's mercy, neverending love, and faithfulness.
5. Jesus and his sacrifice.
6. my husband's job and health benefits (even though i gripe about it sometimes).
7. the home that God provided for us so that we may use it to show hospitality to others.
8. the opportunities provided for us to share what we have with others.
9. God's word to guide, correct, and teach us and our children.
10. my extended family and my church family.
wishing you a warm and fulfilling thanksgiving holiday.
what are you thankful for this week?
