Weekend Recap

Hey there!  Wow, what a busy few days!

Saturday my mom, sister, niece, Tate and I went 'Back to School Shopping'.  We do this every year, have since I was a kid.  We went to an outlet mall about 45 minutes from here.  We had a great time!  We always say it's not a successful shopping day unless we honk our car horn at someone, which we did, which means it was successful!  I ended up getting a new purse, a pair of jeans, a longer sweater to wear with my leggings and boots and a vest thing that I'm still not sure about.  I think it's kind of cute/trendy but when I bought it the old lady checking me out said she had it and just loved it, which totally made me second guess myself.  IDK, we'll see if I keep it or take it back.  I need to put it together with a whole outfit, maybe that will make me like it more.

Tater Tot made out like a wild man, Carter's was having an awesome sale!  But I didn't get the right sizes so will be going back to exchange a couple of things.  Darn. 

Andy was at the Iowa game that day (we won, somehow - it was UGLY! But a W is a W. 2 and 0 Baybay!) so when I got home the boys and I headed to town for church.  We ended up talking my folks and sister's family into going out to supper with us afterwards, which was a fun way to end the day.

Sunday was our church's annual Fall Festival, our big fundraiser for the year.  I clerked at the auction, like I do most years, and had a great time doing that with my sister and mom.  And I had 2 pieces of pie that day, Pecan and Pumpkin. Yum! :)  Ha ha!  Pumpkin with lunch, Pecan later in the afternoon while watching the auction.  I always love the Fall Fest, it's kind of like the kickoff to Fall for me.

Speaking of which, I think I'm going to start getting my Fall decorations out this week.  The temps are going to be cooling off quite a bit after today, 60's for highs!  So I need to make the house look and feel the part.

Monday was still super busy.  Tater and I headed to town for groceries and errands after dropping the boys off at school.  He finished his 3rd antibiotic for this darn ear infection on Saturday but yesterday in the morning he woke with more drainage and bright yellow pus.  (Sorry, TMI?)  I called Andy to see what he thought, we decided to wait and see.  Dumb, should have just listened to my instincts.  We got home a few hours later and he was pretty tired.  I laid him down for a nap, which wasn't long enough. We he woke up I decided he needed to be seen by the dr. again.  They worked us into the schedule that afternoon and guess what, it's still a raging ear infection.  So they have referred us to an ENT and we are going tomorrow to discuss tubes.  My poor poor baby!  I know it is such an easy procedure, they do millions a year (literally, I googled it!), but when I think of walking away from my sweet little punkin pie, oh it just breaks my poor mommy's heart.  I want him to get relief, though, so will do what they suggest. Keep my little guy in your prayers, please.  Will let you know when and if they do surgery. 

So that's been my crazy few days.  Today I am going to work on getting the house decorated.  I am attempting to stain some terra cotta pots to plant a couple mums in - not sure how or if that's going to work but I knew I didn't want bright terra cotta on my front steps.  I got a bale of hay to put on our front step (Dad didn't have any straw, having to make it work), going to decorate on top of and in front of it.  Need to find some pumpkins, they should be available in the next week or so up here.  So, when it's all done and has come together I'll take some pics and post those.  Wish me luck on those pots!

Have a great Tuesday!

Braun ThermoScan 5

 

I was selected by Influenster to receive and review the Braun ThermoScan 5.  First, to say I was excited is an understatement!  I’ve wanted an ear thermometer since Aiden was born but, for whatever reason, never went out and bought one.  When this beauty showed up in the mail I might have shrieked with excitement!

The crazy thing is the Braun ThermoScan 5 showed up right in the middle of Tate’s ear infection.  He would flinch every time I touched his ear, even just his earlobe, so I thought there was no way he’d let me stick this thermometer in his ear. 

I pulled the Braun ThermoScan 5 out of the box and got a little giddy over the doctor’s office style protectors I got to stick on the end each time (I used to secretly wish I could be a nurse just so I could put those on and then push the button to pop them off after use, ha!).  I read the directions, which were beyond super easy, then got started.

All you have to do is put on the protector, push the ‘on’ button, wait for it to beep at you that it’s ready (about a second or two), then gently stick it in your child’s ear.  Again, you wait only a matter of a couple seconds for it to beep at you again and there is your child’s accurate temperature!  Then the fun part, you get to push the button for that plastic protector to pop off into the trash, ha ha!

Not only was the Braun ThermoScan 5 easy to use, it was super fast and gentle!  Tate didn’t even flinch, he sat super still and didn’t even know I’d taken his temperature.  I was shocked since, again, his ears were super sore and he didn’t like me touching them!  I LOVE this thermometer!  Anyone with kids should have one – they’d make a great baby shower gift!

I was given the Braun ThermoScan 5 for free in exchange for my honest review.  These opinions are solely my own and are my true feelings. #BraunThermos Thank you.

Mean Mom

 

I’m tired.  Tired of being the ‘mean mom’.  That’s what I feel like all the time. 

I feel like the only mom who puts a time limit on electronics.  Growing up we were not allowed to sit around all summer watching TV, and we never had any video games, handheld or otherwise. Andy, on the other hand, was brought up with all of the gaming devices and unlimited TV time so he doesn’t see any problem with it.  Now it seems that all kids have a DS, or an IPod, or a tablet of one make or another.  I gave in, when Aiden was 6, and we bought him a DS.  I was super strict about how long and how often he could play it.  Andy and I were always battling over it because he’d give Aiden permission to play it when I didn’t think it was necessary to.  I’m not sure of my reasoning behind the limit on how long/often he could play – maybe all those studies that show TV time and electronics ‘rot’ kids’ brains.  Maybe it’s because I wasn’t allowed to as a kid.  I don’t know this for certain, but it really seems like most kids around here get much more playing and viewing time than my kids do.  I am starting to think I should just stop being Mean Mom and let them have free reign on everything ‘electronic’.  Look how great Andy turned out!  He’s a gosh darn engineer, for goodness sake.  All I turned out to be is a SAHM cosmetologist.  What I’m getting at with that last part is, I didn’t turn out to be a lawyer or doctor of President of the United States.  I didn’t get any farther in life than Andy did by not playing video games and watching TV all day, so what’s the big deal if I just stop worrying about it?

I feel like the only mom who tries to reign her kids in when they’re all together, trying to keep them from running all over the place being rowdy and loud and crazy.  It drives me absolutely nuts when Aiden and his buddies get together and get all hyper and start running around, chasing each other, acting like hooligans!  But I always feel like the only mom trying to contain my kid, calm him down, tell him to stop running and being loud.  I worry if I just give up trying to get him to settle down and just let him run and have fun with his friends that others will think I’m a bad mom for not controlling my kid.  On the other hand, he’ll have so much fun with his friends and get to be a part of the mix.  I feel like I need to learn to let go, let him have fun and stop being Mean Mom.  It’s not hurting anything that he runs and has fun, it’s just annoying as hell.

I feel like the only mom who doesn’t let her kid ride his bike all over town, or even around the neighborhood.  Yes, we are in a town of 1200, but when I was in jr. high a little girl was abducted, sexually assaulted and killed in a tiny town that is smaller than this one, only about 8 miles from my home.  It happens, it CAN happen, and I don’t want it to happen to my kid!  So I don’t let Aiden hop on his bike and go for a cruise around town to see who he can find to play with.  This summer I finally let him go a block over by himself, which scared me (and still does) all to heck!  Besides being kidnapped and hurt, I see so many kids his age riding their bikes around town  RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAMN ROAD!!!  It drives me insane!  I have preached and preached to the boys that they don’t ride down the middle of the road, they don’t walk down the middle of the road, but I know with 100% certainty that once they get around their friends, and their friends are doing it, they’ll forget all of that preaching.  Would it be a ton of fun for them to get to ride their bikes to and from school every day? Sure!  Do I just put my fears aside and give them a chance, see if they will follow the rules and be safe? Put the muzzle on Mean Mom?

I’m really considering telling Mean Mom to go to hell.  I’m so tired of feeling like I’m always telling the boys ‘no’.  I’m so tired of the groans and upset faces when I won’t let them do what they’re asking to do.  It would be so much easier to just say ‘yes’ all the time.  I don’t want them missing out on fun times with friends because I’m a spaz and freak out all the time.  It won’t be long before Aiden’s friends start to realize his mom is a pain in the ass and stop inviting him to have fun with them.  I don’t want him being left out because of me.

I’m tired of being Mean Mom.

As Long As He’s Comfortable

 

Monday I was working hard all afternoon canning tomato juice.  Tate was taking a nap which allowed me enough time to get most of it done.  After I was finished I went back to his room to check on him since it was a longer than normal nap.  Here is what I found.

He must have sat himself up in his bed (the first time he’s done that!), played and then tuckered himself out so much that he just fell asleep sitting up.  While sleeping he relaxed forward and slept all scrunched over with his little legs tucked under him.  I die!  So sweet and silly!  I’ve never seen anything like it!  He also had his sweet, chubby, little arm under his head for his pillow.  *sigh*  This baby makes me smile every single day!

Signs of Fall

Yesterday, after a full day of work, we went outside to sit under the tree, enjoy the nice cool breeze and relax.  As I was sitting there I started to notice signs of Fall.  I grabbed my camera and snapped some shots to share with you.

Fall produce from my garden

Waning potted plants - I've kind of given up on this one.

My sedum starting to turn it's pretty rosie color.

This beautiful sedum, all decked out in her finest!

Brown leaves

Boys playing football in the back yard

My front step planter did a quick wardrobe change and added a couple of small mums.  Such a simple way to say "Fall"

Have you started noticing signs of Fall around your house?  Have you put any Fall decorations out yet?