Real food....

Friends, if you do not know who Jamie Oliver is, look him up because he really has it right.

I was making the kids pancakes Saturday morning for breakfast, not exactly from scratch but with eggs, batter, water etc. When my son saw that I was cooking them... he threw a fit!! " I want REAL pancakes" as he proceeds to open the freezer and look for the mini pancakes that we got him hooked on when he was A baby and teething.
So now frozen means REAL FOOD in my kids minds. I am a terrible mom!!!
Processed frozen foods, sugar cereal, processed chicken nuggets.....what ever happened to the dream that I would feed my children only the best foods for them, fruits and veggies, no candy, blah blah blah.
Now I bribe my kids with desert, if only they would just eat their processed frozen dinner that was heated up and thrown on their plate. What has this world come to???

I am reading a health and nutrition book on sugar and it's damaging side effects because I am over weight and want to get to the source of my overeating and love for food, junk food.
So I make the changes....excersize, do everything I can to loose the weight and become healthier..but I continue to allow my kids to take in all of the terrible things that put me in the position that I am in, ugh. ?what? Because they are not overwight it is ok?
Where, oh where, have my priorities gone, where oh where can they be?

11 Step Program for those thinking of having kids

My BFF found this on Facebook....thought i'd share it....its too cute!

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.



Lesson 2



Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.



Lesson 3



A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)



Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.



Lesson 4



Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?



Lesson 5



Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.



Time allowed for this - all morning.



Lesson 6



Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.



Lesson 7



Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.



Lesson 8



1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.



You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.



Lesson 9



Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.



Lesson 10



Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.



Lesson 11



Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.



This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!



.

Today's lesson...

We all know that my daughter is four years old. That has not changed since the blog was created.. At four, she is already giving me the
"when I have kids......" speech!
Most of the time I can not believe the things that come out of her mouth. Today was my lesson 'what is ok, and not ok, to feed kids.'
I was making a dish for a party and it was required me to break out the hand mixer.
Naturally, the kids hear the mix going and begin drooling, they know i always allow them to lick the beaters clean.

After attempting to talk sense into their little heads, with no success, I handed them over. Cream cheese, sour creaM, mayo and onion.
I have to hand it to them......they did a great job pretending to like to. But it didn't last long. So in the sink they went.



Sister: "mom! I tasted onion"

Me: yes dear, there was onion in that recipe.

Sister: Well I don't like onion!

Me: I'm sorry,

S: well I wont eat it, if it has onion in it!

M: that is fine, suit yourself. you dont have to eat anything that you dont like, honey.

S: whe you have kids, and your cooking, you should never put things in food that they don't like.
When I am a mommy, and i have kids, i will never put things in food that they dont like

M: Well i am sorry......(very sarcastically)I just LOVE it when you tell me all of the tings that i do wrong.

S: your welcome



GEEEESH!!!

Christmas cheer

Kids truly change everything......I can not remember the last time I was this excited about Christmas, or if I ever have been this excited.

I don't think I will sleep christmas-eve night. I think I will be the one waking up the others, first thing Xmas morning over the excitemenr of the "big guy's visit"

Everything about this holiday has been to the 10th degree. Decorating, started it all..... I purchased a few of those inflatable lawn characters for the kids this year, they stand taller than both of them. Plugged them in, mr snowman stood and lit right up....Santa on the other hand, was not so cooperative. Afer a good 10 minutes of messing around with big red, he came to life... Brother literally jumped up and down for joy, "Santa working mom, Santa workinnnnnng!"
I couldn't have written it better, the excitement completely poured out of him. It was then I realized that this, my friends, is going to be a great christmas!!!!

Having children completed my life, and I thought it was pretty great before them. As much as they make me crazy and want to pull every last strand of hair out of my heAd, I feel incomplete when they are not with me, an emptiness that is completely unexplainable.

My heart goes out to those who don't have, or appreciate, the joy children bring to life. Especially those who wanted to, but couldn't for whatever reason.

to lie, or not to lie....................

again, kids are only 2 and 4. Do you lie to them about death?
Well i do!! It is my choice as a parent to pick and choose when my children need to be protected. Death, and mourning is something that i will not fess up to...until i absolutely have to, anyway

Grandma passed away this week (my grandma) kids never met her, very sad, pretty suprisingly.
i have to go, fly to michigan to pay my respects, and say goodbye to a woman i feel i barely knew, and saw a dozen times in my life.i kinda wish i could say that i am minimally affected by this, but it wouldnt be the truth.....it hit me yesterday, she was my last living grand parent. My parents are such a critical role in my kids life that i couldnt imagine THEIR lifes without them. Even the mother in-law is making a lasting impression on their little lives.

so i am leaving for a few days, kids at home with daddy (and mom-in-law) and i have told them that i am going to work, when actually i am going away to be sad and say goodbye to someone that they do not even know. man how i am going to miss them.

When is it enough?

Do you ever REALLY earn enough money to support your family comfortably?
or could everyone use an extra bonus check from time to time. New shoes, clothes (everytime the weather changes) soon to be school supplies....now sports. UGH, why does it seem like i am moving funds from a savings account over to a 'i need to pay my bills account' on a pretty regular basis.
A co worker of mine introduced me to a company called MBP today. Honestly, dont understand why people do not see the potential and the guarantee of this company. Everyone has heard of network marketing, but this truly is like no other!! No autoship, no comitment, and you can earn your money back in 10 days or less......and MAKE A PROFIT!!!!
Now i wouldnt say that you are going to be rich, that would be completely un-realistic. But that extra 500-1000 bucks a month, WHOS LIFE WOULDNT THAT CHANGE???? That is an extra car payment, house payment, savings, or just to cover all the expenses i listed above. And it really isnt difficult to do, honestly!
Sign up, buy a $200 grocery voucher (redemable through grocery purchase, if you decide it isnt working for you) so there is no real out of pocket investment. Everyone buys groceries, does it really matter where they come from, same product and same pricing that you already comit to every week.
all you have to do is TELL TWO PEOPLE (yes ONLY TWO), and tell them that this is going to be an easy way to make some extra money. Once a team of 6 is formed you get $300 CASH!!!! Plus your $200 in groceries. If you really dont want to deal with the whole 'shopping for groceries online' thing you can opt out of the grocery voucher and turn it into a WALMART gift card. Honestly, i like other retailers better, but i always find myself bargain shopping at walmart, you really cant beat the prices!!!
This can happen over, and over again. THe same $300 in cash, and $200 in a gift card. Thats it? yup, that is it!

like i said before, i dont think i will become a millionaire via this home business, but i sure wouldnt complain about getting a check in the mail every once in a while, for very little effort.
i have pitched this to many people i know, and it completely blows my mind that they dont agree, this is easy money. It may be only temporary money, but who CARES, there is nothing to loose!

i have more information on my website, but the best thing i could do is explain the company , and all its benefits as their marketing material is not exactly selling for their company. It is all referral based....
tell me, you dont know TWO people that could use the extra funds? Only two people, that is it.
no big investment...no comitment.
for more information please contact me 909.233.9914 or at brendachmiel@att.net

Monsters in the toaster oven

yes, our battle this week....Monsters in the toaster oven

I have just noticed that my little girl has not walked through the kitchen in several days now. She breifly mentioned something over the weekend about not wanting to go into the kitchen and i brushed it off.
Today i realized that she actually has been refusing to walk into the kitchen for any reason.
Of course being the over-bearing mother that i am.....i pushed the issue.
I tried wagering with her, begging her, and even tried tricking her. NOPE she was not going to do it. So i forced her to (bad mommy) she even cried a little. Now i know what you must be thinking "harsh,mean, how could she"
OK, yeah, i felt bad doing it! especially when i could see the fear in her face, when she admited to me what she was afraid of.

There are monsters in the toaster oven, mommy.
I laughed, and that didnt help. I could see that she lost trust in me for that brief second. How could i not believe her? afterall, she was honestly afraid.
Ok guys, i watch obsessed. For the most part, i am one bad experience away from having my own severe OCD problem.
its called EXPOSURE THERAPY. I took her by the hand, walked her slowly into the kitchen, opened the toaster oven, took everything out of it and even stuck my head into it. (it is a pretty large oven) Then i had her look inside. INSTANTLY i could see that she was cured. We then talked about it and i knew, she was no longer scared.
Someone recently told me the best thing that i could do is talk to my kids as if they were adults. Not to sugar coat anything, or try to protect them by not telling the truth about something. With discretion, and within reason i have been, and its working. (im not going to ruin santa or the easter bunny and tooth fairy anytime soon)

till next time............

love your babies, like you imagined you would..... before you knew sleepless nights and temper tantrums.

PFAPA

We finally have a reason for all of brothers terrible fevers. Glad to have ssomething to refer to....and,well i guess it could be worse.

Periodic fever, Aphthous-stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome

This syndrome includes recurrent episodes of fever with aphthous-stomatitis (mouth sores), pharyngitis (sore throat with redness and sometimes a throat that has a white covering – exudate - like that seen in a throat with streptococcal infection.

PFAPA affects children in early childhood, usually starting at age two to four years. Episodes usually decrease in frequency and resolve after the age of 10 years. This disease was recognized for the first time in 1987 and was called Marshall’s.

How common is it?
The frequency of PFAPA is not known, but the disease appears to be more common than generally appreciated.

What causes PFAPA?
The answer to this question is not yet known. No gene defect has yet to be found in PFAPA, although in some cases more than one family member has the disease. No infectious cause has been found in PFAPA, thus it is not a contagious disease. It is clear that the inflammatory process is activated during episodes but it is not clear why it is triggered.

What are the main symptoms?
The main symptoms are episodic fevers, accompanied by a sore throat, mouth ulcers, or enlarged cervical lymph nodes (glands in the neck, an important part of the immune system).

The episodes of fever start abruptly and last for three to seven days.

During episodes, the child looks very ill and complains about at least one of the three symptoms mentioned above.

The episodes of fever recur every few weeks and often families know the exact day when an attack will start. On the day the fever starts the child will feel a little ill before the attack and the family knows an attack is about to start.


How is PFAPA diagnosed?
There are no laboratory tests, or imaging procedures, specific for diagnosing PFAPA. The disease will be diagnosed based on the results of a physical examination and other symptoms. Inflammatory blood tests like the white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the C-reactive protein are increased during attacks. Before the diagnosis is confirmed, it is important to exclude all other diseases that may present with similar symptoms (especially a streptococcal throat). The dramatic response to treatment (see below) also helps diagnose PFAPA.

How is PFAPA treated?
There is no specific treatment to cure PFAPA. The aim of treatment is to control symptoms during the episodes of fever, to shorten the duration of episodes, and in some children to prevent attacks from occurring.

In most children, the disease will resolve by itself without treatment, usually after the age of 10 years.

The fever does not usually respond well to Tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

A single dose of steroids (usually prednisone), given when symptoms first appear, has been shown to shorten an episode and sometimes even end the episode. However, the interval between episodes may also be shortened with this treatment, and the next episode may occur earlier than expected.

In some patients using cimetidine (a medicine that is used to treat stomach ulcers) may prevents attacks from occurring. In patients with very frequent attacks, a tonsillectomy (removing the tonsils by surgery) may be considered.

What is the outcome and course of PFAPA?
The disease may last for several years. Over time, the intervals between the episodes will increase and usually after the age of 10 years resolve by itself. Children with PFAPA continue to grow and develop normally.


like i said, it could be worse....i know many other families with more things on their plates than dealing with PFAPA We will get through this.

Letting go.........even just a little.

Had great success at sister's t-ball game this saturday. Whew, she really likes it, we had made a promise to her that if she played the whole game, we would take her out for frozen yogurt. I would like to believe that she is the child i can bribe with anything, but unfortunately that is not at all it.

We arrive to the game, early as usual, and my princess prepares to warm up.
That, in itself, needed much convincing,(oh great, this is going to be another bad game) but she got out there and warmed up with the rest of the team.
Team mom tells me that they are going to have to kick me out of the dugout (obviously, to keep sister focused on the game and not me) I reply with "i know, I think it is what she needs"

What?

What am I thinking? And Who is she to kick me out of the dugout? I'm in there helping! Motivating the girls, making sure that they are in their proper lineup, and ready for their at bat.....and you are kicking me out?

As most of you moms are reading and thinking........you are right! And so was she! It worked, and sister played the entire game, with only two distractions. Those of which team mom handled flawlessly! Thank god for her......sister loves playing, and commits to every game since.
We probably would have quit it weren't for our team mom. Looks like I need to study harder for this type of exam.....I'd say I earned myself a D- on this one. Better luck next time mom.

How hard do you really push?

push harder, push.....1......2......3.....4.......5.........6.....7..8..9..10, now breathe. Almost there, keep pushing, keep pushing, we see the head, shoulders...one more time PUSH~! ahhhhhhhhhh, relief.

Does the same always apply? from the moment that they are brought into this world and for the rest of their life, do we push? Or do we wait for them to walk out of the birth canal on their own? Cut their own embilical chord?
Sister has asked us to sign her up for T-ball......exciting right? our little princess, playing sports? The first thing we thought..How will we ever get her out of a dress? Well with a pink bat, glove, ball, bag, and
cleets, it worked. She will retire her dresses (only for a couple hours on saturday) and play ball. Or so we all thought.
She is four, the earliest the league will take them..no better time to start her out right? learning with all the other four year old girls, how fun!!! NOPE, not so much.
TWO practices, TWO!! before our first game, this past saturday. She choked, completely shut down, wouldnt go out on the field for her turn at bat. Coach yelled out "is she gonna come out or what?"
Mommy's initial thought....you son of a b@#*$!! Have some sympathy, she is scared, and intimidated since about 4 adults to every child was sitting in the bleachers cheering the team on. Did i forget to mention, Sister is only one of TWO four year olds on the team...the other, coaches grandaughter. Yeah, sure, of course SHE isnt scared, Mommy (assistant coach) and grand pappy are out there on the field with her.

She has agreed to go again this weekend, secon game....no pratices in between. What a load of crap. How is she supposed to enjoy this? Do i push her out there, or let her walk out on her own. I know once she does it she will be just fine.

what to do......

My darling little man can not stay away from a 104 fever for more than three weeks.
i can almost mark the calendar expecting the next "episode" to occur.
For the past 4 months or so, we have visited the urgent care or their ped doc. Everytime a throat culture is taken and comes back negative. Got a referral to ENT doc, (ears, nose, throat) "yes, he has large tonsils, could be causing the reoccuring throat infections, they should probably be removed"
(sigh) put my son under the knife? it does not matter how routine, or "out patient" this procedure is....just that you want to take a scalpel to my sons throat.
I dont trust a baby sitter to watch my kids so we can have date night....and you want me to trust you with a knife at his throat????? AND i can not be there?

Obvously i say no.....not going to do it, how will he recover? kid barely eats anything when he is feeling well, now will i nourish him when he is in pain, and dont even get me started on pain medication.

When he is good, he is really good. but that every three - four weeks....its REALLY BAD.
i fear that we are just seconds from our 104 to become 105.....scary!!!

hurry up......slow down

isnt it silly that all we want is for our kids to be come more dependant, and self sufficent, get big and do stuff that may be more fun?
But once they do, we want it to all slow down?

All i wanted was for my kids to sleep in past 6am, so that my husband could get some more sleep. (afterall, he doesnt even get home and in bed until 2am) Also so that i could have mommy time before i leave for work, (check emails, blog, workout, whatever)

Well they do....now i cant stand that i dont get to hug and kiss them at the door before i leave.

Two and Two, the story of my life

my mom told me that having multiple children always meant buying multiple items.
I grew up with two sisters, no more than 6 years between the oldest and youngest.
My mom told me that she had to buy three of everything, and they all had to be exactly the same or we would argue and fight over the one we thought was "better"

My kids are litterally watching the same cartoon, (as i write this) but in different rooms, silly i know! Sister has to be in the bed next to me, while brother wants to be in the play room on the bean bag. They have no idea that the same show is being played in both rooms, (thank god for Tivo)
Two different personalities, but all the same liking to things.

first timer

As a mom, i find myself always trying to perfect the way i parent. Before i had my children i had this incredible vision of how great it would be to mother, and all of the wonderful things i would do with my children, how healthily i would feed them, and how i would read to them every night before they went to bed. Of course i was naive enough to believe that i would have perfect children that wouldn't throw tantrums, or mis-behave......ever.

as i sit here trying to create this blog, (nearly pulling my hair out) my son is trying to talk to me in his own mumble jumbo that he believes is words, and i just don't get it.
He just turned two last week, and is finally trying to talk. What a learning curve.

I am seeking feedback from other mothers (or fathers, i don't discriminate) on helpful parenting ideas, words of advise, tactful and proper punishments, and what to expect as my toddlers get older, etc. etc. etc. I am hoping that this will be a positive experience for me to better myself as a mom, before these little monsters grow up, and move out of my home to start their own lives.
(they do still do that, right?)

I have two children my son just turned two, and my daughter, will be four in just a few weeks.
Needless to say, i really didn't know what i was getting myself into when i played with the fire i like to call unprotected sex.

I love being a mom, really REALLY love it. I definitely believe that i can do a better job at it though. This is why i would like to share my j0urney with you, and who ever else cares.