A Snowy October Sunday

I feel a bit guilty sitting here in the warmth of our home. It was just the boys and I at home, our Firefighter was at work without heat & power all day. I guess they had some power, so they were able to watch TV (like they had time to...) but were without heat still last I heard @ 9PM.

The boys and I spent a PJ day baking, cleaning, and playing together.

I've finally found an egg replacer that not only makes thing rise but has 0 effect on taste of the baked good. Which means Declan gets to eat treats for the first time in a loooong time. We started with (egg free) Oatmeal Raisin Bars and ended with (egg free) Banana Bread. Yum!


Oatmeal Raisin bar recipe was from the lid of the Quaker Oatmeal Oats container.

Banana Bread recipe was from my beloved Marjorie Standish Cookbook. You can see the cookbook in the photo, it's yellow (And it's actually my late Aunt Gloria's copy. I keep mine tucked away and use hers in the kitchen. Hoping it brings me good luck.)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Down-East-Marjorie-Standish/dp/0892723718/ref=pd_sim_b_3

Ener-G Egg Replacer (Vegan!!)
http://www.amazon.com/Ener-G-Egg-Replacer-oz-Box/dp/B000QSS2C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320029324&sr=8-1

Garrett trapped himself in the stools and said "Take a picture of ME!"


It was fun to have a "Winter" Sunday but I'm glad the forecast has 50's in it. We are so not ready to put away the sweaters and drag out the boots just yet.

Thanks Dad for the paper and hot coffee.

Snow. In October.

I love snow. I don't mind a long snow filled winter even.
But snow in October...not cool. :-( We don't even have our mittens out yet.

Zzzzzzzz

Shaun and Billy, Like father like son.

A Partridge Problem

This bird has my small boys paralyzed with fear. Today I experienced why.

Garrett and I walked down to the bus stop to get Ben and Billy off the bus and were attacked by it.

Logan was attacked first by the "Baby Turkey". We laughed it off when we saw it to take pictures of a few days later and realized it was a partridge. It has since picked on Shaun, Garrett, Ben, and our van. Oh yes...it attacks our HUGE 12 passenger van.

Knowing all that...I'm not sure why but I was in total shock when it started attacking Garrett and I today. We were walking by minding out own business when it charged at Garrett. He freaked out screaming so I was trying to reassure him that the bird wasn't going to hurt us when it came charging at me. I grabbed a tree limb to shoo it away and angered it even more so it came at my head. You probably had to be there but for a mental picture..imagine me waving a flimsy pine branch at this bird that was relentlessly charging at me with a screaming and crying 3yo gripping at my other hand. Apparently it was hilarious (according to Abbie who watched this unfold from the safety of her living room).

Happy Belated Birthday!!

Four years (and four days, oops!!) ago I started this blog. My reasons were pretty simple and are still why I keep the blog going.

I'm starting this blog to:
1. Keep everyone updated on what the boys (including my hubby Shaun) and I are up to.
2. Tell about my life as a mom of all boys.
3. To track my transition from SAHM to WAHM Show off my WAHM wares.
4. Advocate for Cloth Diapers and Wool.
5. Ramble on about whatever the heck I want to.

In the last four years I/We've:
Had a baby boy (Garrett).
And another baby boy (Declan).
Lost a few (Ernie, Moose, Spidey, Umi Friend) pets.
Gained a few (Currently: Bruin, Brady) pets.
Gave our dog away.
Built a new home.
Bought a new van.
Battled Postpartum Depression/PTSD for the first time.
Battled Postpartum Depression for a second time.
Had a very unwanted c-section.
Had a VBAC.
Flew to Texas.
Flew to Florida.
Ate at Sonic.
Learned about food allergies.
Learned more about ADHD.
Learned I am stronger then I think I am.
Learned it's okay to need a little help.
Learned that depression isn't a choice or something that can be fixed by "being happy".
and my newest thing to check off...Became a Vegetarian.

Knitting Update 10-26-11

I've been knitting a lot lately. I started and finished this soaker for Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/84483521/scrappy-soaker-medium-wool-cloth-diaper

Mosaic Moon Scraps of various colorways, all on Aran BFL. Trim dyed by me, also Aran BFL

I'm also still working on this Euclid Cardi for Declan

Mosaic Moon "Golden Compass" on Mountain Meadow Worsted



I also have this Euclid Cardi on the needles for Bitty Fluff's next stocking (Nov. 4th)

Mosaic Moon's "Noellaig" on 3ply Merino

This gorgeous yarn came in the mail. I'm knitting something for my mom with. That's why the photo's colorless (so she doesn't even get a hint of what I'm knitting for her. :-p)

It is sooooooooooooooo soft.

Ben's EEG Update

Everything is NORMAL!
We have 0 answers as to why his speech changed but a whole list of "really bad stuff" that didn't cause it.
Which means his mom can now sleep without worrying about the "really bad stuff".
Whew!!!!! 

Ben's EEG...and the ride there.

First off the important info...
Ben was a trooper this morning and we think the EEG went well, we haven't heard yet (which I'm hoping means good news!).



We tried to get him a special toy from Toys 'R Us on the way home but it didn't open until 10am and it was only 9:30 when we were there. So we headed to Target and he picked out a really loud K9 Police truck toy that plays music and drives his mother insane already. He was asleep before we could get on 295 to head north. <3

Secondly, the ride there was INSANE.

We were pulling into Dunkin Donuts when we heard there was a truck fire on 295 South Bound (where we were headed) so to seek an alternate route. So we did. Route 1 South. And got stuck behind a cement mixer that went 10mph up every.single.hill. Ugh. Thankfully it pulled off and we sped up only to be stuck in stop and go traffic all the way through Freeport until Exit 17 where we got on 295.

Our joy was short lived, we were now about 15 mins late so Shaun called to let them know. They informed us that if we weren't there by 8:30 we'd have to take the next testing slot at 2pm. UGH. Poor Ben was exhausted...we had to remind him several times to stay awake on the way. I was pissed. So we kept going and ended up in bumper to bumper moving traffic that slowed us by another 10 minutes at least.

We had about 5 minutes to get there and were sooo close. We planned on Shaun jumping out and running in and I'd bring up Ben/the bags after we parked. I got in the lane for our exit and was slowing down when Shaun said "It's the next one, don't get off here!!" so I pulled back onto the highway and we missed our exit.

So close...yet so far away. There was no way we could get off and back on and make it to where we needed to be.

Now I was REALLY pissed. We were now headed straight for a toll booth to get on the Turnpike. I pulled an illegal U turn right before the toll booth and got off at the next exit. We had no idea where we even were.

The exit came to a fork in the road...I took a left figuring it would hopefully get us somewhere near where we could get on 295 to go home. We were bitching at each other so I floored it (empty straight away) and we came upon a Walmart/Lowes sign. The building we needed to be at was right.next.door. We had 2 mins to spare, only 28mins late so they did his test as scheduled. What are the chances?!?!

Ben = The child that keeps it interesting.

One morning this summer Ben woke up unable to articulate his words as well as he had in the past. I noticed it right away. I couldn't even understand what he was saying when I asked him what he wanted for breakfast that morning. We chalked it up to a loose tooth.

A couple days later he went to Shaun's parents for a few nights, and when he came home..it wasn't better. And he didn't have a loose tooth.

I had found a tick on the back of his head a week or so before this happened and it wasn't until then (a couple weeks later) that it hit me that this might be a sign of Lyme disease. I goggled...sure enough. Sudden speech impediment, absolutely could be a sign of Lyme disease. Off to the peds we were the very next morning.

Blood tests and a through look over by our (amazing) ped and off to the hospital for a catscan we were. I've never been more scared. It was like time was standing still. Something was wrong...and we might be on the edge of a life changing thing here. I was sick. We were all sick. Then everything came back fine. Everything! His blood tests were all good and his scan was clear. *WHEW*

But there was still the issue of the speech impediment and it's sudden appearance. Not normal by any means. So we were referred to a neurologist. Again, everything checked out fine. His balance, muscle tone, everything was normal. So we waiting a month to see if anything changed and nope. Nothing. Still normal. Thank God, but he was still not able to pronounce words that were effortless to him a couple months ago.

So we're (hopefully) on the final leg of this journey and heading tomorrow bright and early for an EEG. To rule out seizures while he sleeps before we are cleared from the neurologist. He talks different still...but I've grown use to it. We all have. I have trouble understanding him at times, that is frustrating for us both, but we'll work on it. He'll be in speech therapy to try and regain the skills he had and everything will be okay. One last hurdle and we're back to our new normal.

I had to keep him up late, and we have to wake him up early tomorrow and keep him awake until he gets there. Poor sweetie was sooooo tired at 10pm (3hrs past his usual bedtime).

Brothers

One of the huge perks of being a mom to five children is seeing how the interact. I grew up with only one sister and we fought all the time. As adults we've grown to accept our differences (for the most part) and get along fine (again, for the most part).

My heart warms when I catch the boys helping each other out.

Ben was tired from playing at the playground all morning, but insisted on driving this car to Grandma's so Declan could play with it there. His legs got tired...so Declan helped him out.





Sweetness.

Playground

Auntie Abbie suggested we hit the new playground at a school in another town today. So we did.



Declan loved the swings.


I mean LOVED the swings.


Maggie was not a fan of the swings.




But she did love running around like a big girl and wore herself OUT.


Garrett and Ben ran all over the place having the time of their lives.
There is no fire pole too high for Ben nor any side too steep for Garrett.
If there is a challenge before them, they are up for it.








Declan is following in their footsteps.


Logan and Billy even had fun. A playground that caters to *almost* 2 year olds and *almost* 13 year olds....priceless.






I almost caught a Logan smile. :)

Boys :: Week of 10/2-10/8/11

I'm going to try and start taking one photo of each boy every week.
We'll see how far I get.

Logan


Billy


Ben


Garrett


Declan

Knitting Update 10-8-11

I started and finished this Scrappy Cardigan (stocked at Bitty Fluff yesterday 10/7).
It's a small/0-3 Month size version of Garrett's sweater. Super fun to knit. I hope if/when it sells that whoever buys is shares some pics of a newbie in it. Man these tiny sweaters sure pull at the heartstrings. <3







I also finished up these booties. Mosaic Moon "Daydreamer" on licorice twist yarn and Tessa Ann buttons.


And I cast on a sweater for Declan using this yarn. Mosaic Moon "Golden Compass" on Mountain Meadow Worsted.


I have a couple Christmas gifts also in the works but those will not be shown here until after they are gifted. I have yarn on order for one and am trying to figure out exactly which pattern to knit for the other.

Definition of Idiot

Definition of Idiot :: An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way.

This has happened to me 3 times in the past week. Someone parks right on my bumper, so I can not access the back/cargo area of the van.

I have 5 kids, 3 of whom are in car seats and need assistance buckling and I rarely have extra adult hands to help.

I always (ALWAYS!!) park as far away from the store as I can so I don't "block" anyone and try to lessen the chances of having someone park ON my bumper. But no...that doesn't help. There must be a sign on the back of the van that says...Idiot parking. I mean why else would someone park (when there are dozens of empty spaces) ON my bumper?!

Thankfully I had Shaun with me today so he could corral and buckle while I took care of the stroller. The "nice" idiot that had parked ON my bumper today...totally NOT even in a parking space btw and blocking the entrance/exit into the parking lot also...moved his SUV when he noticed us trying to get in the van.

This photo doesn't even show how close this guy was...but I couldn't help but pull out my huge camera and snap a shot as he was pulling out.  Please take note of all the EMPTY spaces. I was only 1/2 in my space as I pulled up a couple feet so my own bumper wouldn't be in way of the entrance/exit...