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Friday, September 18, 2009

Quick Takes

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Anastasia had her 9 month check-up today, and our Happy Little Hippo, the Chubby Cherub, is actually .... not all that heavy! Weighing in at 18lbs 3 ozs puts her in the 30th % !!! Her length is still 40th %, and her head circumference... well, that's the 95th %. Okay, so she has a fat head. But she is growing well, and is pretty much right on par for a healthy 9 month old, every parent's hope. She is clapping her hands a lot, which is SO cute - Bella loves to make her so happy that she'll clap, or sing a song that provokes it. All through the day the strains of "If you're happy and you know it" and "patty-cake, patty-cake" can be heard setting the soundtrack of my life.

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I actually followed a menu plan for 2 weeks in a row! Can you believe it? I can't. I spaced out cooking a few meals, used left-overs wisely, and only bought pizza on Monday because the Raven's played well enough to get us free yummy toppings. Does your Papa John's have a football deal? It's such a fun, affordable treat; it might be the only reason I really care about pro-football.

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Potty-Training is moving along quite well. We have fewer and fewer accidents, and greater milestone successes. Take early n the week when Bella insisted on wearing panties to the park. Yeah, you know, that big activity crazy place that causes kids' awareness to be limited solely to what they can climb and slide down or how fast they can run and NOT at all the normal bodily functions or the sound of Mama's voice? Not to mention the only potty was the portable type that's 1/4 mile away. Well, I figured that if she had an accident I had wipes and diapers and she would simply change; however, she stayed dry the WHOLE time including on the ride home! She did great. Let's follow up that story with a confirmation of my own brilliance the day that I put her to bed for her nap so quickly that I forgot she was wearing panties...

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My my mother-in-law is coming in less than 3 weeks! I am so excited, I LOVE her visits. I think one of my favorite aspects of her visits is how easy it is to make daily Mass. When I have someone helping me get the kids dressed and fed and then someone to help hold/corral during Mass, it makes it a snap. I rely heavily upon others' help when it comes to Mass, although the more we go the better Bella behaves, and recently she's been really good and quiet. Any tips for teaching a 2 year old? We talk ahead of time about sitting quietly and whispering, and how we only talk to Jesus during Mass and how happy it makes Him to see us there. Sometimes she gets treats afterward, but not often enough for her to expect it. She recently learned to genuflect! Between that, and loudly announcing "bye-bye Jesus" as we leave, well, she's about as cute as can be.

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My hubby just installed a setup that plays music from my computer through a tuner connected to actual speakers. Crazy - it's like having a, what was that thing called, a stereo??? He explained this way I could load all my CDs, one by one, on to my computer and that all my music would be stored here and I would never have to go looking for a CD again. One at a time. ... The other problem is I still take them for car rides in his car with its CD player so I'll still have to have them stored somewhere within reach. Here's the thing, though - he showed me a website, called Pandora.com that's an online radio almost like satellite with variety you make up entirely yourself with suggestions from them based on the type of songs/artists you have selected. Sounds complicated, but it really isn't. The HUGE benefit is that I'm listening to great music, mostly hand-picked by me! I've been belting out Broadway, crooning to country, and serenading with Sinatra. Of course, there is the little detail of the ginormous speakers now a fixture in my living room... hey, the price of entertainment!

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That same thoughtful, caring hubby just brought both girls for a walk, letting me have a few minutes to write the blog post in peace and quiet. Or with the music in the background...

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I'm grasping at straws trying to come up with the last Quick Take. With so much to talk about I simply can't come up with anything right now. I'm tired, it's been a very long and emotionally exhausting week, and I'm going to climb into my PJs and watch a movie with my hubby. And that's it. Here's wishing you all a great weekend, and pray that the weekend brings more energy and patience. Maybe my sense of humor might even return. :)


Visit JEN @ Conversion Diary for more (and much funnier) Quick Takes.

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