Seren has a new recipe

I forgot to add that Seren has a new recipe that she invented all on her own this very day: It's a PB&S (Peanut Butter and Salami). She layers all-natural peanut butter on top of Honey Grahams and tops it with chunks of italian dry salami. It's pretty good actually.

Seren has always had a fascination with food and experimentation with flavors. I suspect that she will grow up to be a chef, or at least a great cook!

General Update Since Xander's Birth

I have made a few posts since Xander was born, but have not kept the blog as up to date as I'd hoped. There have been a few changes around here that I wish to report on.

First, my oldest cat is speaking to me again. As you may recall, we got two kittens in October (?) and our older cat, who is 6 years old, refused to acknowledge my presence over it. Well, maybe she acknowledged my presence, but it was always with growling and hissing. Yet, I used to be her favorite. She felt especially betrayed by me, I suppose.

So, did she just finally get over it? Not really. She treated me like this until a day or two after I brought Xander home. Then, one night, she noticed that I was up all night attending to my own noisy, fussy, "kitten." She felt sorry for me! She came over to me and started to be affectionate. It was like she looked at me with Xander and thought to herself, "Well, it looks like someone brought her home one of those too!" Little does she know that I caused all of these young ones to come home...lol.

Another change is that I finally quit school indefinitely. I was on LOA through the pregnancy, but I decided that it was just way too difficult to juggle children, school, and try to work full-time after maternity leave. Yes, I am giving up a grant that pays my entire tuition for the year just to be with my kids. I think it was the hardest thing I ever had to let go of. However, I already feel less stressed and I am enjoying having downtime with my kids. As for my business that I have in the works, well, I'm still working on it :) It will take a while. I'll be happy if it shapes up to be a seasonal side business that supplements my day job. This way, I don't have all of my eggs in the J.O.B. basket, I make a little extra money for vacations or whatever, and I actually further my education about my primary profession without incurring any more debt.

Now that I am not pursuing school, I have successfully potty-trained Penny. It took a good two weeks, but she's fit for going in public now :) Now I need to spend time with Seren to get her to start reading. That is my other goal before I go back to work in March.

From my previous posts, you know that I've been doing Atkins since I had the baby. I haven't weighed since January 10th and found I was 20 pounds down. My next weigh in is February 7th. However, I have noticed a change in the last two weeks: my favorite comfy pants with elastic waste is falling down! I also have some other pants that I just can't wear anymore because they are on the verge of falling down. Now I need to dig out some other pants that fit. It's a nice problem to have!

Other changes I have noticed includes having more energy and my skin looks better. Additionally, it's a great money saver because I'm not eating out as much. Also, I have a calorie goal I am sticking to also, which helps on the weight loss and the pocketbook. No, you don't usually count calories on Atkins, but I have decided to because I just plain need to learn to eat less than I used to. I realized that I didn't necessarily agree with the recommended portion sizes and felt they were way too small. Now that I am getting used to eating way less, it's easy to feel spoiled if I overeat on allowed foods every once in a while. And by overeat, I mean taking a few extra bites of allowed foods, or just a bite or two of foods that are taboo. So, I feel like I am cheating terribly, but looking at it with overall perspective, I really haven't cheated much at all. It's a good feeling to know I'm making progress. I could make this a lifelong habit - and I plan to!

Dear Xander Zane,

Shame on you for waking your mommy so often.  Your mommy now wakes up like clockwork to feed you.  Thankfully, you're awake within minutes of my stirring in my sleep.  Shame on you for going back to sleep after eating, for your beauty keeps me awake long after.  By the time I tire of it, you're ready to eat again.  Shame on you for that too.  You're not allowed to continue this behavior.  Your mommy is tired of your sisters laughing at her delirium during daylight hours.  In fact, your mommy is just plain tired.  It's ok to be hungry, but please stop being so cute in the middle of the night...and wipe that smile off of your face.  You are sleeping and there is no way you have a clue what I am posting right now.

Love,
Your Mommy XOXO

You know when potty training is successful when...

Despite the numerous daytime accidents and even the obstinence of my two year old, she wakes me up in the middle of the night because she has to go AND she is bone dry! Yup, sat her on the potty and there was plenty of tinkle to be had.  Great job, Penny!

Potty training is an interesting time of transition...

...for any child, and parent for that matter.  It is a time when a child learns how to do the most ickiest task all by themselves.

This morning, our youngest made her first tinkle in the potty...and her first poop in a chair.  Tonight she is approaching the potty with zeal.  Daddy told Penny to to take her daytime clothes off and put them in the dirty laundry.  Next thing he knows, there's a naked Penny warning him, "Daddy, icky!" And she hands him a very full pee-pee diaper, which is unwrapped and wide open.  As he's trying to throw it in the garbage and grab a new diaper for her, our oldest yells out: "Daddy! Penny is on the potty and she's wiping her bottom with her fingers!"  Oh boy, it is ALL downhill from here...literally snowballing down this hill the rest of the year.  In a way, I'm almost glad maternity leave ends in a couple of months and Mr. Mom has the responsibility of potty training our last two children. (Insert evil cackle here).

Penny and potty training

Potty training has commenced and Penny has performed her first tinkle song in the toilet!

I love my 8 year old...

...She's always trying to expand her vocabulary. Last year, she told me that Daddy took her on a nature walk where Daddy told her all about camel-flash. Even bugs have it, she told me. I explained to her that it was CAMOUFLAGE.

Well, we discovered that Xander has his first cold at his tender age of almost 5 weeks. Evy was very worried and told me that she hoped he wouldn't catch ammonia. I told her that I have that same fear changing his diaper and that I hope I don't catch ammonia when I do it. She had a good laugh at herself when she realized that ammonia can be found in urine. No, Evy, we'll be sure to not pee on Xander while he has a cold...lol