They may not say it...

but they probably think it...

Desperation???

In need of treats and not wanting the little people to find them I've taken to hiding treats in my knitting bag. The part that is truly pathetic is that the *treat* is mini baking M&M's...

Mommy Poll

How do you keep your kids busy in the winter?

If you haven't guessed, I'm running low on ideas but here are mine:

With me:
reading,
baking,
attempts at board games (not real successful yet),
going to the library or some other indoor play place
baths
"cooking"- giving them utensils etc while I cook

Without me:
reading,
crayon, glue, scissor experiments (the best word for it!)
books on CD for R,
playdough with plastic forks and knives for practicing cutting (big with R),
flashlights in a dark room,
puzzles (new skill hooray!)
music for dancing, parading about like crazy people

Any thoughts helpful as more snow is on the way!!!

Hair Loss

Every day as I shower and brush my hair I am still getting gobs of hair coming out. It has been almost a year (Wed) since Justin was born. I am still nursing, but really wondering when I will stop loosing my hair?

70% off Leap Pad

I went to register a leap baby item we had received and they are having a 70% sale on some LeapPad items. It looks like a great deal...those prices are what you would pay used....

http://www.leapfrog.com/en/shop/leappad_classics.html

Books, books, everywhere!!!!

Do any moms know of a great way to keep books orderly and in their places? My kids love to play and read the books. But they never seem to go back to the spot where they came from.....what to do? I have used shelving, boxes, etc.....Any thoughts?

Cloth Diaper Mom's?

Hey, are there any cloth diaper Mom's out there? I have been doing cloth prefolds in a G-Diaper for about a month now...I like them, but I love the Happy Heiny's. I really want to invest in the one size Happy Heiny's....maybe one at a time...Just curious how many of there are....

Needing Couple Time

Jim and I have been dreaming of taking a mini-vacation sans kids for quite awhile now... Swissmiss posted this the other day and now we are really wanting a vacation. We would be happy to go to the hotel down the street, just to get away... I sometimes feel bad about wanting alone time with Jim and not wanting the kids around, but it seems so healthy. There are many books out there that promote getting away just the two of you, and then the kids get time alone with Oma (she'd probably be the one to watch them). Sometimes it is hard to justify spending the money when we don't have any, but one of the books I just read puts it bluntly that it is better/cheaper to get the time together now and have a little debt than to get a divorce later. We aren't close to the divorce thing, but it helps to think of it that way. Our relationship is important. And, ultimately when we are happy together then the kids are happy. The only thing holding us back at this time is the fact that Carsten is still nursing...

When Carsten is done...

More on being sick

Thanks for giving info regarding meds, etc...I have been doing Motrin/Tylenol at the same time, only cause my friends said it was okay, so I believed them, but always nice to know it is really ok. My doctor said the same thing. We ended up going first thing on Friday morning...I just couldn't take it, I it was something more than a cold. So, Todd and I packed up a tired & Cranky Justin and headed for the Pediatrian (45 miles away)....one would ask why he is so far away....We live in a small town (where everyone's business is shared, and I just like having a Pro-Nursing doctor and one who I know keeps up on the recent events, etc.....

So, he had an ear infection, we got on antibiotics...and they said he could take the motrin/tylenol, medication that was prescribed, and could take 1/4 teaspoon of Dimetapp or Triaminic "cold & allergy" for children. I thought it was interesting that we could use children's meds at the age of 11 months, but it seems to be working.

Daddy has been sick, and as luck would have it, I woke up Saturday AM with the sore throut, etc. So, since I was still feeling so, so...and desperately needed to get out of the house, we went to town to get groceries. Upon getting home I had the cold to the bone - hotter than hot on the outside sick going on. We all three fell asleep at about 6pm....Justin and I went in the bedroom at 8pm, and then he woke up about 5 times by 9:30, so I decided he needed his own space, off to his own crib...I got some sleep for about 2 hours, then back to our bed he came....needless to say we were up at 4am this morning with Justin....I got in about a 1/2 nap at 6am. Off to bed soon.

We are surviving and learning a lot. I really had no idea how awful it would be for all of us to be sick, but the worry a mother has for her child when they are sick. It is really overwhelming. Thanks for the advice....

Kids Wooly Crocs

Just an FYI that kids Mammoth Crocs are at Costco! They are $21.99 instead of $29.99 on the Crocs site.

Sick kid

Justin now has his second cold/flu...whatever he has. We have had a fever 2 nights in a row, but it goes away during the day....have a very runny nose...yellow today, was green yesterday, so I think that means that he is getting better.....and a little cough. These are so not fun times for the mommy. I am the 100% caretaker during the night and for some reason when they are sick it is harder...mostly cause I don't sleep as well, he doesn't' sleep as well, etc. Now that Justin is sleep trained, he doesn't really want to sleep with us anymore, but he doesn't want to be in his crib either, so at 3am (after a night of Justin and me in the bed and Todd on the couch - note that Todd is getting sick too.....we kicked Todd off the couch and took over). Anyway, this momma is ready for a healthy baby and daddy. Ready for my nights when Justin only woke up once...it was heaven the whole week or two it lasted!

I did call the doc yesterday and they said if he isn't better by tomorrow, then they will get me in. We currently are only on Motrin and Tylenol - alternating the two. Justin is exhausted, but will only nap 1 hour in am and 1 in the afternoon...

I have been doing the garlic treatment both days, and there is no pulling on the ears, so I really think it is just a cold....(maybe Dana can expand on the garlic treatment).

Any advice is greatly appreciated!