Baby Kisses

Every night I go into MiniMe's room to pull up her covers, turn off her music and lights after she's asleep. And every night as I stand over her bed I think to myself that she is the most beautiful angel I've ever seen.

Her long dark lashes lay on her pink chubby cheeks. Sometimes her thumb is in, sometime out of her mouth. Her curly hair is strewn all over her pink pillow.

Each night I bend down to kiss her smooth cheek. There are no words to describe the sensation of kissing your last baby's cheek. I just can't do it justice. It is so bittersweet - I know the round softness will go away in a year or so. My heart swells and I want to cry. Every kiss is its own precious event. It's a mommy thing.

If I could bottle baby kisses, would they be less valuable?

Posture Time

For the last week, my posture has been fantastic.

My chiro explained how my sway back makes my neck go in all kinds of weird, unnatural positions which strain everything about my head and neck. Did you know that your lumbar spine (down at the bottom, just about the sacrum) are supposed to be over the cervical spine (stuff in your neck)? So if your lower back is arched (too many pregnancies, not enough tummy crunches!), your neck will lean forward to balance. Then you have to tilt your head up in order to not be looking down.

Anyhoo, my mantra is Tummy In! Neck long! Jaw under!

I had to reposition my car seat. Now my head grazes the ceiling because I'm sittin' straight! No leaning and/or slouching here. I'm getting used to my car all over again because I had to change all the mirrors and arm rests and can't see the same stuff on my dash. Weird.

Of course now that I am focusing on it, you can bet I'm noticing my kids' dreadful posture. What slouchers! What slinkers! What bent backs and necks!

I wonder where they learned that?

TMJ ain't fun.

I have a new and improved health problem to report.

TMJ. Temporomandibular joint disorder.

Basically, my jaw hurts. It hurt a lot more last week before I had seen my fabulous new chiropractor. Twice. Kaching!

It may be from an old car accident in college. It may be from gnawing my teeth (gross! I know) at night. It may be tension in my facial and neck muscles from stress.

Stress?

Me?

It may be from eating too many Christmas cookies for all I know. Whatever the cause, it has caused 1.) my jaw the click and hurt when I chew 2.) my neck to hurt like the dickens 3.) my lower teeth to jut forward so that I can barely close my teeth. I'm starting to look like Kyle MacLachlan.

My new chiro does regular chiro, plus muscle work, plus Cranio Sacral therapy. It has helped quite a bit. I'm able to eat pain free now. For that alone I'd have to name my next child after her (if I ever had another, which I won't).

But my neck still hurts. And I can't close my teeth easily, so back I go tomorrow to the pleasure / torture table. Pleasure because she massages my neck muscles, adjusts my neck and loosens everything up in general. Torture because she puts on plastic gloves and massages (think pins sticking into you) my jaw muscles. She hurts muscles in the back of my mouth that I never knew existed. I literally cry. Tears stream down my face as I breath deeply and think, "I've given birth three times, I can endure this" over and over again.

Probably typing this blog right now is not helping my jaw/neck. It does tend to hurt more when I sit at the computer. What I really need (aside from a vacation to Hawaii) is a leisurely bath, a glass of wine, and no one asking me, "can I play computer now? can I watch a movie now? can I? can I?"

Speaking of movies, here are a few on our list to watch over the holidays:
- Back to the Future
- Ironman (probably not good for kids? I don't know)
- StarTrek (something - can't remember which one)
and of course
- It's a Wonderful Life

What are you watching over the holidays?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Expert 2

I am tickled.

This afternoon I sat down to my computer with a batch of chocolate chip cookies a-bakin' in the oven and guess what? I received an email from a complete stranger (I think - sometimes I forget people) asking for advice about (you guessed it) chocolate chip cookies!

I know I have boasted about my CCC baking prowess. It is a little joke of mine that makes me happy. And there is some truth to my bragging - they're pretty darn good. I was being silly when I listed myself as a CCC expert. You know, "a serious attempt at fun" and all that.

But to be consulted as an expert was pretty thrilling. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say butter, eggs, flour, oven temp and kitchen aids were discussed. I don't know if my input was helpful. But gee, how fun!

Along those lines, I've had a brainstorm for a fun fundraiser. What about a CCC baking contest? I was thinking maybe at my church - for someone in need, or for a cause. Each contestant would pay a $10 entry fee, and I suppose we'd have to limit the entrants to 10. Otherwise the judges might be overwhelmed. Then people could pay a $10 fee to judge the cookies. If we could get even 20 people involved, that would be $200. Probably we'd have to attach the contest to some other social event.

We would cut each entrant's cookie in half, so each judge would be tasting a maximum of 10 half cookies. It would be blind tasting of course, with no one knowing whose cookie they were tasting. Cookies could be rated for appearance, texture and taste. Mike and/or coffee would be provided for judges.

The winner could get a ribbon or silly medal and the high honor of winning the contest. After the contest, everyone could pig out on the left over cookies.

What do you think? Crazy? Unworkable? Maybe worth a shot? Back to the drawing board?

If I organized it, would it be ethical to enter my cookies in it? Maybe I could bake them and have someone else secretly enter them for me anonymously?

Mmmmm....cookie dreams....

Sleep Stealers

Do the Sleep Stealers ever visit you?

I am convinced (especially at 5:30am) that there is an evil plot afoot to rob me of the last few precious hours of sleep. Those sneaker Sleep Stealers (drat them!) manage to use every coincidence and circumstance to keep me awake from about 4:00am on. Here's how they do it.

Every night/morning at about 4:00am-ish I wake up to use the facilities. I wish I didn't. I wish I could sleep right through til morning. But, no. My little bladder just can't take it no more by 4am. So up I go.

Then, as I snuggle back into the warm, cozy bed the sneezes start. My allergies are so bad most of the time, that I have an allergy attack as soon as I wake up. As I lay there trying to fall back asleep, my nose begins to drip. That triggers a sneeze. And then another and another. Pretty soon I am blowing my nose and holding my upper lip in hopes of stemming the sneezing tide. But once it's started, it must run it's course. From about 4-5:00am I lie in bed and sneeze and wheeze. I am happy if I don't have an asthma attack and have to cough that hour as well. (I do try to use the time constructively by praying for everyone I know and myself and the fam during that time).

At about 5:30am, just as I'm drifting off on soft clouds to sleepydreamy land.....off goes hubby's cell phone alarm. Loud caribbean steel drum music. "Oh nooooo!' I lament to myself.

Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate and love and honor and everything good about Hubby getting up at that ungodly hour to schlepp to work and provide for us. It just happens to occur at an inopportune time for my precious sleep cycle, thats all.

So, another hour goes by in which my yearnings for sleep are thwarted by Hubby showering, getting dressed, jingling keys and generally banging around (though he tries so hard to be quiet!)

Then, as he prepares to exit, and I start to hope for one more hour, what do I hear?

"Daddy! You know what? The pirate said to the doggy....blah, blah, blah...."

She's up. "Aaaaaaaah!" I'm crying inside. Hubby tries to shepherd her back up to her room as best he can. But he's gotta go, so he can only do so much. And today, even though she did go up to her room, she proceeded to play her new pirate CD at top volume, waking up everyone else in the house.

Heavy, heavy sigh. No more sleep for Sue.

Now it's almost 7am. I've been up since 4am. Wah.

It's reminiscent of baby days and sleep deprivation. My feelings of desolation are so strong in the wee hours of the morning. It can change my whole outlook on the day (in a bad way).

So, Sleep Stealers BE GONE! I want my last few hours of sleep back.

Please?

I'll bet you didn't know.

Did you know about this?

(I bet you didn't. Unless you're a smarty pants and read Beth's blog:)

U. S. Senate Minority Report:
More Than 650 International Scientists Dissent Over
Man-Made Global Warming Claims
Scientists Continue to Debunk “Consensus” in 2008

U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Minority Staff Report (Inhofe)
www.epw.senate.gov/minority
Released: December 11, 2008

Don't worry!
I only included the first two paragraphs with choice tidbits highlighted by myself

INTRODUCTION:
Over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe challenged man-made global warming claims made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former Vice President Al Gore. This new 231-page U.S. Senate Minority Report report -- updated from 2007’s groundbreaking report of over 400 scientists who voiced skepticism about the so-called global warming “consensus” -- features the skeptical voices of over 650 prominent international scientists, including many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN IPCC. This updated report includes an additional 250 (and growing)scientists and climate researchers since the initial release in December 2007. The over 650 dissenting scientists are more than 12 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media-hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers.
The chorus of skeptical scientific voices grow louder in 2008 as a steady stream of peer-reviewed studies, analyses, real world data and inconvenient developments challenged the UN and former Vice President Al Gore's claims that the "science is settled" and there is a "consensus." On a range of issues, 2008 proved to be challenging for the promoters of man-made climate fears. Promoters of anthropogenic warming fears endured the following: Global temperatures failing to warm; Peer-reviewed studies predicting a continued lack of warming; a failed attempt to revive the discredited “Hockey Stick”; inconvenient developments and studies regarding CO2; the Sun; Clouds; Antarctica; the Arctic; Greenland; Mount Kilimanjaro; Hurricanes; Extreme Storms; Floods; Ocean Acidification; Polar Bears; lack of atmospheric dust; the failure of oceans to warm and rise as predicted.

So, should we be making laws that hugely impact our lives and economy and future based on the "science" of man-made global warming?

Seems to me like we should look before we leap.

Get Ready

Ready. Set. Go.

Saturday:
6:30am wake up
7:00am drive to swim meet
7:15-12:00 watch daughter swim, sit around watching strangers swim, get bleacher bottom
12:00-?? go shopping with both girls for Christmas necessities that won't wait.
1:00-?? hope ARG does well at his tournament in Sac.
5:00-8:00 take ARG to game night (if he gets home in time)
8:00 pass out

Sunday:
6:30am wake up
7:00am drive to swim meet
7:15-12:00 watch daughter swim, sit around watching strangers swim, get bleacher bottom
12:00-2:00 rush frantically to get Rosie showered and beautiful
2:00-3:00 Rosie's violin recital
3:00 pass out? go for a run? do laundry? make dinner? run away?

No church. No sleeping in. No together family time.

It's a busy one folks. I know. I know. We signed up for this. But why couldn't my kids all like the same sport?

BTW - if your kids are still young and haven't picked their physical activities yet, I highly recommend swimming. It's so great for your body. AND it is cheap! Practically free compared to fencing. They can do it almost every day and improvement is measurable. Plus it's a skill you can use all your life.

Fencing is great. It's exciting. But it's SUPER expensive, and a terrible spectator sport. After just about every point I'm like, "What happened? Did he get it?" I've deciphered a few of the directors' hand signals now, so I kind of get it. But I'm still mostly in the dark. Plus, they NEVER have anywhere to sit for the parents. So we stand all smooshed on the side of the strips all dang tournament. Lame.

Not that swim meets are so thrilling. But at least they have bleachers.

Post recommendation

I'm just going to pass along this site because I think it is unique, interesting and cool
(not for you, ARG).

It's called Her Bad Mother's Basement and it's a blog where people can post anonymously. They write letters to their in-laws, soon to be ex-husbands, old friends...etc. They rant and rave about lame people in their lives. It's pretty interesting. The writing is so real. So brutal. So human.

I've considered writing a post for it, but don't totally trust that I would really be anonymous.

If you check it out, let me know what you think.

Take the Test

OK, I know I am a history geek. But I love this kind of stuff.

This US Civic Literacy test is pretty good. Check it out.

I think all that jazz is still important because it completely affects our lives sooner or later. If we don't understand what our government is supposed to do or not do, how can we keep a check on it? Do we think that "someone else" in Washington will keep an eye on and somehow halt the inevitable tendency of government to increase, usurp power and violate our rights?

Here are my results: You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %
(yes, I am slightly proud).

And one that I got wrong makes me annoyed:

29) A flood-control levee (or National Defense) is considered a public good because:

A. citizens value it as much as bread and medicine

B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it

C. government construction contracts increase employment

D. insurance companies cannot afford to replace all houses after a flood

E. government pays for its construction, not citizens

I didn't like any of the answers. So I guessed A. The correct answer is:

- B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it

THAT'S the definition of “public good”? That someone gets something for free? Now, what is the flaw in that definition? It sure explains why politicians invoke the "public good" so darn often.

Let me know how you do!

It's not all bad news...

The economy continues to tank. Massive layoffs seem eminent. Sick, whacko, violent terrorists killed a lot of people in India a few days ago. And along with inevitable inflation that will come along in the next few years, we will also be paying higher taxes to cover all the bail-outs going on.

But the news is not all bad. In fact there is one bright, shining spot on my horizon today.

I have joyfully discovered the lint shaver!

Oh marvelous creation - where have you been all my life?

Sweaters on the "donate" pile - come on back! With this fantastic device I can shave off all those nasty balls of fuzz. My sweaters can look fresh and new again just in time for cold weather.

I can't express the gut level satisfaction I felt shaving away to my heart's content on my old sweaters. I filled my shaver three times with lint today. It was visceral. It was deeply satisfying.

My kids begged to do it too. "Can I do it?", "Can I do it?", "Can I do it?"

My sweaters may not long brand new, but they are wearable again. I have three (virtually) new sweaters! So not only do I have fun shaving unwanted lint, but my penny-pinching self is happy too!

What a fantastic invention!

NoHDTVforMe

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

We didn't win.

:(

I don't know HOW anyone wins. We clicked "add to cart" the instant it became available. Hubby thinks maybe our computer clock wasn't synched with the Amazon clock. But the ticking clock was on the Amazon site..... Humph.

Now we have to pay big bucks.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!