Deconstructing Jen

pulling a fast one

It appears that the alien kid snatchers that I spoke so highly of last week pulled a fast one on me. It seems that while they abducted the old Ben and left me a new shiny eating model they also snatched my well behaved 4 year old daughter and left a very dysfunctional tantrum throwing one behind. And this one is broken. Seriously. Malfunctioning. As a matter of fact with her mood swings she makes PMS look like an all expenses paid trip to Tahiti. One minute screaming, hyperventilating, crying. Next minute grins and giggles. I about got whiplash today, her moods changed so fast. I thought this wasn't supposed to happen for about 9 more years.

 

Oooh, she's alive, installment #1

Yeah, yeah, I know I've been neglecting me blogging duties. I've been procrastinating and avoiding. It happens.

So how about a massive, all inclusive, all expenses paid update? Shall we?

So the Foo Fighters Concert from two weekends ago. ROCKED. It was hands down with out a doubt the best rock my socks off concert EVER! They played for 3 hours. When was the last time you went to a concert where the headliner played for THREE hours?? Seriously.

Here are some pics:

Us before the show. Ah, how cute.

A good shot from the beginning of the show. (Man, Chris's iPhone takes SWEET pics.)

The acoustic stage.

The acoustic stage with the lights up during My Hero. I seriously teared up a bit during this song (there's a thing Chris says about Ben that kinda goes with the song that caused it all).

And what's a Foo Fighters concert without Best of You?

You can take a listen below if you are so inclined.

And now on to the baby shower. It was awesome and right up my alley. None of that silly game playing or embarrassing stories. Just good food, good presents and more good food. An excellent time was had by all. Here's a shot of Evey and Keeley doing what they do best - Evey is opening other peoples gifts and Keeley is looking happy and wonderful.

And this concluded this installment of your massive, all inclusive, all expenses paid update. Stay tuned for the next update sometime tomorrow (I hope).

'tis no toddler, 'tis an eating machine

To the alien baby snatcher who took the old no talking, no walking, no eating Ben and left behind this new and improved, walking, talking, eating machine...you can keep the old one, we'll keep this new model.

Ben EATS. He eats a lot. He eats a variety of things. Wow. I seriously was wondering if this day would ever come.

Ben didn't walk until 18 ½ months. He didn't say his first word until 19 months, not even Mama or Dada. And he didn't start eating, really eating, until Monday. This Monday.

So here is the back story since I didn't have this blog until after this all started (though I have started to try to add it in here). Ben was born 7 weeks early with Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome. The really short story is that his heart rate was 323 beats per minute on the fateful day I went in for my routine check up at 33 weeks. He was far enough along that this meant c-section. Now. He was born with loads of complications. The short list included organ failure, heart failure, fetal hydrops (defined as abnormal accumulation of fluid in 2 or more fetal compartments – this is BAD and usually fatal), the WPW I mentioned earlier and an Apgar score of 1. Miraculously he only had three lasting complications, the WPW, chronic lung disease (which is bad but not nearly as bad as it sounds), and an extremely sensitive gag reflex as a result of the numerous tubes and ventilators that had been in his throat.

So what does all that mean? It means as Ben grew he had issues with his heart (and while he hasn't had any in a while there is potential for it), he was sick a LOT, and he had trouble eating. When most babies were eating finger foods Ben was eating purees that I made in our blender (you try blending a hot dog or lasagna – it's not pretty). Added to that for what ever reason was a delay in gross motor skills and verbal skills.

As of Monday, Ben is officially normal. Not a spec of delay in sight. Every single thing about him is caught up. Even more astonishing is that he seems to have started to surpass normal to be an over achiever.

In one month he is walking and as of today, running. He spoke his first word and his first sentence “I get it.” He started counting...un, TWO, ee. And his is eating more than my 4 year old at dinner. Tonight he had baked beans (a new favorite for sure), au gratin potatoes (from scratch, none of that box stuff), and peaches.

Holy cow, little man. I can't express how amazed I am at your achievements. You blow me away.

handstamped goodness

yesterday i happened to be logged in at just the right time to volunteer to my kids names for a new hand-stamped necklace design from my fellow blogger Erin, designer behind The Vintage Pearl. Isn't it GORGEOUS! I can't wait to get my hands on it. Erin's jewelry is beautiful, creative, and unique. She has loads of wonderful creations that are perfect for gifts or just a treat for yourself.

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop....and buy something.

a little baby, a little foo

A little baby...
So today is filled with lots of stuff to do. We'll be heading out in a bit to my sister-in-laws first baby shower. It should be a powder blue blast. (it's a boy) If it's anything like her bridal shower it means that my daughter will be hogging all the attention and presents while Keeley graciously smiles and allows encourages it. In typical Jen style I went way overboard on the gifts but hey, isn't that what aunts are for? Besides it's not likely that we'll be having any more kids and mine are rapidly outgrowing the Babies R Us stage so I have to shop there while I still can.

A little foo...
We are going to the Foo Fighters concert tonight! SCHWEET! I think I love them. Skin and Bones is my favorite album EVER. (shh...don't tell Garth Brooks that his live album has been demoted.) I would like to thank my lovely friend Brad's cousin Andrew for deciding to get married on this glorious night because now I get to sit in the seat that was originally supposed to be filled by Brad. (Sorry, about that Brad....I am really sorry, truly I am.) How about I make it up to you by scheduling a round of golf for you and Chris next weekend? Beers on me? Deal? Awesome!

It's been 5 years since I've seen a concert. It was the Dixie Chicks right at the beginning of the big brouhaha surrounding certain comments about a certain president about whom I will keep my snide comments to myself. And ironically Chris and I went with Brad and his lovely wife. It was phenominal. I fully expect tonight to be just as amazing if not better. (yes...I'm musically eclectic, I know.) I can't wait to find out what Foo is and how you Fight it. Man I just love that joke, it never gets old.

fly friday #2

So this week in Fly Lady Land has been something of a struggle though I did get it together a bit more today. I've been struggling because we haven't been home much this week, I've been battling an on and off headache all week and I've been mourning the loss of my summer. This week has looked pretty much like last week with no major improvements, still no zone cleaning but that's okay.

So what Fly Lady topic will I discuss today...well, I think I'll discuss the one thing I think is absolutely genius about her system. The use of a a timer. There are lots of cool things about Fly Lady and a lot of random little tips that make a lot of difference but in my life this one takes the cake. Who know that 15 minutes of continuous committed cleaning/decluttering could have such a vast impact on the overall appearance of my home. Seriously 15 minutes.

Now why do I love it? Because it's only 15 minutes. I can do something, be done with it and go do something fun. Then later I can do another 15 minutes. And it works. I could have surprise guests right now and not be terrified that my house is a disaster. Now it's not totally clutter free or spotless but it's not embarassing. How cool is that?

So if you do Fly Lady, what's your favorite tip?

seriously behind

Well, I'm not seriously behind but I'm behind. In what you ask? Let me illuminate the possibilities (Aladdin is the movie of choice at our house right now). I'm behind on the laundry, and behind on reading the blogs I have logged on Google reader (if you don't have it you should get it), I'm behind in posting on this blog, I'm behind on my summer reading goal (stinking book that refuses to be finished) and more than anything I am behind in all the things I expected to get accomplished when my summer break started. There's something about July 4th that brings the slow lazy pace of summer to a screeching halt and causes the whole thing to move as if someone is holding down the fast forward button on my life.

So in an attempt to regain control of the run away train here are the things I want to accomplish before summers over (in no particular order):

1. Take Evey to an amusement park.
2. Read 5 books.
3. Draw something - a completed something, not just sketches.
4. De-clutter our closets and the kitchen (ehem, this isn't going to happen but a girl can dream, right)
5. Get the school web site up to date before fall registration (Yeah, you read the right, the WHOLE thing. A wee Jen factoid, I somehow managed to wrangle the position of being in charge of the entire website for the school I teach at, what was I thinking?)
6. Get professional pics of the kids taken (Nic or Steph, feel like coming to Missouri soon?).
7. Get back into a normal sleep pattern that does not involve staying up until 1 am.
8. Finish the paintings for Evey's room.

What do you need to get done before the summer is over?

fly friday #1

So I threw down a little Fly Lady challenge to a friend of mine. And she called me out to see how things are going. Surprisingly they are going pretty well. I've been taking it much slower this time around. The last time I attempted FlyLady I did exactly what she said not to do - tried to start everything at once and it fizzled out after about a month (but it was one heck of a clean house month). December probably wasn't the best month to start, ya think?

This time around I've been focusing on one or two things at a time, so far I've added these things.

1. Keeping the sink clean and shiny is number one. Strange how this actually does help keep the whole house clean.
2. Keeping the general clutter under control. I do a clutter sweep twice a day. Man I've thrown out a lot of stuff...and man do the trash guys hate me.
3. Laundry - I'm trying to know where my laundry is and not neglect it. (this is really hard for me - I loath laundry because it's never complete, never. somebody's always wearing something and that something has to be washed. by me.)
4. The daily swish and swipe....I just started this and so far I love it. Our bathrooms have been spotless for 4 days. 
5. The weekly home blessing hour - I really suck at this but I'm working on it (if you don't know what this is...it's changing linens, vacuuming, mopping (UGH), emptying trash all over the house, etc.....you know the stuff that you can just let slide one more week.)

All in all it's been going great, I think. We've had company twice this week and neither time did I feel the need to do the 2 hour crazy clean because all I really needed to do was sweep and tidy a bit.

I have not even attempted any of the zone cleaning yet. I need to get the top 5 up there down as a habit before I even attempt the zone stuff.

I think as a way to track this I'll do a Fly Friday post each week to see how it goes. :)

no they did NOT

no, no, no! HELL NO.

I love that book and now it's going to take months for me to get that pasty, lipstick and eyeliner wearing, orange haired, creepy stare having picture out of my head when I read about Edward. If this is any kind of representation of what they have done to that book in the movie I am NOT seeing it and I was going to. damn.

I did think it was kinda ironic that the name of this picture was "ewcover" when I snagged it. I'm sure "ew" means Entertainment Weekly but I was thinking "EW!!!" was more appropriate.

i got the heads up from over here and could not make it through the night without getting this out of my system. sorry for the tantrum. i'm done now. really.

4th of July photographic evidence

I know I'm always late. It's a problem I have.

We had a great time over the holiday. We spent part of the day relaxing at Mom's house and the evening watching the local fireworks show. Well some of us any way, the daughter and her cousins decided that watching her Gameboy was more fun. Huh? Time to cut them off, I think.

Here are some of the highlights from Mom's house. The shoulderless golfer (courtesy of my brother, Bill), Bill teaching useless life skillz to my kids, (no that's not a typo, you heard me I said SKILLZ) Chris grillin it up and some of Chris's always lovely chalk drawings (I keep trying to tell him to be an illustrator but he says, nah), more useless life skillz, and quick Lego tower.

(Click the picture for a larger version.)