Last Day for NaBloPoMo!

In tribute to posting EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past month, I decided to go ahead and accept a couple of meme tags.

Heather over at Coal Miner's Granddaughter tagged me today for a meme of my 5 favorite things, so here they are in no particular order:

1. Baby Snuggles! I LOVE baby snuggles, and not just from my baby! I love baby snuggles from all babies, though now I can say I prefer my baby's snuggles.


2. Drinking Starbucks while browsing in Barnes and Noble! My winter drink is White Chocolate Mocha, and my summer drink is Caramel Frappuccino. I browse many different sections - Occult & New Age, Bargain Books, Crafts, Journals, and now Parenting & Children. I may not buy anything except the coffee, but I love books and I love coffee, so this is the best of both worlds!


3. Salsa! I LOVE salsa in just about any way you can give it to me - chips and salsa, salsa on omlets or eggs, salsa with my quesadilla or burrito or enchilada. I've even been known to eat salsa with crackers when I didn't have any chips. My favorite salsa is the homemade stuff my mom cans. It is absolutely delicious! My second favorite is the kind I get at El Mezcal, my favorite Mexican restaraunt. Mmmm. I'm drooling now. By the way, pico de gallo is not salsa. Salsa has to be cooked before canning or serving!


4. A Massage from a good massage therapist! A friend bought me one in May for Mother's Day, and it was wonderful! It had been years since my last massage. I plan to get one for my mother for her 50th birthday in January. I'll get one for myself soon after, unless DTTF decides that's what he's getting me for Yule.


5. Yarn! I love yarns and fabrics and crafty things. I love making things. I love touching the soft fibers. I'm allergic to wool, though, so all my yarn has to be acrylic or cotton. I've banned myself from buying new yarn until I use up most of my stockpile, but that doesn't stop me from stroking the skeins of yarn in Wal-Mart or Michael's.

The second meme is one that Carrie from Live in the Badlands tagged me for over a month ago. I'm supposed to come up with 7 random things about myself, so here goes (warning, though, some may be gross):

1. I can't see or hear someone puke without gagging. Most of the time I can prevent the all-out-act, but it's a struggle! This was made even worse when I was pregnant, though after Tree Faerie was born, it went back to normal.


2. I have a huge scar on my right bicep from being in a car wreck in April of 1987. My late step-dad (he died in 1990 from a heart attack) swerved to miss a dog in the road and lost control of the truck. It flipped several times through a field and I was ejected from the vehicle. I had a compound fracture and the skin around the wound was ground with dirt and had to be removed. I have a patch scar on my butt cheek from where they took the skin graft. During my 3 1/2 week hospital stay, everyone kept telling me how luck I was that I didn't lose my arm. Now I rarely even think about the scar unless someone asks or something scratches it.


3. I also had a piece of glass stuck in my eye from the same wreck and had 2 dissolving stitches in my right eye. The eye doctor can't even find a scar on my eye from it now.


4. I used to be allergic to poison ivy until I had a full systemic reaction to it. I was building a fort in my back yard next to a tree that had vines on it. Now, being the good Girl Scout and Southern Girl I was, I knew what poison ivy leaves looked like, but I had NEVER seen leaves on the vines on this tree. I pulled the vines off the tree and used them in making the fort. The next morning, I could barely open my eyes. I had to go get 3 shots, take a round of steroids, and use LOTS of hydrocortizone cream. I had one little bitty outbreak the next summer and haven't had it since, even though I've been around it and helped doctor other people's outbreaks.


5. I was offerred the opportunity to go to both Space Camp and a journalism symposium in DC, but I had to turn them both down because we didn't have the money.


6. I entered exactly ONE beauty pagent after being pushed and nudged by various people. I did not have fun and felt very out of place. I didn't win anything, either, probably because I looked mortified at some of the things I'd seen backstage. My mom was very supportive without pushing me one way or the other. That's one of the things I love my mom for - she often let me make up my own mind about things.


7. I found my first silver hair when I was 17. Since then they've been coming in slowly. I've recently been pondering coloring my hair (I haven't colored it in about 6 years) because I keep seeing full-length silver hairs.

So, those are my random facts. Hmmm. Who to tag... Mom is in the Fishbowl, how about telling us 5 of your favorite things, and Mom's Happy Handful, what are 7 random things about you?

Gifts

I ordered DTTF's Yule gift yesterday, so now I have to try to make it home in time to beat DTTF to the mailbox next week. Usually DTTF checks the mail before he comes in the house, and I'm afraid if he sees the package, he'll immediately know what it is.

Of course, while my dear hubby doesn't make it a habit to read my site, I can't tell you what it is just in case he decides to pop on over. So you have to wait, too! Let's just say it's something he really wants, and I've found a way to make it even more special. I'll also get him a couple of small things, but this is the main gift!

I've decided to make sock animals for my nephews and my best friend's boys. I'm going to make two elephants, a monkey, and a cat if all goes as planned. I've already picked up the socks. Now I just need to sit down and make them. I've been debating making Tree Faerie a sock animal or two as well, though I haven't decided. My big-$$$-gift for her is going to be a convertible car seat. I found one that should last her for the next 8 years or so (that might be a slight exaggeration) for around $120 at Wal-Mart. It's made by Graco, and while I trust the brand, I still want to research it before I purchase it. This is the life of my child we're talking about, after all.

For the grandparents, I'm torn between getting them mugs (either regular or travel) with Tree Faerie's picture or something else. I have other things in mind for all of them, but I really liked the idea of the mugs! Is it selfish to give them something bearing Tree Faerie's picture? They are grandparents, after all...

I think for the ladies in my department at work, I'm going to do something cutesy from OrganizedChristmas.Com. I'm specifically thinking of the We Whisk You a Happy Holiday sort of thing. I've already discovered their favorite individually-wrapped-indulgences. I guess I need to decide soon.

For the daycare teachers, I've decided to go with snuggly socks and bath stuff (I know, but I'm stumped, and I know they all like scented bath stuff because they've mentioned it!).

I have no idea what to do for DTTF's sister and her husband, nor do I know what I'm doing for my brother. I also don't know what I'm doing for my boss.

That about sums up my gift-giving list! I didn't realize I was this prepared! Now I just have to make sure all the shopping is done at least a week before Yule...

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I've also decided to practice my hand at writing reviews. I posted a food review over at Fey's Tricks of the Trade, so go check it out and let me know what you think. Please be honest and offer suggestions if you have any!

Holiday Ramblings

Well, I bought my holiday cards last night. They're not my usual glittery cards like I get from Target, but I had to go to Wal-Mart (I know the horrors of the place, yes, but I have to pinch my pennies) last night, so I perused their card selection. I found some cute, homey cards with a secular yet warm greeting inside. I got 60 for less than $12, and since my list just keeps getting longer every year, that's not too shabby! I love sending and receiving holiday cards, though I receive a lot fewer than I send.

I also picked up artificial poinsettia flowers to put in the vase on the mantle. The vase is one that my mom made when she took a pottery class at college years ago. DTTF put it on the mantle with the suggestion that we update the arrangement regularly based on the season or upcoming holiday. I forgot how much I enjoy arranging flowers! I didn't take a picture, but as soon as I do, I'll post it. I didn't buy a real poinsettia because I'm terrible at remembering to water my plants, so they always die. I almost killed the aloe plant Random Faerie left with me when she moved to Colorado. It's still alive and doing better, but I really need to re-plant it. That's the only plant I've been able to keep alive, though. I'm glad I'm better at taking care of my animals than that...

This is Tree Faerie's first Christmas holiday, and I would really like for her to see both my parents and DTTF's mom. Yule (Winter Solstice - our holiday) will be focused more on the spiritual aspect of the season, and we each get to open one gift that night. We'll have our Outer Court Yule celebration on the 22nd. My family gets together at my grandma's on Christmas Eve, but DTTF has to work. That 3 hour drive does not sound appealing with just Tree Faerie and me because I can't keep her entertained and drive. She gets bored easily, and once she gets to the point of fussiness, she needs active distraction. Christmas day will be spent with DTTF's family. I don't know if we're going to do Santa at our house or at DTTF's mom's house or both. I know it will all work out, but until it does it will be burrowing itself in my worry-center.

This weekend I get to pull out the holiday decorations and decide what I'm putting where. I was also debating touching up the paint in Tree Faerie's room so we can move us all upstairs. Hmm. If I get that done, maybe I can get the border hung and her room set up. Then I can pick a day for us to move upstairs so we can get a bit of help in exchange for dinner. Hmm. My wheels are turning...

Transitioning

Starting next week, Tree Faerie will begin transitioning to the toddler room at daycare. The transition period lasts 4 weeks. During the first week, one of the infant room teachers will take her to the toddler room for about 15 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. On Week 2, one of the toddler room teachers will come get Tree Faerie and take her to the toddler room for about 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon. Tree Faerie will spend an hour in the morning and afternoon on Week 3. The last week of transitioning, Tree Faerie will go to the toddler room in the morning and stay through the morning nap, then go back to the infant room.

This morning I talked to the head teacher of the toddler room she'll be moving into. The woman was very nice and personable. I was really nervous about the transition and she was able to ease my nervousness quite a bit. The toddlers only take one nap a day around mid-day, and they don't give the toddlers bottles at all, only sippy-cups. They are given regular whole milk or juice during the two snack-times and lunch. This means I won't have to pump anymore starting the first week of January. While I'm kind of happy about it, I'm also kind of sad. My baby is growing up!

So, do any of you have words of wisdom to help me through this transition? I'm sure Tree Faerie will be fine with it. I'm the one who has a problem with change. If you would prefer, you can email me at asumers at gmail dot com.

Busy as a Bee

I have a lot of work to get done today and impending deadlines. Hopefully we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming shortly. I'll catch up on all of your posts then.

I <3 My Husband

When Tree Faerie went back down for her morning nap at 10 AM, I decided to nap, too. Two and a half glorious hours later, I woke up. DTTF had taken Tree Faerie out of the bedroom when she woke up so she wouldn't wake me.

I love my husband dearly!'

Weekends = Rest, Right?

In my pre-mommy days, I could find time for a nap or sleep in until noon if I was exhausted.

Now?

Now I just get sleep when I can. Last night Tree Faerie was up every 45 minutes again. The culprit? I'm sure it was Tooth #2. That's right, Tooth #2 is taking it's own sweet time. It broke the surface a week or two ago and has SLOWLY been working it's way up.

Okay, so maybe it stopped. I don't know. I can't see any other tooth appearing, and that one is just BARELY above the surface.

Anyway, did I think to myself, It's okay because it's the weekend and I'll be able to get rest later? No, because there are other things that still have to be done while wrangling the child!

I know I complain a lot here about the lack of sleep, and I know that it will get better as she gets older. I also know that when we decide to have another I'll be right back in this cycle.

Who knows? Maybe the next one will know what sleep is...