The MomGate MG1

So my husband is a vendor... meaning he sells bread from a local bakery to stores/resteraunts/etc.  He has a route that goes through a very nice section of Hamden.  And at these places there are 'Donation Bins.'  You have all seen them, they claim they will take your old clothing and give it out to the downtrodden... well read the fine print folks, some of them are Forprofit places that sell your donated clothes and don't give anything back in the process.

But I digress.  Specifically on the boxes near us it says 'CLOTHES ONLY'  no Furniture/No Toys/No random things you just want out of your house... okay that last part I added but hey, you will see bags of bric-a-brac all over that place.  And Furniture... and mattresses... I mean come on people.. NO ONE wants your nasty old mattress... heck I dont want the one I have ;) 

well the toys that get left there usually get left in the rain and ruined.  The trucks that collect the clothes never do anything with the toys/furniture/random stuph.  All they want are the clothes.  So my husband has found some very nice used toys for our kids.  Heck it is akin to driving down backstreets in town on Sunday or Tuesday night to see what folks think is worthless.  That is how I got the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe for my darlings along with some other neat things. 

Does this make me trashy?  I would hope not!  My kids are enjoying these cast offs, and honestly they don't care if it is new out of the box or was used!  I like to think I am keeping useful things out of the landfil, and you know... when I am planning on rehoming these toys, there are donation places that wouldnt say no to these gems... or I might know some other low income families that would find this windfall a blessing.

What matters is YOUR perception of size.  

I have been wanting to make this post for a couple days now.  Mainly since I have made a revelation.  Society and other people have no right to dictate to me how I should look, what I should weigh and how I should feel about my own body.  Lately I have been following a blog that is called Dances with Fat.  And it is really helping me realize that I shouldn't feel embarressed by my size.

I will be blunt - according to society in the US I am obese.  I am 5 foot 11, weigh over 250.  My doctor tells me that my weight will have me with all sorts of horrible deadly medical conditions.  But let me share something with you.

I have given birth to two healthy children.  My body shows the battle scars from these two HEROIC pregnancies.  I breastfed exclusively both children for a combined total of 3 years.  My breasts show the scars from that.  Should I be ashamed that I have a pooch?  Should I be ashamed that my breasts sag?  According to popular culture, yes I should be so embarressed I will pay for plastic surgery, or for diet pills or diet plans.  I have decided that I am proud of my body, I am proud of my battle scars.  And if you don't like it random person on the street... that is YOUR problem not mine.


I used to be a severe atshmatic, and that was back when I was 'acceptable' and not considered a 'plus size woman.'   After I was pregnant with Gabe - my athsma improved dramatically.  In fact I rarely use my rescue inhaler, something that I used to use a few times a day on top of plenty of controller meds.   Also used to have severe heartburn and migraines.  Well the migraines I still get but that is from a health problem that is completely unrelated to my weight.  (Lattice Degeneration in my eyes)

Now yes I know weight can have a negative impact on our health.  I do want to point out, that I walk every day, and I chase two children under 4 all over the place.  Now that summer is here I usually get a good leg workout in the pool pushing said kids around in their floaties.  My dinner plate has more fruits and vegetables then grains and protein.  And yet I cannot lose any weight. 

Yes my biggest vice right now is Pop... I am working on cutting that out but during the summer I just love the fizz so much, I am working on it!  My husband comments I eat a lot of crap.  I admit I do eat junk food, but just as often I will be munching on veggies and fruits.  Soon as I get this icky tooth pulled I can go back to my favorite carrots.  When I cook I generally cook healthy, very little fat, no salt, plenty of fresh veggies etc.  After all I am a mom who wants to see her kids healthy!

I used to obsess over my weight... I'd go into cycles when I was depressed about it, I'd dress in the baggiest clothes I had or even not bother to get dressed at all and just sit in my PJs.  No longer.  My blood pressure is low even for a 'healthy thin person.'  I haven't had the weekly athsma attacks in quite a long time.  The athsma is still there, just not running my life.   I have plenty of energy, most of the time, I am strong from carrying my kids and lugging around car seats/groceries.

Why should I punish myself for my body doing what it was designed to do.  My 'fat' thighs walk me where I want to go.  My 'big ass' lets me sit down so I can cuddle my kids.  My 'saggy' breasts fed my two kids and now make wonderful pillows for my husband and the kids.  If clothes don't fit, it isn't my body's fault, it is the style or cut of the clothes. 

You can keep your anerixic thin bodies society.  I am a woman.  I am proud of what my body accomplishes in the past and on a daily basis.  I plan on taking care of it, and honestly starving myself, taking weight loss pills, obsessing over wearing a size 0 or comparing myself to other people is not in my best interest or the interest of my wonderful body. 

When and if my body develops health concerns that are directly correlated to my weight that is a hurdle I will jump when I get there.  I am who I am now.  If you have a problem with that, then maybe YOU should rethink your stance.

Wikipedia defines Odontophobia and honestly... I fit the bill.

Everytime I see a fake dentist on TV my pulse starts to race... not to mention driving by offices.  Partly this is learned, my mother hates the dentist from a bad experience.  Partly because I remember getting teeth extracted with no novacain, another couple of procedures with novocain not working... and the fact that I have soft teeth so the insides which are supposed to be rocklike, are more like shoe leather.  Oh and did I mention a lot of mental put downs from hygenists.

My confession is, I haven't been to the dentist in almost 10 years.  At first it was because I had no dental insurance, or at least that was my excuse.  Dentists are EXPENSIVE.  Then when I HAD dental insurance through Husky A (state run care for low income families) I couldnt find a dentist because Medicaid paid out so little for dental procedures.   Then when that changed and dentists accepted Husky A again... I found out that the majority only accept up to the age of 19.

Well at this point I have one shattered back molar... it's been that way for 2 years now... and ironically only NOW causing me pain, and at least 5 cavities.  I am guessing more from my past history.  I KNOW I am going to need 2 crowns and potentially an extraction.  The broken back molar is really bad, we will see what happens. 

Well I finally found a dentist that accepts Husky A for parents as well as children, so before I could continue to put it off anymore, or make up excuses, I booked EVERYONE for appointments.  The kids both go on Thursday and Shawn and I are scheduled for Friday.  This is going to be embarressing for me because of what bad shape my teeth are, but something needs to be done.  The pain is just starting now and well it is hard to do anything when your whole head is throbbing. 

It is time we take better care of ourselves and I am going to do my best to get over my dentist phobia.  Luckily they do offer 'Laughing Gas' because goodness knows I am going to need it.  I am getting all cold and sweaty just thinking of the end of the week =X

Alright... so we all know kids can be a challenge.  However rewarding, challenging none the less.

Just last week the duct tape was removed from the VCR built into the TV in the playroom(music channels make Caitlynn silly!) but a whole bunch of toys and a surge protector (dont know WHERE they found that one, considering I've been looking for it for a year now...) were shoved in.  I guess that beats the fingers that used to get stuck in there... which is the reason the duct tape was there in the first place...

but I digress.

The latest battle, well besides the sleeping issue, has been over clothes.  Gabe as a rule would rather not wear pants.  He is happy in his underoos or a pullup.   I am blessed that he prefers to have something on the bottom rather then nothing at all... but that's Cait.  Well we used to let Gabe chose between 4 shirts to wear a day.  I'd lay them on the bed and he would pick one and our day would begin.  Over the past week, every time we try to peel him out of a grimy dirty and sometimes stinky shirt, he would have a complete poo fit and tantrum.   

I swear you look at Gabe funny and he starts to cry... which brings up a lot of frustration with Shawn and exasperation from me.  I don't know how today's battle ended... I left to do my errands with Gabe still screaming bloody murder about the 'Ben' shirt he was wearing yesterday.

Well at least Cait just takes off the clothes she doesnt like... of course that includes the diaper.. Oi Vey.

Well since folks have been asking for the delicious recipe... I figured I'd share it!
I got the idea from a cooking magazine... but I changed it up a little bit!

Reuben Quiche
Crust:
4 pieces of toasted rye bread (You can use crumbled up rye triscuits as well)
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp flour

Filling:
5 Green onions
1Tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of shredded swiss cheese (divided in half)
1/2 cup drained saurkraut
1 Tsp dry mustard
1 Tsp pepper
pinch of salt
1/4 lb of deli corned beef cut into strips
1/2 cup Half n Half or Milk

Preheat oven to 375

Toast the rye bread and cut/crumble it into small pieces.  Mix with the melted butter and the flour and press into a 9inch pie plate.  Put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes to toast it up nicely.

Saute the sliced green onion in the butter and set aside. 

Put half of the cheese on the crust.  Place the meat ontop of the cheese.  Top with saurkraut and the rest of the cheese.

Beat the 4 eggs with the mustard, pepper, salt, green onions and half and half.  Pour on top of the rest of the ingredients.

Bake at 375 uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (free of egg)

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

It tastes good as is - but really good with Thousand Island dressing drizzled as well!  Enjoy!

So as some people might know, our first attempt at dog rescue was not so good.  We did not get to meet the dog first and we got him so young we had *NO* idea how big he would grow to be.  Sebastian was a beautiful dog, Dr Mark our vet believed he was part Golden Retriever part German Spitz.  He was a friendly dog but he had NO MANNERS.  And he is the first dog I have EVER known who was not motivated by food.  Not even a little bit.  I have no clue how to train a dog without food rewards =( 

So after a year of Sebby knocking everyone over for jumping, terrorizing the cats, breaking through screens, windows, 4 seperate crates.  And a lot of heartache, I found him a new home.  Gabe asked about the 'Woof'  but wasnt too upset about it, since he could never really interact with Sebby. 

After we found him a new home, I casually browsed Petfinder, looked on Craigs List etc to see if i could find a better fit for our family.  I put some applications in at local shelters just in case the workers there happened to find a dog for us.  I was in no rush after the debacle with Sebby. 

Well one afternoon I figured I'd go put in application in at the Meriden Humane Society.  We've adopted 2 cats from them and currently foster an elderly cat.  Petfinder didnt have any specific dogs from them that I was interested in.  But I figured I'd just put in an application and tell them what we were looking for.  While I was there, one of the volunteers said, 'I know the perfect dog.'

She brought me to the backroom and there was Ben.  A beautiful medium sized dog who wagged his tail so hard his crate shook.  I took him for a walk and spent at least an hour playing with him.  I was excited.  At the next available time I brought Gabe to the shelter to meet Ben.  Ben gave him kisses but the two of them seemed more interested in the cats.  However there was no knocking over, no growling.  Just a lot of kisses and tail wagging. 

So a week later we went back because Gabe was asking about Ben the Woof.  This time we couldnt stay very long but Gabe spent that time hugging Ben.  It was puppy love!  I was so excited when I got the call asking if we wanted to bring Ben home!  I dug out the dogbed we had in the closet, got food and water bowls set up and zipped over to get Ben.  When I brought him home, Gabe was thrilled.  Even Cait was excited, and Ben was very nice to her as well.

We've had Ben for almost 3 weeks now, and while Ben has some issues we need to work on, as well as attending a training class - he is a very sweet and loving dog.  Gabe and Ben are inseperable.  They sleep together, play together and take walks together, with me of course.  It is a very happy time for us!  And best thing is... Ben loves going for car rides... so he is going to join the kids and me for our trip up to Maine in July!  How much fun will that be!  A whole island for Ben to explore with two other dogs.   And of course plenty of love and attention. 


While I was in the vet's office with Ben I came across this poem that I thought I would end this post with.

I rescued a Human Today

I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.
I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.
I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today.
Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past.
I only have the future to look forward to and want to make
a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.
A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.
I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved.
At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.

Remember Folks - it is TOO HOT to leave your dogs in your car while you 'run errands.' I had to call 911 today because I saw a very sweet looking dog panting like crazy in a locked car in the sun in a parking lot today. He was there at LEAST 45 minutes (the time I arrived at the store to when I finished my run in and... out and then waited) The officer that came (promptly I might add) said the car wasn't that bad but hey, if I was to leave my toddler in the car for even 15 minutes in today's heat I would have been arrested and my children taken away from me. PLEASE do not leave your pets (or kids) in your car!

So this morning after our walk, yes can you believe it - Ben has made it so I have NO excuse to take at least two walks a day ;), I decided to run to the grocery store to get some staples I needed for the weekend.  I am making a batch of Pioneer Woman's Firecracker Shrimp for Marcel's party... but i digress.  And While at the store I learned why my mother hated bringing people with her grocery shopping.  Since all of the 'multiple kids carts' were taken, I plopped Cait in the basket and Gabe was walking along side me chattering away.   Well when I went to check out, I found quite a bit of unwanted items in our basket.  The only item that I couldnt give back was the bag of Pupperoni's that Gabe insisted Ben had to have.   It was so cute listening to explain that Ben loves them... although Ben has never had them before to my knowledge.

Granted... Ben DOES indeed love them.  Ahh well, dog treats are definitely good to have on hand.  Hopefully I will get some pictures of Gabe sleeping with Ben this weekend... IF the child sleeps.  Ben and Gabe are attached at the hip now, definitely best friends =)

OKay this is going to be a full on mommy rant because I honestly need to get it out of my system before I explode. 

My son Gabriel has NEVER been a good sleeper.  From day 1 he hated to sleep.  Luckily Caitlynn is a good sleeper but that is another post...

Well ever since the kids got Rotavirus, Shawn took pity on Gabe and let him sleep in our room.  I warned him it was a baaaaaaaad idea.  Granted it did make it easier to deal with the diahreah before it exploded all over the sheets, Gugs, floor.  Believe me cleaning THAT up at 2am sucks as well.  And during that period of a week when he was sick, he mastered the poop on the potty thing.  Which is a good thing... however, we STILL cannot get him out of our bedroom. 

"Oh just let him cry it out in his room" you say... um yeah... if anyone heard my moans back when Gabe was an infant you'd know that he can seriously cry for 4+ hours straight, projectile vomitting all the way.  And that right now just get Caitlynn all riled up and then SHE can't sleep either... I told Shawn this was his monster and he had to deal with it... but obviously, he would rather bitch about getting no sleep then helping me retrain Gabe how to sleep in his room.

"It's a phase, he'll grow out of it" you say... he has NEVER wanted to sleep, either alone or with someone.

"You're just exaggerating" says the pediatrician.  Yes, I am exaggerating that my son sleeps approximately 5 hours a night, no naps, and very little 'down' time during the day.  I am being completely honest.  We follow the same bedtime routine every. single. night.  The kids pretty much say they are ready for it and we have offered Gabe the option to stay up, he wants to go upstairs.  Thats when the REAL problems begin.  7pm Gabe says 'Night Night' and curls up on the dog bed on the floor in our bedroom. (don't get me started about THAT one) I hear giggling and laughing coming from the bedroom.  Okay thats fine, he is playing with his toys and Ben.  Then I hear the thuds, bangs and occasionally barks.  Go in there and try to discipline him.  Often I go in there to see an entire box of tissues shredded, or a book destroyed, or last night, he slept in a big pile of his pullups.  He falls asleep around 11pm and then 5am he is back up full force, after his 2-3am brief period of wakefullness.

This past week has been so bad, his eyes are completely sunken in and bloodshot, he can't run in a straight line from being tired and STILL he fights it.  Even when I try to go to bed with him I can't.  He will just constantly babble right in my ear, thrash around and then keep going.  Seriously, when I am feeling ill I cannot even go to sleep early because he will sit there and keep me awake.  I am literally at wit's end.

Maybe I should consider seeing if Ama and Gaggee will take Caitlynn for a couple nights and days next week while we once again deal with 4+ hours of nonstop tantrums from Gabe at bedtime.  Or maybe I should just give in and put a TV in his bedroom so he can fall asleep to that... because sad to say it, when the TV worked in the master bedroom it wasn't this bad.  Turn on PBS Sprout and while he didnt always fall asleep quickly, at least he wasn't destructive.

::beats head into the desk:: As I write this, I am one solid mass of pain.  I was pretty much on my feet all day running Gabe into the ground to hopefully exhaust him enough that he'd sleep tonight.  You see, we are supposed to be going to a Memorial Day party on Sunday... and while I REALLY want to go, if Gabe is acting like he is right now... it would be an embarressment to take him anywhere.

::crosses fingers that this gets better soon:: I think I am gunna go crank up my music really loud so I cannot hear Gabe, he knows to just go to the potty if he has to go (although he apparently would much rather have us bring him just in case he needs the BigE potty to poo) or at least tell us. 

Well I've been kinda broken up since we had to give Sebastian up.  He was just too much dog for us.  So I have casually looked on Petfinder and attended a couple of 'adoption' events nearby just browsing.  Most shelters in the area will not adopt to families with children under age 6.  I can understand their caution and I appreciate it!  It doesnt stop me from looking however. 

Well the Meriden Humane Society is a great no kill shelter.  They work in conjunction with the Meriden Animal Control (housed in the same building) to try and adopt out as many animals as they can to the best possible homes.  You should see their 'cat room.'  It is a paradise!  No tiny little cages for the majority of the adult cats there!  Granted the kittens and the cats who are not used to socialization, or fixed, do not get the luxury of the big room.  

We have adopted two cats from them and foster an elderly cat so she can live out the rest of her days in comfort.  Yet I never thought to look their for a dog.  Granted that a large portion of shelter dogs in our areas are Pitbulls.  And yes I know pitbulls are not inherantly violent, BUT they are just too big for us. 

So when I dropped off my application, one of the volunteers asked what I was looking for, and when I mentioned a small - medium kid friendly dog she said she knew JUST the dog.  So out comes Ben.  I kid you not when I say this dog looks like a miniature golden retriever.  Beautiful dog, and he came right up to me to get some pets and cuddles.  In fact a lady who came in after I had been sitting with him for a little while thought he was my dog coming in for a visit =) 

So I added to my application Ben's name, he isnt even on Petfinder.  Apparently he was surrendered a couple of weeks ago.  When I took him for a walk, he wasn't even phased by the big dog's barking at him, and he was friendly with everyone except for an English Bulldog that walked by.  But hey, dogs are like people right, they don't have to like everyone. 

So we will see what happens.  I am in no rush, I want to make sure I find the perfect dog for our family... I don't want to run into another issue like we did with Sebastian.  So I am sure in the next week I will be schlepping the family down to meet Ben and see how he handles Gabe.  Granted Gabe is a loving child, but some dogs don't care for children.  As of right now the shelter has seen no signs of aggression towards anyone, and he ignores cats.  So keep your fingers crossed for us!

Well I sat in front of my computer last night in complete and utter shock for quite a few hours.  Unable to do much of anything.  A WoW friend of mine that I have known for close to 5 years passed away.  Even now this is hard to type through the tears.

Some people think you cannot be friends with 'pixels.' And that just because I dont hang out with someone in Real Life that I cannot be friends or become attached.  That is just not true.  I have more friends online then I do in real life.  Probably because I do not make friends easy and I know I am not the easiest person to be around a lot.  But Feolas I considered a friend.

I met him when I was looking for a Molten Core raid.  I was denied entrance to one because the nefarious leader did not want more mages in it.  Ultimately I began my own raid, but most of what I learned about Raid Leading I learned from Feolas.  He was cool calm and collected, it was VERY rare that I ever heard him angry on TS or Vent.  He put up with a LOT of egos, a lot of stupid shit and always managed to keep his raids running smoothly.   I know I was not always the raid leader that Feo was, but I tried very hard to emulate his style.  I just saw how his calm manner kept the raid running smoothly even when we were to be blunt, sucking.

When he took over the Winter Wolves current 25 I was excited.  I honestly enjoyed running with Feo - he was fun to joke with and if you needed encouragement, he would give you a pat on the back that you would need to excel.

He always seemed so full of life and excited about the game when you heard him on Vent... I wish I knew he was hurting as much as he was.  I will miss him very much... and I honestly wish this was just a sick joke.  I know it does not do well to dwell on grief... so I am going to try and focus on the good times I have had messing around with him on the internet.

And I am going to make sure to express to my friends, real life and online how much they mean to me, even if I do not always show it.

Rest in Peace Cameron.  I am a better person for having met you.

Alright so today was not a happy day for me... and I am wondering what else is going to go wrong.  If you read this blog or my facebook you know that I was excited about the opportunity to make a little extra money a week by making sure my neighbor's kids got on the bus and the other was walked to school.  It wasn't much but it would have paid for my groceries.

Well I get a phone call last night from the neighbor letting me know that her husband was just fired and so he was going to be watching hte kids in the morning.  My neighbor agrees that it seems awfully convienent that he gets fired a week after she gets a job and just in time for the summer.  Ahh well... that's my luck =(

Well the second thing... is I apparently ate something bad this morning... since about 3pm I have been incredibly nauseous.  And of course Gabe pulled down the child gate just in time to watch me wretch in the bathroom.  The feeling comes and goes but man does it suck >.<.

So now I am wondering what else is going to go wrong tonight since my misfortune always runs in threes.  And wow, last week it was rotavirus, this week it is apparently food related.  Oh Happy Day.

Well I just want to say... that Gabe is officially potty trained.  50% of the time he goes to bed he wakes up dry AND he hasnt poo'd in his pants in quite a while.  And all it took was a bad case of Rotavirus!

The only problem now is he is still getting the feeling down, some nights he will run to the potty for a minute, fart, go back to bed then come running back in another 5 minutes.  He hasnt quite figured out the difference between gas and the real mccoy.  Ahh well, at least I haven't had to change a Gabe sized poo in a while!

So I am saving our pennies... and we hope to take the Gabester to Rainforest Cafe soon as a reward for a job well done.  Lets just say, he is gunna loooooooooove it.

So I just had to dart to the computer to write this post before I procrastinated enough that I forgot my line of thought... like I do with so many blog posts I MEAN to write.

When I was growing up, a neighborhood was a serious community.  We watched out for each other, kids played together, adults had dinner with each other, block parties and when one family went on vacation, the neighbors watched their houses, pets and mail.  These days it seems like neighborhoods are not as close knit... at least where Shawn and I have lived.  Granted we lived in low income housing and the cops were coming daily to one apartment or another... since we moved to Meriden I have found in my next door neighbor a good friend AND a good neighbor.

My neighbor also has two kids but they are older then my two.  She has always been friendly and open with us and has helped us out a lot.  From handmedown clothes, toys and baby gear, she is always there for a friendly chat or a helping hand.  Since we moved in, she has been out of work on disability from an accident at her last place of employment but as times are rough she has been looking for a new job.  Well she found one close by that lets her work Mon-Friday during the day, the only problem is getting her kids off to school. 

Well She just happened to be talking about it to me when I was commenting on needing to find something to pad our income a little.   And voila, I volunteered to start seeing her daughter on the bus and walking her son to school in the morning.  Not only is this a wonderful thing for her, she has someone she trusts looking after her kids, but it is great for my health and the kidlets.  Now I can't weasel out of my morning walk =)  Even though we have all been sick for almost 2 weeks now, my energy level has started to soar.  I FEEL better mentally and physically even though I have been in the throes of an intestinal virus. 

So something that I offered to do to help my neighbor out, has ultimately helped me more!  Ahhh how I am glad Cathy is my neighbor.

Alright... I have a lot to blog about from this past week/weekend but for right now I am going to push getting your checkups.


I have needed glasses since... well I don't remember when.  My eyes have been getting worse and worse as the years go by.  However I really dont go to the eyedoctor like I should every year.  I knew I needed a new prescription but something always came up and I missed appointment after appointment.  My mom was recently diagnosed with glaucoma and had surgery.  Luckily the surgery not only fixed her astigmatism, but also improved her vision dramatically.  She can see without her glasses now although she still needs readers. 

So when I went to the doc last week and informed him of my mother's glaucoma he decided to do a full workup.  Granted it had been 2 years since my last appointment so he probably would have done a glaucoma screening ANYWAY.  So I am sitting there with my pupils all dilated.. the doc is just staring into my left eye for close to 15 minutes.  By now I am started to get a little antsy, and concerned.

So it turns out I have a macular hole in my left eye.  Doesnt seem to be TOO serious as I dont have any other symptoms of it, but I was referred to an Opthamologist to monitor it and possibly correct it.  50% of them heal on their own so I can hope I am in that category! 

I *think* I know when it happened... about 3 weeks ago I was driving with the windows down when I had a sudden sharp pain in my left eye, like I got a piece of grit in it.  I pulled over, asked to use the restroom and spent close to 30 minutes splashing cold water in my eye to try and rinse it out.  My eyes hurt just thinking of that experience.  After the pain diminished I had a little blurriness but it went back to my normal.  This may not have been when I caused a macular hole to form or not, but it is the only eye injury I can think of in recent years. 

So the moral of the story is... make sure you get checked out when you are supposed to!  Now to call the other doctors for the rest of my checkups >.>

Well this week has brought about a very interesting article as posted from my Main Tank in WoW Odok.  He posted this article because our 25man has been having some issues with attendance and attitudes and what not.  So I thought I'd share it for the few people who you know, play the game and read my blog.   Don't worry I will get back to the regular 'mommyhood' posting scheduled soon =)

Mind you - this comes from World Of Raids and is in no way shape or form mine!


http://www.worldofraids.com/topic/16293-building-a-better-raid-the-ideal-raider-part-i/

Anyone who has ever raided has, at some point, raided with "that guy." There are a lot of ways for a person to earn that illustrious title: perhaps he or she whines incessantly about losing out on loot, throws a fit and ragequits after a wipe, or just won't stop telling idiotic jokes. We all know the annoying traits that can make a player a real headache, but what are the traits that really make for a superb raider? Imagine that you could recruit any player in the world to your raid. What social and mental characteristics would you place at a premium?

This week, I'll take a look at the social qualities of what, in my opinion, is the ideal raider for any type of cohesive raiding raid guild, even more casual outfits. Next time, I'll tackle the mindset angle.

Solidarity

The ideal raider puts her team before herself. This can manifest itself in a number of ways. It may mean passing on a minor upgrade for another player who needs it more. It may mean agreeing to ride the bench in the name of good raid composition. Bottom line, it just means taking your role as a member of a team seriously. When you sign up to be part of a raid, there is an implicit promise there that you will do everything in your power to ensure that the group succeeds. If your guild takes progression seriously at all, then it is nothing short of a responsibility to work toward that goal with everything you can reasonably muster. It's not necessarily about being hardcore or casual or how many hours you spend playing in a given week. It's about 10 to 25 people investing their time, effort and trust in one another - and you holding up your end.

Consistency

For our purposes here, consistency means that when you sign up for a raid, you show up for it. You treat the raid as a legitimate commitment. A lot of players subscribe to their "Real life always comes first" mantra. That works when you're talking about serious issues, like personal or family illness, significant other aggro, or house fires. When you're blowing off the raid because you decided that you'd rather go out partying, that's a different story. Yes, WoW is just a game, but when you flake out it isn't the game that you're bailing on. It's a bunch of real people who've potentially just had their plans for the evening screwed. People in your real life may make jabs, but the only reason that raiding isn't seen as a legitimate hobby is because players themselves subscribe to that stigma.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that you should become a shut-in or that you should feel compelled to over commit yourself to a raid. All I'm saying is that for the times that you agree to raid, you make the raid a priority.

Maturity

People define maturity in different ways. Some define maturity in terms of how a person carries himself. In the raiding context, maturity is defined by the way a person interacts with his teammates. It's entirely possible for someone to be the "raid clown" and be the most mature and levelheaded person in the group when it's time to get serious. At the same time, it's possible for the guy that never cracks jokes and always talks like he's writing a dissertation (did I just inadvertently describe myself?) to be the most immature.

It's when there's impending drama that a person's maturity is really tested. When it comes to drama, the ideal raider's response is almost always: "We can discuss it after the raid." Nothing good ever comes from mid-raid drama. Best case scenario, a lot of time is wasted. Worst case, someone (or even multiple players) /gquit and the whole night ends up the in ditch. Unfortunately, things like loot can't always be adjudicated at a later time. The best bet for the mature player in that sort of situation is to just let the other guy win, and then take it up with an officer later to make sure it doesn't happen again. A 1% DPS boost or survivability boost just isn't worth wasting everyone's time and stressing the whole raid out. Exceptions need to be made for exceptionally abusive or idiotic players, of course. That's another measure of maturity, though: knowing when to say "Enough is enough" and kicking a problematic player to the curb.

Your Ideal?

That sums up the core social characteristics that I look for in other raiders. Next time, I'll talk about some more game-y qualities that make a good raider. Until then: what social qualities do you look for in a fellow raider? Do you consider a raid group a true team, or just a group of people who happen to share the same vitual space? What's your take on the "real world comes first" mantra? How do you handle mid-raid drama?

So I am happy to say that Gabe rarely has accidents when he comes to his potty habits... unfortunatly the accidents usually happen when we dont understand his cues, or if we are too busy to pay attention when he starts whining 'Poooooootttttyyyyyy'  That happened last Sunday - poor kid even came inside, put the seat on the toilet and tried to get his daddy or his grandpa to help him.  Ahh well... the real problem comes with poop.  He just will NOT poop on the potty.  We still put him in a pullup for bedtime, he often goes in his sleep so he isnt quite ready to be completly free of fiapers.  However within 5 minutes of putting him a pullup he will generally poop.  Even if we sit him on the potty before hand. 

So I am going to try something that might take a LOT of willpower from Shawn and myself.  Gabe recently discovered ZhuZhu pets... so I found a ZhuZhu pet 'bus' that I know Gabe will love.  While I was going to use it for his birthday present... I think I am going to put the box in the kitchen by the bathroom.  Everytime Gabe sees it I know he will whine and want it.  So we are going to tell him, "If you Poop on the potty, you get the ZhuZhu."  Cross your fingers!  I am tired of the poo!

Sooooo I think someone kidnapped my kids and replaced them with well behaved children.

Since Saturday we have had one... just one tantrum and it wasn't even a big'un.  Minus Saturday night - the kids have been going to bed without a fuss and since Monday they have been taking their naps.  Of course by writing this it probably means they are going to be hellions today.  Yet still, they have been playing very nice together - I haven't caught either of them hitting each other, there is still some minor toy fighting but not like I have been getting used to.

Maybe it is the nice weather... maybe it is they are finally adjusted to the time change... maybe... well I don't know, I just hope it lasts! 

I have a loooooong list of errands to do today, but if I am lucky I should be able to get some pictures uploaded later from Easter.  I have a couple videos as well that I want to post - mainly of Caitlynn being Caitlynn.

Whew it has been a marathon couple of weeks here.  Between the monsoon that flooded our basement, to Spring finally arriving, and Easter.

The kids have been having trouble with their schedules since the time change, not that I blame them.  But knock on wood it looks like everything is finally settling down on a regular routine again.  So in the news - Caitlynn is finally walking.   She was taking steps on her own but now she will toddle where she wants to go most of the time.  Although she loves it when Gabe gets down on the floor and races her crawlingstyle. 

Easter weekend was a rough time for the kids - although they behaved amazingly well.  I believe we only had one potty accident (which wasn't Gabe's fault, he said Potty and even put the small potty on the regular toilet, but neither grandpa nor daddy put him up on it) and only one minor tantrum.  We went to an Easter Egg hunt and then went shopping!  Gabe got to ride a duhduhduh (train) at the mall, and then both the kids got to romp around at Crystal Mall's kidgets playground for close to an hour.  It was adorable, Caitlynn had a train of little girls following her.  A couple even asked me very polittely if they could give her kisses and hugs.  Eventually Cait got tired of her retinue and started pushing them away.  Gabe was running laps and even taking turns to ride on the slide.  Imagine that, my 2 year old waiting for his turn... and he didnt push another child once! 

Of course the Easter bunny came and brought presents and toys, but Gabe's favorite thing is his ZhuZhu Pet.  He chants it now and brings it around like he does with his Gugs.  I have a feeling we should get a few new pieces for his birthday.  Cait loves to watch it and occasionally annoys Gabe by reaching into the track to pull out the pet and hand it to me.  Ahhh siblings.

Anyway, past the kids, I do want to post my latest money saving task.  I have decided that I will no longer buy my chicken broth in a can/box.  With 3 lone chicken thighs I made a delicious pot of broth.  I made it a bit salty for my tastes but now that I have the hang of it - you can bet I'll be buying chicken on sale to make this more often.  it was delicious!  And incredibly cheap.  I made a pot of broth that cost the same as 4 boxes of broth on sale.  I think I may start saving my pork and beef scraps in the freezer to make other broths as well. 

I made the broth specifically for Alton Brown's chicken and dumplings - however I do not have a pressure cooker so I just cooked the broth all day.  Next time I may try the crock pot =)

here is the recipe if you are interested.

Well Gabe is 'technically' potty trained enough for preschool.  He rarely has accidents of the pee kind, he asks to go potty but he has some trouble getting his pants up himself.  Heck I am told that after I used to go potty I'd yell 'I'm FIIIIIINIIIIIISHHHHED' for someone to come wipe me... so dont think that is a make it or break it point.

However the kid just will not poo on the potty.  He can sit there for hours and he will just hold it until he is in his overnight Pullup.  Usually when he holds it all day you can tell.  OMG you can tell. 

Nothing is working, no bribes, no cajoleing... I think I may just have to wait him out.  Eventually he will get the hint I hope.  Considering he isnt quite 3 yet I am proud of the peeing on the potty.  Even going to the store or to the zoo he still will ask to go potty.  During awake hours he is in 'big boy' underroos and seems to be proud of them.  So I guess we did SOMETHING right =)

So I thought I would translate some of Gabe's language for the unintiated.  I am sure there will be more to this as I remember the words...

Gug - Frogs of any size and shape, often used to describe lizards as well.

• Points of note - Gabe has Big-E Gug, Lil Gug, Pillow Gug,  and Dino Gug.  These are the four Gugs that pretty much go everywhere with Gabe

<-- Lil Gug




<-- Big-E Gug, the first of his Gugs












Hungee - Hungry or Thirsty

Yogum - Yogurt, specifically Go-Gurts (or any yogurt in a tube)

Pop - Ranges from lollipops to popsicles, although he is starting to use Icy Pop when he wants a popsicle

Cook - Poptart or Toaster strudel, he picked this up when he started getting impatient for the strudel while it was cooking.  Told him mommy had to cook it so now he calls it Cook.

Gugum - Fruit by the foot or fruit rollups.

There will be more once I remember them =)

Well although I am a lover of winter and snow... Spring is such a nice season especially after a snowy winter.  The sun is out but it isn't so hot that I cannot breathe... And of course I WANT to take my daily walks with the kids. 

Shawn and I just started a routine that I hope we can continue to do throughout the spring summer and fall, an evening walk.  We get the kids in the wagon and start chugging.  We are lucky that our neighborhood is nice, although the bad areas of Meriden are starting to encroach.  After all there was a group of teenagers in front of the park drinking out of paper bags yesterday... I mean come on people, if you want to be stupid don't do it in front of a child's play area... of course knowing the youth in this day and age, a couple of the kids running around were probably belonging to those drinking...

I digress.  We started walking around our block, and there is a pretty good hill one street over so it isnt completely mild.  Tuesday was our first night of doing this and we walked the block three times.  Yesterday we only walked it once but that was because we let the kids play at the playground for about 45 minutes, until it started to get dark.  Caitlynn got to sit in the bucket swing and boy did she love that! 

Not only is it good for the kids (while it took them longer to fall asleep, they seemed to sleep more deeply)  but it gets Shawn and I off our keisters.  Goodness knows I need to be less sedentary, but it feels so good to be getting fresh air and excercise.  And with Shawn trying to quit smoking, again, it seems like we aren't in the negative spiral anymore personally. 

Lets hope we can keep this up!  I am tired of the constant grumpiness =)

So yes... 24 hours later the plumber still hasnt given me a definite time or even DAY on when he can come look at our backflow problem... maybe I should find a new plumber.  Problem is so many of them will scalp you.  Today being Wednesday as well... it is my usual grocery shopping day.  Once again there will be no napping for me... and of course being concerned about getting my banking and shopping done.  Of course I do want to stop at the craft store today because I found an idea for a great Christmas present for my family members. 

If it turns out well I may consider adding them to my Etsy shop... I've been lazy lately and havent added anything new.  Doing my best to find some way to make some extra money while being home with the kids.  Lots of ideas but nothing panning out yet.


But as for the title of this post - back to it anyway since I am rambling.  I really need to get down in the basement and start cleaning out and tossing the waterlogged things that were ruined over this past weekend.  3 days of torrential rain I doubt anyone in CT has a fully dry basement.  And of course some of the ruined things are our own fault for not really unpacking them when we moved 2 years ago.   Luckily my MIL brought a dehumidifier over for the basement, here's hoping we can keep it for the summer ;)  We have tax return funds still, but honestly I would much rather keep it as an emergency fund. 

Ahh well, I guess I should get back downstairs before my kids drive my MIL crazy.  Caitlynn has been clingy lately, not her norm, so I am guessing she is going through a growth spurt or something.  Ahhh the joys of motherhood! =D

So I am trying to get more active... I did a workout tape this morning, made it through it but was wheezing by the end... but it gave me a lot of energy for the rest of the day... so after dinner I decided to take the family out for a walk.  I had hoped the fresh air would help everyone get some much needed sleep.  Well here it is almost 1am and I am the only one wide awake... while it did take the kids a long time to settle down tnight, time change is still rough on them, I am just bounding with energy. 

I am hoping my insomnia clears up soon, because once I fall asleep I end up having to get up to be a mommy!  Lucky me =) well at least I am trying to get rid of all the weight I gained since I was post partem with Gabe.

And now I need to get back into the habit of using the blogger. Not only is it stress relieving... it helps keep me on track with our budget meals and menus!

So anyway - this past week has been a really rough one, not only from the recent time change... (I hate 'springing' forward) but also a series of unfortunate events. They didnt come in threes this time... unless maybe they are multiples of three - I should count them and see if we had 6 or 9 sad issues this week. Yikes!

Well Caitlynn is walking now, when she thinks we aren't watching. She thinks she can get places faster by crawling, which at the moment is true, but she will quickly get the hang of this bipedal thing. She has claimed a lovie, thank goodness, and it is a silky and plush blankie that used to belong to Gabe. Luckily she isnt very picky so I can swap between four different blankets. However they are all plush on one side and silky on the other. Two green ones, a blue one and a recently purchased pink one. if she doesnt have them at naptime and bedtime she has a fit. Now to just convince Gabe to stop trying to steal them from her crib!

Anyway, this week our menu is very limited due to the fact we have to pay for a plumber... and a dehumidifier... and potentially a couple of new rugs... so it is mostly leftovers from the sweet potato soup I made last week. I did manage to snag some Chicken Paprikash leftovers from Ama and Jaggee's house Sunday so that will be tasty.

Tuesday: Leftover Chicken and soup
Wednesday: Take out day (after a day of grocery shopping/car maint./banking I dont want to cook)
Thursday: Pasta Primavera (Have a hankering for lots of veggies!)
Friday: Stuffed Porkloin with apples
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Lasagna

So now I am sitting here waiting for the plumber to call and hoping Gabe stops being a grump and takes a nap, goodness knows Caitlynn needs it!