But Wait It Gets Better

The Effect on the Family Unit

2010-03-12T13:50:00.004-05:00

I think most parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes would agree that many of the burdens of this disease are carried on the shoulders of the caretakers. We're the ones that have to weigh the food, count the carbs, do the night time checks, etc. Of course, I'm more than willing to take that on. If I could miraculously transfer this crummy disease from his body to mine I would do so in an instant. As AJ gets older he is becoming a more active participant in his own well being. I hope that he will take it all in stride. This is something that I have thought a lot about.

A topic I had previously given less consideration to is the effects of this disease on the silent bystander. In this case AJ's little sister. Now that Funky is 2 1/2 she is quickly becoming her own person. Yet it is still hard to figure out exactly how much she understands about certain things. Obviously, she has never known a time before AJ's diabetes. At the same time there is no way that she really knows what Diabetes is. She must wonder why she doesn't have to get her blood sugar checked or take insulin.

Most of the time her reactions to the disease seem humorous. Bedtime is always a struggle that includes a list of excuses. Lately, she has been adding one more excuse... "I'm low". Today she tried to check my blood sugar with a pen. Of course, both the kids find it amusing when I accidentally measure her food.

I just wonder how she will feel as time goes on; when she does understand the seriousness of this disease. Perhaps I'm projecting my own past onto her. Since birth my brother has had a serious eye condition. Then in college he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. There were many times that I felt very guilty. I wondered why it wasn't me that had the medical problems. On the flip side, I also resented him sometimes. I felt that my parents let him get away with a lot because of their own guilt. There were also things that we didn't do as a family because my brother wasn't able to.

I suppose I can just hope that we make her feel just as special and loved. I also want her to feel that she is a part of AJ's diabetes "team". Families support each other. Plus, when it comes to diabetes you can always use as many people in your corner as you can get.

It Doesn't Hurt to Ask

2010-03-03T14:42:00.004-05:00

I don't think a lot of people realize it, but I'm a shy person. Once I get to know you I'm a loud mouth but, I'm not an extrovert. I also hate controversy. And typically I am afraid to ask for things. I hate having to inconvenience anyone. In short I have no spine. Oh, you can also add that I'm not exactly a glass half full girl. I don't consider myself a pessimist but rather a realist.

So by now you're probably wondering why I have just listed a few of my grand flaws. Well this past weekend I was forced to leave my comfort zone and I learned a valuable life lesson in the process: It Doesn't Hurt to Ask.

I recently posted about my anxiety over summer camp. I couldn't imagine that anyone would be willing to take AJ. Allowing him to attend camp would mean being responsible for blood sugar checks, giving insulin and watching out for any signs of hypoglycemia. Then last Sunday I went to our local summer camp fair. I took lots of deep breaths and walked up to the various representatives at the fair. I was very upfront and dove right in with the big question. My son has Diabetes. Are you willing to have him at your camp? Okay so it wasn't quite that simple. The conversations were a bit more detailed. However, the great news is that there were a few camps that were happy to enroll him. It couldn't have turned out better. The director of the YMCA camp was there and she has worked with a Diabetic camper in the past. We happen to be members of the Y so this is the absolute best option for us. For now we have decided that we are still a little nervous about a full day option. Instead, he will do half days. This works out well since we have joined the outdoor pool. I will pack lunches, pick him up from camp and then we can all swim.

This experience has really taught me that I need to overcome some of my fears. And not just when it concerns my children. Will it really hurt me that much if someone says no? I guess not. And you can't get anything if you don't ask.

Summer Camp Stress

2010-02-10T16:34:00.003-05:00

Diabetes is a chronic disease that is manageable. That's not to say that the managing isn't a full time job. Even with myself, my husband, a team of specialists and AJ working to maintain good blood sugar numbers, it doesn't always happen. We have our good days and our bad.

However, diabetes doesn't usually impact our lives dramatically on a day to day basis. Yes, there are the small annoyances like school parties. Typically the treats get packed up and sent home. This bothers him a little bit but we deal with it. With all the allergies that kids have he knows he's not the only one in the school.

Unfortunately, there are times that I am painfully reminded that my son is "different". My feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, frustration, etc. that accompany this disease always seem to rear their ugly heads during this time of year. What is so special about February you might ask. Hard to imagine, since we have about 30 inches of snow on the ground, but this is the time when camp information starts flying around. Our area is lucky to have some great camp programs. The problem is that most of them don't have a nurse that could deal with AJ's medical needs. I doubt that many (if any) programs are going to take the responsibility of counting carbs and giving insulin. Even if they are willing, will I be comfortable with the situation?

Diabetes camps do exist. The problem is that most are only for about a week or two. And all the overnight camps start at 7 or 8. We do take part in a week long diabetes camp in Delaware. It is an hour drive each way, which means 4 hours a day of driving. Of course, it is worth it because he has a blast. He loves to meet other kids that know what it's like to have the big D.

So where does that leave me? Well there is a camp fair coming up on the 28th. I plan on attending and I am going to cross my fingers that I find a program that will work for us. Otherwise, this may be a VERY long summer.

May Her Memory Be For A Blessing

2010-02-09T21:25:00.002-05:00

One month ago today on January 9th my dear friend Shari passed away. She was a wife and devoted mother to a beautiful 6 year old girl. She was also an all around amazing woman and friend.

To be truthful I have been avoiding my blog for the past month because I can't seem to put into words all that I feel. And sometimes the "feeling" still hurts too much. Maybe at some point in the future I will write more. For now I'm just going to remember her smile and how it could bring such happiness to all around her.

Happy Birthday AJ!

2010-02-03T13:42:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure where the time goes. Can my little boy really be 6?? It seems like just yesterday when we brought him home.

Casey Johnson

2010-01-06T12:39:00.004-05:00

It is always unpleasant when we hear of someone so young passing. It seems as though Hollywood has had more than it's share of such tragedies in the recent news. I always feel bad upon hearing about these young celebrities. No matter how a person lived their life, death is always sad. It certainly seems a shame that people who are loved by so many and have so many privileges can succumb to such a tragic end. That certainly seems to be the case with Casey Johnson who recently died at the age of 30 from unknown causes. Although I didn't know Casey her death has hit closer to home. Casey was a young socialite who was known in the tabloids for her famous lesbian affairs and party girl life style. What is not as well known is that she also suffered from Type 1 Diabetes. In fact, her father Robert "Woody" Johnson, owner of the Jets, is chairman of the JDRF. At this point we don't know how, or even if, her diabetes played any part in her death.

Besides feeling sad I also feel a bit angry. Perhaps it's just timing. As I write this a dear friend is literally fighting for her life. Yet, Casey, who had so many opportunities available to her seemingly threw her life away. I know that nothing has been proven yet, but it does seem fairly obvious that she was involved with drugs and alcohol. This can't be healthy for anyone but it is of particular concern for anyone with a serious health condition.

This leads me to the next reason that her death has me upset. I know that at some point soon my son will start asking me questions relating to his own lifespan and the effects of diabetes. I already find myself quickly changing stations whenever Type 2 diabetes commercials are on. They mostly always mention the long term side effects of diabetes, such as impotency, heart disease, etc.

Aiden is a very active participant in his own diabetes management. He can check his blood sugar. When told the number of carbohydrates, he can use his pump to give himself insulin. We have talked often about how we all need to work hard to keep him healthy. However, I struggle with how much much information I need to share with him. After all he is only 5! He has enough added stress in his life. I don't want to scare him with the repercussions that can happen if he doesn't take care of himself. But is omitting the truth the same as lying? What do you think?

Bueller, Bueller

2010-01-05T13:15:00.003-05:00

Ah, so this is what Blogger looks like. I had forgotten. For all two of you that used to read, you may wonder why I disappeared. It was for the following two reasons.

1. Facebook: I'll admit I got sucked into the vortex and couldn't seem to juggle my time. And I didn't even play Farmville or Mafia Wars.

2. I will admit that one of my more annoying personality traits is a case of perfectionism. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. I either do it perfectly or don't do it at all. My blog suffered from this mindset. I kept comparing myself to others. Let's face it there are some really good blogs out there. What can I write about that will be exciting? My life is pretty darn boring. A lot of the blogs that I see are money making blogs and involve lots of give aways. I was feeling the pressure to make mine compare to that.

So now I've gotten real with myself. I don't have a professional background in PR, marketing, journalism, or business. So if you want to win something you can stop reading now. I also won't be worrying about my stats; i.e how many readers I have.

I've decided to use this blog as more of a journal for myself and my children. Someday I hope they can look back and get a glimpse of who we all were. I'd be more than happy for you to come read and comment. But if not I'm okay having a blogging party of one:)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

My speed demons!

A Novel In the Making Or Just a Clumsy Fat Girl??

2009-05-06T10:14:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking I should start writing a novel. It would be a novel along the lines of Bridget Jones Diary or any of the Jen Lancaster books. I just think that I should somehow profit off of the idiocy of my life. Take this past weekend for example.

I had been hearing about the Zumba workout craze for a while now. For those that haven't heard of it Zumba "fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a fun aerobic workout". Easy to follow for some, but not me... more on that in a bit. Some of the girls at my gym have been raving about it. I am not usually one to take classes. Too many nightmarish memories of step classes with girls in their thong unitards. Whenever I have taken any aerobics class it seems that while everyone else is kicking up to the left I'm still over to the right doing G-d knows what, all the while trying not to have a heart attack. I explained this to one of the Zumba girls but she assured me that it was nothing like that. So one of my good friends and I took the class together on Friday afternoon. I expected to sweat a lot and feel like dying, so no surprise there. However, the Latin American instructor was like an over-crazed Chihuahua. Her feet were doing things that mine will just never do. So I just kicked my feet around in the hopes that I would somehow look like I knew what I was doing. Meanwhile, the Latin culture tends to have a certain sexual vibe which I'm sure Zumba is supposed to convey. However, this chubster felt about as sexy as these lovely ladies:

So on Saturday I woke up a little sore but feeling good. AJ's soccer game is canceled due to the rain so I figure it's a good opportunity to try a Pilates class. I have done Pilates about 3-4 times before. The last time I had done it I ended up getting extremely ill the next day, which included a 103 degree fever. But I chalked it up to coincidence.

This time around I manage to survive through the class and was actually feeling pretty good about things. The instructor knew I was a beginner and after the class she said I did really well. My stomach muscles were sore in a good way. Yeah, a class I can do! Fast forward about 2 hours. I was barely able to sit because my spine and tailbone were so sore. They felt like they should have been covered in black and blues. Then my back started to really bother me. My shirt rubbing against me was hurting. I finally lifted my shirt up and looked at my back in the mirror. That's when I noticed that part of it was missing. Literally missing. I have a huge circle of missing skin. I have a red gaping hole in my back. Fabulous.

Maybe fat chicks are just destined to stay fat!

On the Hamster Wheel Again

2009-04-01T16:02:00.004-04:00

We are fortunate that on most days Diabetes is just an inconvenience. To be frank it's a huge pain in the rear. There is the endless poking of the fingers to do blood sugar checks, site changes, etc. However, for the most part we go on with our lives. That's not to say that it isn't a constant cause for worry or stress. But we deal.

Than there are days or weeks that Diabetes suddenly rears its ugly head and causes us trouble. This week was one of them. It first started with our interest in a CGMS (continuous glucose monitoring system). This device would check AJ's blood sugar (kind of... I won't bore you with the actual medical mumbo jumbo) every 5 minutes to show us if he is heading up or down. We would still have to perform regular finger checks to confirm what we see and to calibrate the machine. Why bother then? Well because it can show you things that you might not otherwise see. When we check AJ now we only know the # we get; is he high, low or okay? What we don't know is where he is heading. The CGMS can be a very effective tool. The reason we haven't done it before now is that it requires a separate site to be worn. Here's what the CGMS and pump combo looks like:

There was talk that they would somehow integrate it with his pump site but that doesn't appear to be happening. He has been dealing a lot better with his pump site changes but certainly doesn't love them. So do we really want to subject him to that?

Of course, another concern is the cost. This is where I turn into the hamster running on the wheel. I called the company that we would order the device from to see if they knew how much it would cost and if our insurance would cover it. Not so simple. In order to find this out I have to call the doctor's office so they can fax a letter of medical necessity over to the insurance company. Now right there I have to laugh. The doctor basically needs to stretch the truth and state that AJ is "uncontrolled" and that he needs the device. I suppose this "uncontrolled" diabetes will be the reasoning why he will never be able to get life insurance. But I digress. I had the endo's office fax over the ppw. Then the insurance company will get in touch with the company. And the company will get in touch with me. Weeks of spinning on a wheel just to find out how much the thing will cost us! Because we're still not sure we are going to get it!

To top things off both kiddos have had a cold. AJ's must be getting worse. All night his numbers were very high. This morning I checked him and it was way too high. Even worse he had ketones. So we haven't left the house. He's been a tinkle machine all day because of all the liquid I'm pumping into him. And we are all a little more than cranky. Although, I guess if we were going to hibernate a rainy day is the perfect day to do it:)

He Makes Me Laugh... When He's Not Making Me Crazy!

2009-03-26T13:42:00.003-04:00

Some funny AJ comments:

"Mommy, sometimes when we go down to the basement at school they say XYZ." I couldn't understand what he was saying but it sounded like broken toe.

"No. Not broken toe. But I think they are talking about a toe."

After a solid 5 minutes of trying to help him figure it out I realized that they must be saying Boker Tov. It's Hebrew for good morning. Apparently, he missed that translation about 2 years ago when he probably first heard it!

AJ: Mommy can we go to China?

Me: No. (thinking how nice it would be to go and digging the fact that he wants to experience another culture)

AJ: Why not?

Me: Because it is very expensive. Plus, it takes a long time to get there. Also, I don't think they just let anyone come visit.

AJ: But I really want to go.

Me: Why? (as the light bulb is starting to finally turn on)

AJ: I want to see the factory where they make all my Star Wars figures.

So much for culture.

I had to bite my tongue about possibly seeing kids his own age working in those factories:(

I can only do so much but I did point out some of China's other notable attributes, like the Great Wall, panda bears, etc.

I have a diva on my hands

2009-03-26T13:29:00.003-04:00

Funky is already such a little girl and likes to play dress up all the time. She is constantly putting my shoes on and stealing my jewelry. After these pics were taken Daddy took her to the $1 store to get her own necklace, which she refuses to leave the house without. He's a bit worried about her future birthday requests. Diamonds are a girl's best friend! Hint, hint... mommies like them too:)

She loves this hat that is way too small on her.

Posing for the camera. Okay, not really. She just wanted to get into the bathroom.

She normally just puts on my everyday, i.e. flat shoes. However, we had gone out the night before and she found the heels. Evan was shocked and a bit concerned at how well she could actually walk in them!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T16:30:00.003-04:00

On Monday night we went to a Purim pizza party at our synagogue.

AJ was dressed in a Batman bathrobe (sort of like a King) and I had a mask for him to wear but he was having none of that. So it was perfect when he got his face painted like Batman.

Our own Queen Esther.

Clearly Funky was having a great time!

Mommy Time

2009-03-10T07:15:00.004-04:00

Recently I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful Moms Night In at the house of Classy Mommy. She always throws a great party. I was able to connect with some bloggy friends while also getting pampered. Thanks to Beth from Role Mommy I had my nails and make up done courtesy of Calista Grand Salon and Spa. Then I was able to check out the products by Slendertone. The Revive system felt like heaven. I was really able to feel my muscles relaxing. One of the ladies demonstrated the Slendertone System Abs. As she lifted her shirt to put on the ab belt I couldn't help but thinking that I didn't need to hear any more. The fact that she could lift her shirt up in front of a room full of women was an advertisement in itself! After having my second child my stomach is a huge problem area so I was so excited to receive the ab system, as well as the Revive system. Look at the video below for some highlights of this great night.

Role Mommy Presents Mom's Night In...Philadelphia! from Beth Feldman on Vimeo

Also, check out this funny video from Slendertone:

One step at a time

2009-03-09T15:52:00.003-04:00

One of the reasons I voted for the President was his stance on stem cell research. I'm glad he followed through. This is a great day for the Diabetes community. One day we will have a cure.

JDRF Praises President for Executive Order Lifting Restrictions on Stem Cell Research

Bloggy Catch Up

2009-03-04T20:31:00.013-05:00

Well there seems to be a serious and contagious virus going around. It's called Facebook addiction. Unfortunately, my blog has suffered the consequence. I know I'm not the only one because it's been pretty quiet at a lot of my regular reads. Anyway, I thought I would catch you up on all our happenings.

So a couple of weeks ago Funky was in our bed watching some Disney while I was putting on my make up. Evan went in to get AJ up and then I hear the uh, oh. Well apparently there was an accident and I went into his room to help strip the sheets off, etc. When I came back to the bedroom I realized that I left my eyeliner within Funky's reach. She must have mistaken it for lipstick.
To make matters worse she was holding her hand up when I walked in the door. All I could think about was the hilarious movie Rat Race, in particular this scene. (If you don't have the time just fast forward to the end)

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A couple of weekends ago I had multiple errands to run. For some reason the rest of the family didn't feel like joining me. So Evan took the kids to a children's museum. I was bummed to miss it but they had a great time!

Of course, I realized afterwards that putting her in a headband while under Daddy's care probably wasn't the best idea. Olivia Newton John anyone?

Aiden had fun painting his face.

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Snow Day! We went out for a little while. It was so cold and windy that we couldn't stay out too long. I looked over at Funky and her cheeks were red and splotchy. AJ's were pretty much the same. They had a great time while it lasted.

This was the best pic I could get of the two of them.

AJ had a great time. I felt bad that we couldn't stay out longer. He really wanted to have a major snowball fight.

These were her first steps in the snow. There were only 2 other times this winter that we had snow. We had an appointment for the one and she was sick for the other. She loved it!

A Little Summer Goes a Long Way

2009-02-06T13:14:00.003-05:00

On one of the coldest days of the year my daughter got to go swimming. Her awesome toddler class teacher had us bring swimsuits for the little ones. She cranked up the heat and set up the baby pool. Funky had a super time as is clear from these pictures.

Happy Birthday To My Baby Boy!

2009-02-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

Here's AJ a few hours after he was born. We had just arrived home. This outfit was also worn by myself and my brother.

And here he is now at 5. This was taken at his Chuck E Cheese party.

AJ has brought so much happiness into our lives. Oh how time is flying by. I'm so grateful for every second I get to spend with him, even when he is making me want to pull my hair out:) He certainly does make me laugh. For example, he had been a bit confused by this whole birthday thing. We celebrated twice over the weekend and he kept saying that he was 5. We explained that although we were celebrating he wasn't actually 5 until today. So this morning he woke up and we sang happy birthday. Then he said, "I think I'm still 4". "Why is that?" we asked. "Because I still look the same and I'm not any taller". So later today I will show him his 4th birthday pictures to prove that he has indeed grown, just not overnight.

I think this is a great shot and AJ is the one who took it!

A Chocolate Revelation

2009-02-02T11:24:00.003-05:00

So this weekend we had some early birthday celebrations going on for AJ. I will be posting some pics and more info later. On Saturday night we were having family over and I was baking him a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, per his request. As he was helping me make it I almost started crying because I started to think back to when he was first diagnosed. As I'm sure is the case with any parent who receives surprising or difficult news about their child, I went through a type of mourning period. I started to think about all of the things that AJ might miss out on. For whatever reason one of the things I was upset about was baking. I have many childhood memories of making my birthday cake with my Mom. She would always let me lick the batter from the mixers or the bowl. I never thought AJ and I would be able to share that experience together. However, now that he is on an insulin pump we do have greater flexibility. Plus, the truth of the matter is that we have learned not to be so worried and rigid with his eating anymore. Did I know exactly what the carbs would be for a lick of the spoon? No. Was it possible that his blood sugar would spike afterwards? Yes. Yet I still let him do it. Overall, his numbers are great and I felt that it was an important part of my childhood that I wanted to share with him. I'm so glad I did because we had a lot of fun. It also made me reflect on all the positives that have come out of his diagnosis. The biggest plus is that we have been able to see how supportive our friends and family are.

On an unrelated side note about chocolate Funky Chicken managed to get into a leftover goody bag. She didn't eat any paper but managed to somehow suck the chocolate out of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. She was covered in chocolate and quite delighted with herself.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T12:58:00.002-05:00

AJ got to have some fun with Daddy in the snow. Here he is trying to use the snow brush as a baseball bat.

Yup, that's my boy!

2009-01-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

So let me start by clearing up a common diabetic myth. Many times people will ask me in regards to AJ, "Oh, can he eat that?". Other moms have even gone out of the way to call before a child's birthday party to see if they can have another option available for him besides the cake. Now don't get me wrong I truly appreciate the sentiment and I know that everyone is just being kind. Usually our husband and I just give each other a look and smile. We laugh about it for two reasons. The first is that while eating a ton of junk is not ideal, AJ can have anything as long as we give him the appropriate amount of insulin. Of course we try not to have him eat candy all day long, but that is the same as any other parent. The second reason we laugh is that AJ has quite the sweet tooth. I try to really limit the candy but my husband has differing views on the matter. I think part of it is wanting him to be "normal". Plus, from what I gather he grew up with lots of sweets around (not that I didn't). Whatever the case may be AJ definitely has his share of sweets. We recently went to a b-day party with a pinata. So tonight he picked a Butterfinger from the bag of goodies. It was his first Butterfinger experience. Well to say he liked it was an understatement. He took it upstairs while I was finishing up the dishes. Next thing I heard was "Oh my G-d". My husband said I needed to see the look on his face as he savored every bite. And I thought only women could get the big O from chocolate:)
Oh and by the way one more diabetic lesson for the day. Sugar free is not the same as carbohydrate free. We don't count sugar we count carbs. Believe it or not sometimes items that are sugar free will have more carbs than their regular counterpart. Plus, they can often be harsh on the tummy.

Hail to the Chief

2009-01-20T23:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, that has been stuck in my head all day. So I typically have a rule about not discussing politics or religion. However, I felt I just couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging this historic occasion. I did indeed support Obama from the start, but today was about so much more than that. I won't bore you with any lengthy explanation. I'm sure you heard enough from the commentators today. I just hope that the positive feelings of today still remain tomorrow. We have so much work to do in this country and beyond. When I think about the state of the world today I almost can't comprehend it. But I do know that there are things even on a small scale that we all can do to help. My pledge to myself and my family is that I will try to do more for them and for others.

Whoa... Did I just see that?

2009-01-12T17:36:00.006-05:00

So a couple of weeks ago I was catching up on some Tivo and I decided to watch Private Practice. I got cozy under the blanket and was expecting nothing that would raise my blood pressure other than the usual ogling of Tim Daly or Taye Diggs. It was a short while later that I realized a main part of the story line dealt with a Type 1 Diabetic little boy. His father had kidnapped him in order to protect him from his abusive stepfather. It was discovered he was kidnapped because they tracked down the serial # on his insulin pump. I was so shocked to actually see an insulin pump on TV!! Granted the thing looked ancient and there were definitely some medical inconsistencies. However, I think overall they did a good job.

Speaking of Diabetes if you have 30 seconds to spare please sign this petition.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T11:30:00.003-05:00

Funky having fun on her Pony.

Holiday Memories

2009-01-06T11:30:00.004-05:00

So the winter break is over and I am struggling to get back on schedule. I have a lot of catching up to do. Therefore I won't be doing a detailed blog here but thought I would post a few pictures. Of course, I hated my old camera and insisted on getting a new one when Funky was born. Unfortunately, I'm not having any more luck with this one. I can never figure out which setting to use and all the pics come out blurry. So frustrating.

AJ opening up his Wow Wee Alive Lion.

To say that Funky loves her Elmo Live is an understatement.

Although AJ claims not to like Elmo they have been sharing these toys quite a bit.

At the end of a long night... they really wanted to stay up to play with all their gifts from family.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season.

Hanukkah Hooplah

2008-12-18T15:41:00.003-05:00

Since Funky has no school next week they had an early Hanukkah celebration in her toddler class this morning. She had lots of fun. She especially liked snack time!

Like the good little Jewish girl that she is Funky's favorites were the Sufganiot (jelly donuts) and the latkes (potato pancakes).

Containment

2008-12-18T15:00:00.005-05:00

Last night I attended a wonderful holiday party for the Philly Mom Bloggers. Colleen from Classy Mommy hosted the event and Graco sponsored it. There was plenty of yummy food to go around and lots of great conversation. It's always nice to meet other bloggers in person. Graco was generous enough to provide some wonderful giveaways. Everyone took home a box of Rubbermaid containers. They have lids that snap to the bottom. The box also had two of their new produce saving containers. I have been dying to try these out. They are loaded up in the dishwasher now! Graco also had four great prizes for a little game we played. There were two different strollers, a video monitor that my friend Amy won and I won a play yard. It's pretty funny because I was talking with my Mom about Funky being out of control, basically getting into everything. She told me that when we were kids all the moms used play yards. I didn't think they sold them anymore. But here she is...

Granted it only last for about 30 minutes at the most. But I was able to do some laundry.

Not so Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T10:38:00.007-05:00

Since I never posted about Halloween here's a great picture that Shannon at NikiCham Origninals took.

Okay so for the 3 people that might actually read this little blog I apologize for my absence. It has been a bit crazy over here. Mostly we've been busy with lots of boogie noses that won't go away. I'm all for saving the environment but if the ozone layer were to form a large hole right over PA, say raising the temperature about 20 degrees, I'd be okay with it:)

I kept thinking that if I could just sit down and get to it that I would be able to post about everything that we have been up to for the past 3 months or so. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. I will do a little catch up.

Here's a little video from our vacation to Florida. We had such a fun, relaxing time. It already seems like it was forever ago.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Shortly after we came back I went on a short trip with my great friend Shannon. We went to Vegas, baby! It was tons of fun. I really enjoyed the chance to just be Jennifer for a few days and not Mommy. When we got back I felt recharged and in love with my kids again. To be honest that might have only lasted until the next temper tantrum:)

We got great seats to see the Cirque show Love based on the Beatles music.

Dinner at Chef Todd English's Olives restaurant. It was on the patio of the Bellagio with the water show right in front of us.

The Mind of A 4 Year Old

2008-11-16T19:04:00.002-05:00

AJ: Daddy, what game are you watching?

Evan: The Steelers vs The Chargers.

AJ: Why are they called the Steelers?Do they steal things? Oh, I know they must steal the ball a lot.

Evan then gives an explanation of what steel is, etc.

AJ: Okay. What about the Chargers? Do they buy things a lot without using money?

Clearly this Mommy doesn't use cash too often.

And Away We Go

2008-11-01T04:26:00.002-04:00

So this has been a crazy week. Unfortunately, I don't have any time to blog about it. We are leaving in a couple of hours for vacation. We're headed down to Florida (not Disney) for some sunshine and relaxation. I'm really looking forward to it even though I'm dreading bringing my squirmy 15 month old on a plane. Now more than ever I'm upset that they took the infant cough medicine off the shelves... just kidding:)
Anyway, I am bringing my laptop but I don't think I will have Internet access so it will be lights out over here for a while. Have a great week everyone. I'm sure it will be an exciting one with the election! A major perk for this vacation is that I don't have to stand in any long voting lines. We already cast our ballot through absentee voting. Rock the Vote!!

What to Wear???

2008-10-27T17:19:00.003-04:00

Oh how I wish I was a celebrity with my own personal stylist. Of course, if I were a celebrity I guess I wouldn't be sitting in the audience of the Martha Stewart show; I'd be getting interviewed. However, since I'm just a "29" year old mommy I am more than happy to be going to NYC tomorrow to see Martha. I haven't been to the city in years so that alone is exciting. Plus, I'll be with a bunch of my fellow mommy friends. Supposedly LL Cool J is going to be the guest, but I'll believe that when I see him in all his glory (and biceps).
I was hoping to look super stylish but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Unfortunately the weather is looking very bleak... cold and rain. I think I'll have to compromise so that I am comfortable but presentable.

What's in a Word?

2008-10-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

Well it appears that 'tis the season. For overspending. For standing in lines and fighting each other for whatever the latest fad toy may be. For getting horribly annoying songs stuck in your head. Okay, okay maybe it's not so bad. Go ahead call me Scrooge but I just don't like this time of year. Let me explain, as you gasp, that I'm Jewish so we don't do Christmas. If I haven't scared you off then keep reading. I typically don't discuss politics or religion but this has been on my mind lately. Plus, it's not like I'm about to talk abortion here. Let me state that I don't mind anyone celebrating their holiday. I also hope to encourage my children to experience other cultures and religions as much as possible. However, it feels as though X-mas is often forced upon us. What really has been bothering me though is the hypocritical political correctness that happens now. The catalyst for this post is the "holiday" party that our playgroup is having. The playgroup has ornament making events scheduled. All the kids are to make an ornament and then they will hang them on the tree at the party. I'm having conflicted feelings about whether or not I want my kids to participate. I did take AJ to an Easter Egg Hunt in the past. Yet it feels different to me. A fake bunny is one thing. But Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. And it just doesn't sit right with me. On the other hand we have had a Hanukkah play group in the past. The kids made dreidels or menorahs. I appreciated the group's willingness to learn about our holiday. So perhaps I should do the same. I'm just really not sure. If I don't have them do the ornaments I know AJ may feel left out or ask why he didn't get to make one. I recognize that is my issue. We moved to Chester County knowing full well that we would be a minority. It is just a fact of life. I suppose that the problem I have is with pretending to call it a "holiday" party. Let's just be honest about it and call it what it is... a Christmas party. That my family and I will be happy to attend, ornaments in hand or not.

I'm adding a footnote here to tell you that I also find Hanukkah these days to be hypocritical. The advertising powers at be have made it out to be a big event and compare it to X-mas. The truth is that while it is a great story (if you want to read about it click here) Hanukkah is not a major holiday. I don't know what happens in other families but I can tell you that you shouldn't be too jealous of the eight nights of gifts. Growing up we got socks for at least one of the nights:)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-22T13:12:00.003-04:00

Boy am I in for trouble. Funky Chicken was pushing around the step stool. At first I didn't stop her. I would like her to start walking and it seemed like good practice. Then I turned around to catch her doing this:

Gotta give her points for coming up with this one.

The Earthquake

2008-10-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

No we don't have any actual seismic activity in PA. I'm actually using it as a metaphor. I've been noticing lately that disease doesn't just infect the patient. It ripples outwards and effects all those surrounding that person. In my case my little boy knows more about Diabetes than I ever thought possible for a 4 year old. Obviously though, the ultimate responsibility for his care falls to his father and I. And lately I have been wishing for a time out from Diabetes. When I think logically about it I know it can be so much worse. There are a lot of children suffering from diseases that are undoubtedly fatal. Children also suffer in poverty throughout the world. Perhaps I'm being selfish. However, those sentiments sound well and good but they don't get me through the day. Lately a few events have occurred that have made me feel this way. If you read my blog today you'll know that we went to NJ this weekend. Evan and I left the kids with my parents. While I really did enjoy myself I had a nagging shadow of doubt with me the entire day. My parents did great taking care of the kids, including his diabetes management. Yet, I wish that I didn't have to leave my child with a 2 page instruction manual. Then we also had the birthday party. Ah the joy of a party. What should be a relaxed time always ends up with us dealing with funky blood sugars. The constant eating, including birthday cake, seems to inevitably mess with his blood sugar. I don't even want to think what the other guests thought of my husband forcefully instructing my son to eat more candy quickly. I also have an event that I would really like to go to. Unfortunately, my in-laws who are usually great about babysitting are unavailable. I know there are many of you who also only use family as sitters. I just wish I had the option of calling a sitter. AJ has also been asking for sleepovers. Now I'm sorry but 4 is just too young for a sleepover. Yet it is just one of many things that will come up in the future.
I've been having a lot of guilt lately for feeling this way. I also feel badly because we are doing the Walk to Cure Diabetes on October 26th and I haven't sent out one letter/email to gain pledges. I did the same thing last year. While I know how important it is to raise funds I just can't bring myself to do it. I think I am having a hard time admitting that my son is someone who needs help... in essence he is the "cause". Does that make sense? Plus, every time I start writing the letter I get way too emotional and I'm not the crying kind of girl.

On the wagon again

2008-10-21T14:52:00.005-04:00

I have been on this roller coaster of weight loss for a while now. I'll spare you the details of my long history with the battle of the bulge. Recently I had lost about 15 lbs by doing Weight Watchers at home. I was already a lifetime member but was not at my goal weight. My plan was to make it to my goal weight so that I could attend meetings for free. Then I would continue to lose more weight until I was at my personal goal. I had about 4 lbs left until my WW goal. Unfortunately, I suddenly lost all motivation. I'm not really clear why. Maybe it's the general funk I've been in for a while. And while I tried to get my hubbie on board it didn't quite work. And since then I have actually gained a few pounds back. I REFUSE to go back to the way I was. I need to do better for myself and my family. So now I'm getting Hot for the Holidays thanks to Missy. Go visit her and sign up for yourself. And feel free to leave comments for me with suggestions, motivation, etc.

Here are my goals:

1. Stick to my WW plan which includes sticking with my points and journaling everything I eat.

2. Make it back to WW meetings- I think I will see how quickly I can get to goal weight but I may try to convince my hubbie to let me shell out the $ to go to meetings before then.

3. Cook more and stop eating out/bringing in.

4. Make fruits and veggies a bigger part of my diet. This is not just for my sake. My kids are not into vegetables at all and how can I expect them to be when I don't model it for them.

5. Start working out. I either need to officially quit the expensive gym or start using it.

6. I would like to lose an overall of 13 lbs. But I am going to try not to focus too much on the #. I would like to make it down at least one pant size.

6. Stay positive and believe!

A Day Late and a $ Short

2008-10-21T14:08:00.005-04:00

So it was a pretty busy weekend for us and I spent yesterday playing catch up. That's why you're getting a weekend recap on Tuesday.
Friday night- packed up what felt like all of our belongings and drove to NJ. I think the circus may travel with less than what we do. We spent the night at my parents house because we needed to be up and out bright and early the next day.
Saturday- Evan and I went to the Rutgers football homecoming game. The hubbie has been a season ticket holder for many years and goes to EVERY game. I don't typically go but the homecoming game always draws a big crowd so it's lots of fun. I got to catch up with great friends that I barely ever get to see anymore. We did a breakfast tailgate and although I didn't taste it I heard my french toast casserole was yummy.

Jon and Mel

Saturday evening we drove back home and crashed.

Sunday- In the morning Evan took AJ to his monthly synagogue program. I ran some errands with Funky. Okay, I have to fess up. I was at Target specifically to find something to wear THAT afternoon. Way to go last minute Joe. In my defense I knew I wanted to wear a red sweater. In my head I had one. But at about 2 am Saturday night I remembered that the sweater I had been thinking of was a maternity sweater. I managed to dig up another one but it was 3/4 sleeve and it was cold here. I luckily found a suitable red shirt.

Sunday afternoon we headed to our good friends for a fab 1st b-day party. The b-day princess was so adorable! After the party we raced home so that I could go to my SIL's baby shower. She is expecting her second at the end of November. I already have a niece and now I'll have a nephew... I can't wait!

Sorry for the blur... bad lighting. That's part of my gift she's holding up.

The shower really made me miss the baby days. Until I thought of my two waiting at home and how I haven't even adjusted to two yet. No way could I handle any more.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-15T10:03:00.002-04:00

Hanging with the pumpkins

One of the reasons I love Chester County. It could be a postcard.

Funky says, "Hmm... do I have enough teeth for this apple"?

This seemed like a fun one

2008-10-12T11:53:00.003-04:00

So I have been having some serious writer's block lately. I suppose since we haven't been up to much due to colds. Plus, someone needs to give me some serious camera lessons. I used to complain about my old camera that didn't work. Now I have a new one but every picture I take is blurry. I try to change the settings but nothing works. Maybe my hand is just that jittery?? Okay so all of that being said Beth has saved my blogging day. She posted this fun meme. Go ahead and join in if you want. All you need to do is find the 6th folder in your picture files and then find the 6th picture. Feel free to tag others; I'm tagging anyone who wants in.
This is a sweet picture of my baby boy, AJ. He is 19 days old in this picture. Oh how time flies... he will be 5 in February! I sure do miss those tiny baby days. Not enough to go for round 3 though.

Doggie Daycare

2008-10-02T16:43:00.003-04:00

I had a doctor's appointment today so we were picking up my MIL (who doesn't drive) to babysit. On our way back we saw a doggie in the street. He was very close to home but clearly wandering. No one was home so he came back to our place. Let me side track by explaining that I pulled a Jennifer and as I pulled out my paperwork for the allergist I remembered that in order to get my testing done I had to have an Epi pen. Great! So now that I have spent 20 minutes getting the lost doggy home I have about 15 minutes to get to my appointment. I speed away and dial Rite Aid, whose number I have memorized. Hmm... one plus for having a Diabetic son. They tell me that they can fill the order in about 10 minutes. It is at this point that I realize that I ran out without my purse; I had planned on grabbing my stuff out of the diaper bag. Luckily, I had accidentally left my debit card in the car. Ooh I guess there is finally a plus for being a scatter brain as well. I pick up the pen and have 1 minute to get to the Dr. Fortunately, they are only 4 minutes away. So I arrive on the verge of a heart attack (I must get back to the gym) to be poked and prodded for the next 40 minutes. The good news is that when I arrive home I get the call from Bruce the dog's mommy. We both agree that the battery on his electric fence collar must be dead. She was very thankful and happy to see Bruce when I returned him. Surprisingly AJ was not overly excited by the whole thing. Funky Chicken on the other hand was loving it and refused to nap until Bruce left.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-01T16:45:00.002-04:00

Daddy and AJ at the Renaissance Faire

My new baby

2008-09-27T15:21:00.003-04:00

Okay, so if you were thinking a real baby than let me tell you... that ship has sailed. But for those close to me you can finally quit listening to me bitch and whine about my old computer (if you were even still listening). I have gotten my Mac. I am so excited to have a computer that actually works PLUS the freedom of a laptop is going to be amazing. As I write this I am ~~ignoring~~ assisting my son at the kitchen table. Of course, it is going to take me some time to figure out what in the world I'm doing. I see some late nights ahead of me.

Weight Watchers Giveaway

2008-09-14T21:40:00.002-04:00

So as I've blogged about before I have been doing Weight Watchers with varied success. I lost some weight, then plataued and more recently I have unfortunately put a few pounds back. But I am determined to lose it and reach my goal weight. A Box of Chocolates may be able to help with the current giveaway for an online subscription to Weight Watchers. If you're thinking about shedding those extra pounds check it out.

First Day of School Continued

2008-09-12T10:21:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Funky Chicken had her first day of school... sort of. We started Toddler class together. The class meets every Thursday morning during the school year. It is at the same preschool that AJ goes to. Of course, that is his one morning off. However, the in-laws have agreed to take him so he will get to spend some alone time with his grandparents. FC seemed to have a great time. It was so funny to see her sitting in a chair at the table, eating snack like a big girl.

Playing Catch Up

2008-09-09T15:27:00.004-04:00

So for various reasons I haven't been able to update recently. Instead of attempting to backtrack everything I missed I'll just give you the highlights.

Funky Chicken had her first haircut. Thanks to Sarah and her cool, new local moms website I won a free cut at an adorable salon devoted just to girls. FC did NOT like the hair cutting process one bit so it was a good thing that it took about 4 minutes total. I just wanted her to be able to see again as the top was getting so long it was in her eyes. Here are the pics. Not too many because she wasn't a happy camper.

"Make it stop!"

The finished look... cute even without a barrette.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Day of School
AJ had his first day of school last Friday. He has started the 4s class this year. It is amazing to see what a little personality he is becoming. On the way to school he was telling me he did not want go. But he acted like a big boy and the separation was okay. When I picked him up he told me he had a great time and he thinks this year will be the best yet. What a thrill to hear!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-03T14:00:00.003-04:00

Funky Chicken does love her big brother even if she is trying to escape him.

Diarrhea of the Mouth

2008-08-29T23:12:00.000-04:00

That's what Mom always called it when people just couldn't stop talking. And apparently I have just been diagnosed. I used to cringe when my Dad would start talking to the stranger in line with us. Well that's exactly what I did tonight at Target and I paid for it. I went there to get a gift bag and b-day card. I picked the shortest line and plopped down my bag, card, french manicure kit and random other items that cost $40+. The man in front of me, whose ass looked like it just swallowed a large pole, had a single bottle of Listerine. Who goes in there for just Listerine? Certainly this man is not getting a last minute booty call. Hmm... unless he did the calling to one of "those" numbers in the back of Philly magazine. Anyhoo, here's the rundown on what happened:
Man to 16 year old stoner cashier: This is it, pointing to the Listerine.
At this point I make the mistake of not using the red bar thingy in front of my stuff. I mean he just told the dude that he only had the one item.
Me: Ha Ha. Unless you feel like paying for mine.
Man: Well maybe you should pay for mine since you have all that and I only have this.
We now both realize that the cashier is laughing and putting my items in with Mr. Anal's.
Man: No, no. I just have the Listerine.
Cashier is still just laughing.
Me: No, we're serious. We are not together. And certainly never would be in this lifetime. The last part I didn't say out loud.
Cashier: Ohhhh. I thought you were just joking.
Fast forward about 6 minutes. I am pulling the Target bag out of my car in the garage. I look in my bag and realize that I don't have the gift bag. You know the one item I actually needed. For a b-day party tomorrow! It looks like Mr. Anal has received a free Teddy Bear gift bag courtesy of Target and my big mouth. So an hour later I go back to Target for the second time in one night. Do they sell Immodium for the mouth??

Better Late Than Never

2008-08-24T16:19:00.001-04:00

On Sunday we took Funky Chicken to get her one year pics done. After having such a long day yesterday she woke up really late. This through her whole day off. So by the time our 12:40 picture time came she was exhausted, not having napped. She didn't completely melt down but she wasn't her usual smiley self. We also didn't get any shots with her stuffed doggy. My friend Shari has a great thing that she does with her daughter. Every year she gets her picture taken with the same stuffed animal. It is great to see the progression of how big they are getting. Oh well... I guess I can get some of my own shots like that. Considering that she wasn't in the best mood the pictures came out really cute. I'm actually thinking about going back to look at some of the ones we didn't take. There is one large picture of her coming out of a block that has a 1 and the word Princess. It was too large to scan. Here's my girl:

I'm all smiles here.

Look, I'm standing.

Yum, cupcake. Hmm...is that strawberry?

Our Great Adventure

2008-08-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

We took the kids to Six Flags Great Adventure. We were also joined by my BIL, SIL and niece. Everyone had a great day. The trip took about an hour and 15 minutes and the plan was that Funky Chicken would sleep on the way there. Apparently, she had other ideas. Once there we hit the Safari right away. Boy did FC love it! I took her out of the car seat and let her stand on my lap. She was pointing at the animals and banging on the glass. AJ enjoyed most of it but by the end he had enough. I think he was hungry and ready for lunch, especially since he had low blood sugar when we started. Funky also started to get super squirmy so I put her back in the seat where she promptly fell asleep. She slept for about 20 minutes and that was the poor child's only nap of the day.
AJ was responsible for the quote of the day: "Hey, they (referring to the Safari radio narration) just said Buffalo. I know what Buffalo is... that means spicy!".
This then led to a conversation between the hubby and I in which we tried to decipher what in the world the difference was between various animals such as buffalo, cattle, steer, bull, etc. We both concluded that we didn't have the foggiest idea. This is what happens when you are raised in North Jersey and only see animals on the Great Adventure Safari! Oh, and on a side note my husband had to endure the Safari as a child in a car with broken air conditioning; for those unfamiliar with the Safari windows are NOT allowed to be rolled down.
After grabbing some lunch we then went to the kiddie rides. AJ and his cousin had a great time together. Overall, they were extremely well behaved. The Daddies even got to go on a couple of rides. Of course, my SIL and I believe that this entitles us to some free Mommy time some day. The day went by amazingly fast and the next thing we knew it was the evening. We didn't leave until about 8:30 I believe. There were only 2 inconveniences to the day. The first being that I was on the verge of a migraine headache. I ended up laying down in the back seat for the ride home. The second was that I brought my camera but left the battery in the wall where it was charging. So hopefully my SIL got a few pics and I can update later.

Sony Digital Picture Frame Giveaway

2008-08-22T20:01:00.002-04:00

Clearly, I'm all about the giveaway right now. But what proud Mama couldn't resist this?? Check it out: http://reviews.lalagirl.org/2008/08/22/sony-digital-frame-giveaway/#comment-1191

Check This Out

2008-08-18T23:50:00.001-04:00

Jo-Lynne has a wonderful blog over at Musings of A Housewife. If you like jewelry (does any one not) then you should check out the great give away she has going on right now.

Trying to Shake the Funk

2008-08-18T23:24:00.002-04:00

So I feel like my life has suddenly gone on slow motion all the way around. I haven't blogged in ages because I haven't had the energy and I've been having a bit of writer's block. Plus, I've felt lousy for months... my allergies are killing me and I have a constant cough. Finally, I have fallen off the WW wagon. When I'm really watching and keeping a journal of my food all is good. But as soon as I fall I seem to fall hard. So now I am determined to clear my head. Even at the risk of boring you to death I'm going to keep blogging away. Tomorrow I'm going to make some doctors appointments, including the allergist. And I'm going to start back up with WW. I simply can not gain back any more weight. Wish me luck!

A Quick Lesson in Meteorology

2008-08-08T11:27:00.002-04:00

This morning we had the Today show on in the background. They went to do a check of the weather and suddenly I heard AJ scream, "Hey Mom! I think he has Diabetes". I asked him how he came to that conclusion. He told me that he heard the man talking about a "low". I then needed to explain that he was talking about the high and low temperature for the day and not his blood sugar level.
Hopefully he will get to see someone on TV with Diabetes soon. We plan on watching a lot of Olympic events. Men's Volleyball will definitely be on our list since one of the players, Kevin Hansen, has Diabetes.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-06T14:10:00.005-04:00

Last week I was able to meet my friend Lisa at the Baltimore Harbor. It was nice to be without kids and just hang. We had a yummy, but oh so filling, lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

The Transformation is Complete

2008-08-05T11:19:00.004-04:00

Right before I got pregnant with AJ we moved to PA and bought a home. Right after Funky Chicken was born I chopped my hair. And now I have officially transformed into the soccer mom...we have gotten our first minivan.

We went with the Dodge Grand Caravan. I have to give a shout out to Sarah's hubby Brad who hooked us up with a good deal.
I've been longing for a minivan for quite some time now. It is so nice to have the extra space. As silly as it is I'm enjoying all the cup holders. AJ is also having fun... he really likes opening the power doors. We're getting Sirius satellite radio free for a year and I'm really trying not to get addicted to it. There are many cool features that I'm loving but one of my faves is that the radio has a built in hard drive. We can store pictures and music, therefore eliminating the need to have 100 CDs in the car at any one time.
I'm trying not to be "bad minivan driver" (you know what I'm talking about). I think I'm doing pretty well... just look the other way if you see me about to park:)

A Bear of a Scare

2008-08-04T11:01:00.004-04:00

I have lots of other things to post but not much time. Plus, I need to upload some pictures. In the meantime I thought I would share something that happened about a week ago. It all started with the hubby and I going out one day. We had someone come babysit whom we love and trust. I must start by saying that the sitter shall remain nameless because quite frankly she was mortified by this whole incident and feels terrible. We told the babysitter that the kids were going to have a late dinner. Admittedly, I should have been much more prepared. We are usually so focused on the care of AJ with his diabetes that I guess the poor second child gets a bit forgotten. I knew that the babysitter was aware that Funky Chicken can have Cheerios and crackers so I figured all would be well. Fast forward to us coming back from our time out. The babysitter informed us that Funky was not able to wait for dinner. She told us what she fed her and it sounded fine. Then she mentioned that she also gave her a snack of Panda Puffs. For those of you unaware Panda Puffs are round balls of cereal. Round... as in they are the perfect size to lodge in my daughter's throat. When my hubby mentioned this point the sitter advised that she was sitting next to Funky the whole time. Um, alright. So I guess if she started choking you would have a front row seat. Now onto the second issue with the snack. They are PEANUT BUTTER flavored. It is the fourth ingredient listed. Of course, this is about the one food that we have not tested out with her. Plus, the hubby has a slight allergy to peanuts. Whenever, he decides to have a few I need to listen to him clear his throat 1000 times in an hour. I can understand someone not hearing about gluten or soy allergies but peanut butter??? Needless to say the sitter will be much more cautious in the future and I will be a bit more specific with my directions.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-30T05:42:00.004-04:00

Since I was talking about Italy in my last post I thought a pic would be appropriate. I wish I was here with a glass of wine in my hand!

What's on Your Nightstand

2008-07-29T17:31:00.005-04:00

Check out this fun carnival from 5 Minutes for Books.

So I usually have numerous books on my nightstand and about zero time to read them but I try.
On my nightstand right now is one of my upcoming book club books, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. So far I am enjoying it but haven't gotten too far into it yet. I also started Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. I was really looking forward to this one because I enjoy all things Italian. It's my dream vacation and I loved Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert. Unfortunately, this one is just not doing it for me yet. However, I got it at a used book fair and when I started it a post it note dropped out. This is what it said:
Jim, Well I've finally finished this book and really enjoyed it. Take your time reading it but I expect something from Tuscany in return. Barb
So that's not exactly what it said because I lost the note but it was along those lines. I was just so taken by the idea of someone reading this and then getting to go to Tuscany.
I also have Feed Me I'm Yours by Vicki Lansky on my desk. It's about feeding your baby/toddler. I'm always looking for quick, nutritious things to make. Finally, I'm paging through 487 Really Cool Tips for Kids with Diabetes by Spike and Bo Loy. I've read it before but it's been a while.
Up next on my list is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. And one of our next book club ones is Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster. Just the title of that one cracks me up.

First day of camp

2008-07-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

Today Aiden started a week long camp for kids with Diabetes. Not surprisingly, he was in hysterics when we left. We called to check in on him later and he was fine. His Daddy is picking him up now so we'll see how it went. I'll update more when I can.

Mama Mia...what a weekend!

2008-07-28T14:49:00.009-04:00

Here's the low down on our fun weekend:
Friday night: Mommy went out with the ladies to see Mama Mia and have dinner. I loved this movie!! I must get the music because I have the first two sentences of each song stuck in my head. It is so nice to get out with friends, get dressed in something other than gym cloths and talk about adult things. Plus, I have a name and it's not Mommy! One of my favorite things about getting dressed for these nights is the tiny purse.

This isn't mine but it's cute.

Even before Funky came along I had to carry a large purse. I know that with a 4 year old it's typical not to carry much. But one of the physical effects of diabetes is a bad back. Not for the kid but for the Mommy. Whenever we go out I have to carry his glucometer (blood sugar checker) and his emergency kit. The kit contains this: big ass emergency injection, supplies to change pump site, AAA battery, glucose tablets and syringes (plus other supplies that I know I'm forgetting).

Saturday: We went to Dutch Wonderland, a kid's amusement park. AJ had a blast. He is a pretty timid kid so we weren't sure how it would go. We were so proud. He went on everything except the larger roller coaster. He told us that he might try that one when he's 5. Meanwhile, he is already asking to go back.

Lovin' those fast corners.

Taking a pony ride.

As usual if FC has her binky she's good to go!

Sunday: The hubby and I got to have a date night. We went to see Dark Knight and had dinner out. It's always nice to reconnect.

Grocery Gripes

2008-07-23T21:47:00.004-04:00

So I had the privilege of going to the grocery store with just one kiddo. And I only had a small list so it should have been a fairly pleasant experience. Needless to say it wasn't. All because of one person. It amazes me that one person can literally ruin your day or at least your shopping. So FC is really a sweet little girl but Mommy decided against all rational thought to take her to the grocery store right during nap time. We hit the produce first and as I'm putting the peach in the bag Funky grabs it right out of my hand. I thought she wanted to help so there I am trying to teach her "in" and put it in the bag. She gave me a funny look and then preceded to try to take a huge bite out of the peach. Oh, so you're hungry. Okay, so off to the bakery section I go to grab a bagel. I know real nutritious. I wasn't prepared with a snack because my Cheerio stash was never refilled and she had just eaten lunch. Anyway, the bagel worked since she's teething so we were back on track. Admittedly, I was keeping one eye on her to watch for choking and with the other I was looking down the next aisle to see if I needed to go down it. Well, this woman comes bounding around the corner (one with a huge display), and I crash right into her. Now I fully realize that in all likelihood I was at fault. So I said "Sorry" not once but three times. The woman did not say one word. She rubbed her leg and just glared at me. She looked at me like she had just caught me in bed with her husband. I was on edge the rest of the trip.
Maybe that's why I also have this question for any of you who may know the answer. Why do people put their babies in slings, Bjorns, etc. to go grocery shopping? I mean you have the ability to use your floppy seat on the cart. So why lug the kid? Now I have noticed that the women I see doing this are typically the skinny b*&*%s that probably have super cores and no back problems. I just still don't get it.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-23T13:39:00.001-04:00

My fairy princess and fisherman.

Birthday Pics

2008-07-21T19:00:00.007-04:00

On Funky Chicken's real b-day we just had some cake at home. Then on Sunday we had family and close friends over for a b-day bash. I think everything went well; it's hard to tell when you're the one hosting.

The ones I love

My oldest and dearest friend came up from MD to help celebrate. Her first child L was born about 6 weeks after Funky Chicken. We already have them betrothed:) It has been so much fun to go through the baby experience with my friend.

FC with her future hubby L.

Gotta have your party hat!

Starting to look tired after a busy day.

Six Things You Need to Know About Me

2008-07-21T10:49:00.004-04:00

Okay, so after my last post about slacking Kelly tagged me. So now I'm going to half complete the assignment. I will tell you about myself but I'm not tagging others. I can claim that I'm trying to conquer #1 below but that's not the reason. It's simply because I don't really have that many bloggy buddies:( Chances are that anyone I would tag has already been. And let's face it I'm not going to tag some PMBer that has about 1000 hits a day and barely knows who I am. So it looks like I"m back in elementary school... I wasn't quite picked last for kickball but definitely not first!

1. I'm sometimes a perfectionist. I only like to do things that I know I will be/am good at. Which basically means that I end up getting nothing done. For instance, instead of having perfectly folded shirts in the closet I end up with a laundry basket full of wrinkled shirts instead.
2. I'm claustrophobic which leads me to be very picky about where I sit in restaurants...no facing the wall.
3. Even though I can be a loud mouth I'm actually pretty shy, especially around new people.
4. No secret here but I'm a bit of a slob. It seems like whenever I attempt to put one thing away I wind up leaving 2 other things out in my effort.
5. I have numerous pet peeves but one of my big ones is people talking through a movie. If I have to pay $10 to see a movie than I want to hear the A lister talking not the person behind me:)
6. I'm a make up junkie and I do not leave the house without at least some on. Not even to the gas station.

I'm a Slacker

2008-07-20T19:59:00.002-04:00

While I am lovin' this whole bloggy world, I am getting a little stressed out about it. It's completely self imposed stress but I just can't stand not doing things really well. Unfortunately,the amount of time I can spend on blogging lately is very limited. Plus, I have been busy going to the doctor numerous times, going on a mini vaca and getting ready for Funky Chicken's B-day party. Add to all that my horrendous computer and it's not a good mix. So what this really could have been titled is "I'm Sorry". I know I have been tagged with some pretty cool things, like a great book meme and a blogger award. So for those of you who tagged me or awarded me please know that I truly appreciate it. Don't count me out PLEASE! Of course, since I am an honesty is the best policy kind of girl I will admit this... I have been known to break a chain letter. But I promise to try to do better next time so tag me again soon!

Happy Birthday Funky Chicken!

2008-07-17T12:45:00.004-04:00

I am excited, happy and mad... where did the last year go??? I can't even believe that my beautiful baby is a year old today. While I have had...no still am having an extremely difficult time adjusting to two kids, I couldn't imagine our family without Funky Chicken. She is such a sweet, happy little girl who fills our lives with joy every day. I am having extreme guilt at the second child syndrome that we are experiencing, i.e lack of pictures, book reading, etc. I just hope that she knows how much we love her.

Here she is about 6 hours after being born.

Fun for Everyone

2008-07-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

My brother in-law and SIL went to Ocean City, NJ this week for vacation. They were nice enough to let us crash for a few days. Everyone had a great time. The kids loved the beach, boardwalk and the horrible, but yummy food!

Funky Chicken enjoying her very first bite of ice cream. She's her mother's daughter.

AJ loves ice cream too... even when it's dripping all over him.

Funky Chicken is a natural beach lover. I attempted to keep her on the blanket but she was having none of it; instead she kept crawling straight for the ocean.

There she goes.

The kids all loved playing together at the beach.

What is in that hole?
Cousin A lounging in the hole.

It was a great time but now it's back to reality. We're having a small b-day party for Funky Chicken on Sunday. I am less than prepared. So I have to go clean, clean, clean and do about a million loads of laundry. Meanwhile, the cough I had is still not gone and I think I am getting a migraine.

Fun in the Sun

2008-07-11T23:01:00.002-04:00

We spent the afternoon with friends. AJ had a blast running through the sprinkler and Funky Chicken was content to play on the blanket. All in all it was an enjoyable afternoon. It would have been perfect but for AJ's mini meltdown at the end. His friend wanted a headband for her hair. She actually asked for two and AJ wanted one. My old, education major self would have been shocked and appalled to hear me say, "Headbands aren't for boys". Now I know that it's okay for boys to play with dolls. Plus, anyone who has met my son will agree that he is all boy. However, I also know that he notices cloths and has been known to compliment me on new shoes. I just can't bear the thought of him being stuffed in a locker someday. So he can try on my shoes at home but public headbands are out:)
Now I have to get back to the mountain of laundry. We are headed to the Jersey shore for the next few days. It will be Funky Chicken's first time at the beach.

A Little Self Analysis

2008-07-11T11:09:00.003-04:00

Okay so for those of you who already know me in "real" life you will not be surprised by this. To everyone else I am about to let you in on my biggest flaw. Trust me it is not my only one; I have many. However, I am finding that this flaw is really starting to get me down. So here it is... I care way too much about what other people think about me and my family. It truly effects everything that I do. From wanting to keep up with the Joneses to what I wear to how I discipline my children. The last one is the main reason for this post. I am really struggling to find the balance between having my child behave and promoting his self esteem. Let me explain. AJ is 4 and his listening skills have been less than stellar lately. I feel as though I yell at him all day long. He is already a sensitive fella and since I clearly have self-esteem issues it is the last thing I want for him. He already struggles with it. Many times when I discipline him it is for legit reasons, especially when it is regarding his or his sister's safety. However, yesterday while we were at the grocery store I kept pestering him to not move the cart, don't touch that, etc. I think I was doing it out of a fear that I may upset someone else or look like a bad parent. Meanwhile, is it really realistic for a 4 year old boy not to move around or touch things??? And let me tell you all this nagging is getting me nowhere. I am quite sure that when I talk AJ is hearing Charlie Brown's teacher...wah, wah, wah, wah. It is just so hard for me to figure out what is "normal" behavior for a boy of this age. When should I call him out for things and when shouldn't I? Why can't I find the damn instruction manual that came with this kid?

Super Girly Give Away

2008-07-10T09:34:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Jenn at The Best Is Yet Unwritten for making me aware of this fab give away. Having a boy first I am all about the girly stuff. So if you also have a girl check out this great site http://pinkwithsparkles.com/2008/07/06/giveaway-my-fancy-princess/
They are giving away a $100 gift certificate to My Fancy Princess
Good Luck!

Back to the Doctor

2008-07-09T06:50:00.003-04:00

Well it looks like we are back to the Dr. again today. He isn't convinced that we can rule out asthma based on the X-ray. So I'm off to learn how to use a nebulizer.
First I'll need to call AJ's endocrinologist to see what we need to do...apparently steroids reek havoc on BS and insulin needs. I'm just not sure if that only applies to oral meds or inhaled also. Oh, the things I never thought I would have to learn. By now I think I should be about a 1/4 of the way to my nursing degree

AJ doesn't even seem to know what is going on. He's still making me laugh. Like yesterday when he asked me to clean his ears out. He often has what we call Shrek ears. Gross! For some reason he can't seem to remember the word Q-tip... so he asks me to get an ear tip to clean his ears.

Back to Square 1

2008-07-07T21:53:00.002-04:00

So today we went to the pediatricians office to pick up an RX for a chest X-ray. AJ has had a persistent cough for a long time now. We tried some allergy meds and then antibiotics to rule out a sinus infection. Since those didn't work the Dr. wanted to make sure it wasn't asthma. So we went over to the hospital and had the X-ray done. It came back negative which is great! However, now I don't know what we will do. Maybe see an allergist?? I called the Dr. but it was already late so hopefully I'll get a call back tomorrow.
On a fun note my sister in-law is pregnant and we found out that it's a boy today. I already have a niece so 2 boys and 2 girls will be great!

I'm Back...

2008-07-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

Whether you care or not:) So we didn't go on vacation but were just very busy with the long weekend. So I was pretty much disconnected. It was a nice break but I was itching to get back to the blogging. Here's the run down on the weekend:
Thursday- Hubbie took a half day and we went to the country club. Well, okay we don't actually belong to a country club but our next door neighbors put in a beautiful pool. They were away and told us to feel free to use it. Of course, we took them up on the offer.
Friday, July 4th- I did take a moment to reflect on the day, particularly thinking about those currently fighting for our country and freedom. And those, like my Dad, who have served in the past. Then I did what Americans do best... I celebrated free commerce and shopped till I dropped. The weather was lousy so I left the family at home and hit the mall. Since I can now fit into things a little bit better I was excited to buy a few cute items. Friday evening we went to my brother in-law and sister in-laws house for dinner. We were supposed to see the fireworks but they were rained out.
Saturday- Bad weather again so we did a bunch of errands. Then we went to a local family fun place. They have a climbing structure, bowling, etc. Funky Chicken was content to just watch while big brother had a great time.

We then went out to dinner at Friendly's. AJ had his first ice cream sundae. He's had ice cream plenty of times just not hot fudge. There are more carbs in the fudge than in the ice cream! And boy did we pay for it. His BS (blood sugar) was sky high all night and we were checking him every 2 hours. It was worth it remembering the look on his face while he was eating it.
Sunday- My parents came out to visit. We had lunch out and did a little shopping. Here's Funky Chicken with Grandma.Later that night after my parents left we met up with friends to see the fireworks that happen in our town. There is a concert beforehand and most people bring blankets and have picnic dinners. It's all good in theory until it starts to pour! The little ones were okay but this was one wet mommy. It did eventually stop and we were able to see the fireworks. Here's AJ and his friend enjoying their water ices.
Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and report me to the Diabetes police. Ice cream and water ices in one weekend. You might as well report me to Weight Watchers too because I sooo fell off the wagon this week. Back on track tomorrow!!

Wordless Wednesdays

2008-07-02T10:22:00.006-04:00

I hope they are non-toxic!! As I was trying to blog the other day I had Funky Chicken with me. I had set her up with some of her toys. Well do you think she wanted to play with those?? No, she would rather crawl under the desk to play with the wires, pull the books off the bookshelves and get into any other sort of trouble she could. Suddenly I noticed that it had been quiet for a good 2 minutes. I turn around to see her chomping down on one of her brothers blue crayons. Feel free to send me the mother of the year award anytime now.

REQUEST FOR CGMS: DENIED BY INSURANCE

2008-07-01T10:18:00.007-04:00

Check out this blog about the day.
For those that don't know what a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System is I'll try to give you a quick explanation. It continuously monitors a diabetic's blood sugar levels. It is great for being able to watch trends and see if the person is heading high or low. It is also an invaluable tool for parents to monitor their little one overnight... if the child is heading low an alarm sounds.
We are fortunate that our insurance will cover the device (although it will still cost a bundle). We plan to have AJ set up with it sooner than later. However, this is an invaluable tool that should be covered for everyone. To me this is kind of like insurance companies not covering birth control pills yet they would have to pay for prenatal care, maternity care and another dependent. If a diabetic isn't offered appropriate tools for self monitoring then down the road the insurance company may need to pay for a variety of medical services for such things as kidney damage, nerve damage, eye problems, etc. Anyway, we stand by all those fighting the good fight!!

Diaper Give Away

2008-06-30T18:59:00.008-04:00

If you are a cloth diaper user or are looking to get started check out this great give away going on now from Nature's Child.
Enter here

Just When We Think We Have It Licked

2008-06-29T08:05:00.006-04:00

On the positive side of things AJ had a blast playing in the kiddie pool. Funky Chicken was taking an extra long nap, getting rid of any of the sickness that was left. So AJ had his Mommy and Daddy's undivided attention for a rare moment. We had of course unhooked his pump. Now I knew that it was more than an hour but he usually ends up running low when he's running around so much. Not this time. When we came in he was complaining he was starving, but that's a normal occurrence lately. So imagine my surprise when the meter read 413!! But wait it gets better... without thinking I gave him a correction through the pump. I should have given him an injection but wasn't thinking. Ten minutes later E realizes that his site isn't even on anymore. When did it come off we were wondering. Before the correction or after. Well we gave him an injection and just kept watching him. It all turned out fine in the end but it was just one of those times that put me in a funk. He was having so much fun so to have it spoiled seemed so unfair. Well to get me out of my funk I'm going to include another pic of my brave, sweet boy.

As If She Isn't Sweet Enough

2008-06-27T10:59:00.003-04:00

Darn my Dunkin' Donuts habit! Starbucks is great but out of my financial and calorie budgets. But good ole DD never lets me down. However, they ruined one of my personal mommy goals. I was attempting to avoid all artificial sweets (i.e. candy, cookies, cake) with Funky Chicken until her first birthday. The attempt was twofold. First, she would hopefully gain an appreciation for the healthy foods. I just can't have another picky eater in my family. So far it has mostly worked; we're still trying to get more veggies in. And okay, if I'm being honest here than I have to tell you that GASP... she's had McDonald's chicken nuggets and Spaghetti O's already. Poor second child. The second reason was a bit more silly. I was envisioning her at her first birthday party having cake for the first time. I was hoping to capture the delight on camera. Well it just wasn't meant to be. In an unusual gesture of kindness, because most people aren't... kind that is, they handed me a bag of sugared munchkins for free. I could have dealt with the bag, but then the girl handed me an individual one in the tissue paper. Well Funky Chicken saw that thing and I've never seen her spit her binky out so fast. She then tried to grab the whole munchkin out of my hand. Two munchkins later she was one happy baby. Of course, my camera was sitting on the desk at home.

My First Thursday Thirteen

2008-06-26T22:11:00.001-04:00

So my blogger guru started this one. Are you new to the Thursday Thirteen too? The purpose of this post is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Here are my favorite 13 things about Summer:
1. More hours of sunlight
2. Going to the beach
3. The smell of suntan lotion
4. Sandals, especially flip flops
5. Swimming
6. Eating outside (picnics, the deck, etc.)
7. Fireflies
8. Getting to buy adorable bathing suits for the kids (and seeing those yummy tummies showing)
9. Short day Fridays for the hubbie
10. Getting together more with friends
11. Going for ice cream, especially at the local dairy farm
12. Going to more outside attractions, especially the zoo and shopping
13. Going for long walks and/or drives

Fever, Fever Go Away

2008-06-25T16:06:00.001-04:00

Well it seems that Funky Chicken has the mysterious virus that has been making the rounds in this neck of the woods. AJ had it a few weeks ago. She has had a fever since Monday night. The poor baby has been pretty cranky, which is so unusual for her. Every time I think it is getting better she goes back up to 104. So we are doing lots of Advil. Tomorrow if the fever is still here she will have to go back to the doctor for blood work. I feel so helpless; I wish I could wave a magic wand and make her better. Wow... just writing that is making me want to cry. What I would do with that wand! Of course, AJ would become a "normal" boy. My brother's Crohn's disease would disappear. And my good friend's cancer would vanish, never to return again.

No we're not teenage girls...

2008-06-25T15:50:00.001-04:00

but we are awaiting the new CD by the Jonas Brothers. Arrival date: August 12th. Their latest CD will be titled "A Little Bit Longer". That is also the title of a song that Nick wrote inspired by his diagnosis of Diabetes. He was diagnosed in November of 2005 and then in March 2007 he publicly announced it at a Diabetes fund raising event. I think it is great for AJ to have a cool, older boy as a role model with Diabetes. They recently had a special People magazine issue devoted to the brothers. We now have a pic of Nick with his diabetes tag and the lyrics of A Little Bit Longer on our fridge. You can view the lyrics here:
A Little Bit Longer

A Fun Day with Friends

2008-06-21T22:21:00.001-04:00

So today was a long day but lot's of fun. We had friends in from Jersey. Matt and Kelly came with their 3 and Jon and Mel came with their newborn son (the cutie in the pic). So 3 bigger kids and 3 babies= 1 circus. It was complete chaos all day but everyone had a great time. The kids had fun splashing in the baby pool and just being silly outside. We grilled for dinner and it was yummy. Of course, I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. I envisioned everyone sitting around our dining room table. Um, not exactly how it happened. The kids ended up eating in the kitchen. Jon and Mel had to take shifts because of the baby. People were generally just scattered everywhere but it's all good. No one went hungry. I'm trying not to think about how many WW points I blew through today... I'm just going to get back on track tomorrow. And speaking of back on track I'm HOPING to keep up with the house. It hasn't looked this together since before Funky Chicken was born and I'm inspired. Tomorrow morning I plan on cleaning up and vacuuming and mopping... again. Why do we bother cleaning before people come? It took me about an hour to vacuum and mop and about 2 milliseconds for it to become a complete mess!

Check Out My Poll

2008-06-19T22:15:00.001-04:00

So I am hoping sometime in this lifetime (or the next 6 months, PLEASE) I will get a laptop. I really want a Mac but hubby does not want to spend the $. So please complete the poll or comment on your experiences.

A couple of random baby musings

2008-06-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

So I would like to know why it is that no one has come up with a way to make the feet of the sleepers stay put. There needs to be some sort of rubber bandy thing that doesn't cut off circulation but keeps their little feet in place.
My second frustration of late is the changing table. Funky Chicken is just not letting me change her. The strap on the darn thing just can't contain her. She flips onto her stomach and climbs out of the strap. She is constantly sitting up, reaching for the light switch, etc. I have tried giving her toys and singing. Pee pee diapers are not such a big deal, but the stinkies are becoming a real pain. She's getting it on her feet, the table, everywhere. I have to snap her diapers onto her when she's standing. (No her real name isn't Moonbeam. Yes I use cloth diapers.)

Well Here Goes Nothing...

2008-06-19T19:15:00.000-04:00

So I have a little family blog that I started a short time ago. However, I have been wanting to get into some real blogging for a while. And then voila... Ms. Funnypants or as some know her, Sarah, decided to give some of us girls a Blogging 101 lesson. Now that I'm a degree or two more knowledgeable you will have the benefit, or misfortune, of bearing witness to my foray into the vast and sometimes scary blogging world. I was hoping to name my blog I Scream You Scream. I thought it was appropriate and I love ice cream. Unfortunately, great minds think alike and it was taken. So Sarah came up with the new title... thanks!
I think there was something at work today, be it a higher power, fate or sheer coincidence because today was quite frankly a disaster. But on the positive side now I have something to write about. It all started with the butterflies in my stomach as soon as I woke. They're not nervous butterflies but rather stress induced. Why? Because we have a bunch of friends coming this weekend. So why am I stressed? Well to put it mildly I am domestically challenged. I do try on occasion. See my link to the Fly Lady. I wouldn't say that my house is dirty. I do clean. It is just a disastrous mess; like a bomb exploded in here mess. I'm sure this is a topic I will write about often but I digress... back to my day. I got Funky Chicken down for her nap early and was about to take my 5 minute shower when the phone rang. It was my mother in-law who normally talks for about 2 minutes. But not today. Oh no, today she wanted to discuss some family drama and an hour later my daughter was up and I was not showered. The day only got worse from there with me accomplishing nothing. BUT WAIT IT GETS BETTER! The peak of disaster came when I fell down 5 stairs as I was holding Funky Chicken. She was fine. I on the other hand am pretty bruised up and sore. Why don't they make pj's in petite size? I tripped on the hem of my long pj bottoms. Of course, I was also on the phone and rushing down the stairs to get juice for AJ. His BS was 60... ah so that's why he had been particularly feisty. The icing on the cake was that my husband was picking up dinner. I requested Rectal Hell since they have a new lower fat Fresco menu that would have fit with my points for the day. However, there will be no Fresco menu today because of the rotten tomatoes. Arh!