Mommin' It Up!

September 18, 2014

Metal Mouth

As you might recall, I got braces a couple of months ago because my tongue is too big for my mouth. Sad but true.

All and all, it’s going fine. The first couple of weeks pretty much sucked my will to live, but it’s continually gotten better and most days I don’t have much pain at all. I’ve figured out how to eat, for the most part, and other than cutting corn off the cob and not being able to bite into an apple, it hasn’t been that big of a deal. My inability to eat popcorn, however, is very disturbing to Sam. Every once in a while he’ll randomly say “Poor Mommy can’t even eat popcorn at the movies!” or something along those lines.

I’ve been following the doctor’s orders really closely – I know how much I paid for the pleasure of orthodontic treatment and I do not want to screw it up – but there’s one thing I can’t bring myself to do.

I can’t drink coffee through a straw.

Everything else? No problem. I have even abstained from red wine. But there is just something unnatural about using a straw in a coffee mug. And I am not about to give up coffee.

So, I just live with the fear that I am irreparably staining my teeth and I’ll have bracket-shaped spots on my teeth whenever I get these things off.

But guess what!

I think this whole thing is working. I feel so good. I can get out of bed in the morning without calculating the minutes until I can go back to bed, I don’t feel the need to nap in the afternoon (and the few times I’ve tried, I haven’t been able to. Unheard of!), and I have more energy than I can remember having since… well, ever. It is really kind of amazing.

I saw my doctor (the one who diagnosed my giant tongue) last week and he said he couldn’t be more pleased with my progress. I’m still on hydro-cortisone for my adrenal system, but he thinks I’ll be able to wean myself off of it before too awfully long.

Oh – I nearly forgot… a few of you have asked to see a picture of me with my braces, so against my better judgement, here you go!

September 16, 2014September 16, 2014

Working Mom Guilt, Episode 1

I’ve been settling into my new job pretty well the past few weeks, and I thought I kind of had things under control: work, housework, blogging, parenting, speech therapy, big kid homework, church…I mean it hasn’t been quite as hard as I thought it would be, not that it’s been a walk in the park or anything…

I kind of thought the kids were adjusting well, too. I mean honestly, except for Jonah’s displeasure at having to get up at the butt crack of dawn for preschool every morning, things have seemed pretty much normal.

Until.

Friday last week my parents stopped by for a few minutes, and we were discussing plans for them to watch Jonah in the morning while the big kids and I attended the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome. Then my mom said, “Is it ok if I take Sophie to the library after you get home? She told me she was tired of her books but that her Mommy has a new job so she doesn’t have time to take her to the library.”

My jaw about hit the floor. I felt the knife pierce the outer part of my heart ever so swiftly. Ouch.

But then, honestly, I laughed. My mom’s revelation was truly a funny moment, but I was also shocked.

Had Sophie asked me to take her to the library? I thought about it for a moment, then concluded that she had. A couple times. Dangit!

My mom and I had a good chuckle as she reminded me how I used to be very forlorn the one or two times a year when she had to travel for work. And I particularly remember being peeved that her job prevented her from taking me to 5th grade skating party once upon a time. (Note: my kids have never attended a school skating party, because before I had a job, they had a little brother and there was no way in the hell that IS Skateworld that I was going to take them if I had to bring baby brother along. But I digress.)

In the end, Grandma saved the day and took my poor neglected child to the library (and Dairy Queen) and I survived my first episode of working mom guilt. I am sure it will not be the last. Hopefully none of these episodes is lethal (to me or to them. Heh.)

I think the moral of the story is, when your mom gets a job, it’s a great tool for grandparental extortion. Just act sad about all the time she spends working (while you’re at school) and Grandma will be putty in your hands. Live and learn, kids!

September 15, 2014

Kids’ Fall Fashion from Lands’ End

Okay I have to get a couple of things out before I can move on here.

A) OMG BFF have you SEEN the women’s fall clothes at Lands’ End? I went through the catalog yesterday and I want one of EVERYTHING. Check out the new arrivals here. Not kidding, I need one of everything. In every color. And they just redesigned their jeans.

B) In case you can’t live without what I’m about to show you here, you should know that there’s a promo code for 20% off your order today – the code is FALLBREEZE and the Pin is 1755.

C) I think I am going to use said code and pin to order this. I just need one of you to tell me to pull the trigger.

Isn’t that lovely? Sigh.

So! Back to the subject at hand – fall looks for kids!

Fall really arrived here in Ohio over the weekend, and it was the perfect time to pull out the kids’ new Lands’ End clothes. Every time I pull a piece out of a box or their closet or whatever, I’m struck by the solid construction and the overall quality. We’ve said it before, but the Lands’ End clothes and outerwear that start with my kids still look great after they’ve been passed on to Jenny’s kids and then to my niece and nephew. It’s amazing, really!

Let’s start with Kate, since she was a bit of a better model than her brother! (although don’t ask me what is up with the glasses. They are from a 3D movie and she popped out the lenses.)

Kate’s wearing the Long Sleeve Crewneck Sweater with the Solid Knit Twirl Skirt in capri breeze. She loves them both because they’re cute and comfortable, I love them both because they are age-appropriate! Which is another great thing about Lands’ End – the “big girl” clothes go up to a size 20 and are, without exception, tasteful, suitable clothes for girls. If you’ve been shopping in a girls’ section lately, you know what a rare quality that is.

Kate’s also wearing the Molly Riding Boots, which I am a little obsessed with myself. Aren’t they cute? She loves the braided strap on the front. They’re genuine suede and have a printed cotton lining.

Another thing I love at Lands’ End are the printed Graphic Tees, for boys and girls both. Here’s Kate in the Soft Mineral Yellow Fox shirt.

It’s super soft, but clearly made well and durable. Kate is super obsessed with both foxes and owls right now, so she was thrilled with both of these picks!

Another fall must-have is Lands’ End fleece. Kate has the T-200 Fleece Jacket in burgundy now, but it’s far from the first LE fleece that’s hit our home! In fact, we ran across some on sale a few years ago and bought one in every size for Sam – they’re a classic staple I know he’s going to use for years. Of course, Andy and I have a few for ourselves as well! The comfort and quality can’t be beat.

I’ve waxed poetic before about how much I love little boys’ clothes, and this year’s LE collection is so cute I can hardly stand it. I mean, look at this hoodie.

Have you ever seen anything this cute? I didn’t think so. The Pieced Long Sleeve Sherpa Hoodie is amazingly soft and comfortable. I love the cozy sherpa lining and that it is full-zip. This is another classic Lands’ End piece that we’ve had several of – Kate and Sam both had them last year. They’re great as an outer layer on chilly days, or as an added layer under a parka when it’s super cold.

Sam was not in a terribly cooperative mood when I was taking these pictures! Here he’s wearing the hoodie (and giving you a good look at the sherpa lining!) over a graphic tee – this particular one is the Classic Navy Solar System. Sam’s a super science nerd (he gets it from his father) and he LOVES this shirt.

Quick story – last spring we were perusing the Lands’ End section at Sears, and Sam saw a graphic tee featuring an Anglerfish. Don’t ask me what that is – but he knew, because he’d been studying it in school. He and Andy discussed all the finer points of Anglerfish, and determined Sam had to have the shirt. He was so excited to wear it to school and show his teacher the next day!

In the picture above, Sam’s also wearing the Rinsed Indigo Slim Fit Iron Knee Jeans. Lands’ End’s Iron Knee Pants are ridiculously awesome. As anyone who has ever had a boy can attest, knees are the first part of the pants to go. These pants are reinforced in the knee, but the patch is invisible. They’re amazing. Check them out:

I am like a broken record here, but another staple in our house is the Navigator Rain Jackets. We first bought them for the kids three years ago when we went to Michigan for summer vacation. I kid you not, both kids are still wearing the same jackets we bought (a little big) then, and they look brand new. In fact, they both wore them on the first day of school (when it was raining and we were running down the street. I still need to tell that story).

I love the new ColorBlock version they’ve got this year!

Finally, Sam needed a new backpack for first grade, and he picked the FeatherLight backpack, complete with an embroidered shark (?!? My kids are weird.). I know he’ll get several years out of this backpack, as Kate has hers – they really do stand up to the beating kids put them through all year long! Sam’s using the ClassMate Soft Side Lunch Box that he used last year, and it still looks brand new.

Lands’ End has it all when it comes to kids clothes. What are the fall must-haves for your kids?