... of the poopin' kind.
Man, Brynne and Eli are difficult poopers. It hasn't always been that way. Well, with Eli I guess it has. He's always only pooped about every 3-4 days, but now it has seemed to increase to once a week if we're lucky. He doesn't have any stomach aches, doesn't seem distressed. I haven't worried much about it.
But Brynne. Gheeesshhhh! She used to be an everyday pooper, and quick at it, too. Over the last several months to a year, she has started along the same path as Eli. But, (no pun intended), she will go several days without going and then go a couple of days where she squeezes out a little bit every couple of hours until finally an elephant-sized poop comes out. Even that wasn't so bad. Now she's doing this but no elephant-sized poop is ever coming out at the end of the tumultuous days. It has gotten so bad now that she is even dribbling in her panties without knowing it.
She has always had tummy issues. She has some kind of milk allergy, although she loves milk products, especially mac and cheese. She has these severe tummy aches that come on, more like upper GI gas, and I have to give her Maalox immediately. I know that milk products also cause constipation and I just learned that antacids do, too. Oooppps. Her tummy aches have increased over the last year or so, and her Maalox consumption has too.
My kids do get plenty of fiber, I believe. They eat all whole grains, apples, Eli eats broccoli. I even give them a fiber supplement. (They aren't huge veggie eaters.)
Brynne has not had a full bowel movement since we were in Florida two weeks ago. At the recommendation of our school nurse, I have been giving her a full dose of Miralax everyday this week. Although it causes her to have to go very often by evening, she is still only getting out tiny bits at a time. I even put her in the bathtub and told her to poop in there. Still not much. I am exhausted from wiping butts and her hiney is so sore.
I now have taken her completely off milk, am not giving any antacids, have upped her fiber intake and am still giving her the Miralax. I am praying for a big poop!
If she doesn't go soon I will have to take her to the doctor to see if she is impacted, which she is terrified of doing. When she was an infant she had to have an impaction taken care of. Not. Pretty.
I am stressed!
Anybody have any advice?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Nicole's Daybook
Outside my window... Cold and rainy ... blech!
I am thinking... about how when it's rainy and dreary I have no motivation to do anything!
Today is rainy and dreary = I am not motivated to do anything!
Today is rainy and dreary = I am not motivated to do anything!
I am thankful ... that when I am weak and want to give up, that he is strong and encourages me to keep on.
I am wearing... gray yoga pants, striped long-sleeved t-shirt and navy blue zip up hoodie.
I am planning... lots of fun unit studies for Brynne for school.
I am creating... refrigerator magnets for my mom's church's Mother-Daughter Banquet.
I am going... to keep working toward my summer weight goal.
I am reading... Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (I was reluctant to read another one of his books with the exact same story line of two people writing letters to each other and someone dying, but this one is different and good!!!), Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss and the Book of Psalms (daily devotional). Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (Dawson's read-aloud, almost done).
I am hoping... for less "rainy" days and more "sunshiney" ones.
From the learning rooms... Only one more quarter left! I can't believe it! Dawson will be ending his year studying Swiss Family Robinson and then the Renaissance period. Brynne has lots of unit studies to complete (Easter, Earth Day, Milly-Molly-Mandy literature). Kyndal (reluctantly) wrote some great poems last night, especially one to her grandma. Eli is excited about his upcoming music program at school, has a field trip to see a play about Frog and Toad on Friday and has learned a new tool for helping him not stutter.
Noticing that ... the temperatures will be gradually rising this week.
From the kitchen... more healthy meals. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I feel better about what I am eating.
Around the house... are empty flower beds and pots that are ready for some life.
One of my favorite things... is going to bed on Friday nights knowing I get to sleep in on Saturday mornings!
I am hoping... for less "rainy" days and more "sunshiney" ones.
From the learning rooms... Only one more quarter left! I can't believe it! Dawson will be ending his year studying Swiss Family Robinson and then the Renaissance period. Brynne has lots of unit studies to complete (Easter, Earth Day, Milly-Molly-Mandy literature). Kyndal (reluctantly) wrote some great poems last night, especially one to her grandma. Eli is excited about his upcoming music program at school, has a field trip to see a play about Frog and Toad on Friday and has learned a new tool for helping him not stutter.
Noticing that ... the temperatures will be gradually rising this week.
From the kitchen... more healthy meals. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I feel better about what I am eating.
Around the house... are empty flower beds and pots that are ready for some life.
One of my favorite things... is going to bed on Friday nights knowing I get to sleep in on Saturday mornings!
A few plans for the rest of the week... Kyndal is working 23 hours this week, so I will be without my car some (and I totally don't care because it means I get to stay home!). The boys have haircuts on Friday afternoon, and we'll do our big grocery trip on Friday. Brynne also has a birthday party to go to that evening. This weekend the weather is supposed to be really nice so Rick and I are going to finish getting my gardening boxes ready and I am going to do some of my planting. My "big" planting will happen next weekend, though. Other than that, nothin'. I love that!
From my picture journal.
LOVE that laugh! Pure joy on the beach!
From my picture journal.
Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Menu Plan Monday
Sometimes when I'm taking Eli to school I'll hear a song on the radio that takes me back ... WAAAAAAYYYYY back, and makes me smile (and sing loudly)! This morning I heard the 80's hair band ballad High Enough by Damn Yankees. Man, I loved that song! That has nothing to do with our menu this week, but just thought I'd throw it out there.
Now, here's our menu.
Monday ~ Grilled pork chops, linquine and asparagus
Tuesday ~ Baked talapia with slivered almonds and rice
Wednesday ~ FFY
Thursday ~ Dawson's "end-of-the-unit" meal, using lots of fresh herbs
Friday ~ Turkey enchiladas
Saturday ~ Calzones
Sunday ~ Breakfast for dinner
Now, here's our menu.
Monday ~ Grilled pork chops, linquine and asparagus
Tuesday ~ Baked talapia with slivered almonds and rice
Wednesday ~ FFY
Thursday ~ Dawson's "end-of-the-unit" meal, using lots of fresh herbs
Friday ~ Turkey enchiladas
Saturday ~ Calzones
Sunday ~ Breakfast for dinner
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Pure Joy
It's rainy and drizzly outside ... turkey chili is in the crockpot ... laundry is going ... having a cup of coffee ... watching Must Love Dogs, starring my favorite actress Diane Lane ... Rick's playing golf (which he loves) ... Kyndal is at Drake's then going to work ... Eli and Brynne are upstairs playing Wii ... Dawson is still asleep (teenagers) ... the puppies are in their room taking a nap.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
What I'm Lovin'
Do you have an Aldi in your area? We have a really nice one in our town. I always, without exception, stop there and get as many groceries on my list before I head to the dreaded Walmart Supercenter. There are, of course, some name brand items that we use that I can't get at Aldi. But I get the majority of our staples and snacks there. And I buy all my produce there. And it saves me a lot of money.
They carry a couple of brands that I really like. One is Fit&Active and the other is Millville.
A "find" from Fit&Active are the Light and Crispy Vitality Cereal Bars. I have tried the Blueberry and Chocolate Drizzle. They don't have as much fiber as the FiberOne bars, that are all the rage right now, but all total they are only 1 WW point with 3 grams of fiber. And they are delicious! And they are a great afternoon snack item with a cup of green tea.
And there are tons of other Fit&Active products I like, including their turkey bacon and yogurt. My mom gets their ice cream bars that are the equivalent of Weight Watchers bars, but lots cheaper.
Millville carries two products I enjoy (both for the taste, and especially for the price!)
Millville's Bran Cereal is about half the cost of the generic brand at Walmart, and tastes just as great!
But the other product I just stumbled upon makes me so happy!
I have always eaten their instant oatmeal in maple and brown sugar. But now they have it with 10 grams of fiber for the same size packet!!! Technically it's still 3 WW points per packet. But, since it's right on the borderline of 2 points and since it has more than 3 times the fiber of the regular instant oatmeal in the same flavor, I'm going to call it 2 WW points.
These are just a few things I am keeping in my regular diet. They are not fad diet foods, but just good long-term choices.
And I thought I would share.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Nicole's Daybook
Outside my window... It is cloudy, a tad cooler, and looks like it could start raining any minute.
I am thinking... that I'll just sit here in the quiet for a few more minutes, even though I should be getting Dawson up for school.
I am thankful ... that we had the opportunity to have a relaxing, fun and cheap beach vacation last week.
I am wearing... a Blue Angels t-shirt, blue capri workout pants and tennis shoes.
I am planning... Brynne's April curriculum, family Easter activities and a preliminary summer plan.
I am creating... nothing at the moment, but yesterday I made Kyndal's boyfriend a picture frame by gluing sand and shells to it that we collected at the beach in Pensacola. We used a toothpick to write "~2011~" in the "sand" on the frame and she added a picture of her on the beach sitting next to writing in the sand that said "Kyndal loves Drake".
I am going... to try to stay home as much as possible in the next couple of weeks to preserve gas. I more than blew our budget on our trip, and I'd like to make this last tank of gas last through the end of the month.
I am reading... A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin, Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss and the Book of Psalms (daily devotional). Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (Dawson's read-aloud).
I am hoping... that my brother is doing okay.
From the learning rooms... What a big week for the kids, even though we are just back into it after our Spring Break! Kyndal got her acceptance letter from Vo Tech this past weekend admitting her into cosmetology school in the fall. It is something she has always wanted to do. It will give her such a head start on her future (and it is FREE)!!! Eli completed 100, 0 and 1 addition problems in under two minutes! He was so excited!! He now moves on to trying to complete 100 addition problems using 0, 1 and 2 in under two minutes. Brynne is easing back into school this week by doing some Spring lessons. And Dawson is finishing up his unit on The Middle Ages. I think he and I are both a little bored with our AWOA curriculum right now and are ready to do something else.
Noticing that ... a mama bird has taken up residence in the much-used nest in the corner of our back porch. Lots of babies are born there!
From the kitchen... are healthy, lower carb meals.
Around the house... are suitcases that still need unpacked from our trip. All of the laundry is clean in them (thanks to a washer and dryer at the beach house), but it all still needs to be put away. Today hopefully!
One of my favorite things... is sunshine.
I am hoping... that my brother is doing okay.
From the learning rooms... What a big week for the kids, even though we are just back into it after our Spring Break! Kyndal got her acceptance letter from Vo Tech this past weekend admitting her into cosmetology school in the fall. It is something she has always wanted to do. It will give her such a head start on her future (and it is FREE)!!! Eli completed 100, 0 and 1 addition problems in under two minutes! He was so excited!! He now moves on to trying to complete 100 addition problems using 0, 1 and 2 in under two minutes. Brynne is easing back into school this week by doing some Spring lessons. And Dawson is finishing up his unit on The Middle Ages. I think he and I are both a little bored with our AWOA curriculum right now and are ready to do something else.
Noticing that ... a mama bird has taken up residence in the much-used nest in the corner of our back porch. Lots of babies are born there!
From the kitchen... are healthy, lower carb meals.
Around the house... are suitcases that still need unpacked from our trip. All of the laundry is clean in them (thanks to a washer and dryer at the beach house), but it all still needs to be put away. Today hopefully!
One of my favorite things... is sunshine.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Kyndal has use of my car most of this week to go back and forth to work, so I'm not going too many places. Brynne does have a birthday party to attend this weekend. Although I planned to start some gardening this weekend, the weather is supposed to turn cooler so I think I'll wait one more week. Other than that, we will just be laying low.
From my picture journal.
Brynne's school picture (that I took) for her Coop Yearbook. She looks so grown up.
From my picture journal.
Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The House in Pensacola
This will be the first post in a series of posts about our trip to Pensacola, Florida, this past week. We got back, on Friday, from a relaxing and fun vacation to my parents' new house in Pensacola. They bought a three bedroom home in the Navy Point area, one block from the bay, near Fort Barracas.
It's a small house, but perfect for a vacation! Here is the view from the little back patio ...
When you walk around that fence, you go down a small alley to a street that runs parallel to the bay. There is a walking trail that goes all down it, about 2+ miles long. Down just a couple of blocks to the right is a great playground and small beach. Brynne rode her scooter down to that playground (with an adult) several times.
When you walk out the front door and turn on the street to the right, the water is two blocks away.
At the end of that street, these are the views to the right and the left ...
It is so inviting and laid back and peaceful. I wish I lived there.
And here are some pics of the inside of the house. Adorable and so beachy!
I feel incredibly blessed that my parents purchased this home and just handed us a key so we can use it anytime we want. With stopping for potty breaks and one longer stop for lunch, we can drive it in a little over 13 hours. Not bad. We plan to go back for a week in October.
Tomorrow I'll start telling you about all the fun things there are to do in Pensacola.
It's a small house, but perfect for a vacation! Here is the view from the little back patio ...
 |
| See the water back there? It's one block away. |
When you walk around that fence, you go down a small alley to a street that runs parallel to the bay. There is a walking trail that goes all down it, about 2+ miles long. Down just a couple of blocks to the right is a great playground and small beach. Brynne rode her scooter down to that playground (with an adult) several times.
When you walk out the front door and turn on the street to the right, the water is two blocks away.
At the end of that street, these are the views to the right and the left ...
It is so inviting and laid back and peaceful. I wish I lived there.
And here are some pics of the inside of the house. Adorable and so beachy!
I feel incredibly blessed that my parents purchased this home and just handed us a key so we can use it anytime we want. With stopping for potty breaks and one longer stop for lunch, we can drive it in a little over 13 hours. Not bad. We plan to go back for a week in October.
Tomorrow I'll start telling you about all the fun things there are to do in Pensacola.
Menu Plan Monday ~ Getting those carbs under control
Eight. That's how many pounds I need to lose before bikini weather. This winter I gained more weight than I have in many, many years. In fact I came dangerously close to reaching the weight I was when I went on Weight Watchers about four years ago for the first time. And Rick's weight has gotten higher than he wants this winter, too.
My weakness is Carbs!!! I am a Carboholic and could have a diet that consists of nothing but carbs! And carbs is what makes me gain weight. Rick's weakness is Sugar!! He loves sugary things.
So my plan is to cook meals for us that have limited carbs, stick to mostly leans meats (including fish), fruits and vegetables. I am going to replace my carbs with fiber (which will include some carbs, but they will be high-fiber ones). I have a plan for during the day. And Rick's going to cut the sweets out of his diet. And exercise will play an important part in the plan. Rick wants to lose weight quick and then maintain it (which he will .. he always does when he decides to), but I want to take it off slowly and maintain a healthy eating style. The benefit for him is that since I'm the one who cooks, he gets the healthy meals in the evenings, too.
If you have followed my blog for a while, you might be wondering why I just don't get back to a strict Weight Watchers diet again because it works so well for me. Although it does accomplish the overall purpose of limiting my carbs, because they are typically higher points, I don't want to diet and count points all day. I would rather be mindful of my points (especially with snacks and in choosing certain products over others) and just have a better general diet. So, I am going to try this approach. If it doesn't work in about a month, I'll get on Weight Watchers again. Because I am not getting in a bathing suit looking like this! It's amazing how 10 pounds changes my body!
So, here is this week's menu for dinner...
Monday ~ Chicken tacos loaded with veggies and small avocado slices
Tuesday ~ Salmon with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and spinach (about 3 WW points each) and whole grain rice with lentils (4 WW points per serving)
Wednesday ~ FFY (I'll probably have a bowl of bran cereal with blueberries)
Thursday ~ Turkey burgers (on whole wheat bagel thins .. 1 WW point) and apple salad, and beef burgers for the kids with chips.
Friday ~ Turkey chili
Saturday ~ Soup (Fit and Active chicken noodle) and sandwiches (turkey on whole wheat bagel thin)
Sunday ~ Hot dogs for the kids, turkey dogs topped with leftover chili, pickles and Kraft Free shredded cheddar cheese for Rick and I.
Oh this will be so much easier and fun when fresh veggies are growing in my garden!!!
My weakness is Carbs!!! I am a Carboholic and could have a diet that consists of nothing but carbs! And carbs is what makes me gain weight. Rick's weakness is Sugar!! He loves sugary things.
So my plan is to cook meals for us that have limited carbs, stick to mostly leans meats (including fish), fruits and vegetables. I am going to replace my carbs with fiber (which will include some carbs, but they will be high-fiber ones). I have a plan for during the day. And Rick's going to cut the sweets out of his diet. And exercise will play an important part in the plan. Rick wants to lose weight quick and then maintain it (which he will .. he always does when he decides to), but I want to take it off slowly and maintain a healthy eating style. The benefit for him is that since I'm the one who cooks, he gets the healthy meals in the evenings, too.
If you have followed my blog for a while, you might be wondering why I just don't get back to a strict Weight Watchers diet again because it works so well for me. Although it does accomplish the overall purpose of limiting my carbs, because they are typically higher points, I don't want to diet and count points all day. I would rather be mindful of my points (especially with snacks and in choosing certain products over others) and just have a better general diet. So, I am going to try this approach. If it doesn't work in about a month, I'll get on Weight Watchers again. Because I am not getting in a bathing suit looking like this! It's amazing how 10 pounds changes my body!
So, here is this week's menu for dinner...
Monday ~ Chicken tacos loaded with veggies and small avocado slices
Tuesday ~ Salmon with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and spinach (about 3 WW points each) and whole grain rice with lentils (4 WW points per serving)
Wednesday ~ FFY (I'll probably have a bowl of bran cereal with blueberries)
Thursday ~ Turkey burgers (on whole wheat bagel thins .. 1 WW point) and apple salad, and beef burgers for the kids with chips.
Friday ~ Turkey chili
Saturday ~ Soup (Fit and Active chicken noodle) and sandwiches (turkey on whole wheat bagel thin)
Sunday ~ Hot dogs for the kids, turkey dogs topped with leftover chili, pickles and Kraft Free shredded cheddar cheese for Rick and I.
Oh this will be so much easier and fun when fresh veggies are growing in my garden!!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Pensacola
We have been in Pensacola since Saturday.
Our trip started out a tad eventful with "Shelley", our GPS, taking us on a skewed route and then Brynne getting carsick. But once we worked out all the kinks we had an amazing trip! Other than dvd's, I didn't have to pull out any of my activities to keep the kids busy. They were just most interested in seeing the map to see how far we had come.
We have had an amazing week! What's so great is that it's just like we're at Grandma's and we can do what we want, when we want, and even nothing at all if we want. And we've done a lot of that. My mom and sister and I have taken lots of walks on the walking path by the bay (my parents' house is one block from it!). We have cooked easy meals at home. We have laid out on the back patio and read. The little kids have played Wii and ridden their scooters and gone to the playground (on about 3 blocks away). We have gone to the "big beach" and the Naval Museum and the lighthouse. We have only scratched the surface of all there is to do here, but aren't stressed because we have many more years to explore.
Right now my daughter, niece and I are sitting at a coffeehouse drinking coffee and playing on our computers. Tomorrow we are going to the beach by the lighthouse and then will come back and get ready for our trip home on Friday.
We look forward to the many more years of vacations in Pensacola. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have been given! Thank you mom and dad!
Here are just a couple of pictures. I will post more after I get home.
Our trip started out a tad eventful with "Shelley", our GPS, taking us on a skewed route and then Brynne getting carsick. But once we worked out all the kinks we had an amazing trip! Other than dvd's, I didn't have to pull out any of my activities to keep the kids busy. They were just most interested in seeing the map to see how far we had come.
We have had an amazing week! What's so great is that it's just like we're at Grandma's and we can do what we want, when we want, and even nothing at all if we want. And we've done a lot of that. My mom and sister and I have taken lots of walks on the walking path by the bay (my parents' house is one block from it!). We have cooked easy meals at home. We have laid out on the back patio and read. The little kids have played Wii and ridden their scooters and gone to the playground (on about 3 blocks away). We have gone to the "big beach" and the Naval Museum and the lighthouse. We have only scratched the surface of all there is to do here, but aren't stressed because we have many more years to explore.
Right now my daughter, niece and I are sitting at a coffeehouse drinking coffee and playing on our computers. Tomorrow we are going to the beach by the lighthouse and then will come back and get ready for our trip home on Friday.
We look forward to the many more years of vacations in Pensacola. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have been given! Thank you mom and dad!
Here are just a couple of pictures. I will post more after I get home.
 |
| The Naval Museum |
 |
| Eli already wants to be a pilot. Brynne now says she is going to fly for the Blue Angels someday. |
 |
| The boardwalk and beach at the Pensacola Lighthouse. We are going there tomorrow. |
 |
| This girl has wanted her belly button pierced for years. We finally did it. |
 |
| Pensacola Beach |
 |
| Kyndal and my niece, Rylee. Great friends! |
 |
| The water was FREEZING! But they swam in it for about two hours. |
Prayers Appreciated ...
Please be in prayer for my brother and sister-in-law who lost their first baby. They are understandably very upset, but doing okay. They could use your prayers, though, for peace and healing.
Friday, March 11, 2011
I'm Going to be an Auntie!
I was so excited to get a phone call from my baby brother this morning telling me that he and his wife (his high school sweetheart) are expecting a baby!
They are the cutest little couple ("little" as in 30-year-old little)... both small in stature with blonde hair and blue eyes. Adorable! For them not to reproduce an offspring would have been a crime!
It will be hard having them live all the way in Portland, Oregon, so I'll just have to come up with some long-distance ways to connect with my little niece or nephew.
Congratulations, Tim and Shawna!
 |
| That's them standing in between each of the sets of kids. |
They are the cutest little couple ("little" as in 30-year-old little)... both small in stature with blonde hair and blue eyes. Adorable! For them not to reproduce an offspring would have been a crime!
It will be hard having them live all the way in Portland, Oregon, so I'll just have to come up with some long-distance ways to connect with my little niece or nephew.
Congratulations, Tim and Shawna!
Games on the Road
While the Travel Fairy was shopping for her upcoming vacation the other night, she went to The Dollar Tree and found some small clipboards for $1. She thought these would be good for craft activities, coloring, etc., on the 15 hour car ride.
This morning she was doing some blog browsing and came upon a website that sold Trip Clips (for $19.95). They are cute little clipboards with several games for playing in the car.
Since the Travel Fairy is not about to pay that kind of money for something she can make herself, she did a search and found some printable bingo cards and scavenger hunts at a Free Puzzles site.
So, for the cost of $2 and some printer ink she made the exact same thing (minus the cute colors) at a discount of 95%.
Now the Travel Fairy needs to get off this computer and get to organizing for the trip. Four o'clock in the morning is going to come awfully quickly and she has tons to do.
This morning she was doing some blog browsing and came upon a website that sold Trip Clips (for $19.95). They are cute little clipboards with several games for playing in the car.
Since the Travel Fairy is not about to pay that kind of money for something she can make herself, she did a search and found some printable bingo cards and scavenger hunts at a Free Puzzles site.
So, for the cost of $2 and some printer ink she made the exact same thing (minus the cute colors) at a discount of 95%.
Now the Travel Fairy needs to get off this computer and get to organizing for the trip. Four o'clock in the morning is going to come awfully quickly and she has tons to do.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tulsa Local Cereal Promotion
The big one for us is on Crispix cereal. It's Rick's favorite! I can get it half off THEN an additional $1.00 off two boxes. There is also a coupon for $1.00 off any three boxes of Kellogg's cereal.
I am not the best coupon user in the world. But this is one even I can screw up!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tips for Sanity on a LOOOOONNNNGGG Car Ride
On Saturday we are leaving for Pensacola, Florida, for a week vacation at my parents' new vacation home. Well, four of us are going. Rick and Dawson are staying home.
With stops to eat the trip will probably take us about 14-15 hours. We are leaving at 5:00 a.m., so should arrive no later than 8:00 p.m.
Two summers ago we took our kids on a 9 state, 60 hour trip to Yellowstone. The kids were awesome! What tactics do I use to make a long car trip bearable?
Many, many years ago I bought a book called Sanity in the Summertime by Linda Dillow and Claudia Arp. It is an excellent book! It has a chapter about surviving vacations, with a section on car trips. It is a very outdated book, but the concepts are still usable. Here are some tips, both from the book and from experience, and a few new things that I have recently come upon:
1. Have a Schedule. Set up a general schedule for watching dvd's, playing handheld video games, listening to books on cd, resting, stopping to eat, playing games, etc. Instead of just doing whatever, have specific times when you will do things. It gives the kid something to look toward.
2. Pack a Snack Bag. I have a specific bag with snacks in it. I give snacks according to the schedule, instead of just eating all day long. Each kid has their own water bottle in their cupholder. It has to last for four hours so we aren't stopping to potty every couple of miles. I read on a blog to choose snacks that take a while to eat: cheese packs that you dip sticks into, fruit roll-ups, candy necklaces. I also pack each child a mini-can of pringles and a regular bag of M&M's for special treats.
3. Pack an Activity Bag. In the bag have items for making on-the-road crafts and creations. A sheet of aluminum foil is fun for them to make a creation of their choice. Add some pipe cleaners. Paper sacks and markers are fun for making puppets. Then they have something to play with for a while. Dig through your drawers and pull out any activity pads, coloring books, etc., that have made their way to the bottom of the drawer and been forgotten. I read a cute idea of packing a lunch sack with a new dollar store toy, some stickers, paper, and a snack in the bottom .. a 'grab bag' of sorts. When boredom hits, give them a bag to play with the contents inside. I think this is what will contain the M&M's.
4. A Map. Give each child a map of your route, with a highlighter attached to it with string and tape, so that they can highight as they go.
5. Money. Give each child $10 in $1 bills. Each time they ask "how much longer?" they lose a dollar. Whatever money they have when you arrive at the destination is theirs to spend on souveniers.
6. Tried-and-True. Of course bring dvds. We go to the library and check out some videos we haven't seen yet. We have an inverter that allows us to plug things into it for power. So we take our Wii. The kids have got to where they don't play their DS games much at home, so they are always excited to play with them in the car. My kids are really into reading right now, so we checked out some books on cd. Each of my kids gets to fill a small Sterlite tub with a lid with small toys. They love little action figures and things and they will keep them busy for hours, especially Eli. And Kyndal burns us some cds of our favorite music to listen to.
7. The Travel Fairy. This is my favorite thing to do! Each time we stop to eat, I sneak a wrapped gift onto their carseat. When we get back in the car they see that the Travel Fairy has left them something special. It's usually something fun to do on the trip. One of my favorite things is a disposable camera. On this trip I will also give them some sand toys for their last gift, since we will be playing on the beach.
8. Organization. On our Yellowstone trip I bought each of the kids a back-of-the-seat organizer. It holds their handheld electronics, a pad of paper and some markers, their maps, their dollars and anything else they will need within reach. I carry Wal-mart plastic bags for trash, with one attached to the bottom of each organizer. The middle console has a travel container of baby wipes. Brynne has tummy aches that come on pretty fast, so I keep Maalox and a medicine dispenser in my driver's door in case she starts feeling poor.
We really try to drive for about four hours, then stop for a meal and time to stretch. Then go another four hours, then stop again for a meal and time to stretch. And so on. The trip to my parents' in Missouri is 4 hours. So, this gives them a reference.
These tips have worked for us on numerous vacations. If you have any other ideas you have used that I don't have listed, feel free to share!
With stops to eat the trip will probably take us about 14-15 hours. We are leaving at 5:00 a.m., so should arrive no later than 8:00 p.m.
Two summers ago we took our kids on a 9 state, 60 hour trip to Yellowstone. The kids were awesome! What tactics do I use to make a long car trip bearable?
Many, many years ago I bought a book called Sanity in the Summertime by Linda Dillow and Claudia Arp. It is an excellent book! It has a chapter about surviving vacations, with a section on car trips. It is a very outdated book, but the concepts are still usable. Here are some tips, both from the book and from experience, and a few new things that I have recently come upon:
1. Have a Schedule. Set up a general schedule for watching dvd's, playing handheld video games, listening to books on cd, resting, stopping to eat, playing games, etc. Instead of just doing whatever, have specific times when you will do things. It gives the kid something to look toward.
2. Pack a Snack Bag. I have a specific bag with snacks in it. I give snacks according to the schedule, instead of just eating all day long. Each kid has their own water bottle in their cupholder. It has to last for four hours so we aren't stopping to potty every couple of miles. I read on a blog to choose snacks that take a while to eat: cheese packs that you dip sticks into, fruit roll-ups, candy necklaces. I also pack each child a mini-can of pringles and a regular bag of M&M's for special treats.
3. Pack an Activity Bag. In the bag have items for making on-the-road crafts and creations. A sheet of aluminum foil is fun for them to make a creation of their choice. Add some pipe cleaners. Paper sacks and markers are fun for making puppets. Then they have something to play with for a while. Dig through your drawers and pull out any activity pads, coloring books, etc., that have made their way to the bottom of the drawer and been forgotten. I read a cute idea of packing a lunch sack with a new dollar store toy, some stickers, paper, and a snack in the bottom .. a 'grab bag' of sorts. When boredom hits, give them a bag to play with the contents inside. I think this is what will contain the M&M's.
4. A Map. Give each child a map of your route, with a highlighter attached to it with string and tape, so that they can highight as they go.
5. Money. Give each child $10 in $1 bills. Each time they ask "how much longer?" they lose a dollar. Whatever money they have when you arrive at the destination is theirs to spend on souveniers.
6. Tried-and-True. Of course bring dvds. We go to the library and check out some videos we haven't seen yet. We have an inverter that allows us to plug things into it for power. So we take our Wii. The kids have got to where they don't play their DS games much at home, so they are always excited to play with them in the car. My kids are really into reading right now, so we checked out some books on cd. Each of my kids gets to fill a small Sterlite tub with a lid with small toys. They love little action figures and things and they will keep them busy for hours, especially Eli. And Kyndal burns us some cds of our favorite music to listen to.
7. The Travel Fairy. This is my favorite thing to do! Each time we stop to eat, I sneak a wrapped gift onto their carseat. When we get back in the car they see that the Travel Fairy has left them something special. It's usually something fun to do on the trip. One of my favorite things is a disposable camera. On this trip I will also give them some sand toys for their last gift, since we will be playing on the beach.
8. Organization. On our Yellowstone trip I bought each of the kids a back-of-the-seat organizer. It holds their handheld electronics, a pad of paper and some markers, their maps, their dollars and anything else they will need within reach. I carry Wal-mart plastic bags for trash, with one attached to the bottom of each organizer. The middle console has a travel container of baby wipes. Brynne has tummy aches that come on pretty fast, so I keep Maalox and a medicine dispenser in my driver's door in case she starts feeling poor.
We really try to drive for about four hours, then stop for a meal and time to stretch. Then go another four hours, then stop again for a meal and time to stretch. And so on. The trip to my parents' in Missouri is 4 hours. So, this gives them a reference.
These tips have worked for us on numerous vacations. If you have any other ideas you have used that I don't have listed, feel free to share!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Nicole's Daybook
Outside my window... It is rainy, dreary and cold.
I am thinking... that I wish I was snuggled in bed on this rainy day!
I am thankful ... that I get to do what I enjoy every day.
I am wearing... black and red running pants, red Baltimore Maryland t-shirt, white zip up hoodie and Nike's.
I am planning... my post with long car ride travel tips.
I am creating... compartments in my head of all I need to do and pack and plan and prepare for our vacation this next week, and a special Mother's Day gift for my mom.
I am going... to not have to leave the house today at all except to take Eli to school this morning. This is one of the benefits of having a teenager who drives!
I am reading... A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin, Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss and the Book of Psalms (daily devotional). Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (Dawson's read-aloud).
I am hoping... that Kyndal continues to enjoy her new job, and her new freedom driving, and works hard for the next few months so that she can have the pleasure of buying her own car.
From the learning rooms... We are sticking to the basics this week, mostly. We are getting weary and ready for a break! Dawson is working on an essay about stewardship that he is not enjoying. I have another tactic for helping him this morning. Brynne is learning about homelessness by reading the book Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting and Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo. She is also enjoying doing computer math games this week. Kyndal and Eli are counting the days to their Spring Break. It is certainly more exciting for my public school kids to be away from school. Dawson and Brynne get "breaks" all the time.
Noticing that ... grocery prices are already going up, and that we have been "grabbing something to eat while we are out" more often than I usually allow. Being more organized in meals is necessary.
From the kitchen... I am doing some of the last of my "indoor" grilling this week before I start using my early Mother's Day gift from Rick. Tonight it's italian chicken kabobs and Thursday night it's grilled chicken wraps.
Around the house... is tons of laundry that needs to be put away and an upstairs that desperately needs cleaned!
One of my favorite things... is my new little greenhouse I bought with a giftcard from CSN I won from Murry Mayhem.
I am hoping... that Kyndal continues to enjoy her new job, and her new freedom driving, and works hard for the next few months so that she can have the pleasure of buying her own car.
From the learning rooms... We are sticking to the basics this week, mostly. We are getting weary and ready for a break! Dawson is working on an essay about stewardship that he is not enjoying. I have another tactic for helping him this morning. Brynne is learning about homelessness by reading the book Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting and Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo. She is also enjoying doing computer math games this week. Kyndal and Eli are counting the days to their Spring Break. It is certainly more exciting for my public school kids to be away from school. Dawson and Brynne get "breaks" all the time.
Noticing that ... grocery prices are already going up, and that we have been "grabbing something to eat while we are out" more often than I usually allow. Being more organized in meals is necessary.
From the kitchen... I am doing some of the last of my "indoor" grilling this week before I start using my early Mother's Day gift from Rick. Tonight it's italian chicken kabobs and Thursday night it's grilled chicken wraps.
Around the house... is tons of laundry that needs to be put away and an upstairs that desperately needs cleaned!
One of my favorite things... is my new little greenhouse I bought with a giftcard from CSN I won from Murry Mayhem.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Today is what I call "It's Tuesday!" We get baths done early and I get in my pjs extra early and we watch T.V. from then until bedtime. Kyndal works tonight, tomorrow night and Thursday night so she will have my car. I couldn't leave if I wanted to, which I don't. On Thursday Brynne and I are going on a field trip to the airport. I've heard it's tons of fun! On Friday she has her Coop music and P.E. classes, always a highlight of her week. Then at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning me and three of the kids are heading to Pensacola!
From my picture journal.
A girl and her license. Kyndal took her driver's test yesterday and passed! You can read about it here.
From my picture journal.
Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Menu Plan Monday
I made the yummiest spinach artichoke pasta last night. I just kind of made it up, using cream of chicken soup and sour cream as the sauce, with added browned chicken, steamed spinach and a jar of marinated artichokes, served over penne pasta. I seasoned the chicken with two cloves of diced garlic and some onion powder. Next time I'll add some shredded parmesan cheese. It was so good! Even my kids ate it, spinach and all!
Now on to this week's menu ...
Monday ~ Asian chicken stir fry
Tuesday ~ Italian chicken kabobs with grilled veggies on linquine
Wednesday ~ FFY
Thursday ~ Grilled chicken wraps
Friday ~ Goulash
Saturday ~ Pizza for the fellas because me and the other kids will be in Florida!
Sunday ~ Men's choice because me and the other kids will be in Florida!
Have a great week!
Now on to this week's menu ...
Monday ~ Asian chicken stir fry
Tuesday ~ Italian chicken kabobs with grilled veggies on linquine
Wednesday ~ FFY
Thursday ~ Grilled chicken wraps
Friday ~ Goulash
Saturday ~ Pizza for the fellas because me and the other kids will be in Florida!
Sunday ~ Men's choice because me and the other kids will be in Florida!
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Preparing for a Financial Apocolypse
Okay, so I exaggerate a tad! I have never been one to panic about a predicted national disaster.
But let's face it. Prices are on the rise again, and they are going to get higher! As I mentioned in a previous post, this hits me personally in the area of groceries. Rick and I had some discussions this week and made a decision to invest in an upright freezer to put in our garage. And I am going to purchase a little extra food every two weeks when I go to the store, just to be prepared for a spike in grocery prices.
This week I purchased these extra items:
I am going to concentrate on buying extra of the things we most often eat, and am going to be stocking up on meats to freeze like chicken, roasts, ground beef and pork chops. I am planning to pare down our menus to allow me to spend about an extra $30 every two weeks on groceries to stock.
It just never hurts to be prepared.
But let's face it. Prices are on the rise again, and they are going to get higher! As I mentioned in a previous post, this hits me personally in the area of groceries. Rick and I had some discussions this week and made a decision to invest in an upright freezer to put in our garage. And I am going to purchase a little extra food every two weeks when I go to the store, just to be prepared for a spike in grocery prices.
This week I purchased these extra items:
- 3 lbs. frozen chicken breasts
- 5 lbs. ground beef
- large jar of peanut butter
- bag of shredded cheddar cheese
- bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
- (2) cans of cream of chicken soup
- Can of spaghetti sauce
I am going to concentrate on buying extra of the things we most often eat, and am going to be stocking up on meats to freeze like chicken, roasts, ground beef and pork chops. I am planning to pare down our menus to allow me to spend about an extra $30 every two weeks on groceries to stock.
It just never hurts to be prepared.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Teaching the Lessons of Life
It has been difficult to take on the job of teaching Kyndal the valuable lesson of working for your privileges.
Several months before her own 16th birthday she attended a birthday dinner for one of her friends where she was presented with a car. It wasn't a new car, but it was a new car to her. Since then she has watched friend after friend turn 16 and receive cars. One of her friends even got a 2011 Camaro! (Ridiculous!) Her best friend will be getting her mom's Lexus SUV. Her boyfriend will be getting a pretty darned new Ford pickup.
I felt strongly, early on, that it was important for Kyndal to work for the privilege of having her own car. We told her two years ago that we would match dollar-for-dollar any money she could save towards a car. When she turned 16 she didn't have any money. And she didn't get that surprise car. And it was so difficult for her. In fact, I even made the decision that she would not be able to get her license (she has her permit) until she had secured a job.
I remember my friends growing up, who got cars given to them, wrecked them without a second thought and got those cars replaced with different cars. One of Kyndal's friends in our neighborhood did the same thing about a month after he got his license. I had to work yucky, miserable jobs to get the money for my car, and the paint job, and the new tires. It wasn't fun. But, I took care of my car and appreciated it because I had worked for it!
Well Kyndal finally took the initiative and got a job. She worked her first shift at Sonic two nights ago, worked again last night and works tonight and tomorrow night. This week she will make about $140. That's 6 months worth of insurance in just one week. At that rate she will be able to save enough money to get a really nice car by the end of the summer.
And it will be hers! All hers!
How do we plan to handle insurance and gas? She has to pay for them both. Her insurance right now is cheap, but once she gets her own car it will be higher. And for gas until she gets her own car? I figure it costs between $2 and $3 for her to drive to town and back. So I plan to have a jar where she puts in an index card each time she drives one of our vehicles to town, for work or otherwise, and at the end of the week she will pay us for her gas.
Driving places costs money. And we are all getting ready to feel the true affects of that soon. I want her to weigh the pros and cons of making a trip somewhere based on how it affects her pocketbook. Because if it doesn't affect her pocketbook, it won't affect her.
These are such hard lessons. But, she will know the value of a dollar earned (and how quickly it goes away.) She has many, many friends that will have no idea what that means and will suffer because of it. Sadly mommy and daddy will probably always bail them out.
She might not be thanking me now. But what gets me through is knowing that someday she will.
And on a side note ... she looked so stinkin' cute in her Sonic uniform! I couldn't get over it! She should apply to be the Sonic poster girl. She is so all-American adorable! **Smile** !!!!
Several months before her own 16th birthday she attended a birthday dinner for one of her friends where she was presented with a car. It wasn't a new car, but it was a new car to her. Since then she has watched friend after friend turn 16 and receive cars. One of her friends even got a 2011 Camaro! (Ridiculous!) Her best friend will be getting her mom's Lexus SUV. Her boyfriend will be getting a pretty darned new Ford pickup.
I felt strongly, early on, that it was important for Kyndal to work for the privilege of having her own car. We told her two years ago that we would match dollar-for-dollar any money she could save towards a car. When she turned 16 she didn't have any money. And she didn't get that surprise car. And it was so difficult for her. In fact, I even made the decision that she would not be able to get her license (she has her permit) until she had secured a job.
I remember my friends growing up, who got cars given to them, wrecked them without a second thought and got those cars replaced with different cars. One of Kyndal's friends in our neighborhood did the same thing about a month after he got his license. I had to work yucky, miserable jobs to get the money for my car, and the paint job, and the new tires. It wasn't fun. But, I took care of my car and appreciated it because I had worked for it!
Well Kyndal finally took the initiative and got a job. She worked her first shift at Sonic two nights ago, worked again last night and works tonight and tomorrow night. This week she will make about $140. That's 6 months worth of insurance in just one week. At that rate she will be able to save enough money to get a really nice car by the end of the summer.
And it will be hers! All hers!
How do we plan to handle insurance and gas? She has to pay for them both. Her insurance right now is cheap, but once she gets her own car it will be higher. And for gas until she gets her own car? I figure it costs between $2 and $3 for her to drive to town and back. So I plan to have a jar where she puts in an index card each time she drives one of our vehicles to town, for work or otherwise, and at the end of the week she will pay us for her gas.
Driving places costs money. And we are all getting ready to feel the true affects of that soon. I want her to weigh the pros and cons of making a trip somewhere based on how it affects her pocketbook. Because if it doesn't affect her pocketbook, it won't affect her.
These are such hard lessons. But, she will know the value of a dollar earned (and how quickly it goes away.) She has many, many friends that will have no idea what that means and will suffer because of it. Sadly mommy and daddy will probably always bail them out.
She might not be thanking me now. But what gets me through is knowing that someday she will.
And on a side note ... she looked so stinkin' cute in her Sonic uniform! I couldn't get over it! She should apply to be the Sonic poster girl. She is so all-American adorable! **Smile** !!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)