WFMW - All Star Edition - My Top 5 Tips

Oh how I’ve missed you Works For ME Wednesday. Kudos to Shannon for dreaming up the All-Star edition of … because I’m swamped this week too.

Here’s my top 5 WFMW posts as chosen by you the viewers… well at least according to my page hits. Enjoy!

Bath Toy Storage

Storing Winter Coats

Inexpensive Fleece Blankets for Toddler Beds / Cribs

Inexpensive IPod / MP3 Cases

Inexpensive Swiffer Sheets

Can you tell that my favorite things are inexpensive things? That’s the way to my heart for sure.
I’ll be back next week with a new tip.

For more “Why didn’t I think of that?” ideas check out Rocks in my Dryer

Wordless Wednesdays #4

Look What I Made!

I've been insanely busy this past month with prep for our twins club semi-annual sale.

My doula course has been moved to the end of April so that'll be my next big thing to work on after the sale.

Oh and of course prepping the taxes for hubby's self employed company is squished in there too. Ahh!!!


I've been trying to squeeze in some reative craftiness here and there.... you know to ward off the crazy.

Behold my April Desktop:















credit: Pinku Pixies Template


It's taken me a loooong time to actually beging to create anything with the all of the digital scrappping items I've been collecting. I have to admit I am still in "hoard" mode.... but the bug to create things is starting to take over. Part of it is that damn Photo*shop. It's so NOT user friendly. But I will conquer it! Mark my words! :)

And here is a blanket I've started for K. It's going to be a My Little Pony blanket for her "big girl" bed that she's getting this summer. You can see the crochet hook in the photo (top right) It's called an afghan hook or tunisian hook. It's by far my favorite style of crocheting. Can't wait to get this one finished. :)

Another birthday, but this one lighter

It's been a very busy weekend and still a busy week ahead. Today is my birthday and I awoke to a lovely new number on my scale. Down 21 lbs today! Love it!!!!

And the best bday gift today was what I gave myself.... I was able to wear an outfit today that I haven't worn in 3 years. It was just jeans and a cute pink beaded top... but it felt awesome!!

And the cherry on top is 3 years ago my hubby gave my a leather jacket for xmas. A cute fitted leather jacket with black furry cuffs and a collar. Totally me. But it didn't fit. Since it's tailored it really needs to fit properly. I tried it on today and it's soooo close to fitting! I think in a week or so I'll be able to rock that jacket! Can't wait!

The ironic thing is that spring is almost here and the jacket will be too big for next winter.

Am I over reacting?

Is it just me or is orchestrating elementary school play dates feel like you’re back in Elementary School all over again?

S has a friend come over after school once a week. They’re BFF’s and have been in the same class for 2 years. I know the little girls mom fairly well and when she went back to work this year I offered to drive the little girl home after school (we live on the same street… no biggie) A regular play date bloomed from there… every Wednesday I take her home with us instead of dropping her off. Everyone’s happy.

Last week I was volunteering in S’s class for an hour in the morning when another little friend of S’s (let’s call her Abby because that’s not her name) asked if she could come over as well. Her dad happened to be in the classroom at the time and he said it was OK. No problem, I give them our address and we arrange the time etc.

The play date goes very well with all 3 girls (plus my other 2) Everything is just dandy until the Abby asked if S could come over for a play date at her house sometime? I said sure and asked her dad if what worked for his schedule. He said his wife worked days and he worked nights. That explains why I’ve seen him doing the majority of pickups / drop offs. We arrange for the play date and then he mentioned that he could take S directly home from school if I liked. I said sure and then shut the door.

Then it hits me.

OMG.

What have I done?

I’ve just arranged a play date for S where she would be alone in someone’s house with an adult male that I really don’t know all that well. That is something I swore to myself that I would never do. I will never allow my girls to be alone with a adult male outside of our immediate family. So I did the cowardly thing and called to cancel the play date. I said something came up (which actually was true) and that we’d have to reschedule and left it open like that.

I know I did the right thing by S. So why do I feel guilty?

I have no reason to suspect Abby’s dad of anything. He seems very nice. I have no reason to suspicious at all. What to ya’ll think? Did I do the right thing? What would you do? Would you let your 5 yr old girl go for a play date when you knew only the friend’s dad would be home?

Can’t look at the ugly

Hello my lovelies. Not too much going on at chez Chaos. Busy the kids’ school schedule (must blog about that) and the never ending ongoing Basement Reno (must blog about that) and plodding along on my “diet”… oh and I’ve been avoiding the over flowing paperwork jungle that’s growing in my den too. I need to tackle it soon…. I need to start prepping for tax time…. Oh joy!

The problem is I don't want to be in the den right now.

The one corner of our den is so unattractive…. so ugly. I can’t even look at it. I’ve been taking my laptop out to the living room or kitchen. Anywhere but in the den. My back sits to the ugly corner but I feel it looking at me.

In the ugly corner is a pair of ugly bookcases that my hubby unpacked when we moved and I’ve just never been happy with them. I added baskets. He heaped crap into his baskets. He took over my baskets. He puts crap in front of the ugly bookcases. Ugh.

Last week we decided on some new bookcases from IKEA.
And when I say “we” I mean me.
And when I say “decided” I mean convinced.
And when I say “some” I mean 7. Yes 7. Seven narrow dark brown billies with hight extensions. Oh yeah!

Project fix the ugly corner of my den is set to commence in March. Will take pics. Can’t wait!

My "Brief" Post Partum Summary - Round 2

From my Post Partum Doula Workshop application:

I had a great 8 hours with K that first day. She was a great latcher and I was very optimistic that I would be able to achieve a higher level of breastfeeding success the second time around.

Unfortunately, as a result of the internal bleeding, I was unable to sit up in bed for the next 2 days. That night I asked that Katelyn not be fed formula or sugar water. I wanted to pump. But when the situation turned to life threatening, I was told I would not be able to pump and that she would be given some formula. Foiled again.

After I was recovered enough to sit up, I resumed my breastfeeding attempts. I had pretty much the same outcome as I did with the twins. Again my milk did not fully come in, but I had colstrum so I nursed her before every bottle feeding. We called it “Mommy’s Vitamin Boost” I did that for 3 months before she decided it was a waste of her time to put her to an "empty" breast. I don’t regret it.

My post partum experience was much more difficult with K than it had been previously with the twins. I was a "veteran" mommy now so the baby caring tasks were easy enough. But I was left with anemia from the blood loss, and did I mention I also had 22 month twin toddlers?

I had a helper for one week, but then we were on our own again. Just me and 3 kiddos under 2.

We took it day by day. Hour by hour sometimes. S & J ate a lot of PB&J that summer. We watched a lot of Disney movies while I fed the baby. I matched up toddler nap time with K's sleeping patterns so I could have a few moments to myself.

Eventually we made it through the other side.

Wordless Wednesdays #3

My "Brief" Birth Summary - Round 2

From my Post Partum Doula Workshop application:

My second pregnancy was also long awaited and much anticipated. I elected to have a repeat c-section. I wasn’t comfortable with the risks of a VBAC. Turns out that decision may have saved my life. My uterus was over-extended after the birth of the twins and was significantly thinned out during my pregnancy with K.

I found a singleton pregnancy to be much easier than the twin pregnancy. I managed to avoid most of the complications that plagued me the first time. No gestational diabetes. Only minor edema. No preterm labour. No weekly NSTs. No preeclampsia.

My daughter K was born in April 2004. S and J were 22 months and we were thrilled to be welcoming another daughter into our family.

During the c-section, my OB told me I made a smart choice (due to all of the thinning he was observing) and if I wanted to go for one more baby then it would mean a mandatory repeat with absolutely no laboring. He thought I was at an extremely high risk for a ruptured uterus, and I was OK with not testing that theory. We were not planning on any more, but I made a mental note.

K arrived safely weighing 9lbs even. She had great Apgar scores and was able to stay with us for the remainder of my surgery. I thought I was out of the woods, but I didn’t know that I was about to face the biggest complication yet.

About 8 hours after Katelyn was born, I began to bleed internally. I received 2 blood transfusions as preparation for a second surgery, but managed to stabilize that night before being sent into surgery to repair my uterus.

My "Brief" Post Partum Summary - Round 1

From my Post Partum Doula Workshop application:

Hubby and I were living in Seattle when S and J were born. We were very happy to finally be parents and to have healthy and adorable babies. However we were alone with no family support, so we did what we could to find help.

I joined a support group for mothers of multiples. We chose a caring and skilled pediatrician who had a 24 hr on call nurse hotline. We had 2 family members fly out to help us for 2 weeks each. We did the best we could.

Looking back, I enjoyed the post partum period much more than I enjoyed the pregnancy. The pregnancy was much more physically demanding than I was expecting, and every month was more difficult than the last.

After the babies arrived, I immediately felt better. I had a great recovery and felt better and better every week (other than the brutal sleep deprivation and challenges of breastfeeding multiples of course). ;)

Breastfeeding was very difficult. Again, much more difficult than I was expecting. My milk never came in. (which I know now is very likely to be PCOS related) So I pumped. And I took Fenugreek. And I drank Mothers Tea. And I took Blessed Thistle. And I took Reglan. Still no real milk to speak of, just colostrum. (I think the max I ever pumped was 1.5 ounces combined)

For the first 4 months my feeding routine was to breastfeed, supplement with formula and then pump. At the 3 month mark I couldn’t handle the routine anymore and dropped the pumping. I continued to offer the breast first before giving the bottle of formula for one more month, but the babies quickly became annoyed at the lack of milk.

Although I was disappointed that I was not able to exclusively breastfeed my twins, I am very proud that I not only gave them every measly drop I did produce, but I also eventually mastered tandem nursing. Not an easy feat I tell you. ;)