Rainy Day at the Museum

Well the Indy zoo has this really cool event called the zoo boo and Jeremy had the day off yesterday so we were all going to go. Problem?..it was raining all day! So we ended up at the Children's Museum which was still fun because Jeremy's never been.

Tessa is always up for a trip to see the dinosaurs but m an oh man was it crowded. The Haunted House, closing of King Tut and FFA convention makes for one crazy afternoon trying to find parking.

We skipped the Haunted House but it had a huge line. But we saw some of the new stuff, the Egypt exhibit and the not so new Chihooly glass.

We didn't stay for but an hour and a half, then left for a sushi dinner. In retrospect we should have gone to the loud and bustling sushi place, not the quiet and romantic like one. I'm pretty sure Tessa's loud antics ruined the mood, and I even had to take her outside once to have some words with her. But she ate 5 sushi rolls and some edamame so all in all a good time was had by all.

Will we get to the zoo boo? Unlikely at this point. Oh well, next year!

Changes

How many times have I written on this blog that I need to lose weight? Probably 37 times, would be my guess.

And yet with the stress of potty training, adjusting to two kids and Jeremy's hefty travel schedule over the summer, weight watchers slid right off my plate. Right off my plate and onto the ground where it crashed in a mountain of burritos and egg mcmuffins.

Ah and I continue to have blood sugar problems and low energy and remain completely incompetent at crossing my legs. Woe is me. So I went back to my doctor to complain again and after a routine blood test to determine I'm basically normal, he referred me to a dietitian at St. Francis.

We had our first meeting yesterday and it was really good. She didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Yes I need to eat more cause I'm nursing, but more of the right things (more carrots not more triscuits). She gave me a food journal to fill out, which we decided I should do each night for the next day.

One thing is for sure, the polarity of our food mentality around here has to stop. Currently it's either something slow cooked from our garden that takes all day, or taco bell. There HAS to be a happy medium, especially when Jeremy travels.

So I ventured into new territoy. Last week I bought my first frozen lasagna, and today I bought my first bag of frozen vegetables. Yes my first. Even better...I orderded a bunch of stuff from Schwan's healthy menu to be delivered (Jeremy about snorted coffee through his nose when I suggested it). I'm setting forth to usher in a new era, wish me luck!

I feel compelled to let you into our most personal space, the fridge and panty...to show of all of my diet food.

This is called a Steamer (excuse the perplexingly sideways picture- I can't fix it). 45 cals for 1 cup of broccoli with cheese and you literally heat in the microwave? I can't quite wrap my head around this, excited to try it.

Look at all the FOOD! I even got the pre-packaged carrot sticks with a tiny little dippy things. I know, plastic waste and more expensive that buying a bundle of carrots and peeling and chopping them yourself. Yada yada. That's exactly the point- I haven't been doing that.

The middle shelf is dedicated to frozen vegetables. I hope I have room when the Schwan's delivery comes!
The pantry in all it's glory.

Cause You Wanted to See More Dance Pics, Right?

In case you wondered what Charley did during dance class. He sits in the holding area with me (behind the white picket fence) and oggles at the girls.

I took lots of pics today because I had to show off Tessa's new dance outfit and brag on my friend Abbie who made it for us. You've seen her work on the blog before. She has an online store that Mommies of little girls should all visit. It's super cute girly stuff! So we had the purple leotard but it was pretty boring by itself, so she made us a tutu and three coordinating hair bows for only $12 (including shipping) Rock on right? So that's my official plug, here's her store: http://www.missyprissybowboutique.com/

Stretching on the fridge before class



doing chenay turns...no I don't know how to spell that

Trying to rest after class and not get her picture taken

Expanding our Cardboard Village

Yesterday was pretty low key day around here. Can you believe that over the weekend I was sick AGAIN? I swear I never get sick, but this summer and fall has been like year of the illness for me. I'm blaming allergies and little people. Sunday morning I had chills and was achy and my first thought of course was- swine flu! But luckily no, just a cold and nobody else got it.

Anyway, still recouping we laid low yesterday and did some art. I also had intentions of having Tessa help me with a pumpkin pie. We didn't have any condensed milk so when our attempt to make some turned into a pan of burnt milk, I instead made pumpkin baby food. Charley loved it!

We painted pumpkins. I need to buy some acrylic paints, cause while the finger paints worked okay, now that it's dry it's all peeling off. Fun anyway.




To add onto the princesses' oatmeal house, we decided the horses needed a barn too. It's got a lot of great features including a utility lamp, bail of hay and watering trough. And while I realize horses don't sleep in beds, Tessa doesn't know that.

The 'retractable roof' can open and close depending on the weather. Tessa helped me paint the cardboard flower pots green, then we filled them with red flowers!

Her horse named Copper (she calls all three of her horses Copper after the horse at the fair) seems to enjoy his new digs.

Video of Charley

Nothing special, just crawling and babbling around the kitchen floor.

Charley crawling and babbling from Laura Sargent Bennington on Vimeo.

Had to Show Off

Tessa let me play with her hair this morning and we came up with this. Maybe she's finally coming around that she likes getting her hair done. A Mommy can hope! Sometimes if I tell her I'm giving her princess hair or ballerina hair she's more coorporative.

A Sonnet....or something

Ode to Erin
Trusted friend of 20 years
through all the changes, laughs and tears
Babysitter of my kids
and they love you so
Mommy get some sanity time, and drops you a little dough

You're funny and loud
of your life you should be proud
You might become a nurse
or who knows, maybe drive a hearse (?)

I'm glad you're marrying Rafe
and that today we ate your birthday cake
Happy friend stay strong
can't wait to sing your new baby a purty song





Charley ate his first bite of red velvet cake but my flippin' battery died! Oh and I hope that this poem isn't so good that everyone wants one about them. I would have brush up on my poetry skills.

Inoperable

Not only did Cinderella die a horrible disfiguring death, the other two princesses (Belle and Sleeping Beauty) came along and pillaged her corpse for clothing.

Our only hope now lies with Daddy and his ability to manipulate needle nose pliers in the reattachment process. That or the checkout at Target, where a hundred other Cinderellas can be found for $3.99.

The Infamous Monkey Tails

Anyone who's been around our house lately might have been asked to play monkey tails. And of course the normal reaction would be....what the heck is that? It's Tessa's absolute favorite part of dance class. During the tap portion of class they put on tails and do a conga line.

On dance class day the things she talks about the most are her tights, shoes, her teacher, and doing monkey tails.

She's a little smitten with her teacher. All the way there she talks about Allison and saying 'hi Allison, I missed you' and giving her a hug. And today she even asked 'Allison missed Tessa?'. All this conversation occurs in the car, but when we arrive at the studio, she won't say a single word to the teacher, of course.

She does talk to the other girls, alot...a little too much at times. She's apparently a social butterfly.

For you viewing pleasure, monkey tails caught on tape. Excuse the shoddy camera work. A certain sideline cheerleader was trying to eat my camera.

Dance Class- Monkey Tails from Laura Sargent Bennington on Vimeo.

Your Random Charley Fix

Tessa's been getting alot of attention lately with dance class and preschool and all so I thought we could all use a Charley fix....

Ow Chah-lay!

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've all probably seen this. It just makes me laugh because this is how Tessa is saying Charley nowadays...like she has a British Accent. Chah-lay!

First Day of 'School'

I feel the need to use parentheses when saying 'school' because it's not actually a preschool. It's the Parent's Day Out program at the church down the road, but they do use a Christian Preschool curriculum so from now on let's just call it school!

Today was Tessa's first day, from 10am-2pm. We had visited on Tuesday once the director let me know they had one spot open for the 2 year class. There are 10 kids in her class and they do all sorts of cool stuff. Can you believe when we were there the other day they were starting the day with the pledge of allegiance?...the 2 year olds!

The teacher said today they were starting Christmas songs for the program in December. Singing Christmas songs in October?..sounds like PMO all over again.

I had fun packing her lunch. You have to understand, this in uncharted territory for me. Today was the first day I've ever taken her anywhere and then LEFT. I mean she goes to the church preschool, but I'm still in the building. What a big step for us!

Anyway they requested cold finger foods, no peanut butter (for allergies). Like most things I over-thought it until I decided to make her cracker sandwiches with some leftover cheeseball from yesterday's MOPs. So she got 6 cracker sandwiches, some grapes, fruit leather and a milk pouch. Her lunch bag came back empty so it must have been a hit!

So each kid brings a lunch bag and a backpack with a change of clothes and diaper just in case. She wore underpants and came back dry and in the same clothes, so she must have gone potty with her teacher.

All last night and this morning and even after school when we were driving home she asked about the airplanes. She definitely now equates carrying her backpack with flying somewhere. I kept saying... no we're not flying in an airplane, you take you backpack to school.

This is what she does when you tell her to make a scary face

checking out her backpack in the reflection

So you may wonder what did Charley and I do? Well Charley isn't feeling too hot (teeth) and took a big nap during alot of the time she was gone. I used my child free time as a cleaning maniac. Racing against the clock, I was able to wash linens and towels, dust, do windows, scrub bathrooms and toilets and vacuum.

It's seriously amazing what I can get done with just a little time and no kids. And it's the greatest feeling that the house is CLEAN and I don't have any chores hanging over my head. I feel freed!

Of all these wonderful things I have to say the most awesome, most impressive part is that the Parent's Day Out is only $14 per week...........................................Sorry, I'm back. I was just doing my happy dance around the office.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charley Dean!

Happy Happy, Mommy's Happy!

I just got off the phone with the church down the road and they said they could squeeze Tessa into the 2 year old class for Parent's Day Out.

So she'll go every Thursday from 10am-2pm and it's basically a Christian Preschool curriculum. Best thing is, it's only $56 per month! She will take her lunch and follow this curriculum (snatched from their website):

CURRICULUM:
• Free Play
• Computer Lab (ages 4 and 5)
• Music (ages 3-5)
• Spanish (ages 2-5, first semester - optional)
• Prayer Time (all ages)
• Circle Time (ages 2-5)
• Lunch (all ages)
• Gym Time (ages 2-5)
• Playground Time (weather permitting) (ages 3-5)
• Crafts (ages 2-5)
• Bible Time (ages 2-5) * Little Hands to Heaven curriculum

Spanish? Crafts? Bible Time? Oh man she's going to love and *I* love it cause I know it will be good for her.

Thursdays is cleaning day around here but this works so well because I can drop her off, come back home and throw Charley in the jumper and scrub the place down. It's so much easier to clean when she's not underfoot. It also doesn't interfere with stroller aerobics, MOPs or dance class.

Can you tell I'm excited? We start next Thursday. My baby's first day of 'school'! Bwah!

Arts and Crafts

One of my resolutions continues to be to do more interactive art/learning things with Tessa. We try but we hit and miss.

I found a new blog that I really like called "No Time for Flashcards". It's all kind s of easy art things for toddlers, including cute letters of the week made out of construction paper and other things.

We've been trying to do a letter of the week although we have admittedly missed a few weeks. Tessa loves making the letters and then we practice their sound all week (she's a master of A and W, as you saw in the last video)

Why are our letters out of order? Because I've been picking cute ones at random. I've decided we should start going in order so we get them all.

See apple A, button B, fishy F and watermelon W! (thanks Becky for the leftover buttons from our sock puppet project)

Jeremy had given Tessa an empty oatmeal tube to play with and I had divine inspiration...a princess house! Yes I know technically princesses live in a castle but if you think I'm that crafty, you've got me all wrong. Maybe Jeremy can make a castle using his engineering skills. Better keep eating oatmeal.


Perfect size for her mini princess dolls, complete with an opening door, grass, windows, a mail box and a backyard featuring a dog and tree.

And a glittery rooftop
You can sorta see in the picture that Tessa shoved a coaster inside which is a perfectly sized area rug.

She is already wanting me to add an upstairs and make Sleeping Beauty a bed. This may be beyond my means today but perhaps a whole shoebox village is in order?