Turkey Jerkey to the rescue

On the advice of a friend, I sent Bill to the store for some turkey jerkey last night. (OK, the friend didn't say, "send Bill", she just said try turkey jerkey.) Full of protein and something I could chew on for a little while before swallowing. It sounded perfect. My biggest problem is eating, then digesting too quickly, and having my tongue taste like whatever I just ate. I know, I know, that's disgusting. Tell me about it! Anyway, jerky sounded like I could prolong the eating process without eating too much of something and it worked! I probably had 30 grams of turkey protein last night right before I went to bed and this morning I felt pretty good. Maybe it was all the super support I felt from everyone's comments on my misery, but I think it's more than that. I got off my butt this morning and walked a mile on the treadmill and then found that I was starving. Starving?! Yep. I haven't felt the desire to eat, without the urge to puke, in at least 3 days. Yipee for me. And now, thanks to another friend who cuts up cherry tomatoes and puts then on hot dogs (freak!), I had a delish bean burrito, complete with fresh cut cherry tomatoes. Double yum, I think I'll go make another...

So Much for Optimism

I was sure this time would be different. I had convinced myself that I had planned appropriately and that all the extra protein in my system was going to make all the difference in the world. I was sure that sickness, nausea, and the urge to hurl on an hourly basis was going to pass me by this time. I was optimistic. Embarrassingly optimistic.

Now. Not so much.

I've resigned to spending the next 7-8 months on the verge of running to the bathroom to expel any healthy or unhealthy nutrients that I have put into my body.

I've resigned to staying in my pajamas all morning long while I debate back and forth if I feel well enough to get a load of laundry done.

I've resigned to stocking up on granola bars and yogurt so Tasha has something she can make herself for breakfast in the morning.

I'll be lucky to get my make-up on and hair done before I have to go pick up Tasha from preschool. Each morning that I don't I will seriously consider paying for the bus to bring her back to our house after preschool.

I'll debate whether or not I want to make my bed since I want t to crawl into it several times each day.


I'll be pleading with my husband to do the dishes each night so I don't have to smell the remnants of leftover sauce, peanut butter, or rotting cheese the next morning.


I'll be letting Tasha watch a lot of TV in the afternoon while I curl up in a ball and huddle under the covers (at least for another few weeks while it is cold in my house) and sleep or read. I'll also be very grateful that, for some unknown reason, we've got many more cable channels than we pay for.

I'll have a fleeting desire to try to earn a living sending snarky emails to people and blogging random posts about the misery of pregnancy. But, since the few moments I feel well are spent trying to catch up on housework, cooking, and giving my kids a little attention, I won't figure out how to make any money being myself. (Hopefully that fortune from Tuesday night comes through and "A business venture will soon come my way.")

Instead of the above money making scheme, I'll contact the local high schools (and jr. highs?!) and schedule speaking engagements for the youth (girls in particular) to avoid sex at all costs because the resulting pregnancy is Misery, with a capital M. I'll go into all the complications, side effects, labor issues, and medical needs that accompany said pregnancy all through gritted teeth, while holding a barf bag and doubled over in pain. If this doesn't do the trick I might bring friends along to lecture on the ins and outs of fertility, pains of labor (since this aspect actually goes well for me), and the sleepless/cranky/teething nights that ensue in the first years of life. That should do the trick. I don't mind if there is a baby boom right now, I just want it to remain in the married, over 20 crowd.

After all this, I will hopefully be feeling well by 3ish and can complete my day as I normally would. That's been the norm thus far and I certainly appreciate my late afternoons. If I could only figure out what I've been doing wrong up until then.


Yes, I wanted this baby. Yes, it was planned. Yes, we are all thrilled. But now I really realize why it takes 4-5 years to psych myself into going through this again.

WW: Swinging at DMS

This Could be Very Dangerous

On Sunday Kyra asked me if she could bake some cookies. I told her that would be fine as long as I was not involved in any way. She pulled out a cookbook and started looking through recipes. She tried to switch to some yummy looking frozen dessert and I asked her what ingredients she needed, none of which we had. Silly girl. To end the torment, I gave her a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, suggested that she add some butterscotch chips in the mix, and then proceeded to go to bed. On my way out of the kitchen Tasha asked if she could help. I knew this just had disaster written all over it but I didn't feel well and needed to rest.

A few minutes later I asked Bill to go check on them. He reported that all was fine.

A few minutes after that Tasha came in to kiss me. She did not hug me because she reported that she had flour on her and she didn't want me to be a mess. Hmm, flour everywhere huh?!

A few minutes later I sniffed the air. "Bill, do you smell that? It smells yummy."

The heavenly aroma of freshly baked butterscotch/chocolate chip cookies was permeating the air and I didn't have to do anything to get that smell. Each cookie was perfectly proportioned and baked to perfection. They were yum-yum-yummy!

Now, if I could just get Kyra to bring me a few bites of dough before she bakes them all...

(Oh, this could be very, very, dangerous!)

Spring is Here!

Google design by Eric Carle.

He's probably my favorite children's book illustrator, if I had to pick a favorite. When I taught Kindergarten I had the children imitate his art work by painting papers various shades of one color then exchanging pieces as needed to create their own picture. It worked out rather nicely and impressed their parents. I have no pictures or samples to my knowledge, just this beautiful memory.

What I do have is an Eric Carle sun painted on the wall in one of our bedrooms. I did it when Kyra was a baby and haven't even seriously considered painting over it. I really only started as I was testing out new painting techniques and ended up with a fabulous mural. I rag rolled the sky and clouds, then sponge painted a huge tree, grass, and flowers. To this day I still regret not letting the tree flow over onto the adjacent wall (let it go H, let it go!). But the top left corner screamed for something, anything! A sun, of course, what else do you put in the sky?! That is when the real fun began and the yellows and oranges and the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar came out. I painted many a coat, did a lot of taping, a lot of waiting, and got a lot of satisfaction. I don't know if I've put that much time and effort into anything since. Once every ten years or so should be enough, don't ya think?!

The best part of all this effort is when friends come over and say, "Oh, you have an Eric Carle sun on your wall". I love it! Literate friends are the best. Now, "On Sunday, he (the caterpillar) ate through ..." ?!

NTS: Reread "notes" Before Going Shopping

The original title of this post was going to be, "NTS: Don't Shop at Costco While Hungry", but then I realized that I already had a post with this title. Obviously these posts are not working. I guess I should reread them or make a list of them and post them somewhere. Something like a sign on my fridge that reminds me, "don't buy Cheerios".

The funny thing is, when I searched for my NTS posts, I came upon the one that warned me that grapes were not in season. Apparently I had bought grapes on several occassions and they were not good. The whole reason I went to Costco yesterday was to buy grapes! They are back in season. Thanks, Crystal, for informing me of this, you're a gem. Oh how I have missed grapes.

The thing is, I went for grapes and a pizza for dinner, and came home with over $100 worth of stuff. Granted, part of this was the $50 I had to pay for my membership renewal, but still. ($50?!!! Didn't it used to be like $30 or something?!) I was so starved for fresh produce that I also purchased apples, tomatoes, and blackberries. Chicken salad, yum. Samples of goat cheese, double yum. I did refrain from purchasing the rosemary crackers that they were serving the cheese on, but that is only because the box was $10 and I had filled up the cart pretty well already. Why does rosemary make everything taste so much better?! Monti's anyone?! I could eat their bread and a salad for dinner and be completely satisfied.

So, I guess I need to review my notes periodically so I don't repeat these mistakes anymore. Fortunately, I don't have an eight grader yet so I don't have to worry about her putting on eye make-up and looking like a whore. Life is good.

WW: My Little French Girl