Wish GRANTed

I took some time off of my regular Friday and Monday posting.  I needed some kid time with the boys.  I wanted to share this with you.  I am on a multiples website.  We all have the multiples "thing" in common but there are a few that also have the special needs "thing" in common.  2 of the little boys on our site have something called a  mitochondrial disease.  One of the boys has an older sister named Delaney.  She has made it her mission to share with others not only what mito is, but how amazing her brother Grant is.  She is trying to get 10,000 likes on her facebook page to spread awareness.  Can you help?

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Jon has two really loose teeth.  His teeth are so loose that they are hanging by a thread.  Sunday as we were on our way to church I overheard a conversation between Jon and Matthew that went a bit like this: 

Jon: "I know Matty but they hurt."

Matthew: "Just think about it this way, you'll get 5 dollars.  Isn't that worth the pain?"

Jon: "Kinda, but I don't know how to wiggle them out.  Can you help?"

Matthew: "Ok, but remember if I pull the tooth I get the money."

Jon: *HUFF*

Matthew: "Don't worry, I'll share some of the money with you!"

In other words, Matthew wants 5 more dollars and he things by pulling out Jon's teeth he'll get the money.

PYHO: Take me I'm all yours

I was at the grocery store today and enjoying it.  I know that sounds silly but if you are a mom you know what I mean.  I enjoyed the few minutes of someone NOT hanging on me, punching me, calling "MOM, MOM, MOMMY, MOMMY, MAMA, MOMMY" at me.  I enjoyed not wiping a butt.  I enjoyed being "ME" for once.

While at the check out area, I must have been daydreaming.  When I "came to" the cashier asked if she could join the daydream with me.  I would laughed and told her she could but I wasn't sharing the man.

My daydream was something like this...a tropical place, night-time, with a great breeze and this guy next to me.

Some days I don't want to be covered in shit, punched in the back *yes it still hurts Chris*, be in autism land, in genetic syndrome world, in special need planet.  Some days I want to have a break, a break from the money talk, the trying to find a job talk.  Some days I just want to be me, a woman, a woman with a lust for a certain vampire.  I would have been more into the daydream if Alan Ball would have given that shower scene more justice...Eric, I can go back to blonde for you!

Baking therapy

I have written about how the boys love to garden.  We work in the garden every day.  This week we had about 2 cups of raspberries that I was able to hide from Matthew.  I bought the other 4 cups.

The boys and I made raspberry jelly Friday night.

We poured the raspberries in a pot.  Jon used a potato masher to mash the raspberries.

Next we poured 4 cups of sugar in the pot.

Last we stirred the raspberries and sugar.  I did most of this since I didn't want the boys to get hurt.

I stirred it until it stuck to the a spoon.  Then put it in a canning jar.

We used the raspberry jelly to make cupcakes yesterday.  It was a rainy day and the boys were boarded.

We adapted this recipe and made lemon cupcakes with a raspberry filling and lemon butter cream icing.

I made the cupcake recipe.

And by doing so got our hands a bit dirty.  This was a sensory activity.

After they were done baking and cooling we cored out the center.  The boys loved eating the cupcake holes as they called them.

Next we filled with the raspberry jelly we made on Friday.

We had to use fine motor skills to do this as he had to squeeze the bag to get the jelly out.  This was also a sensory activity for Chris since he hates getting sticky things on his fingers.

I adapted the Wilton buttercream recipe a bit to make it work with this lemon raspberry cupcake.

I added 1/2 cup more of 10X sugar, lemon juice from 1 lemon, and about a teaspoon of lemon extract.  I also tinted it a light yellow using food coloring.

I practiced my decorating since I'm still learning and decorated the cupcakes 2 ways.

The cupcakes seemed to taste better when refrigerated.  I put the in overnight.

While we were making the jelly we talked about colors and textures.  While making the cupcakes we talked about colors, measurements, textures, hot vs. cold and how they tasted.  I think the highlight for the boys was when I squirted some of the left over icing in their mouths!

Monday weight loss

I'm a bit confused.  Last week I wrote down my weight and did a BMI calculator on-line to get my BMI.  It said 31.7 was for 228 pounds.  I lost a pound (after gaining half of a pound back) so I am at 227.  The BMI on my Wii fit said I was 31.74 today but if I go by the BMI on-line I am 30.8

I cheated a bit yesterday.  I gave in and had some chips and a small couple of bites of ice cream.  I also had a Pepsi.  I am learning to NOT take it all away but LIMIT myself.  The chips weren't limited but I was starving!  I woke up, got the boys around for Sunday School, took them *it was their first time going*, we got home around 2, I ran out to the store and realized around 4 that I hadn't eaten.  Not the way to do things.

At any rate.  I'm going in the right direction.  I can do this!  My goal is to have a BMI of 20.9 and a weight of 150.  That is what I was when George and I met.  I'm assuming the twin skin will make it harder to fit in the size I was though.

Week 6 of our Friday Fun Day

This week we had ESY Monday through Friday 8:30-12:30 for Chris.  Jon and Matthew had speech on Monday and Matthew had OT on Thursday.

This week we enjoyed a trio that we dubbed "Eat Me, Meat Me, and Moe" 

We ate those for my birthday dinner on Sunday.

This week we worked hard outside.

We enjoyed our garden

We had more raspberries today but I didn't take a picture.  I'm going to make some jelly with them.  I need to go get more raspberries from our farmer's market though.

Our friend came back to play with us

We played with our bubbles.

We were a bit silly by growing another set of arms.

We went to the 4H fair here.  My mother-in-law made me almost pee my pants! *ok not for real but when you see something like this it tends to make you scream (and hide behind your father-in-law)*

Yes, that is a snake they are holding.

We saw baby cows.

We had a sheep talk to us

We transformed into a pumpkin and scarecrow.

We pretended we were milking cows.

Finally we enjoyed cotton candy that was bigger than we were!

We sure did pack a lot into this week.  Summer will be ending soon and school will be back in September.  

We had a wonderful week and are looking forward to what next week will bring us.

PYHO: Holland, Italy, or Beirut

This is an oldie but goodie.  I'm tired but still wanted to post something today.

I’ve referenced the poem “Welcome to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley on my blog before.  I've referenced "Welcome to Beirut" by  Susan F. Rzucidlo .

I’m starting to have a new opinion on Holland and Beirut. I think of it as this; there are days I am in Italy, 

days I am in Holland,

and days I am in Beirut.

I’d like to think that my days spent in Italy are not always the typical things that everyone wants to see. I may spend part of my day in the Italian countryside, I may be hijacked and taken to Beirut…. I may relish in the fields in Holland and enjoy the scenery.

We may take our time but we will eventually be Italy again relishing in that amazing countryside and driving towards the Coliseum, Venice, and other places that everyone else looks forward to going while in Italy. We’ll be there eventually but in the meantime we’ll be enjoying the sights in Holland.

Weight Loss Monday

I've been keeping tabs on what I eat.  I'm keeping up with the calorie intake and trying to go low fat.  I'm looking at portions and have limited my soda intake.  I had lost 5 pounds last week.  I celebrated my birthday this weekend and was convinced by my husband to lighten up with what I was doing.  I ended up gaining a pound back.

So, Week 1 I'm negative 4 with a BMI of 31.7.  I'd like to get down to a BMI of 20.9.  I will get there.  It's not going to be overnight but someday I'll be there.

Friday Fun Day week 5: Cloudy days

The week started out wonderfully!  

We made tree rubbings.

We played hide and seek.

We met a new friend in our garden.

We played outside in the rain.  We pretended we were airplanes and birds flying around.

We ate a yummy dessert for snack *and made a new use for mommy's wine glasses since mommy doesn't use them for wine*

We went to the library and got library cards then went to play at the park next to the library.

And about 5 minutes after being at the park we had an accident.  Matthew fell down a slide and landed on his left arm.  He broke both bones in his left arm close to his wrist.  

We are leaving soon to get his cast on.  I called around and one place wanted to wait until sometime next week. We're going to CHOP and having it done today.  He's broken 5 bones *his right foot when he was 2, 2 in his left foot when he was 4, and 2 now.  This kid needs a something other than a break!

Brought to you by the letters B-M-I

It is not often that I write about something with me but I am.  Today I joined a group of friends all hoping to trim down.  I used to be very thin, so thin that people told me to gain weight.  I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight.

That was pre-kids.  Post kids my rolls have rolls, my chin isn't a double chin it's an quadruplet chin.  I don't have a muffin top I have a 12 pack of muffins top.

When I put a bathing suit on I swear I hear a faint whale call from Dory the blue fish on finding Nemo

I swear I hear someone calling to me.  Perhaps it's the chips and soda that 's calling my name.

So, I weighed myself on the Wii Fit today and my BMI is a super unhealthy 32.5.  32.5!  What the fudge did I do to my body!  It used to be 21!  So, starting every Monday I'm going to do a weigh in.  I'm watching what I eat and not just watching it go into my mouth.  I'm going to exercise and lose this weight.  My end goal is to be back to the BMI of 21.