Naptime Blog

We just took a trip to visit my husband’s family for Christmas.
Granted, it was not a very long drive to get there, around 4 1/2
hours, but I always like to make sure I am prepared. I bought travel
toothbrush carriers, travel sized body washes (one for my husband and
one for myself), a mini body scrub, which I lost, and other items.
Instead of bringing the whole tub of wipes, I saw the travel sized
package by Walmart’s brand Equate. It was selling for 97 cents for a
40 pack. Not a bad price so I grabbed two of them. I am glad to know
that I can get this at a good price and keep them on hand in my diaper
bag at all times. Its not a huge package so it won’t take up a lot of
space in there, which is great for the amount of stuff I have in
there. In the past, when I have chosen to use a store brand of wipes,
I’ve been disappointed. Their biggest downfall is not being wet, not
even a little bit! Its more like a wipe that at some point was moist
but since packaging, lost all its wetness. Others haven’t been soft or
“comfortable”, but more rough. This brand proved itself worthy and I
recommend it to anyone traveling. It did its job well in the diaper
changing department, and cleaned off a big spaghetti mess my son had
on his face after dinner.

-Krystle

This year saw highs and lows for our family.  The year started quietly, as we rang in the New Year at home with our children and my parents and sister.  The twins were only six months old then, and didn’t make it until midnight (rightly so!).  In February, we got the shock of our lives, when I learned that I was expecting again, our third baby in a year.  We spent the next few months trying to figure out where we would fit everyone, how we would manage with all of these children, and if we would ever sleep again.

My daughter completed the first grade and did exceptionally well.  She finished with a 98 average and in the 96th percentile in her state exams. 

We traveled with the kids (yes, pregnant!) on two family vacations.  We went to Colonial Williamsburg/Busch Gardens in Virginia over the long Memorial Day weekend, and we drove from New York to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in early August.  I was thrilled to have survived the trip (and the ride!) with Paul and the kids and my huge belly!

I was promoted to City Ambassador for New York City’s MomsLikeMe.com right before 2008 came to a close, and my job officially started in the new year.  I started freelancing with Parent’s Choice in May.  By the end of the year, I was working about 45 hours a week from home growing page views and registered users for MLM, while writing various articles and blogs for Parent’s Choice.  My online counseling and Nevaland business and website were put on the back burner as there are not enough hours in the week to manage the two jobs, the kids, and our home.  I hope to grow both of them again in 2010.  Busy, busy, busy.

We celebrated some big birthdays this year:  my mother-in-law and my father both celebrated their 60th birthdays.  My husband turned 40 (and I still cannot believe that, we feel so young!), my brother turned 30, my sister turned 25, and my twins turned 1.  My daughter began the second grade, the school year where she will make her First Holy Communion.  And I gave birth to one more bundle of joy.

Joseph Paul completed our family on September 18th.  Originally due in early October, with a scheduled C-Section for 9/22, Joseph wanted to show Mommy and Daddy that he was calling the shots, and mommy was in pre-term labor (just like with the twins only 14 months earlier) at 32 weeks.  We managed to stay pregnant until 37 weeks, and when Joseph was born, I immediately fell in love with another male (I now am madly in love with one man, 3 little boys, and a princess).  I am a busy mommy but tremendously blessed.

When Joe Joe was only eight days old, my grandmother passed away.  She had been sick for some time, and I believe she held on until she knew JoeJoe and I were home safe to allow herself to go home.  While relieved that she was no longer in pain, she is missed daily.  And while she and my grandfather were fortunate to have a beautiful marriage, two children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, the holidays are proving to be missing her presence as we prepare for Christmas and ringing in the new year. 

Just two weeks before 2009 ended, we saw a blizzard in NYC.  It started snowing on Saturday afternoon, and when we awoke on Sunday morning there were about 10 inches of snow on the ground.  That weekend was the BEST weekend of 2009.  I was able to spend two whole days with no where to go, no deadlines to meet, and the pleasure of being with the people I adore most in the world.  Paul and I prepared the lasagna for our Christmas dinner, we baked cookies with Juliana (and I even made the twins help whisk the flour, which they LOVED!), we wrapped gifts, cleaned the house (I rearranged cabinets to fit all the groceries we bought before the storm started), and then after the snow we let the kids play in it.  We put on the monitor right near baby JoeJoe by the sliding glass doors leading to the yard while he slept, and the boys enjoyed the snow for the first time.  Juliana had a blast as well!  Paul and I were so happy to have been able to stop time just for a weekend and enjoy our family.  I hope 2010 can bring more weekends like that here and there. 

We’re looking forward to spending another quiet New Year’s Eve at home with the kids.  We’ve invited some friends over with their children, and we will ring in 2010 with hope for a great year.

How will you remember 2009?

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (3 months)
www.nevaland.com

I am please to announce that Jayce is walking!! Well I take that back, HE IS RUNNING! He is 11 months and going full speed through our house. It took Jayce so long to get here that I have worried about every little thing since I found out that I was pregnant. People are always telling me “stop worrying so much”.

It has been a very busy month for us. He has let the bottle go, drinking exclusively out of his sippy cup, eating a lot more table food & he is drinking regular milk. Jayce’s first birthday is right around the corner and even though we are in the midst of the busy holiday season, I am trying to prepare for a very exciting 1st birthday party!

Coming soon: Video of my little guy moving,,,,,
~Shanta

My sons are still a bit young to really ask for particular toys for Christmas, but that doesn’t stop them from giving us clues as to what they’d like.

We just watch them in their day to day lives. My oldest son was in his playroom playing with his beloved train table when my husband caught this scene on camera. He found the yearbook that came with his Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway set and was “reading” it carefully, softly touching one train after another. He’d stop and smile then turn the page. It actually brought tears to my eyes. He doesn’t really speak very much and has a hard time communicating. His Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) specialist has us working on communicating through pictures. He sat there for about an hour just admiring all of the beautiful trains. Guess what he’s getting for Christmas?

Growing up in a very small town, we didn’t have big box stores or huge toy stores. We also didn’t have the internet or cell phones or any high tech way of finding out about the “big” toys of the year (I was born in the 70s). What we did have, and I miss, are the big Christmas wish books and catalogs.

These catalogs were HUGE and many times doubled as impromptu booster chairs for toddlers at Christmas dinner. Do you remember them? My sisters and I would fight over these humongous catalogs filled with everything we could ever want or need as they arrived in the mail. We’d painstakingly pour over them, folding over pages, circling our favorite toys with markers and crayons and ripping pages out to post on the refrigerator door. We’d make a list and check it twice and keep adding to it right up until Santa landed on the roof.
Of course, we didn’t realize that our mother was Santa’s helper and we needed to get our orders in early. In those days, especially way out in the country where we lived, there was no expedited shipping. My mother would order our toys and then go to the local catalog pickup location and get our goodies. The employees would call when our presents were in and I remember that, a lot of the time, toys would be back-ordered. That would send my mom scrambling to the local Bill’s Dollar Store to find a suitable replacement.

One of my most memorable toys from childhood was a Michael Jackson Record Player that I received in the early 80s. It was the big toy in one of the Christmas catalogs that year and I really wanted one. I remember it clearly… I loved that it was portable. I played both sides of my Michael Jackson record over and over (yes I only had one). My sister also received this record player that year, because the company sent two.

What is your most memorable toy from childhood? Do you remember these huge wish books?
Most importantly though, I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful new year from my family to yours!

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

New Year’s Eve is a time of year that people celebrate. As a young adult, before marriage and kids, I would always dress up and go to a fun party or local event to celebrate right into the new year. Now that I have two toddlers, two dogs and a husband, my ideal New Year’s Eve is much different.

For the first couple years of my oldest son’s life, I was lucky to make it until 9 p.m. before crashing. He wasn’t a very good sleeper until he was older, so I didn’t have it in me to stay up very late. This year, I am actually looking forward to staying up and watching the ball drop. In the past, I have been lucky enough to wake up in time to see the ball drop.

I think we’ll make some snacks, chips and dips and other appetizers and cuddle on the couch. I enjoy watching everyone bundled up in Times Square as the countdown begins. I think my boys are old enough now that they’ll get a kick out watching the ball drop and seeing the sights and sounds. Usually, some neighbors shoot off fireworks in the neighborhood as well.

What are your New Year’s Eve traditions? What will you do this year?
And, most importantly, can I have your favorite dip recipe?

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

My poor son is teething like crazy! There’s a total of about 5 teeth all coming in at once. I feel so bad for him and wish I could take his pain away! In addition to the grumpiness he’s had from dealing with that, he also started to run a fever since Friday morning. While there are a lot of people who say fever is not associated with teething, there are also a lot who say it does have a link. Either way, fevers worry me. We gave him ibuprofen and that brought it down for a little.

After his naps, he was just burning up. We continued with the recommended dosage throughout the night and all day Saturday. The highest his fever went was around 102.7. During this, he has constantly hit his lower cheeks, where the teeth are erupting and hitting his ears and not eating very well at all. We have to go up North for Christmas on Wednesday so I decided on Sunday to take him to the doctor just to make sure he didn’t have an ear infection. I walk in to the surprisingly super empty waiting room and get into an exam room within 5 minutes. The doctor comes in about 2 minutes later. He sits down and asks me the basics : “Vomiting? Diarreah? Coughing?” All to which I answered, “No.” The doctor says, word for word ” I am willing to bet money that your kid has Roseola without even examining him.” I ask what that is and he explains it to me, in an odd manner. I kind of felt like I was being talked down to or that because it was my first child, I must be completely clueless. He says “Yeah in about 2 days he’s going to be covered head to toe in a rash, but you can’t do anything about it like giving him benadryl, it won’t work. You may see his temperature go to 105, but that’s caused by the Roseola, so don’t worry – its not like a temp that high can cause mental retardation.”

I was so stunned by the lack of “bedside manner” this doctor had, especially talking to a first time mother who, of course, would worry if I ever saw a temp that high! We leave, I call my mom freaking out about this guy and how could he diagnose my child by looking at him. My son doesn’t “look” sick…..but then today, he sure got that rash the doctor talked about, all on his tummy. The doctor even said “when your son gets that rash, you’re going to think to yourself that I must be a psychic.” Well, I cannot type here the thoughts I had to myself
but it sure wasn’t that!

Half of me is grateful that I took him so that I was aware this was a possibility in Dr. Crazy’s mind, and the other half is still in shock by how I was talked to. Hopefully the rash will be all gone by Wednesday morning for our trip and supposedly, this is quite common in children his age group. I just hope he feels better by then!

Krystle

A few weeks ago I wrote about Christmas shopping for food.  Wanted to share the official Christmas menu!

I am of Italian heritage.  Anyone who has ever eaten over our house growing up on holidays (heck, even on an average Sunday!) would think my family was NUTS!  The amount of food my grandmother, then my mother, and now I prepare and consume on a holiday can feed a small country.  This is the menu for Christmas dinner. 

The antipasto course is first.  We prepare provolone, soppressata, dry sausage, mozzarella, ricotta salata, pepperoni, and other cheeses and meats in antipasto trays.  Along with seasoned peppers stuffed with cheeses and prosciutto, seasoned artichoke hearts, and an olive salad, the cold trays complement the hot trays: stuffed mushrooms and warm Italian bread.  For many, this is a meal in itself (and really, it is!).  But this is only the beginning.  Enjoyed with red or white wine, the antipasto sets the stage for the rest of the afternoon.  Yes, dinner starts at about 3:00 PM.

The women clear off the antipasto dishes and check the pasta baking in the oven, while the men and children find their way into the living room for football and new toys.  And everyone gets a chance to digest the antipasto until the next course is served.

The pasta course is usually lasagna.  I personally would prefer a stuffed manicotti or baked ziti, but the traditional pasta for Christmas Day is lasagna.  Layers of pasta with ricotta, mozzarella, and teeny tiny meatballs are baked in the oven.  I spent last Sunday preparing the sauce (which I call ‘gravy’) and the ‘gravy’ meat, including the meatballs.  One hundred and twenty mini meatballs for the lasagna and 65 large meatballs along with sausage, a piece of beef, a piece of pork, spare ribs and braciole were cooked in the gravy in advance.  This Christmas I am expecting to serve thirteen people.  Luckily, the gravy and any leftover gravy meat can be (and will be!) frozen for future meals.  The lasagna and gravy meat are our second course. 

By this point, no one wants to eat anymore, but somehow everyone finds room.  This Christmas, we are cooking a 20 pound fresh ham along with a 5 pound roast beef.  Onions, stuffed artichokes (my personal favorite food!), candied yams, roasted potatoes, green beans, salad, corn, and red cabbage add to the fun (oh, joy!) of the meal.

Notice we still have not had dessert!  Dessert in itself is three different courses, maybe four.  We start with fruit and then nuts.  Winter fruits, including oranges, apples, pears, and finocchio (fennel, a fruit that tastes like black licorice) is served next.  Following the fruits are the nuts: walnuts, almonds, Brazilian nuts, hazelnuts, and baked chestnuts, we are now finishing up the bottles of wine, preparing for the liqueurs.  The after dinner cordials are served with boxed chocolates, including chocolate covered cherries, after dinner mints and jelly rings.

Finally (now that everyone has eaten enough food to last them for 6 more days) it is time for coffee and cake.  We serve the desserts our guests have brought, usually including pastries, cheesecake (my father usually makes his Italian cheesecake specialty) and a chocolate cake.  We made dozens and dozens of cookies to satisfy every palate: butter cookies, peanut butter cookies, butterscotch walnut cookies, anisette cookies (my grandmother’s specialty), and nut cups.  My parents will bring the tri-color cookies that took two days to prepare (rainbow cookies, and they are worth every minute!) and my aunts will bring the struffoli (honey balls).  All of these cakes and cookies are served with a choice of coffees (American coffee, espresso, cappuccino). 

And then, everyone rolls home!

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (2 months)
www.nevaland.com

Antoinette, a friend of the family, has four children.  Year after year I await her Christmas card with her family photo, but it never comes.  One year I asked her if she does holiday photos, and she told me that it is too difficult to get a good photo of all the kids at once, and often it is too much time, effort and energy to take them for photos, that by the end of the session everyone is a mess, including her and her husband!

Now that I have four children myself, I can understand her frustration.  My oldest is seven, and although one would think she is the easiest to take a photo of out of the crew, this is not always the case.  Well, see, she starts out smiling pretty, but then her brothers start to fidget, they try to get up and run away, Mommy and Daddy get sweaty, and before you know it, the babies are all looking at the camera but my daughter is making a funny looking face!

I think we have gotten it down to a science with the twins:  as long as they are given cell phones, they will sit.  But once they realize that they each have a different phone (one has Mommy’s Blackberry and the other has Daddy’s flip phone), they usually start to fight for the other phone.  UGH! 

So through all the fussing and posing and re-posing, changing outfits and wiping spit up and chasing after a dashing toddler, the baby usually falls asleep!  And I don’t want him sleeping in our Christmas card!

This year, on Thanksgiving morning, right after they were all dressed, we decided to put the kids on the couch and try to take a photo.  I wasn’t going to brave the malls or spend a fortune on a photographer this year.  If I got a good shot, great.  If not, what can I do?  I ordered my folded cards from Vistaprint, with a collage on the front with a shot of the four kids on the couch and a family photo from Joseph’s Christening day.  And on the inside, I put individual photos of the kids.  I am pretty happy with my cards, considering I am exhausted!

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (2 months)
www.nevaland.com

I will say it again! “I LOVE this time of the year” With things being so tight for many of us, I try to find ways to save us money constantly. One way we have learned to cut corners is with our Christmas cards. I love sending out pictures to those family members who are away. I want them to see how the boys are growing.

We dig into our closets and find some nice sweaters and shirts with those nice festive colors and grab a neighbor to come over and take our pictures. Wal-Mart has the BEST picture Kiosk; I love the boarders and backgrounds that you can add to the pictures. The prices range from $.28 to $.80 per picture. We are able to customize the picture the card the way we want. It’s a really nice gift option for those extended family members.

Take a look at my Holiday babies!!

~Shanta

So, how are you saving money this holiday season?

As far as gift buying goes, it seems like, more than ever, I am seeing lots of coupons, doorbusters, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, you name it type of deals. Many retailers are offering deep discounts on items that families want to buy for the holidays. Add in a coupon or two and you can grab yourself an awesome deal. Don’t discount garage sales, thrift stores and barter sites. Many items are like new.

What about entertaining?

Many people are cutting back on throwing big holiday parties due to the cost of food. Don’t forget that buying store brands can drastically cut your grocery bill. Party staples like paper plates, plastic cutlery, sugar, tea, coffee, cookies, chips and more are all available in store brands. In addition, some stores, like Walmart ($20 holiday meal) are offering special package deals for holiday meals that can really save you some dollars. Another option is potlucks… invite your friends over and request that they bring their favorite holiday dish. This is a win win because you save money on food for your guests and get to try delicious new recipes. Maybe have each person type up the recipe and pass it around to add to everyone’s recipe collection.

Check out your community for free holiday get togethers. Many subdivisions have a free meet Santa or Christmas at the pole type of thing. Kids and families can get their photo taken, play in fake (or real) snow and much more. Check your local newspaper or community calendar.

Just because money is tight, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun this holiday season.

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/