Naptime Blog

We went to the post office, grocery store and gas station.

• When you grab your DSLR grab your Memory card too.
• I can drive on unplowed roads and not die.
• Tristan will laugh when you bump, grind and slide all over the unplowed roads.
• The parking lots won’t be cleared well so this will lead to mass panic.
• Because the parking lot is not clear police officers will be directing traffic.
• Also because the parking lot is not clear a guy with a shovel will offer to shovel you a spot for $25.
• After you say no you will wish you had paid the $25. TRUST ME!
• The store had tons of milk, eggs, bread, and toilet paper but NO FROZEN VEGETABLES.
• When your son is the only kid not screaming his fool head off in the store and he smiles at the manager she will give him a cute little stuffed sesame street character for making her day.
• I can carry $100 in groceries and a toddler up the stairs and only drop a sippy cup.
• Old ladies are mean when you grab the last two packages of cubed beef stew meat.
• Three aisles later when you see the cranky old lady be sure to check your cart for said beef stew meat. 
• 3 of the 4 gas stations in Prince Frederick are out of gas.
• Giant is better than Safeway. They had all registers open and I waited all of two minutes in line. At Safeway I waited over 45 minutes.
• The site of Tazo tea concentrate will make your day!
• You will be so tired from your adventures you will feed your son a lunchable and he will LOVE it.

Can my winter weatherland go away now? I don’t want to build anymore snowmen in the meadows.

-Chrystal

I am trying something new with Tristan. He has not been sleeping well, so I did some research and decided to put a twin mattress on the floor in his nursery. A gate is across the hallway so he can only get to my bedroom. His nursery and my bedroom are 100% childproof so I know he is safe if he gets up at night. Plus I am a super light sleeper. It seems to be working out.

Another reason I decided to try this was I have been studying the Montessori way of learning. They believe:  “A bed should be one which the baby can get in and out of on his own as soon as he is ready to crawl. The first choice is an adult twin bed mattress on the floor. Besides being an aid to development, this arrangement does a lot to prevent the common problem of crying because of boredom or exhaustion. It helps to think of this as a whole-room playpen with a baby gate at the doorway and to examine every nook and cranny for interest and safety. If the newborn is going to share a room with parents or siblings we can still provide a large, safe, and interesting environment. Eventually he will explore the whole room with a gate at the door and then gradually move out into the baby-proofed and baby-interesting remainder of the house. These are the beginning stages of independence, concentration, movement, self-esteem, decision-making, and balanced, healthful development of body, mind, and spirit.”

I am so excited to see how this works long term. So far he wakes up and comes and gets me. Maybe one day he will decide to explore and play.

Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com

I was reading in line at the store the other day and the article was very interesting. Here are a few of the things that I learned and thought were helpful: 

1. When cooking put a thin layer of butter around the rim of the pan to keep the water from boiling over (which makes a huge mess depending on what you are cooking). 
2. If you run out of eggs you can substitute in two tablespoons of real mayonnaise for one egg (I have not tried it yet but I think it’s quite interesting). 
3. A common mistake people make when cooking meats is salting the meat before you cook it. This actually pulls the moisture out of the meat as it cooks, making it dryer. 

My new favorite cake to take places is:

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/4 c. boiling water
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 10 T. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1 t. vanilla

1. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk boiling water, chocolate, and cocoa until smooth. 
3. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. 
4. On low, bet in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat wth half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining chocolate mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. 
5. Give the batter one final stir using a rubber spatula. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 15-20 minutes. 6. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Flip onto wire rack, flip capes upright, and let cool completely before frosting, 1-2 hours.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
• 1 1/3 c. creamy peanut butter (don’t substitute chunky)
• 3 T. heavy cream
• 2 1/2 t. vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar

1. Beat butter, peanut butter, cream, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl on medium high speed with an electric mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, 4-6 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

This recipe is straight from The America’s Test Kitchen Baking Book. Let me know what you think!

-Chrystal

Since I’ve been laid off longer than we anticipated we’ve made a few changes. I pulled Tristan from day care so he’s home with me. Once a week we go on play dates so he still gets some interaction. The bottle is gone but he still gets formula at night. I know he’s eating rounded meals but he can be super picky sometimes. At least I know the parents choice stage two formula will get him essential vitamins.

I’m also buying in bulk when I can. I wish that the stage two formula came in bulk at sams club. We love Sam’s. I can buy 204 size 3 diapers for $35. We also buy a huge case of wipes and that saves more money. Sams club also sells his instant oatmeal, bananas and other staples of his diet that a sure thing when he’s being picky. Some things I won’t buy at Sams since I don’t use large amounts of it, such as eggs or cheese.

My husband and I also changed to almost 100% store brand of everything. I’m in love with Wal-Marts great value brand. Instead of buying baby juice I buy regular juice and dilute it with water. Staples like sugar, flour, butter, and spices are also a great price compared to national brands. I added up the saving on my last trip by going to giant online and I saved $53.

The only thing I can’t get at my local Wal-Mart is meat. For that I drive 45 miles once a month. That same trip is when I stock up on our parents choice toddler meals since they have a bigger selection. Tristan eats what we have for dinner but for lunch he eats the toddler meals.

Being home with Tristan has strengthened our bond. He’s inseparable from me. It only gets a little crazy when he won’t let Daddy do things like bath time or feed him. I guess it’s all a learning curve. I need to make him more independent but I don’t know how.

-Chrystal

So some people would think by now I over react but really I swear I don’t. I often get yelled at during appointments when I say such and such happened. Then I get a long lecture about being laid back.
WHEW…I am SO glad this roller coaster weekend is over! Friday morning I took Tristan to Dr. Singh because I just knew he was getting dehydrated. He had a super high fever and a terrible stomach virus. And sure enough…to the ER we go from the pediatrician’s office! Tristan was a great baby…he tolerated all the needles SO WELL. His first IV didn’t go in right, so they had to start a second! I felt so sorry for him. The staff was wonderful.

He was discharged two whole long exhausting days later. It was crazy! Luckily I was pretty well rested from lying in the hospital bed with Tristan all weekend. I can’t even add photos since my blackberry camera is all messed up and my flip video camera was dead. My new blackberry should be here ASAP! Its sad how much I rely on my blackberry camera for pictures.

Chrystal

My poor little baby! This morning Tristan fell forward onto a plastic crate and his bottom teeth went RIGHT THROUGH below his lower lip! ALL THE WAY THROUGH! I scooped him up and I all but literally ran to the ER. I completely expected stitches for my little man….BUT…the Dr. said that it will close on it’s own. SIGH OF RELIEF! We simply cleaned it well and we were to daycare in 35 minutes from the time of the accident! I love our new fast track ER. You are in and out.  The accident happened when we were leaving for daycare. When we got there Tristan walked straight up to Cora (his daycare provider) and said “CORA….WOOK (look)!”. He just HAD to show off his booboo! It was soo sweet! This is going to be one long bumpy ride with this crazy boy!

At daycare Tristan has an electric tractor, his new thing is to stand on it and operate it. Talk about a heart attack.

Chrystal

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow
.So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

L.O.V.E this poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

These past few weeks with Tristan while I’ve been laid off have been AMAZING. Its hard to do but we’ve grown so much closer. We do the grocery shopping and try to clean in between playing.

Today we ran to Safeway (a local grocery store and Wal-Mart.) I went to Wal-Mart first and stocked up on parents choice diapers, wipes, meal & formula! All a steal. The parents choice meals were way cheaper then the safeway ones offered at “Rock bottom prices.” Did you know the average family can save $3,200 a year shopping all Wal-Mart?

I do have to brag about my safeway score. They had 90/10 ground beef on sale at $.99 a pound. So I bought the max. 18 pounds! I have a food saver and plenty of freezer room. I would have spent $71.82 but my total after the sale was $17.82, I saved: $54.00. What a steal!!

Chrystal

With Thanksgiving a day ago, I have a long standing tradition of writing in a special journal what I’m thankful for that year. I have one book that dates back to my third grade project. So this year here it goes:

1. Rick: He is such a strong and steady rock for me. I think he’s pretty handsome too!
2. Tristan: He reminds me how to look at the world through a Childs eyes. He’s so sweet and innocent.
3. Cora: My daycare provider, she’s provided a second home for my son. He loves his second family and shows it with many hugs and kisses.
4. My In-Laws: They are so good to me. They support me as much as my husband.
5. Our Troops: I don’t care if you agree with the war or not. They put their lives on the line to keep us free. Since the current conflict started I’ve lost a very close friend to the madness and I’m thankful. As his Mom said he died doing what he loved and no one can change that.

On a different note, Tristan is back to all stage 2 formula and only Parents Choice Microwave meals. He had two major allergic reactions recently and until his allergy test we have to stick with what we know he’s not allergic too. I’ve never had food allergies (knock on wood) so I feel super bad for wee man! He gets a horrible diaper rash to go with it and the pain I see him in is almost too much to handle.

Chrystal

I love fall. It is hands down my favorite season; the crispness in the air is amazing. It is chilly here in the Washington DC area. I love the smell of fire places and the smell of all the yummy things I can from the Apple we pick. Here is a picture of Tristan eating an apple picked fresh off the tree like a big boy.

Mommy didn’t even have to cut it up. Tristan went on a hayride, picked apples, picked a pumpkin and tasted all kinds of new and exciting foods. He also made lots of friends. I love that my baby is open and loving. See the super cute jeans he is wearing. Those were $5 at Wal-Mart. I had him in jeans. When I changed his diaper at 8am he was bone dry from the night before. So I put a new one on him and when we made a pit stop 2 hours later he had peed all through the diaper and his pants. I had shorts as backups in the diaper bag but it was way too chilly for shorts. I was so happy when I saw those pants for $5. That is a steal. They have Mickey Mouse on this little tag on it and Tristan loves to point to it. He loves Mickey Mouse. While we were at Wal-Mart I picked up some more of the microwave meal for toddlers. They are wonderful when we are having a busy day and I can’t cook him lunch. In each one is a full serving of vegetables. Parents Choice makes them and I can’t get them at my local Wal-Mart so when I saw them at that one I jumped all over the deal.

-Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com

I can’t believe how much a child changes in a year, especially in the first year. I was looking at old videos from daycare and I came across his first steps. I struggle with staying home or working. I feel that Tristan is better socialized at daycare then just at home with me. So sometimes I will miss milestones.  That is okay with me. Most of the time Mrs. Cora (Ma ) to Tristan gets them on camera. So I am sharing vintage Tristan today, his first steps. 

looking-back-video

 I almost cried when Tristan said Ma Ma. But I did cry the other day when I was tucking him in and I said I love you and he pulled out his pacifier and said I love you right back. It melted my heart and I picked him up and held him so tight. I don’t want to miss a thing with him and I love seeing him grow.

I had a person tell me something once and I have never forgotten it. She said “You have a baby now and his needs always need to come first. Pick him up, love him and hold him. You will never get this time back with him. In one hour he will be one hour older and tomorrow he will be 9 days instead of only 8. Enjoy this time.” It is true. We will never get the past back, cherish your children.

-Chrystal