Heart Attack

So at 32 I think I came close to a heart attack today. I was standing outside waiting for Logan to come out of his school with all the other moms and dads. Normal for me, I am chit chatting with another mom. I notice 4 kids from Logan's class come out, but no Logan. My heart begins to beat a little faster...I ask the mom next to me (a veteran school-picking-up-mom with older kids and also a daughter in Logan's class) if they bring all the kids out from the same class at the same time? Some days it seems like it and some days it doesn't. She is just as clueless as I am as to how this machine runs and asks her daughter if she saw Logan coming outside, her daughter says he was still sitting at the table in the cafeteria. Which is where the kids sit and wait for the 6th grade patrols to get them and bring them outside. So I head inside to see if he is sitting in the cafeteria. The 2 woman who watch the halls in the morning are in their normal positions and I tell them Logan didn't come out to be picked up. They direct me to his class saying to check there. So off we go, Zane and I at a brisk pace to the classroom.
Heart beating faster.
Oh I forgot to mention there was a substitute teacher today.
great.
The aide that helps another little boy in the class was standing at the door...young guy...could barely make eye contact with me...way too cool for this job. I ask him if Logan is in there and he says nonchalantly, "no Logan got on the bus."
"WHAT?!?! He doesn't ride the bus!"
"He said he rode the purple bus, he went with those kids."
My heart is in my throat. Tears barely holding back. I swoop Zane up and on my hip, and I run. I run like I am running for my life. Because you know what, I am. I dodge kids,jump semi over one. I run past the 2 women doing hall duty, them calling after me. I run out of the school and grab the school counselor with the walkie talkie. Barely able to talk because tears are about to explode and the ugly cry is about to happen, I muster...
"Logan gets picked up. Substitute teacher put him on the purple bus."
The doors of all the buses are closed, the engines humming.
She is quick to get the buses to stop... I jump on the purple bus and there he is... third row from the front looking lost, eyes wide.
Once off the bus I hug him and release some tears of relief. I explain to him that Mommy is not mad at him but I am mad at the substitute teacher for putting him on the bus when his backpack is labeled that he is a pick up.
We head into the school so I can complain because this is not happening again. This could have been really bad. What if I didn't catch the bus? And it's not just because there was a substitute teacher, why didn't the bus driver catch that they had a new kid on the bus that he/she has never seen? And would the driver notice if he got off with another kid?
Who is watching to make sure these kids leave the school and end up in the right hands? Every morning there is a huge fuss about having parents sign in with the office before walking their child into the school. Why isn't as much care taken to the kids leaving the school?
There is no room for error when it comes to the safety of our children. And if I have to I will be a thorn in their side reminding them that they better keep my child safe or they will be held accountable. This was unacceptable.

My food challenge

Food is always our biggest expense so I decided today after going to the grocery store...I went in to get bread and walked out with 40 bucks of stuff. Why does this happen to me every time??
And the funny thing is, my friend Erin and I were just talking about this mere minutes before when we parted ways at the playground.
So my new challenge is that I am not going to buy anymore food except milk and eggs until we have nothing left to eat in our fridge, in our pantry or freezer. This challenge is really only for my hubby and I because the kids are very picky about food that they would never be able to participate. I'm going to make a list of everything we eat to later share with you and to see how long we can actually go without running to the grocery store. Now if you are a loyal reader you would know that I've said this before. The mistake I made last time was starting when the freezer was already looking bare and also right before we had guests visiting. You can't have guests visiting and have them on board for scrambled eggs for dinner, that just won't do.
So this time I am really giving it my all...should be interesting. Anyone want to join me?

Fine Motor Skills

Thank you all for your wonderful comments from my previous post about Logan and the handwriting struggle, it really meant a lot to me. Handwriting is such a chore for him and he emotionally gets so upset that it's hard to make him do additional practicing besides the homework assignment. We've started working on embroidery projects and he is loving it. His hoop is always out on the table and ready for him to work. His imagination soars when it is in his hand, he creates these stories about what he is making like rocket ship marks in the sky or robot poop (the crafty mama is so proud...haaahaaa). Also we are getting a sandbox to work on writing in the sand with a stick. Please leave a comment in you have any other suggestions of activities we could try to help develop his fine motor.
Also try putting a hoop in your child's hands...it's really a lot of fun to see what they come up with. I bought plastic needles and burlap fabric and yarn and a hoop. All of it can be picked up at your local fabric shop, I've also added it all to the CocktailMoms Shop, and it's really cheap. Happy sewing.

It all starts with a light...

It all starts with a light fixture that I hate. The hunt to find something unique-looking and affordable. I'm not in love with anything at my local Home Depot, Lowes or Ikea. I searched at the Community Forklift and still left empty handed. And then one Friday I went to the forklift and found this light cover in the free pile. Now I'm not in love with it but I do like it more than what we originally had up there. For now it will do.
It was a little larger than the original shade so I used some strong wire to attach it to the base and then put some fun wooden beads around it to cover the wire.
For now it will do...until I find that vintage, totally funky chandelier at a flea market that needs a face lift for dirt cheap.

Embroidered Handkerchiefs

My hubby has asked for some handkerchiefs before the running nose season begins. So I made him some funky ones for his birthday using an old sheet. The high thread count sheets tend to rip over time, they sure do feel nice but don't last as long. So I cut out 16x16" squares and did an overcast stitch around them and then used embroidery designs from the Sublime Stitching Craft Pad. Bring on the sniffles-Jon is ready!

Potty Chart

I know you can print out a ton of free potty charts online but instead I thought it would be cool to make my own. For 12 stickers he can then pick out "cool underwear", so far...2. It's not looking good. Please share any ideas, including bribery.

Museum Day : Smithsonian Magazine

Grab a friend or the kids and head to a museum for free admission this Saturday Sept 27, 2008.
Here are the details where you also download the free pass. Locations are nationwide.
The picture of Z is from the College Park Aviation Museum and it is included in the free pass day if you find yourself in the general DC area and need a cool venue for kids.
Hmmm...now what to do on Sunday.

Reusable Sandwich Bags / Placemats

Now that I'm back in school, I've got to pack a lunch to take to school. Unlike when I go to the office which has a fridge and microwave, I have to take something that can stay in my backpack until my break between classes. I need it to be compact and be able to be unrefrigerated for a couple of hours. So of course, I've been taking various sandwiches - from hummus and veggies to left over turkey. I hate using a plastic baggie but glass or even Tupperware is too clunky so I did a Google search for patterns so that I can make a reusable sandwich bag.

Thanks DIY community! There were tons of great ideas out there to solve this problem. My favorite was blogged at The Small Object Steno Pad. Great instructions. I can't wait till I'm caught up on my math homework so that I have time to make one these!

These pictures are from the website: The Small Object Steno Pad.

Tears of Frustration

Logan is in an inclusion Kindergarten at our local elementary school and he comes home with homework every night. Last night was rough. Tears, many tears. It was hard for Jon and I to not wrap our arms around him and tell him "don't worry it will be ok", because it won't. He has to learn how to write. We have to force him to sit at the creative station in our house and practice with us right by his side whooping and hollering and giving high fives for every (almost) perfect letter S or T. The homework is working on handwriting and his fine motor is very delayed compared to his peers. He's beginning to notice that he does things differently than the other kids in class and I wish I could be there to help him navigate this neuro-typical world. I wish he had computer every day and he could wow his peers with his skills playing education games and his ability to maneuver on the keyboard and the mouse at same time.

Everyday that I drop him off at school, tears well up in my eyes as Z and I make our way back home. I worry about his day...are the kids being nice to him, is he making friends, is he crawling under the lunch table because of the noise, is he being punished because the teachers look at his behavior as inappropriate (covering his ears at music class because his sensory is heightened and the music is too loud).

It's hard for this Mama to release and let go. It's very hard. Especially when there are tears of frustration and I know that in my heart of hearts that there will always be. He will always have to struggle to fit into this non austistic world.

At least he has us to give high-fives along the way.

Hulu

I have no idea why I am just learning about Hulu.com , but I am. Forgive me if you've known about this for months...just skip ahead. For those of you in the dark like me...you can watch cable tv shows and regular tv and MOVIES online for FREE! I may cut back on our netflix dvds to save some money. I have no idea how often everything is updated but right now I'm totally digging it. And I swear Lauren, I'll watch Arrested Development.

Amazon Fresh

I loved the 5 years we spent in Seattle. The grayness during the winter never really got to me. I did get testy the year we had 29 days of rain in a row..but other than that I really liked living in Seattle. The only problem was that is was on the other coast from almost all of our friends and family. And the cost of airplane flights to NYC or DC was increasing, as was our family. But here's the deal, Seattle is just ahead of the game in many respects. Recycling: the second apt we lived in in Seattle the garbage company would fine you if they found recyclables in your trash bag. And yes they did fine, my neighbor got one and had a hissy fit about cleaning out a peanut butter jar. And now here is another one. Amazon Fresh! I am so jealous that Seattle folks have this. Basically you shop on amazon for fresh groceries and they are delivered to your door. Now before folks start commenting saying...oh but safeway/giant do that! Let me finish. They have all the specialty stuff. Like sugar free, kosher, and the big one for me...gluten free! They have all the products that I drive to 3 stores to get. And to make matters worse..it's cheaper on Amazon Fresh! I am so jealous.
Please Amazon please...a mom of a GF/CF picky eater begs you...please add the greater DC area to your delivery area. PLEASE!!!

http://fresh.amazon.com/Gateway

Craft Magazine Video Podcasts

I'm a huge fan of Craft magazine. FYI: It's worth the price of the subscription. If you don't have the funds add it to your wish list for the holiday season. Well I recently found out that they have online video podcasts. Check it out here.

Hats for Mommy, Daddy, and Baby

An old college friend of mine just became a proud daddy for the first time. He requested I make him and his new son matching hats. Well, I took it one step farther and made nearly matching hats for the whole family.

One of the first things I crocheted successfully was a simple hat. No pattern. No plan. Just start crocheting and see how they come out. That's how I made all of these hats and I enjoyed every stitch.

Not only were they quick to make but I forgot how much fun it is to just crochet away without a pattern or stitch count to keep track of.

I hope the new family enjoys wearing them as much I enjoyed making them.

Tattoos for Tots

My kids hate temporary tattoos. But every other kid we see has them on, legs and arms covered. It's a little sad really for Jon and I since we both proudly display our tatts and plan for more. Ah well, I guess they will become bankers after all.

But the reason for the post...sorry I get distracted when excited...or all the time really. So I came across this cool company Tattoos for Tots. 2 mamas, one use to be a teacher and the other a graphic designer, combined their talent and came up with educational temporary tattoos! Yes you read that right. Educational! Love it! So for all you mamas and papas out there that cringe every time your sweet child wants another Disney princess applied to her arm, pick up some of these tatts and she will be reading and spelling in no time. And they even have princess and pirate tattoos!
Aunties and Uncles...bookmark this page because these are the types of gifts that will make you the cool Auntie, well to every kid but mine.

Dog Parks

I take Dharma to the dog park every night. I swear I could walk her 20 miles and she would still not be tired. So in order to have her in a zen state, in the evening while Jon and I are trying to get work done while the kids are asleep, we have to go to the dog park. It's really not an option. We both now have our favorite owners and dogs to see and socialize with. I enjoy it as much as Dharma, I think, because it allows me to have adult conversations about things other than potty training and kid stuff. The other night I actually had a conversation about politics! I've also picked out some other crafty chicks and we've become great friends. So if you have a dog go to Dog Park USA and see if there is a dog park near you.