Bringing Up Boys

Halloween Story

To Infinity and Beyond!!!!  It was a Toy Story themed Trick-or-Treat for the boys this year!   Introducing our own Buzz & Woody - the cutest little beggars on the block.

 

 

 

 

 

 At the end of the night, Beckett was thrilled to take his Woody gear off.  I finally coaxed Cooper out of his space suit by promising him that he can wear it to school tomorrow for his Fall Festival.  I hope his wings fit on the school bus!

  

Happy Halloween!

What Day Is It Again???

Yup - I've been rather run-down lately.  Tired, grouchy, impatient.  I couldn't quite figure out what was irking me - and then I got out my day planner to update a few things and I realized exactly what the problem is....this Mom hasn't sat down IN AN ENTIRE MONTH!!!!  Someone point me in the direction of the nearest spa. 

 

My A-B-C's of Budgeting

The family budget has taken a few hits lately.  Sometime over the past year, our average trip to the   grocery went from around $120 a week to just over $200.  Yikes - that's quite a jump.    Throw in some pricey speech therapy, ridiculous gas prices, and some home repairs, and all of the sudden - our savings account was suffering! 

Thankfully, gas prices have dropped substantially, but the holidays are right around the corner - and we love buying for our friends and family...and of course, our boys.  So that means we've cut back on a few things to help inflate the family savings a bit...

A. Gone are the days of Friday night meals at Don Pablo's and Max & Erma's.  We now opt for our favorite fish & chips at Marino's or Raising Cane's delicious fried chicken strips.  Everyone eats for under $20 at both places!

B.  I've temporarily abandoned my love of Starbucks, and made more stops at Tim Horton's - where coffee is about $3 cheaper.  It doesn't sound like much until you do the math and I figure I'm saving about $40 a month with this cut.  I must drink a lot of coffee.

C.  Ordered the boys Halloween costumes off EBAY for half price.  Both get-ups were brand new with tags, but were part of last year's Disney line.  It's not like they  kiddos are old enough to know the difference. 

D.  Coupon clipping.  I always considered this a waste of time, but have been saving between $10 and $40 a week at the grocery.  That Proctor&Gamble Sunday Saver is the best!

E.  Switched from Target to Walmart - prices really are cheaper at Walmart, especially on things like laundry detergent.

F.  FINALLY made a trip to the Hilliard City Library where I checked out 10 books (the limit for a new cold holder).  The boys and I are stocked with reading material for the next month, and it didn't cost a dime!  Buh-bye Amazon.

G.  More trips to the Zoo where we have a season pass.  Fewer trips to the mall.  More trips to the park.  Fewer trips to the toy store. 

H.  I had a good friend give us some super cute boys clothes that included this Beatles T-shirt.  Cooper has been living in it for days.  Thanks Heather!  We'll definitely going to get lots good out of Jack's stuff!

I.  No More Pampers pricey diapers.  Beckett's making due with less expensive Huggies.

J.  Made a trip to Sprint and cut out things like picture mail.   I think I whittled down our family plan to about $75 a month!  It used to be over $100.

K. Still trying to cut back on our pricey cable bill.  One of our three DVR's must go!  It's a bit ridiculous that we have three to begin with!

L. The beauty regimen has majorly slimmed down.  No more expensive trips to Charles Penzone.  I now opt for the cheaper Aveda Institute.   No more pricey shampoos. Pantene will have to do.  And instead of using 100% Clinique makeup - I'm only buying the necessary items like moisturizer and foundation from them - and turning to Maybelline for things like mascara.  

M.  Snapfish!  Digital prints are only 9 cents instead of 20 cents at Target!  Half the price!  And you can order online and pickup at Walgreen's!  So much more convenient.

Things I don't want to cut if I don't have to...

- Our cleaning service.  Those ladies are life savers for working moms.

- Name brand foods.  My boys are little snobby about their cereal and pop.  And who can blame them?  There's just something weird about "Fruit O's" instead of "Fruit Loops."

- Wine.  Mom's gotta unwind on the weekend, right?

- Road trips.  We love going to Ironton and Youngstown to see our fams.

- Professional pics and everyday snapshots.  Anyway you slice it, pictures last a lifetime and kids change so much when they're young. 

Overall, our conservative budget has banked us about an extra $300 a month.  And so far, I don't think anyone has suffered.  Instead, we are all benefiting from having the extra cash and a few extra dollars in the old savings account.  And who knows...I think I might keep the slimmer budget even after the recession is over. 

The Difference a Year Makes

 

 

Beckett's Blankie

  Did you know it was Linus who first coined the term "security blanket?" 

It looks like we have our very own Linus.  The blue blanket Beckett obsesses over used to be his big brothers.  It's now something Beckett can't be without.  He drags it all over the house...and has made several desperate attempts to take it outside. Um, that's not allowed, but we do compromise and let him take it in the car.  At this rate, I have a feeling he may try to take it to college too.

 You know what's coming up this week...."It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!"   I expect our Linus wanna-be to be front and center Tuesday night at 8:00 PM.

 

PS...when I was a kid, my own brother often reminded me of Linus with his many security items.  I guess that would make me Lucy.  This quote is for Clark....

"Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life."
Peanuts
Linus Van Pelt

 

 

Something's Fishy

It's taken nothing less than sheer dedication - but we have managed to spike Cooper's drink with fish oil for the last few weeks.  That's right, I said fish oil.  Our extremely observant three-year-old often casts suspicious glances in our direction when he samples his juice or milk, but so far, he's tolerated it....and he has no idea how much that simple supplement has helped him. 

Basically, kids with apraxia sometimes have a spike in language and clarity once they begin receiving this so called "brain food." 

It wasn't a doctor, or an SLP, or a specialist who turned us on to the magical oil.  No, it was the other mommy bloggers out there who I search for via "google blog" almost daily.  Of course, I ran the idea past all the experts first - and they agreed...it can't hurt to try.  Some families have seen amazing results after only a few weeks.  I am happy to report that I feel like Cooper has made some wonderful progress since he started taking it too.

Trust me when I say, I've had to pull some sneaky tricks when it comes to getting him to drink the spiked concoction.  I mean, let's be honest...fish oil can't exactly taste good - even the lemon flavored kid kind.  We've basically been calling it "Cooper's Magic Potion" and making a big deal out of the fact that Beckett doesn't get any.   I figure that may buy me a few months of time until Beckett starts getting ticked off and thinks he's missing out on something delicious :)

Like I said though - I stumbled across the fish oil idea via my fellow bloggesses out there.  I've noticed a rash of clicks on our page too from people googling "verbal apraxia" or "apraxia of speech."  So I thought it would be nice to share with them some of the things that have helped us get on the right path. 

- PROMPT therapy.  PROMPT therapy.  PROMPT therapy.  Google it.  Research it.  Mention it to the people that matter.  I can't begin to explain what progress Cooper has made with this specialized speech technique.   We saw immediate results - versus typical therapy that made no difference over a six week span. 

- Fish oil.  We ordered the ProEFA Junior And ProEPA from Nordic Naturals.  Coop gets two of the EFA's and one EPA a day.   One capsule is about equivalent to the dosage the FDA approved for infant formula - so it's considered very conservative for children.  Obviously, run these dosages past your own doc before giving it to your kiddo.

Fish Oil Disclaimer - Cooper started PROMPT therapy about a month ago.  It was right around the time we started the fish oil supplements.  It's nearly impossible for me to tell if it's the therapy or the fish oil or both that have led to substantial improvements. 

- And here are the websites I rely on. 

http://teachmetotalk.com/

http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

http://www.cherab.org/

They all offer endless amounts of helpful information.   I also created a verbal apraxia link on our own blog to track Cooper's progress.

Finally, I wanted to share a video of Cooper that I took in our backyard today.  I seriously am not an emotional mother.  I don't typically cry when my boys hit milestones - usually I'm just cheerin' em on.  But, when Cooper's preschool teacher showed me the way she's been helping him get over a certain obstacle, I got a little weepy.  Check it out.

 

I know that a simple "yes" from a three-year-old probably isn't a big deal for most parents, but I am simply thrilled by it!!!

Carving Complete

The ceremonious lighting of the Jack O' Lantern was a success.  The boys technically wanted a "scary" pumpkin.  My carving skills aren't those of McDreamy just yet, so our creation ended up looking more happy than scary.  No matter though - the boys were thrilled when they got to scoop out the pumpkin guts.  No pictures of that event - since Chris was mowing the grass and I was manning the carving knife.   It was quite the mess, but we got some delicious pumpkin seeds for baking.  The grand finale was definitely their favorite part.   You can imagine why...I don't let them play with fire very often :)

 

  

Someday, One Day...

I will get my perfect family picture - spontaneously taken without a trip to a photographers studio.  Until then, shots like these will have to do :)

 

   

Gourds Gone Wrong

I know I'm supposed to love the pumpkin patch.  Don't all parents love the pumpkin patch???  Apparently there is something majorly wrong with me because following our weekend outing - I still remain unconvinced that pumpkin patches are fun. 

This weekend  - we visited a REAL working farm.  It was supposed to have a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and hay rides.  It's not like I didn't put a lot of thought into what patch we were going to.  Rachel Ray herself featured the Ridgeview Farm in the heart of Ohio's Amish country on her website and everything!   I figured it would be a sure fire hit. 

Unfortunately, there was no real pumpkin patch for the kids to roam through.  The petting zoo consisted of several sickly animals pinned up in the barn (and a few scary wild cats).  There was a whole pile of rotting pumpkins right next to the line for the hay rides.  And the hay rides...oh, the hay rides.  I think I hid my fright well, but I was REALLY scared that the entire rickety wagon was going to turn over on the muddy trail.  I saw a newspaper headline reading "Hay Ride Turns Tragic in Amish Country." 

Seriously -  hay rides aren't worth that kind of panic or a 20 minute wait with two toddlers who are attempting to play in the mud. 

Of course, I know we are in store for many more visits to the pumpkin patch.  As a matter of fact, I'm giving it another go next weekend - when we head to a local spot.  I don't want to risk damaging my children's youth by, God forbid, denying them trips to the pumpkin patch!  So here we go - pumpkin picking round two.   But if this trip fails - then next year we are doing our pumpkin picking at Kroger!  Oh, who am I kidding - how could I say no to this face?

Movie Dates

As a working mom of two busy little boys, our lives are all about schedules and routines.

Nap time, play time, meal time, bath time, bed time.  I find the day always goes smoother when everyone knows what's coming next. 

Expanding beyond the daily schedule, I've been trying to implement some fun traditions on a weekly basis.  Things like Cold Stone and Cici's on Saturday nights (which we've been doing since I was pregnant with Beckett).   Big breakfasts on Sunday mornings.  Making muffins or cupcakes or cookies when it's raining outside. 

Nothing too big - just small, affordable things the boys look forward to during the week. 

Recently, we expanded the weekly traditions beyond food (ha) and started having movie nights.  It's by far the biggest hit yet.   We make a big deal out of picking out our movie.  Making our movie snacks.  Setting up shop in the big bed (mine and Chris's room) where the boys typically don't watch TV.  They love it.  So far, the big hits have been Shark Tale, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Toy Story & Toy Story 2, and of course....Cars.  The lone dud has been The Little Mermaid.  For the next flick - the boys are picking between The Lion King and Madagascar.  I'm thinking we can't go wrong with either one.

Movie nights used to be about Chris and I going out.  Now they're all about staying in with our boys...and that's just fine with us. :)