My Weekend With Harry Potter

Last week I decided to jump on the bandwagon and begin reading the Harry Potter books. Yes, I realize the bandwagon left a long time ago.

I almost brought the first book with me to Hawaii back in January, but I worried about bringing a book that would most likely suck me into the plot while I was vacationing with my family. I could imagine my desire to bail on time with the family so that I could keep reading the gripping storyline...and so I didn't bring it.

Rob has listened to all the books on CD but, unwilling to wait for #7 to be available on audio book from the library, and also unwilling to pay $45 for a new audio book, he bought #7 in book form and read it early last week. I guess there was something about knowing the series was over prompted me to start on my own HP journey, and Rob commented that he was a little jealous of what I was about to do; read the series from beginning to end with no waiting for the next book to be released. I agreed that it would be pretty cool. I requested the book from the library (our branch's copy was checked out and I had to get it on inter-library loan) and picked it up Friday.

And finished it Friday night.

Saturday morning, I zipped back to the library to pick up book #2. Book #3 wasn't in, otherwise I would have picked it up as well.

Because I finished book #2 Saturday night.

Sunday morning I called the mom of one of E1's friends who had mentioned they had some of the books. She located #1, #2, and #3, but couldn't find #4 even though she thought she had it. I took #3 home, assuring her that I could get #4 from the library on Monday.

I'm lucky they still had it on the shelf. The only other books listed as available at our branch were the audio books.

And I finished book #3 Sunday night.

I picked up book #4 today and I swear J.K. Rowling laughed at any thoughts flitting through my mind about finishing THAT book in one day. It's just as well; I'm getting tired of trying to find my next fix and this should hold me over for a while.

I'm completely enjoying the series. It's like seeing the movie in your head, but getting enhanced details and more thorough explanations. I've seen all the movies so far, and I've been blissfully unaware of any parts of the book that were omitted. It's just been a continuing storyline with no interruption for me. After seeing Order of the Phoenix a while back, Rob was speculating on parts of the movie that he felt didn't covey thoroughly from the book to the screen. Without knowing all the details that he did, I thought the movies have done a decent job of carrying certain threads through the movies and he was surprised at some of the things that, having been hardly mentioned in the movies, I had still been able to notice.

A teensy part of me wonders if I should stop reading after #5 and wait to see the movies first. I know! Completely backwards! However, I can't imagine stopping when the next book is only a library request away so that probably won't happen. Reading. Potter. Can't. Stop.

In other bookish news, E1 is zipping through the Little House series this summer. She picked up These Happy Golden Years today, and while she was there, I convinced her to grab The First Four Years as well.

Once she's done she wants to move on to Potter.

Naked Pizza

For over a year now, E1 has been peeling the cheese off her pizza and just eating the toppings and crust. She will eat mozarella melted on crackers, or as cheese sticks. Just not on pizza.

This causes some eye-twitching for Rob and I at the dinner table. She's wasting food. It looks nasty all clumped there on her plate. Rob has even gone so far as to question if she'd rather just eat something else. To this she answers no, she likes all the other parts of her pepperoni pizza.

For a time, we tried to enforce the eat-it-all-or-none policy, but she obviously does not like something about that melted cheese; appearance, or texture, or flavor.

When we have a make-your-own pizza meal using flour tortillas as our personal pizzas she leaves the cheese off. Sauce, pepperoni, and hamburger is all she adds. Her pizza always looks naked.

I have come to the conclusion that it's not the most horrid way for her to be altering her food, even though it crushes my pizza-loving soul to see her slices be defamed in such a manner.

Rob, I think, sometimes still has thoughts of exiling her from pizza consumption - at least in our presence.

What would you do? Discuss.

Catching Up With Photos

Last week we went to The Muny on the steamiest night in St. Louis so far this summer. Having seen two live performances of Peter Pan in the last five years, I think I can say I prefer seeing a female play the role of Peter.

We watched The Muny Teens before seeing Peter Pan.

Saturday, on the way home from a birthday party,
we visited the newly dug basement of Uncle L's future home (they had a house fire in April).

"We're in the hole! We're in the hole! We're in the hole!"

Sunday was spent at a family reunion, followed by cavorting with the ole John Deere.

Once around the pond for all the grandkids!

It was a full, busy weekend.

I call this one 'Sunset Over Corn'.

I'm Uploading The Weekend

Wut R U Doin?

"Every Time A Fly Lands, It Poops."

E3 has recently learned that somewhere, from someone, but she won't give up the culprit. Instead, when I ask she claims, "It's magic."

I don't even think it's true - they don't actually poop, but you never know if they were last standing in poop - isn't that how it goes?

She's not at all afraid of sharing this new knowledge. Oh, no. Her gymnastics teacher, another mom at gymnastics, my sister-in-law's boss at St. Louis Bread Co...charming.

Self Help

I like to learn things the self-help way. I like being able to read about a subject and then let that information roll around in my mind while I consider how it might (or might not) work for me.

I find 'diet' books a useful resource for basic nutrition information; the how and why of the human body's processing of products. They're also good for finding recipes with only a few ingredients, which usually make for quick meals.

As a member of a message board for parents of babies born during E2's birth month (Moms Online, how I miss thee!), a fellow poster (a first-time Mom, no less) once scoffed at the idea that one would need, or even want, to use a parenting book. I later mentally scoffed at her when she proudly informed us that they'd hired a baby proofer to come make their home safe for their child. Hired someone? Seriously?

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading a few of those parenting books to find insight and information to explain what the heck my critters were doing at various points in their development. By no means do I read any self-help book and follow it to. the. letter. I just find them a useful way to find ideas, or remind myself of ideas, for setting my own course.

Which brings me to allowances. We've recently started giving E1 - age 9, a weekly allowance, and she's thrilled. It's a pretty straight-forward plan, based on the book Money Doesn't Grow On Trees by Neale S. Godfrey. I've had this book for about four years now, and have read various parts more than once, however it wasn't until several recent 'Dude, she's really stepping up' moments that it really felt like it was something that E1 would appreciate.

Things we like/agree with:

• pay child same time each week, just like a paycheck
• help child sort money into 'savings', 'spending', and 'charity'

Things we don't like/agree with:

• $ amount of allowance recommended to equal child's age ($9 a week, are you kidding?)

We have certain household chores, like picking up sticks in the yard, that have a monetary value. We started that as a way for the girls to earn money, but it hasn't been a huge incentive; we still have to hassle them to get them picked up so the lawn can be mowed. These monetary chores are still in place for the younger two, however, E1 has recently shown more responsibility and has been taking initiative for certain chores (without complaint!) and that has led us to re-work our plan to an allowance for her. People, she has been mowing the lawn with the reel mower - without complaint. I know, I know..that probably won't last forever - but it's pretty impressive right now.

Her allowance is not attached to any chores, but she understands that we have expectations for her as a participating member of our household. She also understands that by showing us responsibility she's earned this allowance. We're still working out what things she'll be expected to pay for on her own; things like visits to concession stands, and another pair of flip flops. Meanwhile, Rob is working with her to show her how she can use the computer to set up savings goals (Kidz Bop 12, a digital camera...) for herself, and track her money.

This weekend E1 had a spending opportunity thrown in her lap: Rob would take her to see the Harry Potter movie if she wanted to buy her own ticket. She did, and although he offered to split the cost of popcorn, she decided to save money by skipping the concession stand and bringing a couple of pieces of Laffy Taffy from home. I can't help it - every time I think about it I hear a Lightning McQueen "KA-CHOW!"

Our wish is that this is something that, after working out the bugs, will be useful in guiding our kids to be comfortable managing their money. After all, at some point they might be managing our money... for us.

Tongue tied and twisted

Fox In Socks, by Dr. Seuss, has been E3's favorite book for some time now. She particularly likes it at bedtime, you know, when her parent's mental clarity is at an all time low. For those not familiar with this Seuss book, it's a tongue twister book with a warning at the beginning:

Take it slowly.

This book is DANGEROUS!

And has twisting rhymes, such as:

Bim comes.

Ben comes.

Bim brings Ben broom.

Ben brings Bim broom.

Ben bends Bim's broom.

Bim bends Ben's broom.

Bim's bends.

Ben's bends.

Ben's bent broom breaks.

Bim's bent broom breaks.

And:

Luke Luck likes lakes.

Luke's duck likes lakes.

Luke Luck licks lakes.

Luke's duck licks lakes.

Duck takes licks

in lakes Luke Luck likes.

Luke Luck takes licks

in lakes duck likes.

So Rob and I have been living dangerously every night at bedtime...or, at least every night we can't convince her to switch to another book. For the record, I feel I read the following twister with particular flair:

When beetles

fight these battles

in a bottle

with their paddles

and the bottle's

on a poodle

and the poodle's

eating noodles

they call this

a muddle puddle

tweetle poodle

beetle noodle

bottle paddle battle.

Friday The 13th

We got the bedroom painted last night, a lovely shade of blue-gray called Dockside Haze. Our reward? Sleeping in E1 & E2's bed with the pink canopy. So fancy and special.

I fell asleep with visions of my free Friday morning dancing in my head; I was going to put the room back together as best I could so the only thing left to do tonight was to move the heavy furniture. I was going to pay special attention to NOT returning any of the clutter we'd accumulated (the magazine stacks - my word). Maybe I'd have time to clean the kitchen floor and vacuum as well before I had to head out to the campground and gather up my children and all the gear they brought out there.

And then morning arrived.

"Some thing's beeping," I mumbled to Rob.

There's a thing, I don't know what it's called, here at the computer that keeps things going for a bit so you have time to properly shut down when the power goes out. It beeps to alert you that the power is out and you need to shut down.

The power was out.

So, on my blissful morning alone I was up at 7am - unable to sleep in such utter and complete SILENCE.

The silence was loud.

There are breakfast people and non-breakfast people. I am a breakfast person. Don't talk to me before I've had my breakfast unless you're prepared to handle the fall-out. With the power out, my choices were limited - I ate a couple of handfuls of dry cereal and headed to the shower.

Afterwards, I began removing all the painter's tape from our room. As I was working, I started mentally tallying what things I'd be able to get done with no power, and speculating what I could do when those items were scratched off the list. A McD Bacon Egg and Cheese - yeah, that's what I was going to get when I was done! Then, I was going to head over to the mall so I could wander around all the stores I've never been in because I don't want to drag the kids in with me...and then maybe I'd see if my mother-in-law was free for lunch.

I needed an outlet plate thingy, so I grabbed the post office keys and set off walking to the hardware store. The post office had it's doors flung wide open for light and air, but my mail was in the box. Through rain, sleet, snow, and power outages...

The hardware store had it's front door propped open as well, and the employees were sitting around the entrance in lawn chairs, drinking coffee that one of them (who had power at home) had brought in. They were kind enough to give me a soda from their cooler, share their oatmeal cookies, and offer me a chair, so I stayed and chatted. You wouldn't believe the number of people who walked in to the dark store with us all sitting around the entrance who asked, "Are you out of power?"

Using a flashlight, I got my outlet plate thingies and they wrote them down to bill us later. With my soda finished, I headed back home to finish what I could. I was a bit disheartened by the two piles of bedding that I was planning to wash today, but I had a Plan for my day. The laundry would wait! Back to work so I could be off to the mall!

About fifteen minutes into my work the power returned, which, great....but I was really looking forward to my plan B.

Hopefully I'll at least catch a nap now that it's not so QUIET.

Loose Ends

Our Moving Day Anniversary party was mucho fun, considering it was a very humid day. There was even a spirited discussion regarding investing; show pigs vs. fuzzy chickens. It's all about where the money's at, I'm told.

A worthwhile loaner.

I'm relieved. The allergy Dr said they won't close the door on E3 possibly outgrowing her peanut allergy until age 5 or 6. As we entered the weekend pondering her high test results, it occurred to me that maybe her Memorial Day trip to Urgent Care could have been an allergic reaction. Well, except for the high fever that still indicated the upper respiratory infection she'd been diagnosed with that day.

The Dr didn't give that thought too much credence though, since the supposed reaction was a pretty long after the time she ingested ice cream (manufactured in a facility that also manufactures peanuts) at a birthday party the night before. She woke up at 2am with a fever and difficulty breathing, and she ate the ice cream around 8p.m. Nonetheless, I'm pinning my blame on that ice cream and my neglecting to ask to read the label because it's more comforting to have a reason than just 'sometimes these things happen'.

Perhaps the most important item of the weekend: I located an alternative brand of ramen noodles (Maruchan) so Rob can continue to make his specialty, Daddy Noodles. That is the only thing to date that has caused E1 and E2 to complain about the peanut issue ("We have to get rid of all the good food!"), so I'm glad I found a solution. So long, possibly peanut-contaminated Top Ramen!

Things have felt crazy and on-the-go since...well, last weekend, I guess. Here a party, there a party, everywhere a party, party. This week has a morning art class for E1 and E2 Monday through Wednesday, Rob had a meeting tonight, tomorrow night E2 has a t-ball game, Wednesday afternoon E1 is going swimming at a friend's, and that evening E1 and E2 are being hauled out to camp with Grandma T, cousin J, cousin E, and cousin F. Thursday E3 has gymnastics, and after errands and a nap I'll haul her out to camp with all of the above plus another cousin J, and maybe my sister. I'm hoping to begin painting our bedroom and finish on Friday. Sometime Friday I'll head out to the campground and haul my children and whatever else is necessary home, and we hope to get to the public pool that night so E2 can get some swimming practice in with Rob. Luckily, the pool closes at 7 so we can come home an collapse.

Our school's summer library program ends this week Thursday, so all Accelerated Reader tests need to be done by Wednesday morning for my girls. Really, that just means E2 because E1 read two books to meet, and exceed, the 10 point challenge. All the books in E2's range of reading levels are only worth .5 points. She's been reading her little tush off to get to that 10 points, and doing an awesome job of it, reading books to E3 and F nearly every day at nap time...but man, will I be glad when the program is over.

I wish they had set a lower point goal for the younger students; E2 is one of two students in her class of 14 who is participating in the program, and the other student won't meet the goal in time because she's in daycare and can't traipse up to the library in the morning like we've been doing. If they meet the 10 point goal they get invited to a pool party at the public pool. Tonight, one Mom told me she heard that those that don't make the goal can just pay regular pool entry to the party. I'm feeling torn about that; I know how hard E2 has been working to get books read, but the alternative is not many kids her age at the party.

In summary: the girls' summer vacation is just racing by, and we have a lot of leftover bratwurst.

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Here Comes The Weekend

I think I'm mostly over my freaking out about the peanut test. As with the initial diagnosis two years ago, I'm WELL aware that there are things far scarier and worrisome that could happen. We'll deal.

I am, however, disappointed in myself because (whether it contributed or not)I've slacked on my label reading. I need to remember to read every label every time. That's how you catch changes in labeling... like those on Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips; and how you discover things that you would never suspect to have peanuts...like Sunmaid yogurt covered raisins.

My list of questions for the Dr is growing; first and foremost is wondering if this large jump in result suggests that she won't outgrow the allergy.

To answer Jenn's question, which just popped into my inbox: a lower number is better. Approximately 20% of children will outgrow their peanut allergy, and E3's Dr looks at a result of 2 to be the golden number to qualify for a challenge test. A challenge test is exposing the patient to the allergen, in a controlled environment like Children's Hospital, to see if they react. It's something that should never be tried at home when you're looking at the possibility of an anaphylactic reaction, which can be life-threatening in a short amount of time.

Some websites I've found helpful include: ABC Peanuts , Peanut Aware , Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

We've been hopeful that E3 would outgrow the allergy before she begins kindergarten because thus far, our school has no peanut allergy plan in place. So, yeah, to have that result come back at a 26 was a bit of a shock.

In other news, I've got a couple of other posts rolling around in my head that I want to get banged out, but I don't know when they'll happen.

This weekend we have our 11th annual party to celebrate our move into this house and I should be cleaning in anticipation of that.

Today I re-painted a wall in our basement bathroom - finally - and if you knew the saga behind that you'd be high-fiving your computer monitor right now. During my painting session E1 and E2 were cleaning up the explosion of craft supplies right outside the bathroom door and in the process questioned, "Mom, what are these?".

Photo courtesy of giggling E1

"Oh, that's Bud Man. They're salt and pepper shakers."

momentary silence...followed by giggling...

E2: "Hi! I'm Butt Man! I deliver salt!"

Who can remain pissed off at The Evil Peanuts when they've got Butt Man on their side to deliver seasonings?


*My working week's so tough
I think I've had enough
Until the weekend*

Peeved Beyond All Measure

E3 had another RAST test for her peanut allergy last Thursday - which she handled just as beautifully as she did the last two times, I might add. This time she even declared the color of her blood to be "cherry".

The result two years ago was 5.9. Last year it was 4.7. Anything below a 2 earns us a trip to the children's hospital for a challenge test. I've been anxiously awaiting this year's result and hoping we had earned a challenge.

This year's test result is 26. Twenty-freaking-six. I am unreasonably angry. And frustrated.

I already called back to confirm that it was 26 and not a mis-reading of a 2.6 result.

No.

Twenty six.

Friday Fun

Friday we stopped in at The Muny to pick up tickets for Peter Pan.

Flat Stanley, along for the ride.

Then we stopped at Art Hill.Attempts to actually enjoy the St. Louis Art Museum were met with pleas to return outside to the drippy, overcast weather.

So we went to Turtle Playground.

Welcome to St. Louis; you can have a Bud if you can make it past the vicious turtle.