Just a thought I woke up with

You can grow up to be whatever you want to be.
I know when I was younger, the people who told me this phrase (teachers, guidance counselors, my parents) had good intentions, but not realistic intentions.

I for one will not be telling my kids they should be whatever they want to be. Of course I believe they could be anything, but thats besides the point. My daughter can be a teacher if she wants and my son can get a Phd in French Poetry. But what no one tells you when you're 17 is that there isnt a need for more teachers by the time you finish school and to use a degree like French Poetry you'll have to move. To France.

My useless degree in Business Management (& Education now!) is what sparks this blog post. I wish someone had sat me down and said how important it would be in my near future for more pharmacists or IT techs. That majoring in those subjects would "guarantee" I'd have a job, or jobs to choose from even, and not a job I'd have to move to Miami or New York to find, but one I could find in any town I preferred to live in.

So, as I said. I wont be telling my children to be whatever they want. Yes, they CAN be whatever they want, but to have more control over your life, your job, your happiness, you SHOULD be what the market needs you to be.... Just a thought.

Take What We Can Get

It's been a good evening. After Sunny whined and cried for "snack!" and denied my offering of yummy oranges, I demanded we leave the house. We walked to our neighbors for a beer and to socialize our 1 yr old with their just-turned-two year old.
If Sunny's not being pushed down by her, hit, or having things thrown at her, this little girl is smothering her with hugs, trying to hold her hand and drag her around like she's her baby, or feed her with various play utensils. There is no happy medium so Sunny is always on guard. Its her BFF, though. Talks about her all the time.
She taught Sunny how to grab at things and hold them fiercely to her chest while announcing "MINE!" Its the worst. Which is what I thought until we got home for dinner. I made amazing Thanksgiving dinner in Feb: a fresh stuffed turkey breast with squash and peas. And Sunnylee ate it all. I'm talking bite after bite after bite of peas. Really, that could've been all she had and I would be happy, just like any mother. There was the other stuff she ate so I was just happy-happy. In perspective, Sunny screams "Mine!" But she also eats peas and eats most meals well, whereas the neighbor kid had mac n cheese. I saw before we left.

Almost Famous Mocha Frappe

Print this out or write it down and prepare for the beginning of a beautiful addiction. For those who dont live in a town with a Starbucks on every other corner, this Frappuccino will fullfil your craving. FYI, even when your toddler is begging for a sip, I'd reccomend not giving her one even though you think the coffee flavor will immediately turn her off. It does the opposite in fact. Makes her scream with delight. And sign for "more". I aso dont recommend discovering this treat when you're 8mo pregnant. There's no predicting how many I will drink before Baby Glig #2 pops out.

*Give yourself time to prepare these, since the choc syrup needs to cool and the coffee ice cubes need to freeze.

For the coffee ice:

3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups warm strong coffee

For the chocolate syrup:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frappes:
1 cup reduced-fat milk
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions
Make the coffee ice: Stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved, then let cool. Pour into a 16-cube ice-cube tray and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
Make the chocolate syrup: Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and slowly whisk in 2/3 cup hot water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes; do not boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, honey and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Make the frappes: Puree 8 coffee ice cubes, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 cup plain ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses, then repeat to make 2 more drinks. Top with whipped cream and more chocolate syrup.

This recipe is from the Foodnetwork, seen here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-mocha-frappes-recipe/index.html

Monday Catch Up

Its possible that I will fall asleep before finishing this post.

We had a rather busy weekend, like most weekends in the Glig's January/February schedule. Jason went to the Keys with my brothers for a bachelor weekend for Matt. We attended a Superbowl party and Jason golfed with my brother Robert this morning, Monday. I had a baby appointment followed by shopping and socializing with the girlies Friday, a 2 year old party Saturday, and Okeechobee plus play dates with Sunny's friend Beau up through today.

When the Gligs got home to Sebastian, it was all business though- major cleaning. I did everything at my level- counter tops, surfaces, kitchen, etc. whereas Jason did the floors and picking up. I am unable to bend over and clean/pick up Legos and tea cups and stuffed animals. Too much pressure and effort at this point in the pregnancy.

We had all the windows and doors open in the house. The wind was blowing at hurricane force, knocking things over inside and out- it blew one of my fav pieces of art off the shelf in Sunny's playroom which crashed to the floor and glass shattered everywhere. I would've been more upset, but the quickness in which Jason came running to our 'rescue' made up for it. I was impressed with his concern. I predicted a "What was that?!" from him but instead got a dash to check on our safety. I shut all the windows/doors at that point, noting the temp from 82* inside, an increase from when we first got home! I couldnt stand the heat or wind any longer. I put the thermostat on 75* and went on with our afternoon in peace, the wind howling outside unable to get in finally.

Jason did some computer work and then we sat on our deck and talked about life until dinner arrived. Yes, it was delivered. Home made, fresh from the oven, from our neighbors. It is the first meal in our meal exchange 'program' that we have going on right now with them. We made them a Thai curry 2 Mondays ago and this was our first time having one of their meals. Remember, he is a chef on John's Island, a club so exclusive that his mother cant even eat there. We are pretty lucky. Ok, so he made a lamb ragu, is what he called it. I call it (not to his face!)Hamburger Helper, but classy of course. No powdered cheese. The lamb must've taken ages to make, but whatever- it was amazing. I think Sunnylee ate more than I did! She can scarf down some pasta....

We are 34 weeks this week with Baby Glig #2, or 8 months. As of my next appointment next week I will be seeing the Dr weekly until the babe arrives. Its gone by quick, really. I had been sick since 30 weeks, just getting over that last week and I'm not exaggerating, it was at least 14 days. Now sleepiness has crept in, just like the 1st trimester. I am tired by 11a! I drag along behind Sunny until her nap time when I can finally rest, too. Then drag behind her until her daddy comes home. The baby is ready, I believe, trying its hardest to kick out. I was reading a magazine in bed the other night and the baby kicked it right off my stomach. I dont recall this much power (and moving so often) with my first pregnancy, although it must've been similar.

We are finalizing plans with what we're gonna do with Sunny when its go time. The plan is to not plan anything until it happens and whoever is not working and available will take Sunny for the delivery time. I need to mention this to my brothers so they know.... Mom and dad will want to be at the hospital for the delivery, but after that they will take Sunny for a couple nights until we get home again. That's the 'plan'.

Goodnight. Its 8p, I'm going to sleep now.

Picture Frames

I did something this week. Productive. Something to check off the list of tasks I've been needing to accomplish. I ordered wedding photos AND put them into my frames that I've had sitting out, blank, for at least 5mo (I didnt get too crazy, I havent ordered any other wedding photos, just these 5, lol). But how nice right? Now I can almost start buying picture frames again since I put myself on a ban, No Buying Frames until I filled up the ones I have.

Cuz this scenario has been existing in our home since we bought it in April:

And this:

But I did order the photos for the frames above my bed (2nd photo). They're just not in it yet.

Parenting a One and a Half Year Old

We've "let" Sunny go the past few weeks and I am happily typing away this morning to say that we are getting back to normal, back to where we want to be.
She is a good eater & a good napper, but this toddler thing had come out of her and she changed. Every 10 minutes (or each time she finished her snack) she was at the pantry or refrigerator needing another. Begging, stamping her feet, pulling my hand to the door. Sometimes it worked, she got raisens. Other times I said "No" and she'd throw herself around, real tears, toss anything in her hands... Then she'd straightened up and grabbed my hand with big eyes and try and pull me towards the panty... *sigh
Then her naps were the issue. She learned a new cry & liked to test it out for 20min+ at naptime. It did wonders, kept her out in the house with her parents, it pushed her naps back in the day to almost non existant (scary!) and it even got her rocked to sleep followed by a pleasant nap in mommies bed.

All these things had to stop. She wasnt sitting at her highchair and eating meals anymore, she was too full from crackers so she'd throw her dinner around then scream until she got down and was able to sit in daddies lap. She was waking before 7a. That is just wrong in this house. We have a "Do not disturb until 7a sharp!" rule here and she is breaking it!

So... we did this:
-stuffed her with breakfast, when she is most hungry
-a smoothie gets her "through" until lunchtime
-no snacks until dinner!
    --- This is difficult, as Jason is usually home by 3 and she looooves to manipulate between us, or basically go to her daddy for anything she wants. But its a rule now, so in order to keep her mind off snacks, we cant be so lazy and hang out inside. We go outside for bikerides, wagon pulls to the park, deck time where she plays in her sandbox, etc etc. You should see her put down her dinner now! Stuffing it in her mouth long after Jason and I have finished. Its nice to have a hungry child with an appetite! Nothings worse than sitting down to a meal, not hungry. I feel like throwing food around then, too....

Naps:
Pushed it back farther in the day (it used to start anywhere from 10a-1130. Yesterday I managed to make her last until 1230. She started whining for her Lambies then). She slept for 2 1/2 hours. Also pushed her bedtime back a half hour to 730p. I will push her nap back even farther until its at 130 or 2p. I think. To make sure she's extra tired and whatnot....

As I type this it is 730a; she's woken up consistantly at 645a for weeks. It worked. A+ for our parenting skills this week.