(Hershey) Kisses from Ethan

Happy Halloween! We had a fun day today with a visit to Peter Pan and Captain Hook's place and also Grandma at her work. (On a side note, my mom's new preschool/daycare building at COD is amazing! It sure beats the place I was at when mom was in school and I was in preschool. Too bad we don't live closer because I would love to send Ethan there. In fact, I kind of want to play there - it's so cool!) Ethan's costume was a hand-me-down from Ben and fit very well. I didn't stuff it until later on tonight, but we didn't get any pictures of that because our little man was a bit cranky from not getting good naps in today. Take my word for it that the costume was even cuter when you puff it up a bit. Ben and Drew had great costumes this year, bought a while ago to use on their trip to Disney in early October. They LOVE to wear them.

When I got home, I made some pumpkin soup for dinner, a recipe my mom saw on the Channel 7 news. It was rich and pretty tasty. I thought maybe it will become our traditional Halloween meal, like chili was for us when I was a kid. We'll see.

We really have had very few trick-or-treaters, which is terrible because it means I will have a lot of leftover candy. I bought four bags at least a month ago and didn't open them until tonight. That's pretty good considering I'm always hungry and I'm home all day. Of course, I've already had three pieces tonight. We have had a few students come to the house already. One came (sans costume - more on this later) and said, "Hey, is this Mr. Meuer's house?" I said, "Who's Mr. Meuer?" and a kid came up behind the first one and said, "Is it?" and the first kid said, "No." Then the second kid saw me and said, "Oh, it's Mrs. Meuer! Yeah it is!" Dangit! I didn't have either kid but apparently they recognized me from the hallways last year. So then Mr. Meuer had to come and say hello. Neither was in costume and when I asked about it, they said they were teenagers. This is one of my all time pet peeves. I think high school kids are too old to trick-or-treat, first of all. But, if they are, they should be in costume! The thing is, though, that you can't give them too hard of a time about it when they come to the door unless you want eggs thrown at your house later on. Grrr! One group of non-costumed LT kids came to the door and I heard them tell Will, "Oh, Kit Kats. Can I have those?" No please. No thank you when he gave them their candy. I yelled out from the background, "Say please, you non-costumed kids who are too old to trick-or-treat!" My sister Lisa said for someone who teaches teenagers I have a low tolerance for them. But I assured her that the kids I teach would have gotten their Halloween lecture from me had I been in the classroom today. I always polled the kids on who was going out and then told them they better dress up and say please and thank you. Oh well, if I continue I'll have to start my own rant blog like my dad.

Happy Halloween!

4 Month Check Up

Ethan is growing up! We had his four month check up today. He's a perfectly happy and healthy little man. (16lbs 6 oz and 26.5 in) OK, so he was not so happy when he had his shots today, nor was he happy a half hour ago when I put him to bed (a bit clingy to mommy tonight after his trauma this afternoon), but, in general, he's happy. Both mom and dad did better this time around with his shots, though dad admittedly didn't really watch. Ethan really started screeching after the shots and didn't calm down right away. When we walked out of the exam room, there was a little girl about to go in a room, and she looked up at us with utter horror on her face. She must have heard Ethan screaming and thought, what on earth are they doing in there?! Her face was classic. Too bad it wasn't Halloween today. It would have been even funnier if the nurse giving the shots was dressed in a devil costume when she walked out in front of us. Alas...

In other news, Ethan met his new cousin Jake yesterday. We drove out to see Uncle Hammond, Aunt Courtney, and cousin Jake. The pictures are of their first meeting. Jake is SO SO cute with all his dark hair, and his mom and dad are doing so well. I know for a fact I was not as calm as the two of them seem to be after only one week. I can't believe how teeny tiny Jake is, and it's a bit sad to think that Ethan was that small not so long ago and now he seems so big! Where did my little baby go? In the picture, Ethan looks like Godzilla about to pick up Jake and have him as a snack.

We also went to see Aunt Lisa, Uncle Brian, Ben, and Drew yesterday. They love their "Baby Eefen!" Drew loves to hold him, but he's got a bit of a cough and had to stay away. He did get to tickle his feet, though, which he likes to do. I love how interested both Ben and Drew are in the baby, asking so many questions. "What's baby Eefen doing?" "Why is baby Eefen crying?" "Why does baby Eefen have to eat now?" "Can baby Eefen have chicken?" Can't wait until Eefen is in the question phase!

Cloth Dipes and Trail Mix

Ethan started with cloth diapers yesterday! It took me half the afternoon to prepare our washer to wash them. I did a load with vinegar to clean it out and get any residue off the sides. Then, I did a small wash of towels with Charlie's Soap to help clean it out even more. Then, I washed all his new diapers and inserts. From now on, I'll be able to simply wash the diapers, but I wanted to make sure our washer was very clean since any residue can compromise the dipes. As you can see in the pictures, Ethan is very happy with his Fuzzi Buns. They're great because with the snaps Will knows exactly how tight to put them. And the inside is so soft! Ethan's bum will thank us. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but the diaper he has on is a light green. I got 4 different colors and a few white ones. They're a fashion statement on their own, really. The big news is that we used the cloth diaper at night with an extra insert and he went 11 hours with no leaking! So we feel comfortable using them at night, too, which is good. It was definitely full, just like his disposables were, but no leaks, and his bottom was nice and dry because the microfleece wicks away the moisture. So far, we're really happy. It hasn't even been a full day, though, so check back in.






Besides starting cloth diapers yesterday, I also made some homemade trail mix bars. (I told my mom that next thing you know I would be growing the hair out in my armpits or something. I'm a big hippie now, apparently.) There was a recipe on the top of our peanut butter. They're super good and easy; I'm already thinking of new recipes for different bars. My new money making scheme is to market these to organic-loving, busy moms. Here's the recipe:

3 cups crispy rice cereal 3/4 cup sugar
3 cups toasted oat cereal 1 (16oz) jar natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups raisins (I used dried cherries) 1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sunflower nuts 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup honey (optional - I didn't use them)

1. Combine cereal, raisins, sunflower nuts (and chocolate chips) in large bowl.
2. Combine honey and sugar in medium pan; heat over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute.
3. Add peanut butter and vanilla; stir until peanut butter is melted.
4. Pour mixture into greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. When cool cut into bars.

The recipe says it makes 5 dozen bars, but, honestly, who are they kidding? They would have to be cut into bit size pieces. I probably got 20 good sized bars out of them. They are great snacks and really easy, especially since the ingredients are usually around the house. Enjoy!

Fall Family Fun

Yesterday, while waiting for news about the arrival of little Jake, we went for a walk to the park. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, just perfect and probably one of the last good days for a while, and we decided to take Ethan for a swing. We got some great pictures. The ones with Will and Ethan are the greatest because we caught Ethan smiling, which is difficult with camera delays! I can't believe how big he's getting - Ethan, not Will. :)

Jacob William has arrived!!

Courtney and Hammond became the proud parents of little Jacob William yesterday, October 21st. All 8 pounds 14 ounces and 22 inches of him arrived at 4:51 pm yesterday. Jake has a great head full of dark hair and is just beautiful! We're so happy for the three of them. Courtney and Hammond will be great parents! And we look forward to watching him and Ethan grow up together. Enjoy the pictures of little Jake:

Cloth Dipes

Well, Will and I have taken the plunge. Yesterday, I ordered 18 cloth diapers, inserts, and a few other cloth diapering accessories. The initial investment is a bit much, but we're excited at the prospect of not having to buy diapers anymore. Plus, we can use these with a second child as well. What I like the most about making the switch, though, is that we won't be throwing away any more diapers. I hate how many we go through and thinking that they sit in a landfill.

I really am pretty excited about this, though, because my friend (whose lead I am following) loves cloth diapering, and there are many people on this mom chat forum I belong to who love it, too! The diapers themselves have changed a lot since I was in cloth diapers, and they're just so cute. And my friend said she has never had leaking issues and her son does not get diaper rash anymore.

Of course, the main disadvantage is the washing. I will probably have to wash them every other day. But since I'm home and only have Ethan, that is definitely doable. Now I just wish we had a high efficiency washer!

Stay tuned for interesting cloth dipe stories once we actually begin the adventure...

By the way, if you'd like to check out the site for where I got most of the diapers, called Fuzzi Buns, you can check out this link:

http://www.fuzzibunz.com/

I actually order them from this site, though, which has free shipping:

http://www.nurturedfamily.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=82&gclid=CLiJ4bSYm48CFQJsPAod00pHfA

And, finally, here is a link to the soap we'll be using, which I've heard is fantastic:

http://www.charliesoap.com/

Mommy Blogging

The other night Will called me into the family room to watch a channel 7 news story about Mommy Blogging. It detailed the apparently new habit of stay at home moms starting blogs. One woman with 6 kids started a blog about the funny antics of her children and entertaining anecdotes of her crazy life. Her blog became popular and she now makes $4,000.00 a month from advertisements on her site! I tried to convince Will that I should open my blog up to the public in order to gain popularity and a fan base, but he did not think that was a good idea. :)

While giving Ethan a bath that night, though, I did start fantasizing about being like Carrie from Sex in the City and writing little editorial pieces about all the random funny things that being a mother bring with it. I could call my column (Who has time for) Sex in the Suburbs. My mind was racing with ideas of what I could write about, from the ridiculousness of baby sleep books to the extreme competitiveness that all mothers feel when it comes to their baby's development. I would put a witty spin on all things mother and people would flock to it! Eventually, my column would become so popular that someone would ask me to write a book. My lifelong dream of being published would be realized. Once the book hit the best sellers list, Oprah would have me on her show. My interview would be watched by stay at home moms around the world, and the letters would pour in. I would become a regular guest like Dr. Oz or the diet guy. I would be THE authority of staying home with children. Will would no longer worry about me not working because of all the royalties coming in from my books (yes, books...I wrote another one shortly after my Oprah visit). We would travel all over the world--

My fantasy bubble was burst when Ethan pooped in his own bathwater. A mad dash to get him out of the soiled tub ensued. Perhaps that would make a good column. I'll start it later tonight, after I get Ethan ready for bed, feed him, put him to bed, put him to bed again, clean up from dinner, exercise (maybe), shower (another maybe), and get into bed. Yeah, by then I'll be itching to stay up and write, don't you think?

Sonny Acres

Today we went to Sonny Acres, which was a lot of fun. We went with Lisa, Brian, Ben, and Drew. Ethan is still a bit young and can't really go on any rides, but we still had fun and took some cute pictures among the pumpkins. Here they are:

It's Cold!

OK, now I know that I was just complaining about the heat, but now I'm freezing! We don't want to turn our heat on just yet because we know it will probably warm up soon, but it's pretty cold. I've had a heater fan going in Ethan's room to keep it toasty for him. The really bad thing is that it's been a bit too blustery to take him out for a walk, which leaves me stuck in the house. No fun. Today, I did take a quick trip to Dominicks to meet a friend at the Starbucks. Then, we decided to walk over to LT since it was Will's lunchtime. Many of his students got to see Ethan, and Will was a very proud papa. He even asked if I'd stay so that his next class could see them.

I saw a few of my old kids, too, which was bittersweet. I miss being able to keep an eye on my old Trans students and make sure they're on track. One of my old students, Guillermo, was around today and said to his friend, "She was the greatest English teacher because she really cared about me." He's always been a big schmoozer, but, still, it made me smile. I did care about him...still do. He's getting an A in English now, he says, so I'll have to check with Mr. Maffey about that one. I hope he keeps it!

Time to give Mr. Ethan a bath...he's extra splashy lately!

Ice Cream I Scream

I have a problem. I love ice cream. I want it all the time, and it's bad. Not the ice cream, the fact that I want it all the time, of course. Being three plus months postpartum, I am just about down to my pre-Ethan weight. But while I'm almost back to my previous weight, I am not back to my previous shape, as evidenced by my many pairs of pants that just do not fit. Now, I realize that my body has changed and I may never fit back into those pants, but that doesn't change the fact that I would like to tone up a bit. This brings me back to ice cream. I can't tone up if I am always eating ice cream! A couple of weeks ago, I had some ice cream in the house and decided just to eat it up quickly in order to get it out of the house. Makes sense, right? I had to take one for the team and eat it all up! Well, once it was out of the house, I wanted it again. So one day I went to Coldstone with a friend and had a delectable concoction of ice cream, bananas, caramel, and nuts. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Then, while grocery shopping on Monday, I decided I would get some ice cream so that I wasn't always craving it. I figured, why not let myself have a little every day. As long as I'm working out, that shouldn't be a big deal. Plus, as everyone likes to tell me, I'm nursing and those pounds should just melt off. Wrong. You see, the tragic flaw in my little bit a day theory is one word: little. Who has a little bit of ice cream? Have you ever tried to have the recommended serving of ice cream? My sister has; it's not pretty. The recommended serving is pretty much a thimbleful. When I dish up a bowl, I probably have more like 3-4 servings. And yesterday I had two of those "little" bowls. The second one was while watching people weigh in on The Biggest Loser. Let's talk about irony. In my defense, I did some squats and leg lifts while eating the ice cream to assuage some of my tasty treat guilt. No joke. There's really no solution. I'm going to go make some chocolate chip cookies. Wouldn't those go great with a little bowl of ice cream? :)

Weekend in Indy

Will, Ethan, and I took a short trip to Indianapolis this weekend. It was for a family reunion organized for everyone to come see an exhibit about my mother-in-law's great grandmother. The great-grandmother's name was Emma, and she wrote in a journal from the age of 5 and lived to be into her 90's. So the town she lived in created an exhibit with some pictures and reprints of her journal. Pretty neat. Betsy, my mother-in-law, remembers her because she was 15 when she died. The extended family met at the cultural center in Zionsville, took a picture, toured the exhibit, and then went to a dinner at a yacht club. It was a short trip, just one night, but it was nice to see some of Will's family we rarely see. And many of them had not met Ethan yet, including Will's Grandbob. And, of course, there are four generation pictures.

The drive was not too bad and it was quite pretty, though the trees haven't quite turned yet. I cannot wait for cooler weather! I went for a run this morning and was sweating so much at 8am! I thought, it's October; I should be wearing long sleeves and pants to be running. I'm definitely ready for cooler temperatures, but I do hope it stays mild for a while so I can continue my walks with Ethan. We love to get outside.



Here is one of Will, Ethan, and Grandbob right after we arrived.









Here are the four generations.








Another four generations.

Here's me with Grandbob and the two Meuer men. Unfortunately, Ethan heard my voice and turned around to see Mommy.

Identity Crisis

I am having some identity issues; namely, I've lost my old identity. Whenever I would meet someone for the first time and they would ask about me, one of the first, if not the first, things I would say is that I'm a high school English teacher. For the past 5 years, that is who I was. And before I started teaching, I was a future English teacher. A month ago, my husband went back to school, and I didn't. This year, I'm home. I am a mom. It's my new identity. And even though I have mommy guilt about saying it, I think I'm missing my old identity. It's not at all that I am not enjoying being home with my baby, because I most certainly am. And I LOVE not taking work home in the form of planning and essay grading. But I do miss being a professional woman and working in place with kids everywhere. Yesterday, while walking into downtown with Ethan, I reprimanded a young girl for swearing as I walked past. She promptly retorted, "You shut your damn mouth," which did make me glad I don't have to reprimand obnoxious kids in the hall all day, but it also made me a little sad. That girl had no idea that I was a teacher. She thought some annoying woman walking her baby was getting into her business, which I was. I no longer have that "teacher card" that allows me the authority to reprimand kids who aren't my own. Of course, I don't just miss reprimanding kids; I also miss just being with them. I miss my low level kids who could be so rude and so frustrating and so annoying dumb, yes dumb, sometimes but then surprise you with an intelligent question about a reading or a simple hello. I miss the breakthroughs I would have with some of my students from time to time. And I miss the camaraderie with my colleagues...some of them. All this said, though, I can't imagine being back there right now nor can I imagine it for next year, when Ethan is toddling around. So, will I always miss it this much?


This has to be all for now. My sweet little boy has just woken up from a great nap, a nap that allowed his mama to shower, eat breakfast, dry her hair, and type this post. Bye for now.

Bathtime

By far, my favorite time of day. We are all winding down, and it is a time for the three of us to be together. Ethan loves his bath, thankfully, and he has so much fun kicking around the entire time. He gets this very serious, surprised look on his face as he spashes and splashes. I love it! Will put bubbles all over his head tonight, and we took some great pictures and some video footage. One day, these pictures will end up on a video montage at his wedding. Awwww...

Hello

OK, bud, I have a blog. It really was not all that difficult to set up. And it was fun. Now, though, I'm worried I'll become obsessed. Like I'll start ignoring Ethan to work on it. Hopefully not. Actually, Ethan is my reason for starting this blog. I don't intend on many people looking at the blog (you're the only person with an invitation so far...), I want to have some sort of record of my life this first year as a mother. I'm already three months in, so I guess I have some catching up to do. I'll try to see if I can add some pictures, sort of a highlight of these first three months. They have been an absolute whirlwind. There are times that I still can't believe I have a child. Tonight, I was giving him a bath, and he was kicking his feet around and trying to shove his whole fist in his mouth like he always does, and I just was staring at him thinking, "Oh my goodness. This is my son. All mine." He's so beautiful and really just so perfect. It's hard to believe how you can love someone so much. Becoming a parent is the best thing I've done so far. Here are some pictures of the little man. And to view more, you can always go to my Shutterfly website at: http://ethansantics.shutterfly.com/

Poetry Corner

This is one of my favorite poems by a woman named Grace Paley. If I could redo my wedding ceremony, I would have this be one of the readings. I love it...


Here

Here I am in the garden laughing
an old woman with heavy breasts
and a nicely mapped face

how did this happen
well that's who I wanted to be

at last a woman
in the old style sitting
stout thighs apart under
a big skirt grandchild sliding
on off my lap a pleasant
summer perspiration

that's my old man across the yard
he's talking to the meter reader
he's telling him the world's sad story
how electricity is oil or uranium
and so forth I tell my grandson
run over to your grandpa ask him
to sit beside me for a minute I
am suddenly exhausted by my desire
to kiss his sweet explaining lips.