A Denver Family's Adventure Through The Ups And Downs of Life



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Death of an Appliance

I never really knew how much I relied on my microwave until it died last night.

I was heating up my son's leftovers from yesterday and I heard a pop, smelled an electrical burnt smell and the microwave shut off.  First, I unplugged it, then I turned it all the way around to make sure that it wasn't on fire.

Sam still needed fed, so I took his dinner out of the plastic bowl and put it into a porcelain dish, turned on the oven and put his food in right away.  The oven's alarm went off telling me it had preheated to 350 degrees, so I tested his food and it was a great temperature for a toddler.

I thought that I had heated up enough, but Sam was mighty hungry last night, so some of his dinner was still cold, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. 

Never underestimate the draw of noodles for dinner for a toddler.

The bad think about this "death" is that we won't be able to replace the microwave until Saturday (at the earliest).  I will have to use the oven for the rest of the week.

Wordless Wednesday- Around Mile 4 of 2010 Crossroads Half Marathon

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Going Green This Halloween

There are a few things that we are going to be doing this year to "Go Green" this Halloween. 
  • We will be putting Sam into the beautiful Jack-O-Lantern costume that Nana made him last year.  It still fits and he will be able to run and jump around.
  • I like the idea of only giving one piece of candy per child.  Also, we will buy some pencils at Sam's Club to distribute instead of the candy.  Parents will like that more than candy to rot their teeth.
  • I like the scarecrow idea below (#3).  I could use my old jeans that are WAY too big for me now.
  • We are going to buy Sam a reusable fabric trick-or-treat bag that can be used for years and just needs washed between uses.  I just need to make sure that all the candy is removed before it goes in the wash.



3 Tips for going green this Halloween:


1. Reduce – Instead of handing out handfuls of candy to each little ghost and goblin, consider giving just one of something. You‟ll save money and your decision will likely be better for the health the children who come to your door (since they‟ll consume less) and for the planet since fewer resources will go into the making, packaging, transporting and/or disposal of the treat. Reducing can be applied to all of your holiday choices. And if you have reason to be concerned that your guests, kids, neighbors or husband will get scary on you when you announce your new plan to cut back on behalf of kids and the planet? Try reducing by just 25%. Chances are, no one will notice but you and your Mother Earth.

2. Reuse – Halloween could be the poster child for reusing. Nearly every aspect of the holiday can be celebrated in style without buying a single thing new. So don‟t rush out to buy costumes, décor and party games. Instead, stop and think. What can be reused or repurposed to make this holiday a smash hit without costing the planet? Rent, borrow or construct costumes from existing materials (making Halloween costumes from scratch can increase the fun factor, too), and keep your lawn ghouls and orange LED lights year after year. You might get tired of seeing them, but guaranteed, you‟re building a tradition – one the kids in your home and neighborhood will remember. You wouldn‟t want to mess with good memory making, now, would you?

3. Recycle – The best way to utilize the third and final R is to first, choose items that are made from recycled content instead of buying products made from raw or virgin materials. When the product you‟ve bought or acquired can no longer be used, it should be recycled. Recycling can happen in many ways such as through your waste management company, your compost pile (yes, most food can be recycled) or through your own creativity. Breathe new life into your husband‟s old flannel shirt and jeans, for example, by recycling them into a scarecrow for your front porch or a costume for your ten-year-old. And no matter what, always, always, compost made-by-nature Halloween décor such as wilting pumpkins and gourds instead of throwing them in the trash. Uneaten Halloween candy can also be “recycled” just be sure to remove the wrappers first.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Another Milestone Starts on Monday

Sam is moving to the toddler room from the infant room.

He is old enough and moves well enough on his feet, that he is transitioning and will be in the toddler room permanently on Monday.

Of course we are happy that he is doing so well and our payments will drop a little bit per week.  Of course, that's still over $10k/year that we will have to spend in daycare, but every penny ($260/year) savings is still a savings.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Friday, September 10, 2010

I'm a Terrible Mother

Sam was climbing up on our computer desk chair (like he has done 100 times before), but this time his hand slipped and he fell face first onto a toy and cut his lip.  Poor little guy.  It bled like crazy all over my shirt, but was under control quickly.

Five minutes later he was playing around again and smiling.

Big kisses for such a big, tough boy!!!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I Hate Flies

Our family went camping at Jackson Lake State Park this past weekend and had a great time.  Sam was walking around (while someone held his hand), playing in the grass (which he rarely does) and tried to eat gravel (thanks Andrea for making sure that he didn't).

I'm glad that it wasn't tent camping.  Our ILs invited us to go in their Class C RV (very nice).  Thank goodness for air conditioning and getting away from the loud neighbors.

I'm also glad that we had the RV because Sam's personal tent was able to fit in it, no problem.

We had a great time, until it was time to leave.  Somehow (aka my husband) had the doors to my SUV open and a ton of flies invaded the vehicle.  I would try to shoo them out, but they didn't want to leave.  I bet if someone was looking at me do this, they would have thought that I was having a seizure.

I ended up getting all but one out of the vehicle and he wasn't much of a bother.  He kept to himself and didn't upset me at all. 

Mr. Fly got a free ride to Denver.  I didn't even get a "Thank You."