Easy felt pennant banner
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| I started with some sheets of denim-looking felt from Michaels … |
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| Cut them into triangles (fit two triangles per sheet, I think) |
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| Then I cut out felt letters to spell “Bienvenue” (Welcome) |
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| I glued everything on with my trusty gluegun. When I hear people talk about white glue and craft glue and fabric glue, my eyes glaze over and I think “Why use anything but hot glue? Why? WHY?” |
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| Oh, and then I brushed on some super-amazing silver craft glitter that I bought for about $3 in the kids’ section a few years ago. Seriously — best purchase ever. |
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| Is there anything better than glitter? No, I did not think so. |
Happy back-to-school, J!
xo
Don’t take anything personally
You know what really burns my toast? Meanness and general drama/pettiness/discomfort among friends!
I’m kind of out of practice about it (luckily) but in the last couple of days, I’ve been letting some things get to me. My feelings have been very hurt. I’ve had a pit in my stomach when I read texts and messages. And it really sucks.
I just want people to get along. I just want to have nice, easy friendships. I have no interest in making/having enemies. What mom of young children has the friggin’ time for that, you know? NONE OF US, THAT’S WHO!
Moving forward, I’m going to stick with these four agreements — especially the second one and the fourth one — so I can stop feeling bad as a result of what other people say and do (or don’t do).
I may not be able to change anything, but at least I can do everything in my power to (A) stay out of drama, and (B) not let things get to me. I refuse to let my feelings be hurt anymore.
Why can’t we all just be friends?
Kumbaya and all that stuff?
You know? Right?
Quick and easy Weight Watchers dessert
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| I decided to make something (ANYTHING) from chocolate chips, so I used my handy point calculator to figure out how many chocolate chips I could eat for 1 point. The answer? 10gm (or about 30 chocolate chips) |
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| Here are my lovely little 30 chocolate chips. Quite a lot for only 1 point! |
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| Then I carefully calculated the value of some Cool Whip Light. I learned that I could eat three tablespoons for only 1 point — time for some happy-dancing! |
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| I used my Pampered Chef grater-thing (I think it was only the second time I’ve used this thing) to grate up the chocolate chips. |
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| I measured out my three tablespoons of Cool Whip Light (couldn’t trust myself to just eyeball it with a regular spoon, or I would have probably gone head-first into the container) |
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| I sprinkled my crushed chocolate-chip powder over the whipped cream, and then realized the chips were almost completely still intact, so it was like some kind of Loaves & Fishes miracle. I threw the chips on, too, and called it a dessert! |
This little dessert was only TWO Weight Watchers points, and it was actually pretty substantial. I ate every bite, and felt like my chocolate craving was fully satisfied.
And now, of course, I think I’m some kind of culinary genius for “inventing” it. Clearly I am. Right?
What are your favourite not-that-unhealthy treats?
Hear a little, there a little
With his case, the gluey fluid in his ears was being suctioned out during the surgery, and then the tubes were placed. So in theory, his earing was (is?) 100% as soon as the surgery was completed. There wasn’t really a chance for drainage, because everything was already taken out.
So now I’m curious (VERY curious) how he will fare at today’s hearing test. There is a chance, with otitis media with effusion (OME), that you can have permanent hearing loss (if the fluid has damaged the tiny bones within the ear). Will he have that? Will he fail the test again? Or will he pass with flying colours words?
If you’re just tuning in, you can read all about D’s issues with hearing loss/delayed speech here.
***
The surgery itself was actually way better than I had imagined. We left C with Darling Husband’s mom for the day, and took our little guy into the hospital around mid-morning. He was in a GREAT mood, and seemed to be releving in our undivided attention — plus the attention of the doctors and nurses.
Seeing my tiny little just-turned-two-year-old in an itsy-bitsy johnny shirt was enough to make me teary, but he was so positive and happy that it kept me from getting too emotional. Plus, I was really, really relieved that he was finally getting his hearing addressed.
When a nurse came in and scooped up D to take him off to surgery, I cried a little after he left the room. It was anxious waiting for him, knowing he was being put under (and trying not to think about the risks). Mom was there for support, so she took Darling Husband and I downstairs and bought us sandwiches and chips. The chips helped.
Before I knew it, we were back in the waiting area, nervously waiting for the phone to ring. I almost jumped out of my skin when it rang, and it was for us! They said to come around back and see D right away!
I was surprised, because it was much earlier than they had expected. But when we rushed around the corner, we saw why — the little guy was sitting straight up on a stretcher, as two nurses struggled to keep him in a sitting position. I guess he fought sleep pretty hard, and didn’t conk out in the recovery area like he was supposed to!
His throat was raspy as he coughed and cried (the breathing tube causes that), but other than that, he seemed fine. Darling Husband and I took turns cuddling him and hugging him, because he refused to stay in the bed in his private recovery room. He didn’t want juice, or even a popsicle (!) so I knew he wasn’t feeling that great, but he wasn’t sick or anything.
We tried to distract him with YouTube videos of his favourite shows on our phones, but he was determined to rip out his I.V. He was yanking at it so hard that his fingers were coming out of the massive taped-up section, so Darling Husband ran to grab a nurse. She said it was fine to take it out if he was that upset by it, so it was removed, and he calmed right down.
We cuddled for a little while in his room, as he watched part of a show, but soon he was struggling to get down from our laps. “Hat! Thooes!” (shoes) he kept insisting. We slowly got him dressed in his street clothes (trying to take our time, since we knew we couldn’t leave yet), and then he was raring to go. The nurse checked him one last time, gave us some instructions and pamphlets, and then we were on our way. I couldn’t believe it!
We swooped back to Darling Husband’s parents’ place, hung out there for a little bit — D was running around and playing just like any other day — and then drove back home. We tried to keep him as quiet as possible for the rest of the evening, but he was acting like his normal self. There’s something to be said for the resiliance of a two-year-old!
***
D’s surgery was almost three weeks ago, and we’ve noticed a definite improvement in his hearing.
We find he’s responding to more questions now, and even when he watches TV he’s repeating things the characters say, or announcing little things about the plot. He’s saying a few more words, and the words he already said are clearer now. His counting (1-10) has really improved, and he’s slowly getting the hang of singing (and signing) his ABCs.
New things (more conversational things!) he’s been saying since the surgery …
- “Hmmmmm … (while tapping chin) … Ah-know!” (“I know”)
- “Bye-bye, Dora!” “Bye-bye, Howwwwse!” “Bye-bye, Daddy!”
- “Mommy” (he only used to say “Mama”)
- “I Okaaaaaay” (“I’m OK”)
- “Eyyyeeeee youuuuuu” (“I love you”)
Yes, he is finally saying “I love you.”
It is just as amazing as I knew it would be.
And do you know what else? He is dancing!
D has never danced before, and suddenly — just since the surgery — he is dancing to music. When he sees C bounce around in her exersaucer, he sweeps two fingers across his palm (signing “dance”) and cries “Dahhhnce!”
Yes, baby.
She is dancing.
And so are you …
How to make Cougar Town-inspired "EAT" letters
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| See the “EAT”? Isn’t it cute? It’s probably a zillion dollars from a fancy store we don’t even have in Canada, right? |
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| I bought these three letters at Michaels (my fave store) |
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| I also bought three sheets of scrapbook paper that match my new kitchen colours |
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| Ah, Mod Podge. Is there anything it can’t do? |
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| I traced each letter onto a sheet of cardstock paper (with a black crayon, to get a distress-y sort of look on the edges) |
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| Here are my letters! Aren’t they happy colours? |
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| I put a thin layer of Mod Podge (I say “Modge Podge” in my head, do you?) on the surface of each letter … |
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| … then I smoothed down the paper cut-out. But wait! This “T” looked a little plain … |
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| . I realized there was a funky pattern on the back of the “E” paper, so I cut out some circles … |
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| … and Mod-Podged the circles onto the “T” — much better! |
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| Here are the finished letters, after they’ve been roughed up with lots of sandpaper action! |
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| And here they are in my kitchen! Cuteness! |
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Have you ever made something you saw on a TV set? Are you inspired by the decor of fictional characters? Tell me about it!
Happy Labour Day!
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