Nursing Cover-Ups (or, Allison Becomes Modest)

I will admit it - I could be doing a better job of covering up while nursing. At home, there are times when I just don't have the energy to carefully arrange a blanket over us (and continually pull it back up, over, and around us), so I do the best I can with my shirt and/or hand and/or burp rag. And in public, I do carefully arrange a blanket over us, but that really doesn't work very well. You can't see what's going on with a blanket over everything, so you have to keep lifting it up, and then you have to move the baby around, and then you have to figure out how to adjust your shirt back to normal while holding a baby and a blanket. Then the baby spits up or pees all over everything. I feel sweaty and frustrated just thinking about it.
So, inspired by a fellow mom, and afraid of becoming notorious for my less-than-modest nursing style, I have ordered an official nursing garment. These are affectionately known as "udder covers" or "hooter hiders." You can check them out at www.uddercovers.com (one of the surprisingly many sites that sell these), but if you want to buy one, you can get them on ebay for about half the cost. The cool thing about these is that they not only have an adjustable neck strap, they have a wire in the neck hole so you can see the baby (and the baby can actually breathe while feeding). I'm feeling better already. And don't worry, I will not be posting any pictures for this entry.

Who's Online? That's Right, Isaac...

I just got Isaac's computer connected to the internet and to our network, so now he can surf and print! This was a week-long test of my skill, patience, and resolve to not swear ever (not even when alone and/or stepping on something really sharp). Now, I just have to figure out how to lock everything down so he can't do anything stupid, dangerous, or morally wrong. I'm going to go research internet monitoring/child-proofing software and report back with a list of the products I find. I would love to get something free, but it's probably worthwhile to pay for something that could end up saving the life (and dignity) of my kids. Even Allison the Frugal will shell out real money for that.

Allison the Frugal

That's my new Viking name, which I earned yesterday after saving $7 off my grocery bill by using coupons. If only I had been able to find a coupon for that Sara Lee cheesecake that was calling to me from the freezer case...

We're Going to the Rec!

We had JUST decided to cancel our Rec Center membership in an effort to save money when I found out that the Carroll Area Moms group meets there every Wednesday morning from 9-11 to let their kids run around in the gym. Bummer, right? It reminded me of the time I sold my science book back to the bookstore in college for $50 only to learn that I had to re-purchase it at $150 for use the next semester. This is worse, though, because I think my parents were paying for my books...I was trying to figure out how much it would cost us for admission - surely it would have been more than the $30/month we were paying for our membership - when the Moms group leader emailed me that they got a special rate of $2 per FAMILY. That's like buying each of us a silly band, or a stale candy bar from the vending machine at church, or vacuuming out half of the van at the car wash. I'm so excited to finally be able to tell Isaac, "See, we ARE doing fun stuff for "gym" class like I said we would!" He's been pestering me about it for weeks, and now we have a great excuse to go. I met some of the moms in December at the Pizza Ranch when they had a lunch meeting, but I didn't really talk to them because we all sat at separate tables and spent most of the time waiting on/subduing our children. If I had my way, I'd make it so my two closest friends were stay-at-home-moms with me, but the second-best (and more realistic) thing would be to make some new friends in this group. I need to psych myself up for this...I haven't had to make a conscious effort to make new friends since I started at American Home Shield 9 years ago. Wow, now I feel old. How cool would it be to have a friend come over during the day for a "play date"? I've never had a play date. It sounds so parental and organized and hip. And on that note, I have got to go find Simon before bus 3 passes us by yet again...

Things I love about being at home

(In no particular order...just the random order in which they pop into my sleep-deprived brain)

1. Instead of making a mad rush to the daycare, two different schools, and work, this is what we're doing at 8 am:

(don't tell Isaac I took this...although at least he isn't drooling.)

 

(her hair looks just like mine does in the morning!)

2. No one here cares whether I match or how my hair looks. Well, I have suspicions that Isaac does, but he's to afraid to say anything critical.

3. The dishes and laundry are always caught up. And by always, I mean most of the time. And by caught up, I mean not overflowing their respective dirty dish/laundry containers.

4. I know what kind of a day everyone has had (except Simon and John, who are the most self-sufficient of the bunch anyway), because we had it together.

5. I don't have to figure out how to pump breastmilk at work. (Heather, you are a saint for having done this!)

6. I get to look stuff up on the internet - even play on Facebook - without worrying whether I might get fired.

7. I can see firsthand how Isaac is able (or unable) to concentrate on his schoolwork and adjust what we're doing or how we're doing it.

8. I get to do fun "thrifty" things like clip coupons, make my own laundry soap, and develop a family budget. (Not sarcasm - I really do think this stuff is fun.)

9. In theory, I could meet and hang out with other stay-at-home moms. This hasn't actually happened much yet, but I'm convinced that it eventually will.

10. It takes a lot less caffeine to get through the day. If only they didn't make diet, caffeine free Coke, I might actually start drinking water.

Isaac's Sea Lion

We're Back!

It's been a few weeks, and our adoring public (a.k.a. my parents) have missed us, so I'm renewing my efforts to make regular posts. Isaac has had some absolutely wonderful days on his new medication, and he's been different in so many ways that it's hard to believe that it's all caused by one little pill. I think the medicine eliminates a lot of the frustration he's felt when he's trying to do schoolwork, which makes him feel better about himself, which makes him a more pleasant kid all around. He's more attentive, more respectful, kinder to his siblings, and a LOT less whiny. Awesome, huh?
We're also trying to do more work on the computer. He's doing all of his math lessons on the software that came with his textbook, and we're doing spelling online using www.spellingcity.com (very cool and free, and you can use your own spelling lists). I'm going to start having him practice typing using another great free site - http://kids.learn2type.com, so that he can do some of his writing assignments on the computer too. John and I tried (unsuccessfully) to get Isaac's computer hooked up to the internet this weekend, but I'm pretty sure that I did at least get the phone line connected to our homeschool room (see photo below - is this some kind of hazard??)

This week, our goals are:

1. To survive Monday (a no school day for Simon) without screaming, tantrums, or Wii-playing (NO more Super Mario Bros! Ever!)
2. To get Isaac's computer online. Preferably without the help of professionals.
3. To make the new bacon and date scone recipe I found (you BASTE the scones with the BACON DRIPPINGS...could it get any better than that???)
4. To spend as little money as possible and start sticking to the new budget I just made. Wal-Mart is off limits this week!
5. To blog at least two more times. With something of interest. Or at least a cute photo or two.

Here's Isaac working away at the computer. Notice that he's not looking at the camera, because he's decided that he doesn't want his face to be posted on the internet. I think he thinks that I'm purposely endangering him. I tried to reassure him that the only people who ever read this are related to him, but, as usual, he's convinced that he knows better than I. Someday, he'll think I'm smart...

Isaac's List

I asked Isaac to make a list of all of the things he wants to learn about - he struggled with it a little bit, then got mad at me because we didn't do the whole list in one day. Sigh. Here's the list:

1. Space - all the moons and asteroids
2. Video games
3. Rich people
4. All the jobs in the world
5. Richest man in the world
6. The best job in the world
7. The strongest man in the world
8. The biggest store in the USA
9. How many bullets are in a machine gun
10. How big is the world
11. Make clay figures
12. Draw
13. Paint