Kulow Cooking School

This morning Michael and Zeke have taken over my kitchen and my heart is warmed!  Michael is teaching Zeke how to cook "brefas".  Ki has joined in the kitchen as well... he, at his age is more of a hurtle then a help.  Zeke thinks he knows it all and has decided that he is going to try his hand at teaching as well...

Rough

Michael has been really helping me with getting Ki to bed.  Last night Michael had to work and let me just say I missed him!  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night, Michael took charge and put Ki to bed.  There was very little fussing and Ki fell asleep right away.  Tuesday night be woke up once and it was around 1:30 and went back to sleep after I covered him back up.  Wednesday night Ki woke up once but I did not even have to go into his room, he fell back to sleep on his own.  Thursday night was the same thing... woke up stirred and went right back to sleep.  Last night Michael was gone so I had to get Ki to bed on my own, there was crying and fussing for forty minutes.  Then he woke up at 1 am and did not go back to sleep until 2am... rough night!  All of us had napped yesterday because Michael knew he was going to have to work at night, so we all curled up on the couch and napped for almost two hours, even me.  Last night I stayed up until 11:30 and then Zeke woke up at 12am having a coughing fit, he was awake until 1:30... so between 11:30-2am I got a short maybe 30 minute nap.  From now on, Michael has to do night time, why I am not sure, but he can get Ki to fall asleep and stay asleep!  I am thinking that maybe today will have to be another napping day.  :-)

Really?

Just a few thoughts... here goes my soap box!  Plunk...

(Clearing my throat...)

Really, I was folding some pajamas this afternoon and written on the tags of two pairs of pajamas it truly said, "Not flame resistant, keep clothing from open flame".  Are you serious?  Is it really necessary to put that on the tags of pajamas?  I am assuming that some parent had their child in this company's pajamas and they caught fire, the parent sued and now the company has to print this on all their pajamas.  Interested if this same warning was on their day clothes, I checked some of the shirts and shorts that I have from this company... the warning was not there.  Oh goodness!

On a more serious note...

Come on Littleton, you are not a very well known city except for shootings.  You have Columbine almost 11 years ago and now the Deer Creek.  I know it is not the city's fault but seriously, when I say that I am from Littleton I get the head tilt and the, "Oh where Columbine is" look.  

How as a parent can I look at the schools here and say, "Oh I can't wait for my boys to go to school!"  Granted I know that shootings can and will happen everywhere but two shootings in the same town, making national news.  

I had to call my grandma today to inform her that we are all okay and that the shooting was not at the school that is a block from my house. 

What is our society coming to?  

I am not wanting to make the shooting a spectacle or lessen the effect that it has made on our community, please do not read that into this post!  I am just so saddened at what a "circus" our society has become.  I realize having my first comment about tags in jammies followed by the shooting does not quit flow, but being a mommy, the jammies really got me thinking.  I know that must sound ridiculous, and it probably is!  As I was folding my boys jammies I was thinking about the moms of the two kids that were shot at yesterday and thinking that it was just a few years ago that those moms were folding their child's jammies and now here they are having to deal with the harsh reality that their babies lives could have been taken in a split second as they were leaving their school day at the neighborhood junior high school.  

This weekend I was chatting with our friend Bob on Skype and he had mentioned something about the plane that went down in the IRS building in Austin.  I said in a silly tone, "If it does not happen within these four walls I probably don't know about it."  Although that is true, sad - but true!  I started thinking about that today as well.  I do live in a little bubble of Michael, Zeke and Ki - nothing else really gets through.  So that was where the pajama tag caught my eye and then led to the thinking about the moms of the two kids and then to the sad state our society is in.  

Sorry for the lengthy soap box... just a few thoughts and had to share them with someone!

You may now return to your regularly programed life.

:-)

Sad State

You know I don't get out enough when I am boogying to Imagination Movers songs.  Ki and I are eating lunch together and I have got their song in my head and I am toe tapping and head bobbing.  Oh sakes!

Let the Record State

So that there is no confusion... Bob Aurich, was the one that showed us the Strider bikes!  It is all his fault that I made Michael look at them.  It was also his fault that I will not even consider another bike for my boys.  (Is that better Bob? LOL)

Random Thoughts

It is official, Ki is a stair climbing and going down fool!  I can now let him go up and down the stairs without having to be right there to watch him, he has got it down.

Today I had to be a ninny on the phone with someone.  I really don't like having to be pushy with people, but I was forced to do so today.  I felt bad after getting off the phone, because I could tell I really flustered the lady that I was speaking with, but the problem is still not resolved - meaning I am going to have to be a ninny a few more times before I get what I want!  Grrrr.

Yesterday I went to the store and bought a few splurge items for myself.  Last night after my boys were in bed I took a loooong hot shower and then got out and washed my feet, scrubbed them, put on nice smelling feet lotion and enjoyed myself immensely!  I only spent four dollars on a foot scrubber, foot scrub and foot lotion and I must say those four dollars were well spent.  As I am typing I am anxious for the night to come so that I can treat my feet again tonight.  Hehehehe, the simple pleasures!

Visit from Papa

We had such a nice time with my dad this weekend!  My dad flew in on Thursday and it was a whirl wind of fun from then until Monday when we took him back to the airport.  I enjoyed having him here and showing him my little world that I have made for myself!  It was so much fun watching him play with Zeke and Ki.  Zeke had a blast, so much so that he has had to recover from all the fun!  Yesterday we dropped my dad off at the airport and unfortunately the boys were asleep when dad left so when Zeke woke up after a two hour nap he asked, "Where Papa go?"  Then fell back asleep for another twenty minutes.  Last night Zeke was asleep before eight at night... not a usual!  Plus this morning I had to wake him up at a quarter to eight for school.  I got him from school at noon today and he came home took off his shoes and curled up on the couch for a two hour nap.  Lots of fun with Papa makes for a day of catching up on sleep!

Birthday Presents

Michael and I found what we are getting for the boys for their birthdays come April.  Michael and I are so excited, we can just see our two boys out there tearing it up... enjoy the video (it's not the Kulow boys yet... come April I will have our own video to post!)

Mr. Mom

There are days that I challenge Michael in that he could never do what I do every day... take care of our two very active boys and do it with grace.  Well, today he stepped up to the plate!  Michael stayed home with the boys today because I was not feeling well.  He watched Zeke and Ki - and you know what, I didn't hear yelling, screaming or cussing from any one of my boys!  He even got Ki to take two naps today, both over an hour long.  Ki did not fuss all day, until he saw me that is.  What is up with that?  Michael said that Ki was really good for him, just sat and played and then got tired and he laid him down for his naps.  It was only when I came down stairs to get some water that Ki started to fuss.  Zeke did a great job too.  Zeke has been struggling with not playing by himself.  I have been working with him to spend twenty minute time frames playing by himself, I will leave him in the living room and tell him that it is his big boy play time.  Michael said that at first Zeke was struggling but I guess Zeke went upstairs to his room had some big boy quite time and then did really well the rest of the afternoon.  So - I am glad that my boys were good for Michael.  I am grateful that Michael was able to take the day off and watch the boys.  I feel some what rejuvenated after all day of sleeping. 

Napping House

Today our house is the napping house.  It could be for the fact that everyone was up at 5am - but it is nice none the less.  Ki, Zeke and I snuggles up on the couch and all took a big nap.  I love having lazy days like this, Sundays are lazy days in my mind!  Usually it is with football playing in the background that we all nap but cartoons seemed to work just the same today for three tired people!

Home Improvements

Today Michael got the home improvement bug, bad!  His itch made me get it too!  Michael and I started talking about how we wish we had a house so that we could make these improvements for our own long term benefit.  Home improvements that we do now are for our personal comfort but are not exactly what we even want - it is more just to make things decent.  For example Michael has decided that he wants to paint the kitchen... three samples later, I think we might have found the color.  The next project, of course after Michael actually finishes the kitchen painting (planning on a month or two... hehehe) - I think will be the boys bathroom, paint and maybe even a new light fixture and vanity.  After that I am hoping that we will be able to get new furniture for the boys bedroom... I am hoping a trip to Ikea, in July on our way home from Utah family reunion!  I know I dream big but heck if I can't dream then I am just depressed that I don't have the house that I really want with everything in it.  In my dreams my house is decorated to the nines, furnished with nice yet comfy furniture, my walls are all painted beautifully with art work and family pictures - sounds good huh?  My dreamland keeps me going sometimes until we win the lotto... or something happens to our financial state that allows us to afford to purchase a home, nothing too big but enough so we don't have to move our boys again.

Cartoons

Since Zeke has been sick I have allowed him to sit around the house and watch cartoons.  This is a rarity - we don't let the television come on until after dinner and baths, but we have learned that if we want Zeke to sit still tv is a good incentive.  I am laughing watching Zeke, watch cartoons.  He is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and he is totally interacting with it.  Mickey was asking questions and Zeke is answering them.  Pretty funny!

Invigorating

I love how invigorating it is to sell off things that have been sitting around the house that are not being used.  Today I sold a handful of things... some of which I now wish I would have sold for more but heck, they are out of the house and being used now by some one.  I will say that I spent most of the day on email fielding emails from people interested in purchasing items.  I jokingly said to Michael this afternoon, "Is there anything else that I can sell - do we really need all this stuff?"  He chuckled and told me to slow down!  But there really is something to be said about purging your life of excess and making a little immediate cash in the process!

Oh Sakes

You know my boys are sick when they refuse food and just sit still all day long!  When is this crud going to leave my house?  It seems like we just lick it and then another strain of it attacks.  Yuck, is all I have to say.  Zeke's got a fever, red rimmy eyes and has not eaten much more then three strawberries today.  Ki's got a fever and is all stuffy - he is trying to eat string cheese as I write and he sounds like a cat purring.  My poor babies... maybe Michael is going to want to work tomorrow so that he doesn't catch this crud!

April

Yes, I know that it is not yet April, but I woke up this morning thinking that April will be here before I know it.  April means two birthdays in the Kulow house.  Zeke will be three on the 15th and Ki will be one on the 29th.  As I started thinking about the fact that my boys are going to be having a birthday I started to worry.  I know I am just being silly but this was my worry - my boys will be turning a year older and last year for Zeke we did nothing (I was thinking about having Ki) - so this year I want to do something for them!  I want to do a "big" thing for Ki since it will be his first birthday and I want pictures for him to have of his first birthday.  I shared my concern with Michael this morning and he just said, "Stop being so silly."  Okay maybe those weren't the exact words but you get the gist!  So this was my thought - maybe I can organize a weekend and have my parents and my sister fly in - since they do get free flights.  I would love to make a big deal for my boys with family!  I sat down and looked at the calendar today and I am thinking that I am going to try and get it all organized for the weekend of April 16th... was thinking about the next weekend since it is right in between the two birthdays, but that is my parents anniversary - can't really trump that!  Do you think that will work?  Maybe we can even get Aunt Missi to come and visit then too and celebrate her birthday too!  The one thing that Michael did say though is that he doesn't want the boys to have to share birthdays... I guess that means two days of birthday celebrations!  Hehehehe!

Costco

Why is that I go into Costco and come out spending a heck of a lot more than I intended?  I swear things just jump in my cart and although they only cost $6... fifteen items at that price sure does add up!  Goodness - now I know why we only make Costco a monthly trip, if we went more often first off we would have to get another shelving unit in the basement and secondly we would be broke!  Sheese!
My other frustration, beyond it costing me an arm and a leg to walk out of there they keep changing products on me.  There are some things that our family really likes and it seems that if we don't stock up on those few items when we see them then they run out and never get them back again.  Come on! 

Laundry

Oh how I hate thee laundry!  Just when I think I have completed my last load for the day, after having already completed four loads - you appear like moths to a light!  My laundry baskets never even have a chance to sit empty for a second.  I barely get the laundry out of the dryer and upstairs before I have turn back around and get another load in the wash.

Pen Pals

How does one go about getting pen pals in this day and age?  One of my favorite memories when I was in junior high was writing back and forth with my pen pals.  I realize that with the technology and how easily accessible the internet is I suppose pen pals would no longer be called "pen" pals.  The whole reason for me asking is, Michael has it in his mind that we are moving to New Zealand.  He is feeling this overwhelming frustration with the way our country is headed and does not want his boys growing up here.  He and I have talked, I agree with his points and have said that I will follow.  That being said, I would love to make contact with a mom in New Zealand that has kids around the same ages as mine.  I guess as a way of making connections, whether we move or not.  So if anyone has any ideas of how I might go about making a friend in New Zealand I would appreciate it.  The one thought that I had was to contact MOPS in New Zealand on the north island and see if maybe someone there might be interested in a email friend.  I think that is the best option that I have come up with.

Follow-up from Dentist

Zeke did great!  Michael said that he was a little nervous at first but then warmed up and did great.  No cavities and he has pearly white teeth.  The only thing is that I have to start flossing his teeth.  To be honest I had never thought of flossing his teeth since there are so many gaps, it he gets meat in them we will floss, but never on a regular basis.  Phew!  I was so nervous, glad he did great!

Dentist

I just sent Zeke off to his first dentist appointment.  Michael is home this morning because of the snow and my truck is kind of wimpy in the snow so Michael just offered to take him.  I am nervous, I think the main reason why I am nervous is because Zeke's teeth are a reflection of my brushing.  At two and a half the dentist is not going to expect that Zeke is brushing his own teeth, they know that his mommy is!  Sure hope my report card is a good one!  I do know that I had really bad teeth as a child and now as a grown up I don't have any cavities... so who knows!  I sure hope Zeke is the trooper I know him to be today for the dentist. 

Snow

I feel like a child, when ever I wake up to the snow I get so excited.  I want to throw open every curtain and pull up every blind so that I have a view of the snow falling!  Now of course this morning it is snowing but I am sure with the little amount that is falling there will not really be anything on the ground later - which I suppose is okay.  I personally wouldn't mind a blizzard, call me crazy.  A blizzard means that Michael gets to stay home and we have an excuse to snuggle up on the couch and watch movie after movie, plus it is just another excuse to bake (not that I need one lately... been making chocolate chip cookies once a week and made banana bread two days ago).  So maybe all of the rain the San Diego has been getting will move my direction and I will get some snow. 

How?

There are days that I just want to spit on June Cleaver.  This morning in my frustration of not measuring up to the ideals that were set forth in the all time known show Leave is to Beaver, I Googled June Cleaver.  

This is what I found: June Evelyn Bronson Cleaver is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. June and her husband, Ward, are often invoked as the archetypal suburban parents of the 1950s. The couple are the parents of two sons... (from Wikipedia). 

Then after reading that definition I wasn't sure what archetypal meant (I had my suspicions but I thought a definition might help make my point...).  So here is the definition for Archetypal is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all. In psychology, an archetype is a model of a person, personality, or behavior. (Also from Wikipedia) 

All I have to say is gosh, stinking darn June Cleaver.

So now that all brings me back to "HOW?"  How is a mom of two boys supposed to have her house decorated to the nines, cleaned from top to bottom (windows inside and out, chandelier cob web free, fridge cleaned inside, out and under), her boys well behaved, clean and fed, and to top it all off have a warm dinner on the table the for when her hard working husband gets home... oh yeah and to make sure that the boys are quiet from the point dad walks in the door until they go to bed at night?  Oh, yeah I forgot to mention also volunteer for many organizations and be involved in social events, as well as look wonderful herself?

Now do you question why I want to spit on June Cleaver?  She made it all look so easy, she was always poised and in control, with pearls around her neck and a warm meal to make all the worries of the day disappear. 

Fast forward sixty years to my house... yeah, need I say more!  

I wake up at five in the morning with Ki, who I swear is allergic to sleep.  I get him dressed for the day.  Zeke wakes up at seven, get him pottied and dressed.  I make all the beds before we head down stairs.  Do I bother to get myself dressed... usually no!  I am doing a mad dash to get my boys fed so that the screaming on my part or my boys does not have to begin.  I get them fed and clean up from breakfast.  Then we usually go down in the basement where I have them play by themselves and I play referee as well as try to get the day before's laundry washed and folded.  If I am lucky during that time I am able to check my email and try and catch up on Mothers & More paperwork that has been piling up (like this morning, I really should be writing the Mothers & More newsletter, however my heart is too heavy with this).  Around ten I bring the boys back upstairs, get Zeke a snack and try to get Ki to lay down for his morning nap.  If I am fortunate enough to get Ki to nap I will take those forty minutes to get the floors swept, a bathroom cleaned, the cat box cleaned, some dusting, or maybe even grab some breakfast for myself.  During this nap time for Ki I try to get Zeke to do something... play with the homemade play dough we made, do noodle necklaces (the noodles we dyed for extra fun) or read some of the library books that we just got from the library (as we are at the library two times a week getting fun and new books to read).  When Ki wakes up the boys and I usually play for a little while whether we sing songs or have a dance party in the living room.  Then there comes lunch time around noon thirty.  I make lunches for the boys and try to hit just about every food group, knowing that these boys are growing and need nutritious foods to grow big and strong.  After lunch I clean up.  While I am cleaning up from lunch I try to get the boys to play by themselves in the living room.  Around two I take both of the boys upstairs to Zeke's room for nap time.  I read four or five library books to the boys.  Ki usually falls asleep and I often will catch a ten or fifteen minute cat nap while I wait for Zeke to fall into snooze land.  I then get up and get everything prepared for dinner - whatever it is that I have decided to make, trying to be conscience of having a meat, a starch, and veggies.  During dinner preparations I usually make myself a sandwich and eat it as I buzz around the kitchen.  The boys wake up from their naps after about an hour and then the evening proceedings begin.  At four I begin dinner to make sure that my boys have dinner around five (sometimes later...).  Michael usually gets home between five and six.  Dinner is either hot on the table for him once he gets done with his shower after his arrival home or in the oven staying warm.  Around six thirty-ish, I take the boys upstairs for the daily baths.  Both the boys are bathed and jammied by seven.  By this time I am so stinking dead tired that I throw myself on my chair in the living room and wish that the night could end right then and there.  But no!  Ki needs his night time bottle and then to bed with him.  Zeke gets sent to bed around eight thirty.  In this time I have managed to get my jammies on and wash my face and brush my teeth, for the second time in the day... I think!  Then feeling horrible about not spending time with my husband I sit down on the couch with him while he watches something and rub his feet or his legs, knowing that he has worked very hard all day long, allowing me the privilege to stay home with our boys.  Does the night end there... oh no, 'cause remember I said that Ki is allergic to sleep.  The crying begins around midnight and then continues every hour, almost on the minute from midnight until five fifteen the next morning.

Now, honestly tell me, when is a women supposed to clean her house?  When is she supposed to take a shower?  When is she supposed to get phone calls done?  How is she to be involved in anything outside of the house?  My biggest question now is, how is she to go to the bathroom without an interruption... seriously if it is not one of the boys it is the cat, because she can't close the door entirely, because she has to leave it open to see and know what her boys are doing!

How?  How?  How?  How?

As you can tell I am just about at my wits end!  I know that it is a privilege to stay home with my boys, but it is just about wearing me down to the nubs!  Last night after I got my boys to bed I did two loads of laundry (washed, folded and put away), cleaned up Michael's office from the files that he asked me to go through and purge, I cleaned under Michael's sink because something sticky had spilled and gotten all over the cupboard and bottles so I cleaned the cupboard and all the bottles, I de-cob webbed the kitchen chandelier and then made it to bed a quarter to midnight.  Only to be woken by Ki at one and then to be up with him from then until three thirty... to start the day all over again!  Ahhhhhhh

I know this is a season, I know that things will change... some to get easier, some more difficult, but in the meantime - Lord help me!

Phases

I know that everything in life comes and goes in phases.  One of the phases that has been a recent struggle for me is naps!  I know that sounds silly but, Ki has been trying to get rid of his morning nap and just be a one nap guy.  He has not figured it out, which makes for either really fussy mornings as I try to stretch him out to do an afternoon nap or really fussy evenings because he slept in the morning too long and is not able to fall asleep in the late afternoons.  Ahhh I have been just about pulling my hair out trying to make this transition smooth - which it is not! 
Today I took Zeke to school and then as I was driving away from preschool Ki fell asleep in the car, mind you it was only nine.  My original plan was going to drop Zeke off at school, go run my errands and then make it home around ten to have Ki nap.  Nope, my plans did not come to fruition.  Although it really did work out even better!  Ki napped from nine until eleven, that was two hours of getting some house chores done, dinner in the crock pot, dessert made, and time to check emails.  It is amazing how much I can get done in two hours when I have a sleeping baby! 

(My Sleeping Ki)

After Ki woke up, we went and did my two errands and still made it to pick up Zeke at preschool at noon.  I will say though that Ki had a little accident today, we went to Hobby Lobby and the carts are the worst carts ever.  Well, Ki learned that first hand today!  I had him strapped in and I leaned over to look at something and he leaned too... well his weight was no match for the cart, they both tipped over to the side.  Ki faired fine, just a little bump on his eye brow, but goodness it sure made my heart jump!
Today for lunch my boys were pretty much back to their regular piggies!  The last three or four days it has been a chore getting them to eat, not today!  While I was at Target today getting parchment paper I saw rice cakes and thought that I might get those for the boys to try.  Why had I never thought about those before today?  Both of the boys just about ate the whole bag, they loved them.  Zeke called them popcorn cookies... I figure that works.
Since Ki was about three weeks old I have tried feeding him a bottle.  He has never once taken it.  For a short time when he was having bowel issues the doctor told me to give him Miralax in a bottle.  I shared with the doctor that I can get him to take a bottle, there was no other option - If I wanted to help with the bowel issue I had to give him a bottle.  So when he was about four months old I had to try and get two ounces of liquid into a screaming baby.  It was a battle every time, a battle of his will against my patience.  Usually after an ounce his will would win!  The last few days, Ki has been taking the nipple from a play bottle that I gave to Zeke to feed his baby doll with.  The nipple belongs to a cheap bottle that I picked up at like the Dollar Tree in a pack of three bottles, so basically the cheapest they come.  Today Ki was using the nipple as a paci and so I got a bright mommy idea, why not put the bottle together with the nipple and see if he will drink some milk.  I had formula left over from when we moved here and Zeke was drinking bottles.  The formula expires in a few months so I thought, heck I will make a six ounce bottle and if I waste it, oh well!  I sat down with Ki and he drank five ounces!  Holy cow that is the most he has ever had from a bottle, there was no battle, no screaming, no fighting... he just drank five ounces from the bottle.  Could it be, all I had to do was give this child the cheap bottles?  Whatever it is I am happy!