Two Eggs - Over Easy: August 2015

Saturday, August 15

Project Food Budget: Week 11

So sorry this is so late this week... and on the PFB front it has been an excellent week. One of the best so far, but I was so POed about TT's stolen sword earlier this week I just never got around to writing this post.

The two week budget remains $200. I spent $154 and change at Aldi and didn't do any "extra" shopping. Many many people had urged me to try Market Basket instead of Aldi, but I need shampoo. Which we get at Trader Joe's and TJ's is by my Aldi, so Aldi this week only made sense.

Main dish meals this week:

Sunday: Sausage

Monday: Hot dogs and beans

Tuesday: We went to the spaghetti supper at church

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: Whole wheat English muffin pizza and salad

Friday: the kids had mac and cheese Husband and I ate later and had tuna and fries

Saturday: Steak and veggies on the grill

Wednesday, August 12

A Open Letter

Yesterday morning I took off of work. I had to bring ERP to an early appointment and I had told Husband if I had time I wanted to take TT to an art event at the library. I had the time and I took him. He brought along with him his Minecraft sword, won that past weekend at Six Flags.Within 20 minutes of being at the event it was stolen. It wasn't misplaced. It wasn't moved. It was stolen. I've had things stolen from me in the past - my grill, my favorite stroller - but they do not compare to having your child's toy stolen from them. And stolen from a "safe place" - really who steals from the library. THE LIBRARY; which is based on the principle that you can borrow things for free as long as you return them. This item was not borrowed, it was not checked out. And I am mad. No, I am pissed. And this is a letter to those that did.

Hey There Adult,

In case you didn't realize it, but you are suppose to be in charge of your child. Children, especially those between the ages of 2 and 5 - which was the crowd at the art program - require supervision. Sometimes they get into things they shouldn't. And it's our job to stop them. Keep them safe. Stop them from hurting themselves or others. Stop them from taking things that don't belong to them.

Now sure you may not have noticed right away, your child had a "new" sword. After all it was raining yesterday and you may have been in a hurry to get them in the car. But at some point in the last 24 hours you must have noticed that your child was playing with a new toy; that you didn't recall buying or them getting as a gift. And I know kids, having three of them myself; when they get a super cool new toy - one worth stealing over - they are going to play with it. That is unless there are some deeper issues and they are in the habit of stealing things and hiding them away in a secret place. And if that's the case you should keep a better eye on them.

So maybe it's my fault for letting my child and his toy tempt your child. After all I let him take the sword with him. But you know what? He's four years old and he really likes his toy swords and capes, and Batman mask... and he takes them places. Because they are important to him. They are cool.

And that sword was really cool. After all, he won it. Playing the strongman game at Six Flags and that increases the cool value to him. Plus his brother, he won one as well. So they could play swords together. And his brother is older than him. and in his eyes he is the mecca of cool and to be able to have this sword bond with his brother was a big thing to him.

And you know what? You took it away. You let your kid walk away with an 18-inch foam sword.

A sword that was put on a shelf in the activity room in the library... so it WOULD STAY SAFE and clean while my son and twenty other kids made arts and crafts.

And I swear I saw you or your son take it. Out of the corner of my eye. My mom senses were tingling and all of a sudden I knew there was a problem. I felt it in my bones that the sword was gone. I rushed over to check where we had put it. And sure enough. GONE. I spoke to the librarian; who acted fast on the situation. She talked to all of the junior volunteers, to the parents, she searched the library (which really is not big), checked at the circulation desk, looked outside the library (in the rain). She took her time... her time away from all the other kids at the event to look for this sword. And for that I am forever grateful. But you know, in the end all of those other kids lost out as well. She wasn't able to devote her time to what was going on, rather she was looking for the sword.

Now I am not saying my kid is perfect or I am the perfect parent. Far from it. but my kids know it is not OK to take something that is not theirs. Should they come home from a friend's or school with something that belong to them be assured there are questions from me. And I know kids can explain away just about everything. And maybe, just maybe you believed that this sword was given to your child by my son.

But it was all over social media last night. Nearly every board and parenting organization in town shared the post looking for the sword.

And maybe you've been busy and haven't checked the happenings lately - I get it - we are busy. But I ask you, I plead to you - please just return the sword to the library.

My mind is scheming with ways to replace it. I can order one similar to it off ebay or maybe someone can make a "quick" trip to Six Flags to get another one. But me replacing it is not the point. If your kid did take it, deal with them how you see fit; but please return the sword.

Stealing from a kid is just not cool. I know accidents happen, but when they do we try to make them right. So, please, make this right.

Thanks,
A Mom

PS I would hate to think you, the parent or guardian; had any actual involvement in this incident... but you know... the mind wanders.

Wednesday, August 5

The Struggle is Real

I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but we have some serious bath-time issues with ERP. It all started about a year ago; which is a long time when you consider he's not even two. Suddenly he hated baths.

Really.

Hated.

Baths.

We're talking full on panic attacks, on his part; over taking a bath.

Red faced.

Hyperventilating.

Scaling the walls.

Screaming.

Crying.

Total panic melt down.

It is not pretty. These days it takes both Husband and I to wash him. The bath takes about three minutes and that is three minutes too long.

We've tried many things - bathes in the sink, bathes in the baby tub, bathes in the big tub with me, bathes in the big tub with TT, showers with me, showers with Husband, showers with TT.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Until about a week ago he hated most forms of water - except a random puddle or his water table. Earlier in the summer TT accidentally pushed him into the wading pool, he froze; and would have drowned if I wasn't right there. Drowning is silent.

Then one day we got him into the "big" pool with me. He clung to me, like the "baby cling-on" that he is. But he was OK. We went in the pool more and more times. He warmed up to it.

It was progress but we still dreaded taking him to the beach. He hated it. HATED IT. Last summer.

But then we went to the beach last week. And he loved it.

He willingly went into the water. Over and over again. He let me toss him up in the air. He let RR toss him in the air. He played ball. He splashed. He even went under and didn't totally lose him mind. He was like a new kid. Husband and I were on cloud nine from this. This was progress. Huge progress.

This past weekend I moved the small climber and slide onto the deck, and set the slide into the wading pool. TT and ERP gladly went down the slide. ERP willingly and happily went into the little pool.

We went in the big pool again. He loved it. Floated on his own in his ring.

I was feeling great about bath-time!

And then bath-time came.

And it sucked.

Majorly.

All his fears and panics over the bath came back.

My original plan was to bath him and TT at the same time. As I have attempted many times in the past. But once we walked into the bathroom ERP lost his shit. Yup... lost it.

So TT showered. ERP continued to cry. Even though he was fully clothed. Normally when he's naked in the bathroom he tries to redress himself in his panic attacks.He got a towel and made me wrap him up in it. And unless he was sitting on my lap, he was crying. Thankfully TT can bath himself, he just needs gentle guidance and someone to dispense the shampoo and soap.

So... the struggle is real. The struggle to bath ERP continues. Rages on.

Seriously - how can someone that happy hate the water so much?

Tuesday, August 4

Project Food Budget (Week 10)

Greetings PFB Fans!

So my two week budget is $200. Last week I spent $ 182.37. This week... we've done pretty good considering how little was left in the budget. Husband spent "a little less than $10" at Stop and Shop earlier in the week and I spent $ 9.20 at Stop and Shop today. I am pretty certain I will need to get milk which will put me in the end about $7 over budget. But really... that's pretty darn good.

That trip to Stop and Shop I had... that was my proudest moment. I love saving money. For my $ 9.20 I got three loaves of bread (two whole wheat and one white... I needed white for my egg salad), two cucumbers, one bunch of regular bananas, several bags of the "mini" bananas, one large bag of salad and one small bag of salad.

Meals this week have been super easy as I had so many planned last week.

Sunday: blueberry pancakes, eggs and sausage

Monday: egg salad sandwiches and applesauce

Tuesday: sloppy Joes and oven fries

Wednesday: "eat what you want that's in the house" aka cereal if they want it

Thursday: grilled steaks and salad

Friday: pizza (which is not part of our food budget)

Hope you all are having a great week!!

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