A day after I wrote the note, I noticed some... modifications... had been made to the note.
I don't know what I love more, that he put "buy lenses" or that he added a comma because it was now needed. Either way, I love that silly hubster of mine!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Reason #78 I Love my Husband
When Tyler was diagnosed with HFMD, the doctor also saw he had double ear infections. No news to us, since he's had a bunch of these and they're only ever discovered when we go to the doctor for something else. Anyway, he had to do a round of amoxicillin (much to Tyler's excitement because my kid loves some medicine!). The pharmacy told us to keep it in the fridge, so I wrote myself a note to keep by the rest of his food so I wouldn't forget -- "Don't forget meds." Simple enough, right?
A day after I wrote the note, I noticed some... modifications... had been made to the note.
I don't know what I love more, that he put "buy lenses" or that he added a comma because it was now needed. Either way, I love that silly hubster of mine!
A day after I wrote the note, I noticed some... modifications... had been made to the note.
I don't know what I love more, that he put "buy lenses" or that he added a comma because it was now needed. Either way, I love that silly hubster of mine!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Muddy Puddles, Dodecahedrons, and Backpacks
As much as Jason and I watch tv, we try to keep Tyler from watching too much. That is, until he was sick for two weeks. We've created an addict! Judge all you want, but my kiddo was sick, I was sick, and kid tv is awesome! I actually like quite a few shows already. Here's a few of his/my favorites:
Peppa Pig:
I loooooove Peppa Pig. In fact, I'd probably watch episodes even if Tyler wasn't around. Peppa Pig is a British show with this precocious (and a little bratty) pig named Peppa and her little brother George (who is obsessed with dinosaurs, so of course I love him).
It's difficult to explain why I love this show so much, but I'll try. For one, it's British, and I kinda love all things British. Secondly, so many little kid shows try to force lessons on sharing or manners or the like. Many of the characters are syrupy sweet (I'm talking about you, Sheriff Callie, with your "it's not about who wins, but how much fun you're having"). Peppa is a very real little girl. She will be playing a game with her friends and change the rules mid-game if she's not winning. She will tell her brother he's too little too play, and he'll run off bawling. I'm not saying that's good behavior, but that is what little kids are really like.
Thirdly, the episodes are everyday events (this one is about planting a flower garden), and they're five minutes long. Short and sweet! Plus, nearly every episode ends with the characters lying on the ground laughing, and I don't know, I think that's funny.
He doesn't necessarily watch the whole episode, but that intro gets him every time.
Other favorites:
Team Umizoomi:
Team Umizoomi is all about math, so I must admit I enjoy this show more than Tyler does. Any show that teaches about measurement and dodecahedrons, not just counting to ten is a winner in my book. Besides, I love to 2, 4, 6, 8 do the craaaaaazy shake at the end of every episode.
Dora the Explorer:
No need to explain who Dora is. While Tyler doesn't really watch the episodes, there is one part he does like -- backpack. You can sing "Backpack, backpack!" to him, and he will grin ear to ear.
Bubble Guppies:
The main draw for this show is that Tyler loves music and this show has some catchy tunes, especially their staples -- the lunch time song and the outside song.
Catchy, no?
(All videos from You Tube)
Peppa Pig:
I loooooove Peppa Pig. In fact, I'd probably watch episodes even if Tyler wasn't around. Peppa Pig is a British show with this precocious (and a little bratty) pig named Peppa and her little brother George (who is obsessed with dinosaurs, so of course I love him).
 |
| picture: fanart.tv |
Thirdly, the episodes are everyday events (this one is about planting a flower garden), and they're five minutes long. Short and sweet! Plus, nearly every episode ends with the characters lying on the ground laughing, and I don't know, I think that's funny.
Finally, Tyler loves Peppa Pig. It doesn't matter what he is doing (even if he's in another room), his head whips around to the tv if he hears the intro song. Kinda like that episode of Seinfeld...
He doesn't necessarily watch the whole episode, but that intro gets him every time.
Other favorites:
Team Umizoomi:
Team Umizoomi is all about math, so I must admit I enjoy this show more than Tyler does. Any show that teaches about measurement and dodecahedrons, not just counting to ten is a winner in my book. Besides, I love to 2, 4, 6, 8 do the craaaaaazy shake at the end of every episode.
 |
| picture: cartoonbrew.com |
No need to explain who Dora is. While Tyler doesn't really watch the episodes, there is one part he does like -- backpack. You can sing "Backpack, backpack!" to him, and he will grin ear to ear.
 |
| picture: revivingworkethic.com |
Bubble Guppies:
The main draw for this show is that Tyler loves music and this show has some catchy tunes, especially their staples -- the lunch time song and the outside song.
Catchy, no?
(All videos from You Tube)
Monday, June 23, 2014
Hand, Foot, and Mouth
No, the title isn't a new variation of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Knees and Toes). It's the name of the illness that spread like wildfire through Tyler's daycare... and through the Self household.
First, a bit of info from the CDC:
Basically, it's called hand, foot, and mouth disease (or HFMD) because that's where you see the symptoms -- skin rash on your hands and feet and sores in your mouth. Tyler's pediatrician said the main concern with HFMD is dehydration because the sores can make a child stop wanting to eat/drink because it hurts when they do so.
The other big concern -- contagiousness. More from the CDC:
Hmm, so my coughing, snotty, put-everything-in-his-mouth and/or compelled-to-touch-everything-in-sight kid is contagious? And he can spread these germs by sneezing, coughing, or touching things? Sounds like a great combination.
So last Monday, Tyler had a fever, so he stayed home with me while Jason went to work. Tuesday, we get a call from Tyler's teacher saying that HFMD is running rampant and what symptoms to look for. Tyler no longer had a fever, but he did have a rash of tiny bumps on his arms and legs. I took him to the doctor Wednesday morning (can I tell you how much I love walk-in hours at our pediatrician?) and before she even examined Tyler, she confirmed it was HFMD from across the room.
The doctor also said that the cold symptoms Jason and I were experiencing were from HFMD, which meant we were just as contagious as Tyler. So Jason worked from home the rest of the week. Tyler and I were also on house arrest.
Tyler was a trooper. Once he got past his fever on Monday, he was in great spirits (didn't seem to feel sick at all) and enjoyed playing and watching tv all day (more on that in a later post). Besides having cold symptoms (and a severe case of cabin fever from being sequestered all week), Jason and I were fine, too.... until Thursday.
Oh, Thursday. I felt like someone had hit me on the head with a sledgehammer. I moved in slow motion, trying to keep up with my spirited little one, and felt achy all over. After lunch, Tyler took a 4 hour nap, twice as long as his usual afternoon nap. I couldn't have been more grateful, because I took a nap for 3 of those 4 hours. When I did wake up, I had a chill and stayed curled up on the couch under a blanket. Shortly after that, I took my temperature -- 103.3. Hmm, that's not good. I popped a few DayQuil and got my temp to go down to 101. Still not good, but better than 103. Oh, did I mention the nausea? Yep, I made it through my entire pregnancy without throwing up, but one week with HFMD and I did not fair as well.
Friday, the fever and nausea was gone (thank goodness!), but I had developed some sores in the back of my throat. This made me a bit cranky, but I was still able to eat and drink for the most part, and anything was better than Thursday! I had also developed a bit of a rash on my arms and legs. So much for "most adults only show cold-like symptoms." I had the H, the F, and the M!
By the weekend, we felt we were well enough/not-as-contagious to venture outside of the house. We visited Duke Gardens first thing Saturday morning when it was coolest and least populated. It was glorious. I'm sooooooo tired of this house! We did stay home from church yesterday, though, because spending hours in close contact with tons of other people (not to mention Tyler being around a lot of other kids) seemed like a bad idea.
We were finally on the mend... until Sunday afternoon. Jason took a long nap (unusual for him) and woke up complaining about a throbbing headache and a chill. Oh no... I walked over, grabbed the thermometer, and took his temperature. Sure enough, 100.8. Jason said, "What's wrong with us?!?" Thankfully, his temp was back to normal Sunday night (without taking a fever-reducer), but this HFMD has just stomped the Selfs!
Today is Monday, and Jason and Tyler were both well enough to go back to work/school. I'm supposed to be starting a week of VBS at my church today, but I thought I may still be a bit contagious and didn't want to put my 2nd graders at risk. A friend thankfully stepped in to sub today and tomorrow, and I'll be there Wednesday-Friday (possibly wearing long sleeves and pants if the rash is still visible).
Anyway, several of you have been asking how we're doing, so this is your answer (probably a "better" would have been a sufficient answer for most of you). It's also a way for me to document/remember later on about this crazy, crazy week. Let's hope the rest of the summer is disease-free!
First, a bit of info from the CDC:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. However, it can sometimes occur in adults. Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include fever, blister-like sores in the mouth, and a skin rash.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is often confused with foot-and-mouth disease (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine. However, the two diseases are caused by different viruses and are not related.
Basically, it's called hand, foot, and mouth disease (or HFMD) because that's where you see the symptoms -- skin rash on your hands and feet and sores in your mouth. Tyler's pediatrician said the main concern with HFMD is dehydration because the sores can make a child stop wanting to eat/drink because it hurts when they do so.
The other big concern -- contagiousness. More from the CDC:
The viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) can be found in an infected person’s nose and throat secretions, blister fluid, and feces.
An infected person may spread the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease through close personal contact, the air (through coughing or sneezing), contact with feces, contaminated objects and surfaces.
Generally, a person with hand, foot, and mouth disease is most contagious during the first week of illness. People can sometimes be contagious for days or weeks after symptoms go away. Some people, especially adults, who get infected with the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease may not develop any symptoms. However, they may still be contagious. This is why people should always try to maintain good hygiene (e.g. handwashing) so they can minimize their chance of spreading or getting infections.
You should stay home while you are sick with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are not sure when you should return to work or school. The same applies to children returning to daycare.
So last Monday, Tyler had a fever, so he stayed home with me while Jason went to work. Tuesday, we get a call from Tyler's teacher saying that HFMD is running rampant and what symptoms to look for. Tyler no longer had a fever, but he did have a rash of tiny bumps on his arms and legs. I took him to the doctor Wednesday morning (can I tell you how much I love walk-in hours at our pediatrician?) and before she even examined Tyler, she confirmed it was HFMD from across the room.
The doctor also said that the cold symptoms Jason and I were experiencing were from HFMD, which meant we were just as contagious as Tyler. So Jason worked from home the rest of the week. Tyler and I were also on house arrest.
Tyler was a trooper. Once he got past his fever on Monday, he was in great spirits (didn't seem to feel sick at all) and enjoyed playing and watching tv all day (more on that in a later post). Besides having cold symptoms (and a severe case of cabin fever from being sequestered all week), Jason and I were fine, too.... until Thursday.
Oh, Thursday. I felt like someone had hit me on the head with a sledgehammer. I moved in slow motion, trying to keep up with my spirited little one, and felt achy all over. After lunch, Tyler took a 4 hour nap, twice as long as his usual afternoon nap. I couldn't have been more grateful, because I took a nap for 3 of those 4 hours. When I did wake up, I had a chill and stayed curled up on the couch under a blanket. Shortly after that, I took my temperature -- 103.3. Hmm, that's not good. I popped a few DayQuil and got my temp to go down to 101. Still not good, but better than 103. Oh, did I mention the nausea? Yep, I made it through my entire pregnancy without throwing up, but one week with HFMD and I did not fair as well.
Friday, the fever and nausea was gone (thank goodness!), but I had developed some sores in the back of my throat. This made me a bit cranky, but I was still able to eat and drink for the most part, and anything was better than Thursday! I had also developed a bit of a rash on my arms and legs. So much for "most adults only show cold-like symptoms." I had the H, the F, and the M!
By the weekend, we felt we were well enough/not-as-contagious to venture outside of the house. We visited Duke Gardens first thing Saturday morning when it was coolest and least populated. It was glorious. I'm sooooooo tired of this house! We did stay home from church yesterday, though, because spending hours in close contact with tons of other people (not to mention Tyler being around a lot of other kids) seemed like a bad idea.
We were finally on the mend... until Sunday afternoon. Jason took a long nap (unusual for him) and woke up complaining about a throbbing headache and a chill. Oh no... I walked over, grabbed the thermometer, and took his temperature. Sure enough, 100.8. Jason said, "What's wrong with us?!?" Thankfully, his temp was back to normal Sunday night (without taking a fever-reducer), but this HFMD has just stomped the Selfs!
Today is Monday, and Jason and Tyler were both well enough to go back to work/school. I'm supposed to be starting a week of VBS at my church today, but I thought I may still be a bit contagious and didn't want to put my 2nd graders at risk. A friend thankfully stepped in to sub today and tomorrow, and I'll be there Wednesday-Friday (possibly wearing long sleeves and pants if the rash is still visible).
Anyway, several of you have been asking how we're doing, so this is your answer (probably a "better" would have been a sufficient answer for most of you). It's also a way for me to document/remember later on about this crazy, crazy week. Let's hope the rest of the summer is disease-free!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Photographic Subjects
In our early-married days when discussing kids, we talked about how our lives would change. Now, we've never been ones for going to superswank restaurants or plays or (let's be honest here) even the movies. We don't travel much. Pretty much what we did every weekend was take photo trips to locations within an hour of home.
Jason: "Well, we won't be able to do those anymore."
Me: "Sure we will. You can take photos, and I'll strap the baby to me and we'll walk around with you."
1) There's no strapping my lil chunk onto me anymore. I think I would topple over!
2) We do still go on photo trips, just not nearly as often. We take our cameras with us a lot of places, but we either forget to take any pictures or our pictures look like this (from a recent trip to the arboretum).
Before you proceed, this is what my pictures used to look like (old blog posts here and here).
These are the most recent pictures I took at the arboretum:
See all the wonderful flowers in bloom? Missed it? Yeah, apparently so did I. All I ever seem to take pictures of these days is this little fella. But can you blame me?
I did manage to take one non-Tyler picture that I felt was worth sharing:
But other than that, it doesn't matter where we are, all I care about is my new photographic subject.
Jason: "Well, we won't be able to do those anymore."
Me: "Sure we will. You can take photos, and I'll strap the baby to me and we'll walk around with you."
1) There's no strapping my lil chunk onto me anymore. I think I would topple over!
2) We do still go on photo trips, just not nearly as often. We take our cameras with us a lot of places, but we either forget to take any pictures or our pictures look like this (from a recent trip to the arboretum).
Before you proceed, this is what my pictures used to look like (old blog posts here and here).
These are the most recent pictures I took at the arboretum:
See all the wonderful flowers in bloom? Missed it? Yeah, apparently so did I. All I ever seem to take pictures of these days is this little fella. But can you blame me?
I did manage to take one non-Tyler picture that I felt was worth sharing:
But other than that, it doesn't matter where we are, all I care about is my new photographic subject.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
6 Years as a "Selfie"
He's logical when I'm irrational
He brings out my silly side
He's calm when I'm flying off the handle
He's the yin to my yang...
Or is it the yang to my yin?
He encourages me
He challenges me
He's one of the smartest guys I know
He's my best friend
He lets me take a million selfies, all apparently of me kissing his cheek...
And today, I celebrate 6 years of marriage to him
And seriously, he lets me take a bunch of "kissing him" selfies
(though he's not always thrilled about it)
Happy Anniversary, Jason!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Aunties J
Every time my side of the family comes to visit, I swear that I'm going to take more pictures. And then wham bam, they're headed back home and I've taken maybe three pictures. *sigh*
This happened about six weeks ago (I told you I was behind on blogging!) when Jill and Jodi (or Aunties J, as they refer to themselves) came to visit. When they got to our house, we headed to the Got to Be NC Festival, which was going on that weekend. I think I won Jill over by talking about the Pig Jig, an all-you-can-eat-BBQ cookoff between local masonic groups.
You know that festival? The one with tons of people and events and colors and sights? This is the one picture I got -- us walking into the festival.
What's more, I had to make it B&W because it was way overexposed on that sunny sunny day.
We did have a pretty good time. We mostly went for the BBQ, but also paid a whopping $2 admission into the Food, Wine, & Beer Expo. We each only cared about 1/3 of the title, so we quickly went our own ways -- Tyler and I to find the food, Jill and Jodi to find the wine, and Jason to find the beer. I didn't get too much food because Tyler was in a yelling phase that weekend (not upset, just learning just how many decibels his little lungs could reach), so waiting in line wasn't really happening. Jason was a bit disappointed because out of the hundred or so vendors, there was literally ONE brewery. Well, it did get third billing. I guess that should have been our first clue. J&J, however, found some yummy wine samples and some delicious honey from (ironically enough) a place they frequent in Charlotte called Tupelo Honey. I had a taste, and it was well worth the purchase. It's like honey and molasses had a love child. And then I ate that love child on biscuits.
Saturday afternoon was Auntie/nephew time. We mentioned to Jodi that Tyler will knock down any block tower that is built. She accepted the challenge:
And that's it. No pictures around the fire that we had out on the deck Saturday night. No pictures playing Sunday morning. Oh well, I guess there's always next time...
This happened about six weeks ago (I told you I was behind on blogging!) when Jill and Jodi (or Aunties J, as they refer to themselves) came to visit. When they got to our house, we headed to the Got to Be NC Festival, which was going on that weekend. I think I won Jill over by talking about the Pig Jig, an all-you-can-eat-BBQ cookoff between local masonic groups.
You know that festival? The one with tons of people and events and colors and sights? This is the one picture I got -- us walking into the festival.
What's more, I had to make it B&W because it was way overexposed on that sunny sunny day.
We did have a pretty good time. We mostly went for the BBQ, but also paid a whopping $2 admission into the Food, Wine, & Beer Expo. We each only cared about 1/3 of the title, so we quickly went our own ways -- Tyler and I to find the food, Jill and Jodi to find the wine, and Jason to find the beer. I didn't get too much food because Tyler was in a yelling phase that weekend (not upset, just learning just how many decibels his little lungs could reach), so waiting in line wasn't really happening. Jason was a bit disappointed because out of the hundred or so vendors, there was literally ONE brewery. Well, it did get third billing. I guess that should have been our first clue. J&J, however, found some yummy wine samples and some delicious honey from (ironically enough) a place they frequent in Charlotte called Tupelo Honey. I had a taste, and it was well worth the purchase. It's like honey and molasses had a love child. And then I ate that love child on biscuits.
Saturday afternoon was Auntie/nephew time. We mentioned to Jodi that Tyler will knock down any block tower that is built. She accepted the challenge:
 |
| "Hey Tyler, do you like my tower?" |
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| "I like it alright. I like to destroy it!" |
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| "Wait, did she rebuild her tower?" |
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| "I must go destroy it again!" |
And that's it. No pictures around the fire that we had out on the deck Saturday night. No pictures playing Sunday morning. Oh well, I guess there's always next time...
Thursday, June 5, 2014
5 Minutes
I've birthed a go-getter. Tyler does more in 5 minutes' time than many do all day. Here are a few photos I snapped from Mother's Day weekend when Tyler and I were outside watching Jason plant my gift). That kid is difficult to keep up with!!!!
It also reminds me of the door knocker from Labyrinth
How many of you just scrolled up to look at his door knocker face again?
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| playing with his activity cube (thanks, Aunt Kara for letting us borrow!) |
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| "Yeah, I'm standing. What of it?" |
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| not sure what this face was about |
 |
| here he is making it again |
 |
| precious |
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| hands at work (go ahead, I know you wanna say "chunky hands") |
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| I call this his "door knocker" face and it makes me laugh each time |
It also reminds me of the door knocker from Labyrinth
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| the resemblance is uncanny, no? |
How many of you just scrolled up to look at his door knocker face again?
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| Why is he eating his hand? |
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| Oh wait, is that a puff in his hand? Man, whoever invented puffs was a GENIUS! My kiddo loooooooooves them! Glad to know he's not just cannibalistic. |
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| Happy boy clapping about snack time/outside time |
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