tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120470292011-11-09T22:42:15.782-06:00Our first baby (Peanut) arrived in Helsinki, Finland, little brother (Tex) joined us in Dallas, TX, we spent a few months in Boston and are now in San Diego. I'm working out all the usual things new mothers have to -- while balancing between a European view and the US view to health care, baby customs, gear, weather, etc!Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.comBlogger2971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-2655896731905042262008-07-10T16:23:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.100-06:00

"Many people come here for vacation to see the sun, palm trees, beach and water....and, we get to live here.....wow!" kept running through our minds as we spent Father's Day on San Diego Bay.It was another typically gorgeous San Diego Sunday. Sunshine, ocean breezes and minimal crowds in the morning.We were out on Coronado Island at the Ferry Landing complex to catch the Coronado-San Diego ferry.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-59129385917071901052008-07-09T16:30:00.003-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.203-06:00

We love Sea World.Its a 20 minute drive away. Its just like spending the day at a gorgeous park. Its full of unique experiences every time we visit. Peanut and Tex can't get enough AND both their parents enjoy it just as much - a rare combination in child amusements :-)We worked out the best season-pass combination for us:> one adult and Peanut picked up the "Fun Pass" early in the year giving

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-69938733074854284892008-05-28T17:02:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.305-06:00

Tex -- who loves to eat above all -- must have thought that an International Food Festival is the best kind of event ever!!! Booth after booth of food! More food! and more food!We are here just to EAT!!!On Sunday the International Houses of Balboa Park had their annual food fest and we happily strolled among the tents.Hungary seemed to pop up on every corner -- the hot dishes here, a few tents

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-75454582739952716402008-05-28T16:10:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.586-06:00

Perhaps it was reading classic Dr. Suess The Lorax that started me thinking about our environmental impact. Then, I just happened across the China edition of National Geographic and thought how similar the images in the tales were - though one was as real as the other fanciful.I still clearly see myself in a classroom at Gulf Breeze Elementary as the lights are switched off and the projector

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-36296229894725189842008-05-27T23:26:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.708-06:00

I was reading the China issue of National Geographic last night and tossed and turned for hours following the article about the pollution of the Yellow River. (The image is from that issue of National Geographic).In short, the Yellow River is being destroyed by over-use and pollution from the factories driving China's impressive growth. Because the Yellow River is a source of life for people,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-47732640424865543962008-05-16T16:33:00.003-05:002008-12-08T19:08:37.844-06:00

We were grocery shopping the other day when Peanut starts to tell me a story about Cat & Mouse who we know from a library book.Cat & Mouse were going to school. Cat ate Mouse's snot! From her nose!!!Yewwww. Yuck.Then Cat made a poo-poo!!Lovely.Its amazing the phases children go through. Peanut, unfortunately, hasn't been around too many other children the past few months as we moved and I

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-77785828794482511242008-05-14T16:30:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:38.041-06:00

Whales, whales and more whales. Peanut drew a whole stack of them - this was the best. Its specifically a "mama humpback whale" she told us. Note the eyelashes around the huge eye that make it a mama :-)Usually we have to cut them out, but this one she left intact. She's very picky about how her pictures are cut out -- right on the line, no extra white paper allowed!

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-76331497034201245072008-05-14T16:20:00.003-05:002008-12-08T19:08:38.387-06:00

Peanut drew this picture of spaceship at the library after story time about astronauts, space travel and planets. You can see the astronaut faintly in the background - he was on the flip-side. Peanut just decided to do the additional drawing after she colored the astronaut.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-3847490398810306662008-05-14T15:42:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:38.816-06:00

The "Virtual Fridge Door" is especially for the grandparents who can't come by and see what Peanut & Tex have most recently created.We've been searching for dinosaur bones in our backyard for a week or so; ever since we attended a dinosaur themed story time at the library and brought home a collection of dino stories.Peanut takes her bucket and shovel and heads off to scrounge through the

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-61508436034512687022008-05-12T16:00:00.007-05:002008-12-08T19:08:39.480-06:00

I had a very nice Mother's Day -- a collection of cards were part of my wake-up, papa had brought home flowers & pastries from the Swedish Royal Bakery and we spent the day among the flowers at Carlsbad's Flower Fields. Ever since I had Peanut & Tex I've gained a new perspective on my mom, my upbringing and who I am today. My mom raised two children mostly as a single parent which I now can

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-73463681109992394672008-05-08T15:19:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:39.579-06:00

"Boooooo, Moooooooo" Tex suddenly called out one day and pointed to a black & white stuffed cow.Since then, "Boo" has been his lovey. I don't know what inspired his attachment and why he fixated on this toy, but it is somehow appropriate.I quickly tried to introduce Kitty-Cat as a back-up to Boo. Afterall, both these toys are black & white and fairly similar. Tex seems happy with the idea. Both

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-59230312963338302562008-05-08T15:07:00.004-05:002008-05-08T15:19:12.127-05:00

A very late night and a very early day that is.Peanut takes after her papa and is a night owl. We've always had her bedtime around 7:30 - 8:00 pm so she gets enough sleep and we get a chance to spend some quiet time in the evening. Though were it up to Peanut, she'd be bouncing around until well past 10 pm. Now, I know why it was so tough for us to get her to bed peacefully when she was a baby

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-47987143324372884982008-04-30T15:04:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:39.796-06:00

We don't eat lunch naked. Please put on your underwear at least!No, cucumbers don't go in your ear!Take your sister's underwear off your head --- No! not in your mouth!Please don't sniff your brother's tushie anymore.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-83929475536778353102008-04-28T16:23:00.005-05:002008-12-08T19:08:40.060-06:00

As long as I can remember my dad has played tennis. He tried many times in my childhood to get my sister and I interested. It never really stuck. Maybe it was too slow, required too much skill to be exciting; or maybe I had too many other activities vying for my time. For an embarrassingly long time since I became an adult, I've intended to sign up for a tennis class. FINALLY - I've done it! Its

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-26353819372801660602008-04-26T23:28:00.006-05:002008-12-08T19:08:40.470-06:00

Now that Tex has more/less (sometimes less) eating sand, we spend many mornings and afternoons at the many parks around our home. Here in California, most parks are filled with white sand -- its like being at the beach! The Texas parks usually had a mulchy-type of bark filling which I thought could easily give you splinters and really didn't provide a soft landing. The few Boston-area parks we

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-47945020821386901012008-04-15T16:07:00.005-05:002008-12-08T19:08:40.698-06:00

Our sweet little lady turned three yesterday!! Amazing how she has grown -- we are so lucky to have her in our lives.We marked the special day with a batch of papa/Peanut cupcakes (which she no longer calls 'tuptakes') with decadent papa-made frosting consisting of butter, sugar and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. Yum!For her birthday, we got Peanut her own little 2.5 gallon aquarium, now home to

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-13416666868896642422008-04-11T15:54:00.010-05:002008-12-08T19:08:41.325-06:00

Grandy and Nana spent a wonderful week with us around Easter. We took the chance to visit Sea World - our first theme-park outting!To be honest, I was dreading it a bit. Tex is one a year so I thought there wouldn't be much to hold his attention and once he is done with something, the little guys wants to MOVE! I thought we'd be floating in a sea of people, standing in endless lines and looking

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-33481492668999952342008-03-14T23:39:00.004-05:002008-12-08T19:08:42.223-06:00

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-77310133352305343752008-03-09T23:07:00.003-05:002008-03-09T23:29:10.778-05:00

In honor of the tradition (5 Things I Miss about TX, 6 Things I Miss about Helsinki) - here's the latest installment of what I've left behind... My Hairdresser. I never understood people who went on about their hairdressers until I met Juletha. Ah, Juletha, who transformed my disobedient and ordinary do into glamour hair with a few swift swipes of her steady razor. Juletha, who brought

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-56600003265876425052008-03-07T16:43:00.006-06:002008-12-08T19:08:42.397-06:00

Almost as soon as she could, Peanut put her thumb into her mouth. It gave her peace, it made her happy and it helped her sleep through the night. Pacifiers were spit out with a venegence that sent them popping loudly into the side of her cardboard KELA-box bed. Her choice was her thumb.And, its been that way ever since.Now, as she approaches her third birthday, I thought it was time to start

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-89570249698665016642008-03-07T16:43:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:42.543-06:00

So, now I can send pictures from my mobile phone directly to my blog!

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-57294564859221103652008-03-06T15:59:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:42.694-06:00

If there's one thing I've learned from the three major moves I've made in the past three years, its making friends is hard work!But, since having friends is so important to making a new place feel like home, there's nothing else to do than get out, get out, get out, get out. Having children has got to be the best way into many groups in the fastest way. You immediately have some common ground to

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-74971209837904595582008-03-04T16:55:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:43.284-06:00

Opa & Oma were visiting us last week so we took them on a grand tour of the area. One day we headed up for the mountains to the town of Julian, briefly a gold rush town, but now the local economy seems to depend on pies. The main street is the central lure in town with its old wooden buildings housing gift shops, pie parlors and restaurants (with their own speciality pies). The elevation allows

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-23331661263080255022008-02-29T12:05:00.004-06:002008-02-29T12:18:16.719-06:00

From today's Wall Street Journal, a story about how Finnish high school students rated among the most intelligent according to a recent PISA assessment test.US delegations to Finnish schools wondered how schools without tons of homework, gifted programs or uniforms manage to produce such results. And, more pertinent to the toddler-set I hang out with, how does it happen in country where children

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-34246794388286295272008-02-21T17:15:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:43.678-06:00

For a while now Peanut has been keen about "paying" for items when we go to the store or even the library. I usually just use plastic, so I thought we might need something to help begin instilling the idea of money. And, when you can combine it with an art project - all the better!Michael's carries a triple-pack of these porclein piggy-banks waiting to be decorated. An example piggy at the store

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-89863442323257533852008-02-19T16:52:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:44.609-06:00

Since I posted about Mission Beach, I thought I should also add the pictures from the nearby Sunset Cliffs.There isn't much to the story -- just an awe-inspiring stop along the highway. Massive waves pounding and bursting against cliffs that seem to crumble into the Pacific Ocean.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-49089170687935821872008-02-19T11:47:00.009-06:002008-12-08T19:08:46.063-06:00

Over the weekend, we checked out Mission Beach.In contrast to the $20 parking lots of the East Coast, its so wonderful here to find plenty of available and FREE parking along the coasts. Yesterday, an story in the San Diego Union Tribune said some communities, including La Jolla and Pacific Beach, were debating adding their first parking meters for beach parking.First, we parked right next to a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-79776589199262210592008-02-13T15:18:00.005-06:002008-12-08T19:08:46.235-06:00

In tune with National Children's Dental Month, our Finnish playgroup recently had a discussion about the use of xylitol for children to help prevent cavaties and ear infections.Xylitol, a natural sugar extracted from the birch tree and other sources, has been used in Finland for many years - most popularily in the Jenkki-brand gum. I remember as a child chewing Jenkki and even stuffing our

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-32167150829566962512008-02-07T17:25:00.003-06:002008-12-08T19:08:46.847-06:00

Many years ago when I worked in Atlanta, our company sponsored an evening cocktail party at the most beautifully located aquarium - the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.When I heard we were moving to San Diego, it was one of the first places I wanted to take the children to.The Aquarium was just the right size for a short outing and lunch on the outdoor patio.We walked in past the explorer submarine

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-60618384754902642422008-02-06T22:06:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:33:45.816-05:00

On the list of things to do when we move is to find a new babysitter. That's a tough task because I don't want just some totally random person. I want someone who comes recommended by someone, and that means I first have to meet and get to know that first someone.Here in San Diego, I lucked into TWO babysitters in one day! Just amazing!The local high school has a child development program that I

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-31299447986054822062008-02-06T21:59:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:34:16.958-05:00

Peanut is a clothes horse and loves to dress, undress, dress, partially undress, partially dress, etc, etc herself.I've arranged a few piles in her drawer of pants (which are NEVER touched), skirts (which are always in short supply), t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts for her to make her own combinations. Usually they don't match in the usual sense, but since virtually everything is a variant of

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-76702967564205011212008-02-01T12:16:00.002-06:002008-12-08T19:08:47.246-06:00

Hurray for February!I suppose this makes me superstitious, but January was a month of bad health news for our family and I couldn't wait for February 1st to roll around to give us a fresh start. I feel somewhat safer on this page of the calendar.My mom's dear little doggie, Geisha, passed away last week. She had been ill and lived a life where she was loved, cared for and definitely spoiled. As

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-77142340912724545482008-01-30T16:26:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:08:47.881-06:00

I'm back! I've thought about my blog often, but never seemed to get myself in front of thecomputer to turn those imaginery posts into text & photos. I was a bit busy - we packed up and left Boston shortly before Christmas and having been settling into our new home in San Diego over the past month. This blog, like all other things for myself, have taken a back seat to finding new

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-53340438014761707062007-10-25T13:42:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:48.055-06:00

This place is just nuts about its baseball team -- especially now that the Boston Red Sox are in the world series against the Denver Rockies! Ever since we moved here in mid-May, it was not uncommon to see people all around town sporting a Sox t-shirt, sweatshirt, baseball cap, tattoos, etc on game day. I remember the first time we were at the library for storytime and half the moms there were

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-62159562110200155052007-10-22T19:30:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:48.634-06:00

Peanut likes to sit out on the balcony with her chalkboard to draw. But, to see what she's created you have to be quick. Almost immediately after she's drawn her piece of artwork, she announces "Its old" and wipes it away.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-62197515111803216352007-10-22T09:20:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:49.300-06:00

I feel like we are living in the middle of a postcard. "Fall in New England" sounds more like an event to me than the autumn season everyone else experiences. Even as I drive Peanut to her playcare, we cruise down a winding community road lined with low walls of stones stacked a foot high to mark yards. The yards behind them now complete for my attention with leaves of all those autumn shades -

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-66381762719205440682007-10-17T13:17:00.002-05:002008-05-10T15:58:31.327-05:00

(DO NOT GO TO ASPEN DENTAL! THESE SO-CALLED DENTIST OFFICES ARE SIMPLY THERE TO FLEECE YOU.)Thank goodness I made my annual check-up and cleaning appointment at my local Aspen Dental clinic and not just at a regular dentists office!How else would I have known, that I, too, needed a Stage One Deep (not deep, deep) Cleaning Management Plan to cope with my stage of previously undiagnosed periodontal

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-88971330996117659672007-10-03T10:03:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:49.852-06:00

Its apple-picking season!What fun! Some locals think its been a bit too warm to pick apples, but we enjoyed it so much, we've been twice!Our first visit was to Belkins Farm (aka Lookout Farm), which claims to be the oldest continuously working farm in the US. The grounds were immense, very clean and full of fruit.It was a cloudy Friday morning when we arrived which helped keep the crowds down.

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-29302405597316159982007-09-21T12:25:00.002-05:002008-04-17T16:35:22.847-05:00

I still remember one of the first chain letters I ever received. It was hand-delivered by my friend who had walked across Ilomantsi with her father to bring copies of the letter to me and my sister. I was to copy the letter six times, add my address to the bottom of the list and send a postcard to the name at the top of the list. I would be continuing a chain that had been 'unbroken and

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-54962948818750038592007-09-19T09:17:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:50.112-06:00

One wonderful thing about living in New England is all the historical and beautiful places we live among.The Walden Pond of Henry David Thoreau's Walden is just a short drive away and completely open to explore. To limit the impact of visitors on this natural gem, the number of park visitors is capped. This past Sunday was a glorious day - just like you would imagine early autumn in New England

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-41065223426695627952007-09-11T12:45:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:50.491-06:00

Peanut & Tex's uncle from the Netherlands was here last week for his first visit to the US! He's just headed home last week after a leisurely drive down the coast to NYC with a friend. We think he'll be back. Peanut certainly hopes so! Mama & Papa were simply swept aside when Peanut realized what a good time she could have with her uncle. At first, she referred to him simply as "This" - as in, "

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-83091241771924453202007-09-11T12:13:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:50.935-06:00

Labor Day seemed to really mark the end of summer - schools opened again, some leaves are already hinting at their fall glamor, our local "beach" was pad-locked and the days are growing shorter.There was much to enjoy - the New England love for ice cream being one! As you drive along the winding roads, you're certain to run into a local ice cream stand often founded as a corollary to the diary

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-68630982314787382712007-09-05T12:47:00.001-05:002008-04-17T16:36:32.229-05:00

From "You know, there's a collegue of mine who knows someone you should meet....I think you two have a lot in common...." to personal emails with complete strangers from online forums to exchanging phone numbers at the library, I've never been on so many blind dates!That is, until I became a mama.You know how it goes, you agree a time & place to get together. That morning, you get yourself

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-13659187043324939672007-08-31T13:54:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:51.780-06:00

We did it -- our first four-member family vacation is complete! We rented a house on a quiet cove in Surry, Maine, near Acadia National Park. Loaded up the mini-van (again, just an amazing modern invention) and headed up I-95 and down some smaller roads. The landscape was serene and reminded us in many places of Finland.My favorite sightings were the items for sale along the way. Usually just a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-15528025939767714012007-08-17T13:55:00.003-05:002008-12-08T19:08:52.367-06:00

Peanut being a girl, loves butterflies.So, earlier this week we went to walk among the fluttering creatures at the Butterfly Place with a friend back from our playgroup in Texas who had moved up here more than a year ago! The Butterfly Place is a privately owned indoor atrium where hundreds of butterflies float freely through (or sometimes just sleep in the middle of the walkways) their mini

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-51209081371787311102007-08-09T19:10:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:53.130-06:00

Earlier this week, Peanut & Tex received an Alaska care package from their Grandy & Nana, who are on their nearly annual adventure to the wilds of Alaska.From the pictures we've seen, they are enjoying themselves as never before. Grandy is hauling in halibut (see picture) of sea-monster proportions with struggles that sound as if they could be the basis for a good fairy tale.Whales, sea otters

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-46212875824792993462007-08-08T19:11:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:53.424-06:00

Little Tex has a sensitive belly.Around two weeks of age, we noticed he was very unhappy after milk and if put down on his back the milk would come gurgling back up. He was wriggly, fussy, crying and fighting with large gulps to keep the milk down. I heard the milk as it gurgled and bubbled in his belly. One morning, a large handful of milk came flying out of him. I know babies are different and

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-75070103824467723852007-08-07T12:16:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:53.689-06:00

After Tex arrived, it quickly became very crowded in my car, a silver mommy-wagon from Subaru. With two car seats in the back, there was no more space to drop bags, toys or all the what-not that I tend tote with me. Once the "baby truck" (aka Graco Duo-Glider) was placed in the trunk, even groceries required stuffing and scrunching to get home. Peanut's papa was virtually claustrophobic jammed

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-30925881756471680972007-08-05T12:54:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:53.981-06:00

I don't know how it has happened, but Peanut has turned into a pink princess fanatic. The other day, she was pretending to play golf (papa's newest love). When papa asked her if she would like a set of clubs and balls too, she replied "How about pink ones? Pink princess ones?" On our trip to pick out curtains for Tex's room, Peanut chimes in "I need pink curtains". She already has some cutesy

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-5252428749539617472007-07-31T14:44:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:54.169-06:00

1. Peapod! Back in the days of the Internet boom, I tried out the now long-gone Webvan and thought it was a marvelous idea back then. Sit at home, order your groceries online and someone brings them to your kitchen table!Now, with two little ones and three flights of stairs between my car and the kitchen table, I think Peapod (BTW - a wholly owned subsidiary of international food provider Royal

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-6528924424675094712007-07-31T14:20:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:54.333-06:00

1. Smooth rides on the roads and highways - Bouncy, bouncy, boom goes the car wherever we drive here! A pothole here, manhole cover there and then just indiscriminate lumps & bumps cover all the roads. Plus, in Texas, it was always pretty easy to tell when you were on an interstate, main highway, larger city street or in a neighborhood: the roads got progressively smaller and the speed limits

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-70057126163142165812007-06-15T14:44:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:55.504-06:00

One of things we were most excited by when moving to Boston was the idea of being close to the water again! Peanut's papa & I are both water people so it was hard being land-locked in the heart of Texas.Over the weekend, we made the 45 min drive out to Hampton Beach, NH, and cruised along Highway 1A to Portsmouth, NH.It was a wonderful feeling to dig my toes into the warm and course sands of

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-90542531198147505602007-06-13T15:50:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:55.957-06:00

...any home, just a home, please!! We've been searching for our new house nearly non-stop since we arrived a month ago and I'm at the point of just saying 'Yes, yes, we'll take it whatever the price -- please just make the home tours stop."House hunting can be a overwhelming process for anyone, but with a toddler and infant along as further opinion makers it can quickly wear down the most

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-65712538324466846792007-06-13T08:56:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:56.118-06:00

More than once in the past weeks I've found myself fumbling for a word when Peanut points to something in her Thomas the Train book or the pages in her Richard Scarry's Things That Go. Beyond the bulldozer and forklift, I'm clueless as to the differences among all those big, yellow machines. There's the cherry-picker, the dump truck, the trash truck, the thing that crushes rocks for roads, that

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-34405312781491185022007-06-01T13:12:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:56.932-06:00

Memorial Day weekend we headed into the city of Boston to take a tour as some friends from New York were in town.We loved it! Boston is a very green, open and walkable city. The NYers compared as the "country-cousin" of the Big Apple.The sidewalks even had enough space to roll with our Baby Truck comfortably. When Peanut was done sitting, she could easily walk along side us without getting

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-49107832323636830662007-05-23T14:38:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:08:59.111-06:00

Just some quick photos snapped out of our car window as we've explored the area in NW Boston and just across the New Hampshire state line in towns like Windham.Certainly New Hampshire makes you believe the area could have been New Scandinavia as well with its granite rock lined highways , abundance of silver birches and greenery.Or, New Netherlands with the rainfall we saw over the weekend!

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-10332420445185876982007-05-16T14:11:00.001-05:002008-04-17T17:12:04.956-05:00

Making our move, I have to wonder where would I be without email, google, websites, online forums and the Internet in general. I think I'd be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the postman every day hoping for an answer to a letter I had written weeks ago, trekking around town to find the library and settling in to our new home much more slowly.Thanks to all those things electronic and digital, I

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-50024989358786810552007-05-16T13:32:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:08:59.617-06:00

When I started this blog, I never imagined we'd go hop-skipping so quickly from place to place! It was already a big undertaking to move from Helsinki to Dallas to become Texans, but here we are - less than two years later - calling Boston our new home.Our move this past weekend went as smoothly as it possible could have. It'll be difficult to ever have to move without the support of a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-155335091467085232007-04-18T21:00:00.001-05:002008-04-17T16:43:02.406-05:00

Its been a busy month for us! Graduating to "Mother of Two" has been a big leap, but I feel I'm getting my bearings.Just today, I headed out for an unplanned and unexpected diaper run with both Peanut and Tex. Any new mom will know that "unplanned" and "unexpected" with new babies is a feat. It was only the second time I hit the road on my own with them. It still takes some logistical juggling

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-31640925487586628442007-03-16T13:27:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:09:00.063-06:00

March 14, 200714:259 lbs 15 oz(oh, let's just call it 10 lbs! Everything is bigger here in Texas!)21 inchesHappy, healthy and at home with mama, papa & big sis Peanut

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-14351148969130422382007-03-13T14:35:00.001-05:002008-12-08T19:09:00.269-06:00

I'm not surprised that Tex's due date came and went, quietly and contractionlessly, last week. After all, Peanut decided not to make her debut until a good 14 days after her official EDD. I suppose there's something very comfortable about that womb of mine. And, honestly, this time Peanut's Dad thinks its also been a matter of our 'nest' not being quite ready and this information has somehow

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-21602752124136939042007-03-08T20:55:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:00.849-06:00

Seemingly overnight spring has sprung in full force around here.Many of our bulbs did survive and are producing lovely blooms.A large population of the weeds in our yard have also noticed the warmer temps and sunshine.....And, at the duck pond in our neighborhood, we've spotted the first female stoically sitting on top of her nest. No amount of bread tempted her to get up so we're pretty sure

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-15291038931708011572007-03-08T13:10:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:00.916-06:00

I've found many more strangers talking to me in the past few weeks as I ballooned to an obviously 9-mos pregnant lady.In Finland, I don't recall a single stranger asking me about my pregnancy or commenting on my belly. In fact, I don't even recall anyone ever getting up on a bus or the metro to give me a seat or anyone ever offering to help me with my bags, etc. But, then again, strangers in

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-51455647066157270592007-02-28T14:52:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:01.148-06:00

I guess as soon as Peanut finds out her friend Nijntje (aka Miffy) is promoing New York we'll soon have to head to the Big Apple for a visit!"Miffy Loves NYC" features Miffy and her parents on vacation in New York City visiting 30 prominent, family-friendly New York City landmarks. The book, which also includes tourism information on the City for families to use as a guide during their travels,

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-3402860461468531972007-02-28T13:43:00.002-06:002008-12-08T19:09:01.599-06:00

Today Peanut went for her first real haircut.Until now we'd been trimming at home - mostly on the increasingly rare occasions when she fell asleep in the car we'd bring her in and put her into her unused feeding chair and attempt a bang snipping. Then, there have been the random clumps we've had to cut out from the back when she twirls her hair into an impossible to open knot. Anyway, her hair

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-38702254816073333852007-02-22T12:18:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:01.871-06:00

Most evenings Peanut is given to taking flying leaps off the sofa into what she assumes will be her papa's awaiting arms. She doesn't always give warning. You just happen to see a toddler come flying through the air in the corner of your eye and somehow your arms react quickly enough to catch her! Such trust in her parents!Cirque du Soleil has set up its big top in Fair Park for its touring

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-66457276689692291342007-02-21T14:09:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.078-06:00

If you have a poisoning emergency, call 1-800-222-1222.I suppose it was bound to happen, Peanut got into something she shouldn't have. Fortunately, it was just a tube of our fluoride toothpaste and she didn't consume too much of it.I had left her in our bathroom while I went to her room to get a change of clothes. When I walked back in, she had pulled her stool over to the counter and had

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-74720913367515897832007-02-21T13:53:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:47:11.125-05:00

As Peanut nears her second birthday, she in typical toddler fashion is exerting her own will and checking her parents to see if all those pesky boundaries still hold true from day to day.So, we've introduced the concept of "time-outs" at our house. We don't have a special chair or place, Peanut just either stands with her back against the wall or sits in one of the kitchen chairs tucked into a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-34916241753472829402007-02-21T13:34:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.226-06:00

Finally in the last month with Tex!! We're almost as ready as we can be to welcome him. Just need to finalize that middle name .....I've been seeing the doctor now once a week. At 37 weeks, we had our final ultrasound to check on Tex's position, the health of the placenta, amount of amniotic fluid, make a weight estimate and otherwise take a final look. Good news is that he is headed south and

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-38779601988119359002007-02-12T13:41:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:49:33.832-05:00

A Babycenter newsletter highlighted recent baby trends in the US:The teen pregnancy rate in the United States is at an all-time low, while the rate of caesarean deliveries is at an all-time high.At the same time, the birth rates for mothers aged 30 and older rose in 2005 to levels not seen in nearly 40 years.These findings are part of the Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2005, published in

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-10181425575523503852007-02-09T13:37:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.367-06:00

In case you were searching for an excuse to take a break - Bahama Breeze restaurants have declared March 22nd as a National Mom's Night Out: This first-of-its-kind event encourages moms to take a well deserved night off from the family and experience the feeling of a Caribbean escape at Bahama Breeze with other moms and friends (if you don’t have a Bahama Breeze in your city, we

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-60769171251306751032007-02-08T13:02:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.502-06:00

Last night I was struck with a craving for a milkshake. After dinner, we asked Peanut if she'd like a milkshake, too."Yea, milkshake" was the quick reply and she dashed off to get her stuff ready for the car. Peanut has started saying 'yea' to questions and requests. Not 'yes', but 'yea'. I guess that shows how I speak most of the time :-) I'm not sure the last time we went out for milkshakes,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-66983388225196885102007-02-07T14:28:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.642-06:00

When you move abroad with children, one of the main concerns of parent's is how to maintain the links back to the home country's culture, customs and language.There's plenty you can do yourself at home and nothing beats getting back on the native soil, but here are some services that will package up Dutch and Finnish culture and ship it to you:WereldschoolThe Wereldschool provides teaching

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-78557297186738485202007-02-07T14:05:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:02.919-06:00

Nokia holds a very special place in the Finnish economy: its turnover is higher than that of the Finnish government's budget, it is one of the largest employers in Finland, it is a one-of-a-kind international success story in Finland and Finns regard it as a "Finnish" company even though 90% of Nokia shares are held by investors outside of the country.Its the question of Nokia's nationality and

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-2752315073259807532007-02-05T20:01:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:03.087-06:00

In December, Peanut got a copy of a CD from K3, a cutesy pop trio from Belgium. As it came with her Sinterklaas gifts, she named it her "Klaas music". It was an instant hit with her. She loves to dance along to the baby-techno beats and asks for 'Klaas music' daily.We hear from her aunt and uncle that the latest CD is on its way to us....oh, boy!

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-88239885502895728192007-02-05T19:49:00.001-06:002008-04-17T17:13:31.263-05:00

On Feb 3, the Dallas Morning News reported:Gov. Rick Perry – usually a hero to social conservatives – surprised many of them Friday by making Texas the first state to mandate a vaccine for sixth-grade girls to prevent a sexually transmitted infection that leads to most kinds of cervical cancer.In his executive order, Mr. Perry said girls must receive the human papillomavirus vaccine before school

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-74363469464693622302007-02-01T15:58:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:03.282-06:00

We are almost there with little Tex!! Though I think being pregnant is a wonderous and amazing process -- there's a mini-human growing inside of me -- and hope it is something every woman can enjoy, I'm really looking forward to the end ofprunes everydayhaving to microwave my cold cuts so that everything is basically like baconremembering to do kegelsdropping food on the front of all my clothes (

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-42341879254869629712007-01-26T14:11:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:09:03.415-06:00

A friend has lent us her copy of Miss Christy's Dance Adventure DVD last week. Its a tap, ballet and jazz follow-along program for 2 - 6 year olds according to the packaging. We thought we'd pop it in and see what Peanut thought.The first time around, mama & papa danced (or tried to) along while Peanut watched on. I found the pace very fast and the teacher moved quickly from one step to another.

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1169244928180810492007-01-19T16:07:00.000-06:002007-01-19T16:20:53.937-06:00

A great list of this spring's consignment sales for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:Feb 2-3 McKinney www.triedandtruesale.com/Feb 15-17 Lewisville www.bbconsign.com/Feb 26-March 2 Fort Worth Just Between FriendsFeb 28-March 1 Grapevine Divine ConsignMarch 1-3 Coppell rockinghorsesale.com/March 4-6 Plano Divine Consign March 8-10 Dallas (Lake Highlands) www.threesistersconsignments.com/March 9-10

Peanut's Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363644016562731654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1169148885969978132007-01-18T13:28:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:47:39.652-05:00

I was so thrilled when I opened the blinds yesterday morning and found a white dusting of snow covering our yard! It was maybe all of 1/2 inches, but it was SNOW!The whiteness caught Peanut's eye as soon as she wandered into the living room. We all sat at the window for several minutes wondering at the 'snow'. When a small snow shower began during breakfast, Peanut exclaimed 'rain'! having just

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1168970145146354062007-01-16T11:49:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:48:10.260-05:00

I had another pre-natal appointment for Tex this morning. It was the usual drill - sit in the waiting room for 20 mins, meet the nurse for 5 mins to measure weight and check blood pressure, quick trip to the bathroom, sit waiting in the doctor's room for 15 mins and, then, at long last, meet the doctor for a quick, clinical 10 mins to measure my belly, listen to the heartbeat and answer "no, no,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1168441738914261142007-01-10T08:58:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:49:56.078-05:00

I'm sure most parents saw the recent infant car seat testing results from Consumer Reports (CR) which failed all, but two models in their test.The short of it - CR tested with higher standards that are currently required by the US Federal Government. However, these standards are what are required of car manufacturers. If you take a quick look, the standards overall are appalling for determining

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1168378520388066972007-01-09T15:29:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:50:15.635-05:00

Peanut is having lots of fun putting her Mr/Mrs (depending mostly on the shoes) Potato Head together. More often than not, the body parts end up in close-to-normal locations on the Potato body.The end result usually looks like a mad scientific cloning experiment gone wrong or what would happen to potato-people after a nuclear accident. Mr/Mrs Potato Head has only one arm twisted backwards, a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1167950798943831382007-01-04T16:26:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:50:38.405-05:00

While on the topic of munching and food -- a favorite of all pregnant women, I'm sure -- we've been trying to get out to eat more frequently since it'll all be a distant dream once Tex arrives.Peanut's papa and I had an amazing lunch date at the Seoul Garden off Royal Lane. From the outside it looks as if you are pulling up to a half-abandoned strip mall, but the lack of available parking gives

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1167854392642544892007-01-03T13:44:00.002-06:002008-04-17T16:51:26.056-05:00

For New Year's Eve, we enjoyed a tasty Dutch traditional treat - the oliebollen - along with a small smörgåsbord of other delicacies and tapas-like dishes. Its sort of a traditional I'd like to keep going in our family. No one has to cook much and you get to dig into sweets & savories all evening long.Peanut's papa was in charge of the oliebollen which we made outdoors on the grill. The dough

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1167772181276939672007-01-02T14:44:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:51:44.086-05:00

Peanut got all sorts of wonderful gifts from her relatives & friends for Christmas. She spotted the wrapped presents under the tree right away on Christmas morning and we had to pace her opening them through the day to make sure each got the attention it deserved. Not to mention that we had already opened several on Christmas Eve. We figured its the Finnish way so no rules broken :-)It seems

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1167336100989242982006-12-28T13:56:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:52:06.214-05:00

Peanut had gotten this little gingerbread house ornament as a Christmas gift. We never discussed the fact that it was edible and hung on the tree like all the other ornaments.One day, Peanut's papa noticed that there were tiny bites missing from the base of the house. Hmmm....Later, we found Peanut standing very close to the gingerbread house. "Oh O!" we exclaimed "What happened to the house,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1166908066919907382006-12-23T14:46:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:52:52.119-05:00

Auntie Em finally made her way from Denver for a short, pre-Christmas visit with us. Peanut & I picked her up at the airport and decided to start the day at the Gaylord Texan resort to look in on the ICE! show.We arrived ahead of any crowds and so had plenty of space to shiver in the frigid air. Fortunately, the handed out complimentary parkas and blankets or else we wouldn't have lasted very

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1166906712819320762006-12-23T14:27:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:53:11.590-05:00

We marked the beginning of Tex's third trimester with a test-filled visit to the doctor. Auntie Em happened to be in town and got to experience it all first-hand....My appointment included the one-hour (non-fasting) glucose screen test for gestational diabetes which is given to all pregnant women here. I had eaten an small omlet with some cheese and ham in the morning, and tried to avoid all

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1166905622431359082006-12-23T14:17:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:53:44.303-05:00

Christmas is nearly here - I'm at home, blogging! Not shopping, not cooking, not decorating and its a beautiful sunny day, not much more you could ask for.The nesting instinct is kicking in this time around not so much as a clean and prepare the nest, but as a "craft your way to readiness". Yes, Michaels, JoAnn's and Garden Ridge have become all too regular places for me to visit. Sadly, I'm

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1165872075243260492006-12-11T15:06:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:54:12.700-05:00

With Tex on the way, we decided to move Peanut out of the crib as everyone recommends doing that well in advance of a new baby's arrival and move into the crib.So, this past weekend, we went headed out to IKEA to test out beds. Fortunately, Peanut was as excited about a toddler-stretching bed as her parents. In toddler mode, its slightly longer than her crib with much more side-to-side flipping

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1165264055956693982006-12-04T14:23:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:54:35.974-05:00

On Saturday, Peanut's Grandy and Nana were busy at the dog park in Gulf Breeze, FL, taking pictures of Santa's four-legged helpers to raise money for the American Cancer Society.About 100 dogs & owners stopped by to have a photo taken and printed at the rolling stand. Grandy reports all went well and there weren't even any dog fights!They raised more than $600 during the afternoon and will be

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1165248191119271862006-12-04T09:42:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:54:56.784-05:00

'Klaas, as Peanut calls Sinterklaas the Dutch variant of Santa Claus and Joulupukki, arrived in Dallas over the weekend to celebrate his birthday which is on December 5th.All Dutch children know that Sinterklaas (the name is a corruption of Sint Nikolaas) lives in Spain. Exactly why he does remains a mystery, but that is what all the old songs and nursery rhymes say. Whatever the case may be,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1164829832394678072006-11-29T13:44:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:55:15.533-05:00

From the local chapter of La Leche League Many of you have probably heard about the mom who was recently asked to leave a Delta flight because she was nursing her 2 year old. A few moms came out to DFW airport last week, when all over the country several nurse-ins were held for support, but were rudely removed by the airport police.So, the group is organizing a second Nurse-in for this Friday,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1164664318613461942006-11-27T15:35:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:55:44.107-05:00

In our ongoing yard project, I'm in charge of planting bulbs. A few weeks ago, I picked out a selection of early bloomers, mid-spring bloomers and late-bloomers. I even tried to do some color coordination!Since it was mid-November, I thought it must be time to get them into the ground so that we could get a lovely selection growing up in the spring.So, in went the crocus bulbs around the trees,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1164400977608939782006-11-24T14:28:00.002-06:002008-05-10T15:52:48.504-05:00

Grandma in Florida had made a special request for some 'rae' sugar from Finland last time Peanut's papa went there. 'Rae' sugar is in appearance the sweet equivalent of sea salt and is sprinkled on top of many Finnish sweet breads like 'pulla'. Last time I visited the IKEA food store in Frisco, I noticed that they stock it on their shelves, too.Since Peanut & I brought the special delivery from

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1164399963730525652006-11-24T14:17:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:56:31.307-05:00

I just spent a wonderful week in Florida with Peanut visiting all her "grands" there. The short - only an hour and half - flight went smoothly as I picked out times that were least likely to be used by business travelers so Peanut could get her own seat on the plane.But, I don't know if it was the impending holidays, ongoing struggles for airline employees or Peanut just looking more like a

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1162851341560303462006-11-06T16:02:00.002-06:002008-05-10T15:54:13.423-05:00

At our recent 20 week prenatal visit, we were stopped at the receptionist on our way out. It was time to discuss insurance and payments for Tex.The receptionist pulled out a worksheet where it outlined the "global obstetrical fee" (ie, the package deal for prenatal care + delivery of baby + postpartum 6 week check-up for mama. It excludes possible anesthesia (epidural) and post delivery hospital

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1162836234241664492006-11-06T11:58:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:57:36.762-05:00

Peanut likes to groove to all sorts of boppy hits on the radio. Her favorite stations are KLUV (98.7, "Oldies") and what has recently become the new 107.5, formerly a smooth jazz station.107.5 plays "music that makes you feel good" mostly from the 80s and 90s. We were listening the other night, reliving our high school days, when Vanilla Ice hit the airwaves.Soon, Peanut was singing along "ice,

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12047029.post-1162762203537908512006-11-05T15:06:00.001-06:002008-04-17T16:58:02.138-05:00

"I'd like to sit all by myself -- like a grown up -- at my toddler-sized table. Well, not totally by myself. I'd like Pooh bear, Raggedy Anne, Ballerina Duck and Witch to sit with me."... 10 minutes later..."Now, I'd like to move to the recently rejected high-chair. No, I don't need any help. I'll just climb up myself and fiddle around with the clasp."... 5 minutes later..."All done. Now, I'd

Peanut's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07455578408767664956noreply@blogger.com0