Deja vu - we're overdue!

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 has been transmitted to Tex. We have many balls up in the air right now....but, more on that later.......

Now, here we are, week 41. I had a regular drs appointment scheduled today and they conducted a non-stress test to make sure Tex was still happy. In Finland, our first overdue testing didn't occur until 10 days past the due date. Here, we're only 4 days past the EDD. My drs wasn't overly concerned about anything yet, but scheduled a heartbeat monitoring for today.

As usual, I waited nearly 30 mins past my appointment time before being called in. Then, I was set up with the external fetal monitoring belt connected to the machine recording the heartbeat. In Finland, when they did this, the midwife sat with me during the 15 - 20 mins marking accelerations on the print out. Here I was given a call-button to press whenever I felt the baby move. This would mark the chart so they could make sure Tex's heartbeat accelerated with his movements.

I hadn't felt him moving while waiting and thought he might be napping so I suggested to the nurse I should eat something. She suddenly pulled out a small device and zapped me with it! It didn't hurt and it was more vibration than zap, but completely unexpected. She gave my belly a few zaps and said it sometimes works to wake the baby up. No reaction from Tex. He responded much better to the CapriSun juice the nurse brought me next.

Tex's heartbeat and movements showed him to be just fine and an internal exam showed no new developments. We have gone ahead and scheduled an induction date since labor & delivery gets booked up quickly. Until then, we continue to wait :-) Send Tex welcoming vibes and perhaps he'll soon decide its time!

Sweet & Sassy Cutie Cut

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 was getting pretty wild so it was time to call in the pros.

There are several hair places that cater strictly to kids around here:
A haircutting place within the Stride Rite store on Macarthur/Round Grove in Lewisville though I've only heard of negative experiences from moms about this location.

Another place also on Round Grove in Lewisville across from Gymboree. This one has gotten much more positive reviews.

Cool Cuts for Kids with tips on how to make that first appointment a good experience.

Peanut went to Sweet & Sassy in Southlake where they offer much more than just haircuts. You can book the place for little girly parties and opt for a mini-manis and mini-pedis! We went in as soon as they opened in the morning so it was quiet.

Peanut got situated in a toddler-sized barber stool and had a sparkly pink wrap snapped around her neck. Pooh bear was safely situated underneath. The whole cut took all of 10 mins. A few spritzes of water and snips here & there. A dusting of glitter spray completed the styling. Peanut even got a glitter star put on her cheek and selected a lollipop on her way out :-)

The stylist was very child friendly and has a 15 month old herself so she knew how to talk to Peanut and keep her calm. I opted for a regular "Cutie Cut" ($13.95) rather than the "Baby's First Haircut" package which would have include an official photo, certificate and locket of hair for $19.95.

Laides, prepare to consign to your heart's content

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 Friends
Feb 28-March 1 Grapevine Divine Consign
March 1-3 Coppell rockinghorsesale.com/
March 4-6 Plano Divine Consign
March 8-10 Dallas (Lake Highlands) www.threesistersconsignments.com/
March 9-10 Mesquite (the one formerly in Dallas) Just Between Friends
March 9-10 Arlington Just Between Friends
March 16-17 www.outgrowntreasures.com/
March 23-24 Arlington Divine Consign
March 28-31 North Richland Hills Just Between Friends
March 31 Richardson Mothers of Twins
March 31 McKinney www.sweetrepeatsmckinney.org/shopperschedule.html
April 11-14 Denton Just Between Friends

And, this year, I think I may just start doing some consigning myself. I'm still trying to work out consignment sale vs consignment store benefits.

Snow in Texas!

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 learned how to recognize water falling from the sky. No, this time its snow, we explained.

After breakfast and a proper bundling to take on the 31F temperatures, Peanut and I headed out into the yard. When we reached the front, she pointed down the street and wanted to go check on the ducks. With her shovel in hand, we walked towards the pond, stopping every now and then to wipe the snow off of neighbor's newspapers.

ICE, choo-choo trains, kippis with Auntie Em

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 long. Even with the parkas, we were all wishing for hats, scarves and gloves. Peanut got to stroll in tucked under an extra blanket. I was shocked at how cold it was - after all, they advertise its only 9C. Why that's like spring in Helsinki, I thought, no big deal.....

I wonder if there's any truth to the idea that your blood thins/thickens in response to the climate where you live? I know my body has somehow adapted because really 9C used to be light coat/spring gloves weather to me. Now, my teeth were chattering and I just wanted to get in front of a warm fireplace!

We didn't spend any longer in the ICE show than was necessary to admire the wintery nightscapes and snap some photos.

Out we headed to explore the massive resort centered around its miniature version of the San Antonio Riverwalk and Alamo all decked out for the holidays. Naturally, Santa here is a cowboy and longhorns were more common than reindeer, but Peanut did get her first sightings of railroads and choo-choo trains. They seem to hold universal appeal to toddlers as we could barely pull her away. Only the well-placed and HUGE koi fish in the river around the restaurant tempted her to the lunch table.

Peanut had learned how to toast with the Finnish "kippis" at Thanksgiving and was quick to enjoy the toast with Auntie Em who somehow added a crazy laugh at the end, making it all the more fun!

Oh, the weather outside is delightful!

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 not very gifted in the crafting sense as the number of "I'll just try it again" projects around here will attest to. But, its not the final outcome that counts, it the process!!

Since Christmas arrives before Tex, my family gets to be the lucky recipient of all manner of crafted gifts. I've made braclets, picture galleries, hand-printed sweatshirts and then there was the finally abandoned attempt at a hand-painted tea tray. It really wasn't pretty and I had to buy one in the end. Some of the more successful gifts I created with photos on Snapfish. I figured what could a grandparent love more than a coffee mug with their cute granddaughter or a calendar that features more adorable pics of her every month.

Inspiration hasn't yet struck me for Tex's craft projects, but I'm sure his room will be full of them!

'Klaas visits Dallas

'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, in Spain he spends most of the year recording the behaviour of all children in a big red book, while his helper Black Peter stocks up on presents for next December 5th.

In the first weeks of November, Sinterklaas gets on his white horse, Peter ("Piet") swings a huge sack full of gifts over his shoulder, and the three of them board a steamship headed for the Netherlands. Around mid-November they arrive in a harbour town - a different one every year - where they are formally greeted by the Mayor and a delegation of citizens. Their parade through town is watched live on television by the whole country and marks the beginning of the "Sinterklaas season".

Here in Dallas, Sinterklaas arrived at the Dutch Barn House where the Holland-America Club of Dallas had gathered to enjoy seasonal cookies, hot chocolate and other treats. As Sinterklaas rounded the room to greet the children, his helpers - the Piets, tossed out candy coins and chocolates to the little ones. Then, everyone gathered around as Sinterklaas opened his big book to read how each child had been behaving over the year. If they were good, Sinterklaas had some gifts for them.

Peanut was excited to see 'Klaas and the Piets until it was her turn to get a bit closer. She quickly tucked her head into mama's shoulder and looked everywhere, but at 'Klaas. Not too bad for a first meeting - at least she went close and didn't cry :-)

'Klaas from the Netherlands had also dropped by our home with some gifts, chocolate letters for mama & papa. Peanut had the hang of tearing open packages so she took care of opening everyone's presents.

Nurse-in at DFW Airport this Friday

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, Dec 1st at 10.00 am in front of the Delta counter.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Breastfeeding Rally To Take Place At DFW Airport

Contacts:

Maria Pokluda Tel: 972-745-8523 Cell: 214-684-1275 Email: bpokluda@yahoo.com

Amy Philo Tel: 214-705-0169 Cell: 817-793-8028 Email: amyphilo@yahoo.com

Nursing mothers and their supporters will be gathering on Friday, December 1 at 10 AM, at the Delta ticket counter in Terminal E of DFW airport.

On November 21, mothers and other advocates took part in a nation-wide nurse-in at roughly 40 U.S. airports. Like all of the rallies across the country, the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Nurse-in supported the right to breastfeed in all public and private locations, anywhere a mother and child might be, regardless of any issues of discretion. There was no formal national organization sponsoring this event, but amazingly, hundreds of mothers and other supporters turned out nation-wide. Unlike the rest of the nation, however, the supporters at the DFW Airport rally were harassed, insulted, and threatened with possible arrest by members of the DFW police (Department of Public Safety officers), and then asked to leave.

Though the right to breastfeed already exists, many people are unaware of this right, or may choose to challenge this right, or otherwise intimidate and cause discomfort for nursing moms, posing a great threat to the continuation and exclusivity of breastfeeding relationships and compromising the health of mothers and children, and the economic well-being of the society.

The goals of this Friday’s nurse-in are:

· To insist that the DFW Airport Police (DPS) apologize to the attendees of the November 21^st rally for the unacceptable comments and threats, and provide documentation that training is being implemented to educate all DPS officers about the laws concerning breastfeeding in the state of Texas (specifically Texas Health And Safety Code Chapter 165 Section 002, which states “A mother is entitled to breastfeed her child in any location in which the mother is authorized to be,” as well as the definitions of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct). The DPS should ensure that in the future, officers will protect, rather than endanger breastfeeding relationships, by refraining from engaging in harassment of nursing moms and their children. The police should not approach breastfeeding mothers, but rather the mothers should be left alone.

· To hold Delta accountable for the removal of Emily Gillette from one of their flights and to insist that training procedures will be put into place to ensure that all staff at Delta and its subsidiaries will uphold and support a child’s right to breastfeed.

To call for airlines to revisit their breastfeeding and transport of pumped breast milk policies, to support traveling families and working mothers who must travel for business and be separated from their children. Current policies about liquid items, which restrict the amount of pumped breast milk allowed on board with mothers who do not have their babies with them, compromise the health of babies who depend on pumped milk, and force mothers to dump precious breast milk that they have pumped while they were separated from their children. This situation is especially harmful for babies whose mothers already have difficulty pumping enough to meet the child’s needs during times of separation.

· To call for immediate passage of pending federal legislation that offers civil rights protection for breastfeeding women in the workplace, and new federal legislation to protect the right to breastfeed whenever and wherever mothers and their children are allowed to be, regardless of whether any part of the mother’s breast might be exposed during or incidental to the feeding. This legislation will clarify rights that already exist, and nullify any business policies or laws throughout the country that are already in place or might come into existence, which would infringe on a mother and child’s constitutional right to breastfeed (For example, Tennessee law protects a mother’s right to breastfeed a child in public only as long as the child is younger than 13 months of age).

The issue of breastfeeding rights goes far beyond a woman’s right to nurse - it also encompasses a basic human right for children, the right to eat and to receive comfort and nurturing at the breast.

The Nurse-ins have been coordinated by volunteers.

For more information about this event, contact Maria Pokluda or Amy Philo directly.

Its the early bulb that gets frozen to death

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, in went the daffodils and Dutch lilies around the corner shrubs and in went the paperwhites for some December excitement. The tulips and hyacinths got bagged and tucked into the refrigerator to chill for a few weeks. These were all naturally bulbs from the land o flowers, the Netherlands.

When we got back from Florida just last week, I saw green sprouts of 4 - 5 inches poking out of the ground. The paper whites were busy bursting through! Great! Perfect timing, they'll be up in time for the holidays.

Unfortunately, looking around, I also so slimmer green sprouts where the daffodils and lilies had been put down. No, no, no!!! This is wrong!!! I guess the warm November sunshine had convinced them that spring was already here. These poor bulbs have a harsh reality to face once Thursday arrives and temperatures plummet into the frosty range. I'm afraid we've lost these flowers.

I still have the backyard to plant and now, a bit wiser, have all the bulbs keeping cool until around Christmas. Hopefully, by then I can safely drop them in and not see them again until spring really arrives.

H-A-double L-O-double U-double E-N spells Halloween!

Peanut's second Halloween in the US was action-packed. We had parties, pumpkin patches, costumes, pictures, decorations and the grand finale, trick-or-treating!

With Peanut's fascination for "pua-pua!" (aka, pumpkins), the pumpkin patches were the place to be. First, we went to the local Coppell patch behind the Rejoice Lutheran Church. A nice, manageable place. Peanut could dash around without getting into too much trouble.

The second pumpkin patch trip was more overwhelming. Our playgroup had a party at THE Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. (Not to be confused with the Flower Mound Pumpkin Village, located right next to the FMPP, and looking very much like the FMPP. In fact, virtually indistinguishable. These two rivals even had it out in court this year.) Peanut went just wild there. She ran in circles around the hay mazes barely glancing at the Pooh Bear cut outs or pumpkins or scarecrows. She just had to get it all in. Children, parents and strollers were all over the place. I could barely get Peanut to take a break to celebrate with her little friends! Not that it got much better on the way home - Peanut just bopped around in her car seat and then couldn't even settle down for a nap at home!

The toddler party at baby school the next day was the most subdued toddler event I'd ever seen. Just quiet little ones sitting around their table, munching on snacks and the oatmeal raisin cookies I'd made. I was one of the moms "in charge" of the event. I also brought everyone foam craft photo frames. They all got some pumpkin, ghost and Halloween sticker shapes to decorate them with.

That evening, papa got home early from work so he could finish setting up our spooky patio. We had the glowing skulls and pumpkins, spider webbing (with spiders), glowing ghoul and best of all, the fog machine to evoke that Halloween feeling. Our home owner's association hosted a block party so we strolled there first to meet the neighborhood. I surprised to see well over 50 people there enjoying pre-treat hotdogs and snacks.

By 7 pm it was dark and the sidewalks were bustling with gangs of costumed children. It was really wonderful to see so many people out! Peanut's papa was sure we were going to run out of candy - I had bought three bags + some special treats! Peanut and her friend Leo also gave trick-or-treating a go. Sort of. Peanut was just thrilled to be racing down the sidewalk in the dark. She didn't really get the candy concept unlike her friend who mastered it in no time.

I liked the chance to say hello to the neighbors we rarely see. One of them was a dad who had set up a chair on the porch for the treat seekers. Though he seemed more wrapped up in the laptop he was typing on and the cell phone close to his side.

Peanut was happy once we came back inside. She liked to see the "babies" come to our door and quickly started handing out candies.

This morning she woke up asking for the "ghoul" and his "hand". When she thought mama just wasn't getting it, she went over to the spot we had him set up in the living room and firmly patted the ground. She's going to miss the ghoul, skulls and pumpkins -- until she learns about snowmen, Santa, reindeer, elves, presents, trees.....

Going native

Our yard is in pretty lame condition. We haven't done much landscaping since we moved here -- and it doesn't look like any of the previous owners did either. The front yard is full of what I consider the 'basic' plants put in by the builders. Nothing spectacular to look at. The back yard is full of, well, nothing. We have two trees and that's it!

Since fall is prime planting season in Texas, we decided to get our yard into shape. At the same time, we're very interested in using native Texas plants that need less water and are better suited to the climate.

Peanut's papa even attended a Texas Smartscaping seminar to learn more about the plants and techniques for maintaining them. He's also keen on using less chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

So far, following the advice of the Dirt Doctor, he's rolled out a cornmeal-based formula as a pre-emergent and a week later, a molasses-based formula to help the lawn grow. The better condition your lawn is in -> the less weeds can grow -> the less chemicals you'll need goes the theory.

He's also using yard clippings and trimmings as mulch around the bushes.

The biggest projects have been refurbishing, or rather creating new, flower beds. Out came some corniferious ground cover. In went organic soil, a layer of wet newspapers topped off by a few inches of mulch. Now, it all needs to settle for a few weeks before we plant. The newspaper layer is there to prevent weeds from growing up and will decompose and be tilled back into the new flowerbeds.

As this is our first yard in Texas, the Natural Gardner website was also helpful in clueing us into what should be done each month. Another piece of advice I got was that around every big holiday (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day), you do something with your yard!

Big Tex says Step Right Up!

We made it to the State Fair of Texas right before they packed up this past weekend. What fun!

If it was deep-fried, we probably ate it. Fried Coke (yes, the drink!) was supposed to be the big hit this year. It certainly was a creative idea, but the stand selling it was oddly quiet and even somewhat depressing. I would've imagined excited employees whipping up batches, loudly proclaiming its wonders and serving it up with a big smile. But, no. There was no chatter, no big showmanship, no smile. We even tossed half the battery slush away.

Onto Fletcher's Corny Dogs... and deep fried cheesecake. Peanut's papa being Dutch was designated as our official lead taster. He thinks the cheesecake would be excellent if served cold. Rounding it out, the classic: funnel cake with powdered sugar. This even Peanut dug into heartily.

We cruised through the car show hangers checking out what's new. Peanut's papa 'tried on' a couple of cars. Peanut was busy pointing out all the wheels - one of her latests words.

Then we wandered into game row where all the balloons, basketball hoops, targets and other tests of your skills called us in. We couldn't walk through there without winning something for Peanut! $10 got us 7 darts to throw at a wall of balloons and a chance to win a toddler-size stuffed Curious George. Alas, we walked away with a glitzy frog pulled out from beneath the counter, but Peanut loved it anyway :-)

She even tried her own luck at a game where 'everybody is a winner!'. All you have to do is grab a floating duck from the whirling waters. She added a little stuffed butterfly to her prize collection that way.

The Fair also had a Petting Zoo (complete with kangaroos), displays of Texas agriculture, arts & crafts and all the other goodies that make a Fair. We had to skip the Midway this year since Peanut's too small and mama's belly is too big. Perhaps next time we'll get a sunset view of the Dallas skyline from atop the giant ferris wheel.

Just who is picking up my baby at Kiddin Around?

I wanted to share a true tale of what a friend has experienced at Kiddin' Around playcare in Coppell that should make you cautious about where its safe to leave your children.

Kiddin' Around is a place where you can drop your kids off for a couple hours of supervised play. Basically instead of the babysitter coming to you, you go to the babysitter. Its a great concept -- you don't have to plan in advance and there's always room for one more.

However, it is leaving your child in the care of strangers who don't know you or your children. There is supposed to be a very strict policy about showing ID when you pick up your child. This only makes sense in this day & age where sadly children are snatched by strangers or estranged family members.

For the safety of all the children, they must be signed into and out of the facility by a parent or an authorized adult. Authorization forms are available at the time of registration and picture I.D. will be required when picking up your child.

My friend recently took her 20-month old son to Kiddin' Around for the first time. Disturbingly, when she picked him up, no one asked for her ID. It hadn't been checked when she dropped him off either. They just asked for her son's name and went in to find him. The employees at the desk were different from the ones who had been there when she dropped him off so there was no way they could have known her.

She fired off an email to the owner letting her know what had happened in detail.

The owner responded promptly apologizing and promising to bring the issue up at an upcoming staff meeting. She then offered my friend a complimentary pass for another visit.

My friend took her up on the invitation as her son had enjoyed Kiddin Around immensely. Sadly, her second experience was no different. No sign-in procedure. No ID checks. No sign-out procedure. Again, the most basic security guidelines had been ignored.

She's awaiting a response from the owner of Kiddin' Around to her latest email highlighting the lack of adherence.

I haven't taken Peanut to Kiddin' Around and now am even more hesitant about it. Its no minor infraction to overlook the check-in and -out procedures that are the only things ensuring that children are taken away by the rightful person. Kiddin' Around is very popular around here, but I think anyone using it should consider the risky behavior of the staff and how it may endanger their children.

Living on One Paycheck

This morning's Dallas Morning News carried a story about making life for 2 + Baby work on one paycheck:

"We started preparing a year and a half ago," says Mr. Dunn, 31, who has a joint professional counseling practice with his wife in Frisco. "It's amazing what percentage of income we're losing."

But they're committed to providing their baby with a full-time parent and are preparing to move from a two-income household to one with a sole breadwinner.

Many families dream of being able to do what the Dunns are planning, and financial planners say anyone should be able to do it if they're willing to sacrifice.

I wonder how many people plan so well for this big decision? And, is really "anyone ... willing to sacrifice" able to do it? Or does the financial sacrifice just seem too much?

I have to admit that we didn't plan because we didn't really expect to find ourselves in this situation. When Peanut was born in Finland, the plan was for me to stay home the usual one-year while collecting maternity/parental leave pay from KELA (the Finnish Social Insurance Institution), and then I would head back to the office and Peanut to daycare. Then half-way into the year, peanut's papa was offered a tempting position here in Dallas and here we are.

Since we had committed to the idea that I would be home with Peanut for her first year, I continued to focus on being mama. Certainly, we considered the financial impacts of continuing on just one salary (and me not getting the KELA benefit), but did not have time to practice and save as the Dallas Morning News article suggests.

It isn't always easy. We have significantly scaled back and often can't do all the things we want simply because its not possible financially (though isn't that the case for most people anyway -- one paycheck or two??!!). We occassionally worry about how to save up for Peanut & Tex's futures as well as my retirement. But, we see the immeasurable benefit of having mama at home for Peanut in these short and formative years. And, I trust that the coming years will give us even more prespective on this decision and we'll be even more thankful for having the will to stick it out.

Starting "Baby School"

I figured it was an easier for Peanut to understand that "today is a Baby School Day" rather than "today you are going to Mother's Day Out".

While there isn't much formal learning going on -- and I don't think that there needs to be for an 18 month old -- Peanut is learning about socialization, independence and creativity every Baby School Day.

When she went for her first day, mama also had to learn another lesson about separation and how independent her baby is. I managed to only go by the "school" twice that day to peek in through the two-way mirror. Every time I looked in, Peanut was busily engaged with caring for a baby doll, eating or playing with the fun toys they had for her. She looked happy to see me at the end of her five hour day, but was also pretty glad the next time we pulled up to the "school".

Now, Peanut cheerfully goes to her classroom, gives mama a kiss and takes off to check on her baby dolls. I'm so glad that she enjoys her time there. I'm certainly enjoying my time to browse the book store, do some yoga, take a nap, make dinner, make phone calls, paint my toenails......just catch up on life! I think everyone around the house has been much more relaxed since Peanut started Baby School.

In our community, many Mother's Day Out programs are hosted by local churches. Some begin as young as infants and have classes through pre-school. The 'teachers' are often members of the congregation who have their own children enrolled in the MDO program. 'Teachers' recieve about 15 hours of training, including first aid and CPR, during the year, but don't need to have any other qualifications. Prices for the programs vary, but most are around $150 - $200 a month for two days a week, five hours a day programs.

However, not all MDO programs are licensed by the state of Texas. In order to be licensed a center 0r home-based care program must meet a list of minimum health and safety requirements and be subject to reviews. You can search their database to see the current standing of programs. If a program is not licensed, they do not have to follow the minimum requirements - frightening because they are pretty basic guidelines!

When I looked at the programs in the Coppell area, virtually every one of them had a citation of one sort or another. Some just one paperwork related one, others a whole series of repeating offenses. One got cited for an incident of toddlers on the playground looking at each other's bare bottoms....

Consignment sale confessions

I'm becoming a consignment sale junkie! I wouldn't yet call myself an addict - I don't get in line at 6.00 am, I don't have to be at EVERY sale and I don't haul away mountains of stuff. Perhaps, I should say I'm becoming a conisseur - I'm developing refined strategies, a critical eye, an ability to swoop & scoop with grace.

In reality, I only hit two (three, if you count that I went back to one!) sales: Divine Consign in Grapevine and Plano and the Rockinghorse Sale in Coppell. I do have one more in mind. This year I skipped the Just Between Friends sale because I found the one in Denton so small last time.

For Divine Consign in Grapevine, I arrived around 10 am on opening day. Good timing, no line, no mad rush, still plenty to look over the gear. This is the sale I also decided to visit again on 50% off day - just because it was close by and I wondered what would be left. Not a whole lot of high quality stuff. I did pick up a bag of toy cars for $0.50, a Fisher-Price Little People fire station for $2.00 and Little Tikes tool kit for $0.50.

Divine Consign in Plano was disappointing. Maybe I was late? But, I felt like the prices were higher and quality lower. I even saw some repeats from Grapevine. Won't make the drive there again!

The little Rockinghorse Sale in Coppell gave me the one big item I'd been searching for - table and chairs for Peanut. For $20, I got the cutest wooden giraffe and walrus back chairs for a matching table :-) Otherwise, its like a big garage sale, but just around the corner so I'll be back again! You can get in early to this sale on opening day with a $5.00 donation to the hosting church's youth group.


My hints for successful consignment shopping:

• have a shopping list and focus on those items first - there were specific toys I wanted, everything else I skipped until I had looked for those first.
• bring a few empty canvas bags to fill with shopping. Yes, some people drag an empty laundry basket around with them, but its not very practical.
• there seemed to be tons of clothes available at all the sales so look over the other stuff first unless you are desparate for clothes.
• if you MUST have a bigger item (stroller, beds, big plastic toys, bikes, etc) - you will have to be fanatical about being there first. Volunteer to get in on the pre-sales.
• consign something yourself to get in early without the hours of volunteering - most sales let you shop at the first night as well. I suppose you are a consignor even if you only put one item up for sale!
• peek around all the corners - both Divine Consign sales were spread over several unconnected rooms. One toy-filled and overlooked room was brimming with goodies because half the shoppers didn't even notice it!
• move your big items into the roped off hold area - or better yet, have someone take them there for you - and continue shopping
• I had Peanut with me. I also had lots of snacks and drinks for Peanut to keep her happy. She's a quiet, happy shopper so I knew it would be OK. If yours isn't, you'll be better off sans bebe.
  

Last two sales I know of for fall in the area both take place tomorrow!
North Dallas Mothers of Twins Club in Richardson and the
Metrocrest Parents of Multiples sale in Flower Mound.

Checking in on Tex

I've just had my third prenatal visit for Tex this week.

To catch up, at the second visit, which was around week 12, the nurse met us for the usual weight, blood pressure and urine check before we saw the doctor. This time we also had an ultrasound to make sure Tex's growth rate was on track. There was some confusion between the nurse and doctor so we ended up with just an external (on the belly) ultrasound since the doctor thought I was thin enough for it to suffice. Usually this ultrasound is internal (transv*ginal).

Indeed, we saw Tex waving around. The picture wasn't as clear as the internal would have been, but it allowed the doctor to make the needed measurements. All along, he continued in a very reassuring manner, telling us everything was very normal and on track.

This past visit - after a 40 minute wait in the waiting room - I again first met my usual nurse (whose name I still don't know!) and then my doctor. This time he measured the growth of my uterus and used a doppler device to listen to Tex's heartbeat. He summed up it was all fine, but didn't actually tell me any of the measurements.

I was offered an AFP screening test, something which is not offered in Finland, to screen for certain neural abnormalities, such as Down's Syndrome, spina bifida and anencephaly. It is an optional test, which he said about 50% of his patients opt for and didn't really make any recommendation for me to take or not take. It has a reputation for not being very accurate and
causing more worry than answers.

Carnival in Coppell!

This past weekend, the St. Ann's Catholic Church in Coppell filled its front parking lot with carnival rides, foods and arts& crafts.

We took Peanut one evening not so much for the rides, but just to see the action, lights and people. And, interesting carnival people were there. The rides half of the event was run by a professional group who evidently go from event-to-event with their rather junky looking equipment and charge outrageous carnival prices (like $5 for funnel cake with powdered sugar!! from a mix!!! I saw the mix on the counter - they just add water!!!).

That all aside, it was a really nice atmosphere. It made me happy to live in a city that hold such events attended by families with children in strollers, toddler shoes and baseball caps. Pre-teen/teens also were there sitting in circles, chatting on mobile phones and standing in line for the wilder rides. All of it feeling very wholesome, safe and cozy.

A special tent for smaller carnival goers reminded me of my own elementary school fall fairs. The games where everyone is always a winner of some small trinket: Go Fish, Bean Bag Toss, Picking Plastic Ducks.

Peanut really enjoyed the open-air performance area and clapped along with the clubby music of young boys dancing like their favorite pop stars.

FIRE -- ants!

Poor Peanut got bitten by several fire ants yesterday in our backyard.

The recent rains (it has hardly rained since early Spring here) evidently brought out the little biters usually hidden far underground.

The last time I saw a fire ant mound in our backyard was late April and had forgotten all about them. Peanut & I were out barefoot; I was surverying the damage to our backyard cloth gazebo when Peanut came over to grab my hand. Looking down, I saw her right leg covered in little black ants and immediately knew they were fire ants. About the same time, I felt a little sting on my own leg.

We got the ants off of Peanut very quickly and her papa took her inside to run cold water over the bites while I hit the Internet to see what else we should do. I know some people have very severe reactions so we watched her closely for the next 10 mins. Fortunately, she remained calm and normal, not even really in any pain.

I applied some hydrocortison cream to the bites to help ward off the itch and inflammation.

This morning the bites had developed into raised bumps with white pustles surrounded by red skin. Still Peanut didn't bother with them, but I put her in loose pants anyway to cover them up so she wouldn't get curious. (The picture is not of Peanut).

Its a grand ole flag

We enjoyed a cool Labor Day weekend in Dallas. It even rained all day Monday! The weather showed us that it can once again become bearable and inviting outside - you could get the tiniest whiff of Fall in the air if you breathed in deeply and closed your eyes.

Papa fired up the grill and we enjoyed a tasty meal on our patio as Peanut played with her collection of cars in her sandbox. Ahhh...

Out in the front yard, there were flags planted here and there in our neighbor's yards. I was a bit confused the first time the flags appeared seemingly from nowhere and without rhyme or reason. Our immediate neighbor had one, then no flags for 5 - 6 houses and then suddenly two in row.

It turns out the flags are part of service sold by a local high school group. For a small amount each year, they will come place a flag in your yard on flag flying holidays.

In Helsinki where most of us lived in apartments, the flagging was taken care of by the building maintenance staff. I also enjoyed the days when I walked out the front door and suddenly was surprised by the flags gracing all entry ways and public poles. While I didn't always know why a certain day was a flag day, it made it a bit special -- and worthwhile of finding out as a few holidays come with a special pastry - yum :-) - like Runebergintorttu is a Finnish pastry that is seasoned with almonds and rum. There is usually raspberry jam in a sugar ring on the tart.The tart has got its name from the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg who liked to enjoy the tart with punch according to the legend. Runeberg's tarts are available on Runeberg's birthday on 5 February.