Wishing you and your family peace, hope and love this holiday season!
Take time to appreciate the real reason for the season – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! May God bless you and your family!
Barnes & Noble, Bah Humbug! December 15, 2007
Just a quick post about Barnes & Noble bookstores.
Usually, I take Princess to Barnes & Noble once a week to read books. Sometimes we purchase books, sometimes we just read.
Well, yesterday I decided to take her to Barnes & Noble to read books and at the same time pick up some gifts. Usually, she likes to read some of the same books so we go to the same section in the Children’s area. Princess likes to sit down and read on the floor and I sit down and read to her too. (At this stage in pregnancy, I appreciate getting off my feet.)Sometimes we read on the little benches too but many times there are lots of children there. After a few minutes, the salesperson came to us and told us that we can’t sit on the floor. So I got up. Then I asked if children could sit on the floor and she said, “No.”
At first I was a little upset that I couldn’t sit on the floor with Princess but actually I was upset at the fact that she couldn’t sit on the floor and read. I asked if this rule was for Christmas only and she informed me that it was a “…new rule from now on.”
I don’t know about the rest of you but it would be nice to let toddlers sit on the floor and read especially when I’m trying to shop for Christmas presents at the same time. Then Princess could just sit down right where I’m looking (like the board book section) and just read while I browse. But, NO…now she can only sit on the little benches which are on the opposite side of the Children’s area. So, what did we do? We left. I figured why should I waste my time in there when I wouldn’t be able to shop since Princess wouldn’t be preoccupied while I shop.
Hmm…I may have to shop at Borders or on Amazon this year!
P.S. I do realize that it probably is a fire hazard to have us on the floor. Well, esp. us adults. I know that adults are always on the floor in Barnes & Noble. I see them all the time. But it’s a little bit of a “pain” for the parents, not to allow children to sit on the floor and read books.
Being a Middleagedmom Raising a Daughter December 13, 2007
Recently, we were driving on the freeway and a “hot rod” Corvette sped by us. I told Mr. MaD that I must be getting old because the loud roar of the engine drove me crazy with irritation. Then I said, “When Princess grows up, I don’t want her to date a guy who drives a hot rod car!” Mr. MaD laughed.
I know that I’m getting old because those “hot rod” cars really irritate me. They are so loud, esp. when you’re trying to sleep at night. One of our neighbors has a boyfriend with a car like that and believe me, it is loud at 3:00am when you’re trying to sleep, even with the air conditioner on. Not only are the cars loud, usually the stereos in those cars are blaring too!
So, what will I say when Princess asks me, “Mom, did you ever date a guy who drove a hot rod car?” What will I say? Well, in my younger days I used to have a really good guy friend who drove a hot rod car. He used to race it at the race track too! Yes, I did ride around with him in that car. So…what will I say?
When I was around 30 years old, I remember one of my girlfriends who had a teenage daughter tell me that she would have to tell her daughter some “little white lies” about her past. Why? Well, let’s just say that my girlfriend was a wild thing in her younger days. Now as a mother, she didn’t want her daughter to repeat some of her past behaviors, esp. since times have changed since we were younger.
Let’s face it. As time goes on and we, mothers, get older we either forget or choose to forget what it was like to be a teenager/young adult. As for me, I wasn’t quite an angel myself. Of course, I don’t want to be asked those hard questions by Princess. I really don’t want to lie either. So, do I regret some of my choices? I can’t say regret is the right word but I do wish sometimes that I made a different choice. Believe me, I’m glad that God is a God who forgives.
As a mother, we want to protect our daughters. We want them to make all the right choices in life. We only want the best for them. Of course, they have to learn on their own and make mistakes too. But, let’s face it…times are different now. We can’t just let our children have the same freedoms we did. We live in a very dangerous world with dangerous people. So, what’s a mother to do? I guess we raise our daughters the best we can with a strong sense of self (self-confidence), pride in themselves and their actions, integrity, honesty, compassion, morals and values. We pray everyday for God to protect and guide them. Then we trust…trust them and trust God!
Enjoying the Season? December 12, 2007
Today I decided to take Princess to one of our local malls for a Christmas train ride. We met my cousin, her husband and her son who is a couple months older than Princess. This train ride cost approx. $7 for approx. 10 minutes of riding around the mall. It’s a little pricey but fun for the children and great for picture taking.
My cousin got there before us so I asked her to make sure they give refunds in case Princess decided she didn’t want to ride the train. When we got there, Princess didn’t seem bothered by the train when it pulled up to the train stop. I was happy that she seemed okay so far. Our time slot came so we headed to the train. We decided to go to the back car of the train since parents can only follow from behind, not on the sides. Princess’s cousin got right in the train and was buckled in. I lifted Princess up to put her in the car…then came the dreaded iron grip on my shirt and her legs locked around my belly. Soon the fussing followed. I attempted, along with everyone else there, to convince her that it would be okay since her cousin was there with her. But, she refused to get in the car. I was bummed! I was hoping for a cute picture of her in that decorated train, esp. in front of the Christmas tree. But, NO WAY! We got our refund (whew, I didn’t have to waste $7) and followed her cousin in the train. Even sadder, after the train returned to the stop, I tried to carry Princess in front of it just to get a picture of us with the train in the background but she wouldn’t have it. She began to fuss and was on the verge of tears!
The interesting thing is that just a month ago she was so willing to ride the pony. Yet, she won’t get on this train…go figure? A couple months ago we took her to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party. While there, we tried to get her to ride the little car or trolley ride but she refused. So strange because when I took her there around 6 months ago…she wanted to ride the car and trolley. How children change in a few short months? At our last pediatrician’s visit, I remember mentioning Princess’s fears to our doctor, he said that often it’s because as they get older they are more aware of things around them.
So, now I have pictures of the train with her cousin in it. I have a picture of the 2 of us in front of the train but it shows her terrified face. Oh, well…it’ll just be added to our scrapbook as one of those experiences that she didn’t enjoy. I won’t give up though, I plan to try again next year!
Besides Princess not enjoying herself at the mall, I have to mention my observation about people. I’m not sure if anyone else has encountered this situation but I am often disappointed when people don’t hold the door open at stores. They just go in and then let the door go…with me standing right behind it. I’m not sure if people are just in a rush to go somewhere or they just aren’t thinking about other people around them. This past weekend I was at a craft fair and I overheard a woman walking by me say, “I’m not a mother so I have no sympathy.” Whoa, that blew my mind! I couldn’t believe that another woman would be saying that. I wonder if she just has no sympathy for mothers or is she unsympathetic to everyone else who is different from her? SAD! Okay, not meaning to sound so negative…for the most part people are pretty nice about holding the door open for us, esp. when they see me pregnant with a toddler in a stroller. It’s just those few times when I have to wonder about human nature. Gosh, I hold the door open for anyone else who is around me, whether they’re a parent with children or not. I would think it’s just common courtesy.
I hope you’re enjoying your holiday season…we still have a few more weeks of hustle and bustle to go. I’m still enjoying it, even if today wasn’t the best day. Happy Holidays!
P.S. I’m starting my Christmas baking this weekend. I’ll keep you posted.
One of my Pet Peeves December 5, 2007
I know that we all have our pet peeves, geez, we’re only human. Sometimes those pet peeves are really little things like leaving the cap off the toothpaste (okay, maybe not little to some people). For me, one of my biggest pet peeves is uninvited visitors.
Uninvited visitors…what do I mean? Well, it’s those people (whether family or friend) who like to drop by on your door step without an invitation or without calling first. Okay, maybe to some people this doesn’t seem like a big deal. To me…it is so irritating! Maybe, hospitality isn’t one of my strengths.
I realize that sometimes people have good intentions. For example, they’d like to drop off a gift. I do appreciate the gift but I would appreciate a phone call first even more! Do people think that I’m sitting around the house looking all spiffy and my house is spotless just so I can welcome uninvited guests any time of the day? It’s not even that my house may be messy or I may look disheveled (sp?). The biggest thing to me is that I like my privacy. Meaning, when I’m at home, I may be doing something like blogging, crafting, napping, talking on the phone, etc. and I don’t want to be disturbed at that time. I have a few precious hours for myself and that’s how I’d like to spend them. By myself…or maybe just with my husband and child. What if I’m just in a crappy (for lack of a better word) mood that day and I don’t want to see or talk to anyone else?
Okay, I can understand if it’s an emergency and you have to drop by because I’m the closet person you know at that time. I can surely understand that…I’m not that cold-hearted. But other than that…try not to come over uninvited or without calling first. I think it’s just common courtesy to call someone before stopping by. And if you do call and they say they’re stepping out right now, don’t tell them that you’ll be there quickly and stay for only a little while. If they’re stepping out…they’re stepping out!
Wondering why I’m bringing it up now? Well, because this just happened to me yesterday and once last week. So of course, I’m a little steamy about it all. And yes, it happened in the past also. Blogging just seemed like the perfect opportunity to let off some steam, esp. after telling Mr. MaD about it. I’m not sure if it bothers him as much as me but that doesn’t matter to me at this moment.
P.S. Did I mention earlier that the nurse told me that stress can make your gestational diabetes worse? Okay, but she said not to use that as an excuse!
Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan Progress December 4, 2007
Okay, so I’ve been on this meal plan for about 4 days now. It hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I am actually getting enough to eat. I try to eat more vegetables and proteins at my meals. I stay within my carb limit for each snack and meal.
I’ll be honest, I am craving some sweets. I thought it would be okay to eat some sugar-free foods (those with added artificial sweetners) but since there are only a few “safe/approved” artificial sweetners on this meal plan, I haven’t eaten those things. I wanted to eat some “chocolate” covered almonds from See’s candies that are sugar-free but they have one of those “unapproved” artificial sweetners. (See my earlier post on my GD class.)
Last night I submitted my numbers for the past few days. The nurse said that my results were good so I could actually test my blood sugar only 2 times a day on Monday thru Thursdays. I would still need to test 4 times a day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Although testing less sounds really good, I think I’ll continue with 4 times a day. It’s much easier for me to monitor myself if I check that often. Plus, I think I’m so goal-oriented that I need to see my number within the acceptable range just to know I’m doing okay.
I think the most difficult part so far (besides the sugar cravings) is that you have to be so regimented in terms of time. For example, I have to always be aware of what time I start my meal so that I can test 2 hours after that time. Then if I’m going to be out of the house, I have to remember to carry my “little black case” with me and a little ziploc bag to put my used lancet in to dispose of later. Also, I have to remember to eat my snack in between my meals. I try not to eat it too close to my meals too. Sometimes it’s difficult if you’re out and doing something. And of course, counting carbs and watching your portion sizes.
The encouraging thing is that gestational diabetes can usually be controlled with diet and exercise. I notice that if I do a little bit of walking after my meals it does make a difference in my numbers. I always remind myself that I’m eating healthy meals for myself and my baby. It’s nice to know that I don’t have to be a “slave” to food…esp. sugar. I keep asking for God’s grace in this endeavor and His strength to get me through those cravings.
I really want to say THANK YOU to all those who have been so encouraging! I really appreciate it! It’s nice to know that I’m not alone. If you have gestational diabetes or think you may have it, YOU are not alone. I’m here and there are great people out there in the blogosphere who are so encouraging!
