Saturday, May 19, 2012

Happy Birthday Isaak!

Isaak,

You turned 4 today! This is what you look like:


You are asking for another short hair cut. I imagine we'll be getting your hair cut off soon. I still love to run my fingers through your fine baby hair. It's the only baby part of you left.

Likes:

  • You love to hold my hand. Anytime we're walking you're right there holding Mommy or Daddy's hand. 
  • You are starting to play in a more complex way. If I'm driving somewhere, you sit in the backseat and have full blown conversations with different characters. I love listening to your stories. 
  • You love to swim. Everyone likes watching you swim. Two of the life guards stopped what they were doing just to watch you swim. You swim like a dolphin. 
  • You still love puppies. I'm not sure why you've clung on to that animal. Whenever you see a puppy you say, "He's so cute!"
  • You like it when people read to you. 
  • You like to have a night light on, even if it's light enough outside to see. 
  • You like consistency. 
Dislikes:
  • You don't like it when Mica does things for you. It still has to be Mommy or Daddy that helps you. Most of the time you have to do things yourself. 
  • You tell us you don't like pizza.
  • It really annoys you when people swim without goggles. 
  • You hate to do much of anything after just waking up. 
  • You do not like playing with kids you don't know. When you are in your comfort zone, you are fine.
  • You do not like change. Your swimming coach changed and you were pretty sad about that.
  • You don't like to move very fast. When it's time to go anywhere we generally have to wait on you. You take your time with walking, eating, going potty, yep just about everything. 
You have such a kind heart. Whenever you have a snack, someone says they'd like one as well, you tear yours off to share. 

I kept asking what you would want for your birthday? You told me, "Mommy I just want to give things to you."

Mommy loves you!

Happy Birthday!  

Mommy

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

I started five weeks ago doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday.  I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like. I'll see how long I can keep it up.

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. It may or may not include words. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

This week I wanted to include something having to do with the boy's interests. I found a tribal video that was done out of maps! Mica and Isaak love putting together their Melissa and Doug USA puzzle. Mica likes pulling out our globe to point out places to Isaak.

"Tribe" is by singer/artist is Piers Faccini. It's directed by Cyril Gfeller.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Some Information About Toe Juice

Toe Juice was originally created by a high school chemistry teacher. His baby son had problems with flaking, dry, cracked feet. Lotions seemed ineffective. Royce Garner did his homework and came up with this product that not only helped his son, but helps others as well.


Things Toe Juice can help:

  • Cracked Skin
  • Warts
  • Eczema
  • Athlete's Foot
  • Circulatory Irritations
  • Irritating Rashes
  • Ringworm
  • Psoriasis
  • Jock Itch
  • Feet
  • Hands 
  • Underarms


I'm using this product on that stubborn planters wart that I have. I also plan on using in on eczema spots that sometimes occur in the hot summer.

Once this wart is gone, I'll show before and after pictures. Then it's giveaway time!

So far what I like is that the product doesn't smell like acid! I know that sounds crazy, but many products out on the market used to clear up warts smell horrible! I also like that it evaporates fast. I just apply it with a cotton swab.

Toe Juice is on Facebook, and Twitter and they have a YouTube channel.



Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I received the Toe Juice Combo for this review.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Shabby Apple $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

I love the vintage look Shabby Apple has!

My favorite items are:
I heart this Bistro Blouse!


Their known for their classy dresses. Check these two out:



You can make any little girl feel like a queen wearing one of their dresses!


What I really love about this company, if you don't know what to pick out they have someone there to help you in their advice section called
Dear Shabby!


If you just can't wait to go shopping, please use the code: planetoftheapels 10off for 10% off your order. Like Shabby Apple on Facebook. 

Now it's time for the giveaway! One US reader will will a $50 gift certificate to Shabby Apple!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I received no compensation for writing this post.

Today I'm Sad

Isn't crazy how emotions can go up and down? Two nights ago I found out that one of my students lost her nephew. It was a still birth. My student had tears in her eyes. I wanted to say, "I know how you feel." Of course I don't exactly know how she feels. Everyone experiences things differently. She's wrapped up in finals and couldn't be there for the birth and death of her nephew.

With everything we've gone through with Trisomy 18 - I feel for anyone losing a baby! I felt so scared even when my own boys got sick! With Mica they didn't know what to do with his staph infection. They didn't know why his neck kept getting bigger. With Isaak they couldn't figure out if he had bacterial or viral meningitis. It was so scary seeing those white blood cell counts go up and up.

Then this morning I checked Facebook and one of my students I had a few years ago just passed away for breast cancer. That's what mad me really sad! She met her husband here at school. She found out she had breast cancer in her late teens, early 20's. They did radiation. She lost all her hair, a ton of weight. She tried so hard to just LIVE LIFE. Her husband and her were a perfect match. They made each other laugh. He didn't have to marry her knowing that she was sick. He stepped up and did what was in his heart. I really respect people that are like that. I stood back on the sidelines rooting for them. When someone gets breast cancer that young, I know there's a good chance that it will take over their existence. It did.

Here my student is...she was a fighter.

Then my sister (Aunt Terra) called me and asked if I'm going to the preschool graduation tonight. Isaak and Cousin Elijah are not graduating yet. Terra knows how I feel about preschool graduations. I think they are WAY overdone! You can read what I think on them here if you'd like. We'll be going. Then Terra tells me that a little girl in the boy's class just lost their baby brother or sister. It was a still birth. I just saw the happy pregnant mom at the Mother's Tea just 2 weeks ago! Terra's sending her a note. I started to think about how the preschooler is more then likely confused why there is no baby and why mommy and daddy are so sad. It just makes me so sad.

I'm going to end with a video that really makes you appreciate life and death.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tonight I Watched Isaak Swim Like a Dolphin

Isaak can swim without the noodle. Sometimes he likes it on just because he can't touch the bottom. Little man gets tired after awhile. 


He had a slight crowd though when he showed of that he can swim like a dolphin!


*Side note: My voice is coming back!!! :) I still am pretty horse, but not as bad as before! Now I just feel the urge to cough, cough, cough.

Right Now I Just Need to Do Thinks That Require No Thinking!

I went to the doctor yesterday. What do I have? Nothing. It's allergies at their worst. I'm on some meds that are supposed to boost my immune system. I'm taking probiotics as well. I'm drinks LOTS of water and trying not to talk. At least I know I'm not contagious. It's crazy because I have 2 co-workers that have had similar symptoms as I. Then Mica was snotty, headachy mess a few weeks ago.

I did try and write a post earlier today. Then I read it back and it made no since. Does that ever happen to you?

It's finals week for my students. Today was interesting. My co-worker has a megaphone. I decided to borrow it. It worked. Even if I whispered. It just sounded creepy. I had fun with that in the classroom.  Do you want to know a great way to make students panic? Just whisper in the megaphone that you can't wait to hear their speeches in the afternoon. They weren't even supposed to give speeches. My students didn't panic though. They know me way too well. Even when I don't feel good, I still can have fun!

Uzi 50W Megaphone UZIMP50W
Source


What's even more fun is that the megaphone plays marching band music! I played a few songs just to liven things up in the classroom. Not while they were taking their test!

Back to not making any since. I had 100 questions on the student's final exam and 3 didn't make since. I swear I read that thing over and over again! Writing a test, while being under the weather should be outlawed. I couldn't yell out, "Ignore question blah blah blah." I couldn't yell. I have no voice. I didn't think about using the megaphone that was sitting right besides me! I just sucked it up and addressed with a whisper to each student as they came up to tell me the same 3 questions made no since. Later I found out one question I didn't mark an answer for at all, the other two I had false when they were true. It's times like today where I wish I could fast forward to make all things right. I don't like messing up. Who does? No one.

Speaking of messing up, I have one student getting a 30% in my class. That's not bad for a full class. Only one failing. Well ever since midterm break I told her that there is no way for her to pass my class. The math just will not work. At the school I work for, once midterm break rolls around, the students can not make up anything from the first 1/2 of the class. She was getting a 12% then. Even though she knows she's not passing, she's still showing up, did the exam, argued with me about her attendance and told me about the 3 questions were incorrect {I already knew that one}. My co-workers and I were talking about how there's a time to really PUSH yourself. There's also a time to GIVE UP. When you know something is not possible, why keep doing it? She could show up to my class and spend that time on her other classes. Classes that she won't fail. I just do not get the logic. The thing is, is I actually like this student. She's polite. She's just never there, late with everything and never talks to any of her teachers. I have a couple students like that in my other classes. Just late on everything. They don't seem to care when I tell them that they are failing my class. They actually look at me blank faced. I print out their grades once a week and tape them to the wall. There should be no surprises.

Students like these I'll get in summer school.

I'm just glad that I only have one more day of teaching left. My doctor said after a day on these meds I should start to feel better.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

WW: Berry Picking {Linky}

I discovered that our June Berry tree was starting to get some red berries early. I figured that we better go ahead and pick some before the birds started eating them all.



Mica was a big help. He likes to get inside the tree and pick the berries that are not easy to get to. That does make it challenging to shoot pictures of him.


Isaak picks anything, green, red whatever. He had fun and that's what matters.



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Monday, May 14, 2012

Today I Have No Voice

Laryngitis kicked in when I woke up this morning. I actually feel better then I did all weekend, but I can't talk. I hope I get my voice back. It's finals week! Ekkkk!

Getting ready this morning was interesting. Isaak couldn't understand why I was whispering. He kept saying, "What Mommy? I can't hear you!"

Yesterday was a good day.

Mica showered me with gifts. I got a handmade necklace and a hand print image. Daddy gave me a card. Isaak gave me nothing, but his Mother's Day gifts came last week with the Mother's Day Tea Party at his school. There he gave me lots of things! By the way I expect nothing for Mothers Day. To me the holiday isn't about material items. When the boys make me things at school, I definitely won't turn them down!

We went to Village Inn. I had a white egg omelet, a yogurt parfait and a German Chocolate pancake. I never thought about putting coconut on top of a pancake. It's good. When I told Grandma Spiehs about it she said, "Yuck!" Not everyone likes coconut. I didn't until I was an adult. They give every Mom a single carnation, which is super nice! Isaak had a funny face pancake meal. He ate almost everything! Mica had chocolate chip pancakes and applesauce and ate almost everything! I teased him and told him that he was going to give birth to a chocolate chip pancake. Daddy had a manly skillet meal. 

Then we went to the grocery store to buy Grandma Spiehs a couple flowers. I didn't want to pay too much of a visit considering I felt crappy. We dropped the flowers off, talked for a few minutes and left.

We went home to unpack our groceries. There Daddy checked movie times. I got packs of veggies and fruit together for the movie. We went to see The Secret World of Arrietty at the cheaper theater. It was one of the first anime movies I've ever seen. We wanted to see the Avengers, but in the ratings it said it was best suited for ages 10 and up. Who knows. The kids like Hugo, and that's for that same age group. The Secret World of Arrietty was nicely written. The boys seemed to enjoy it.

We went home and the boys napped. Daddy called Grandma Apel, mowed the lawn and then joined me in picking more berries. We have a lot now! We'll get more soon.

I made salmon, asparagus and potato fries for dinner.

The boys helped Daddy work on what's called a 3 Sister Garden. I clean the muddy boys up, while Daddy cleaned their shoes. Then I swept all the main rooms, did a load of laundry and cleaned Mica's room. Daddy had to go into work. We had fun and we were productive. I couldn't ask for a better Mother's Day minus the cold I have.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mothers Day!

I told Mica to go ahead and get dressed. Usually he picks out his shirt and I pick out his shorts or pants. This morning he got himself all read to go.


I cracked up because the boy does not match. He doesn't have to go to school. Part of me wants him to leave his clothes on. This way every time I look at him I can smile and/or laugh.

He handed me a letter this morning. It says:

Dear Mrs. Apel, {I have no clue why he put Mrs. Apel. He calls me, "Mom."}

I love you so much that your heart is makeing {making} fairy tales.

Love,

Mica

How sweet that is! He has a gift for me. I'm making him wait to give it to me when Daddy and Isaak roll out of bed.

Happy Mothers Day Mothers!

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com