Got Quads?

Most retailers started carrying their spring lines right after Christmas. I get excited about that because I’m not much of a winter gal. Snow on Christmas is great, but I’ll take a nice hot day any other time. Still, there are two things I hate shopping for: jeans and bathing suits. Now that I’m a mom, bathing suit shopping is even worse. The choices are skimpy teen suits, which aren’t practical for anyone who might have to do anything other than lay on a beach towel, or “old lady suits,” the kind that only an 80-year-old can pull off. Why aren’t there nice, flattering suits for moms that will stay on when you’re chasing one or four toddlers? So far the best top I’ve found is from Nike. It criss-crosses in the back so there’s no chance of strap slippage and even though it’s cut to there somehow “the girls” never pop out. But I want choices. Maybe I’m being too picky. I want some coverage on the bottom, but hate that all I’ve found is a skirt-like thing that might as well hang to my knees. I know there’s got to be something out there for a mom who’s modest but wants to be somewhat stylish! But I guess it could be worse… at least I have a pair of jeans that I like so I won’t have to go shopping for those any time soon!

We’ve had unseasonably warm weather in my neck of the woods this week. It’s February and yesterday it was around 70 degrees. Nice! I’m tired of being cooped up so my daughters and I decided to take a walk after lunch. It amazed me how many learning opportunities I found during that walk.

Let’s start with the big one: it was a great lesson in listening. Everyone passed, too. I went without the wagon or harnesses and relied on good listening… as in “stay close to mommy” or “stop so that car can back out of the driveway.” 

We had a chance to talk about colors: “what color is that car?” and “what color is that sign?” We talked about litter. It was trash day and a lot of the trash ends up on the street rather than in the garbage truck. We came this close to a rabbit, but he got spooked by four toddlers, even though they were trying hard to be quiet. We talked about the difference between jingle bells and wind chimes. I’m still working on that one.

I’m pretty sure I wore them out. When we passed the neighborhood park they all pointed out the swings and slide but said they would rather go home and get a drink of water. It was a good day. It didn’t cost a dime and we had a lot of fun.

The drop-off/pick-up procedure at my daughters’ preschool stresses me out. It’s really simple, but there are always those parents who think their time is more valuable than others. There are two lanes in front of the school. One is for driving, one is for dropping off. When school started this year I had to be there 20 minutes early and camp out in front of the building if I had any hopes of getting my daughters to school on time. Parents would simply park their cars in the drop off lane and walk their kids in to class, chat with the teachers, chat with parents. I had to “claim” a spot so I wasn’t faced with the prospect of trying to lead four toddlers through a busy parking lot. Then the administration started cracking down on the “lane violators” and basically said if you’re in the drop-off lane you can’t get out of your car. Essentially the school now has “valet service” with the teachers and aides coming to your car to take your kids. (I still have to get out because it’s faster for me to get my daughters out of the car than it is to let the aides do it). Then everyone started arriving really early and parking in the drop-off lane to wait for the teachers. Parents would even park in the driving lane and block those of us in who were ready to leave. So then the teachers had to start directing traffic. I wait patiently at the end of the line until I’m all the way at the front. Then I can unload my girls without holding up other parents. Still, there’s always a parent who thinks he or she should go in the driving lane around all of us waiting to be closer to the front of the line and zip in front of us, rather than waiting turns. This morning I watched the principal put orange cones in the driving lane and shut it down. I must say, drop-off was smooth and fast.

I understand everyone has some place to be in the morning. Whether it’s work or an appointment or whatever. But we all have some place to be. I just wish everyone would exercise some patience in their daily life and realize things would go a lot smoother if we treat one another with respect.

I wish I had the time to workout more. When my daughters still took a nap I used that time to get on our aging elliptical trainer in the basement. I would set up the baby monitor, pop a movie in our portable DVD player and have time for a good 40 minute cardio session and then a shower. So needless to say I’ve been feeling quite sluggish and out of shape since nap time went bye-bye.

Then I received a piece of junk mail from Hubby’s insurance company. Except this junk mail turned out to be beneficial. By calling the company’s “nurse hotline” I received a free copy of Total Workout in Ten . The DVD is from the editors of Women’s Health magazine. I’ve only had the DVD for a few days, but so far it seems promising. The DVD has four 10-minute routines. You can pick either cardio, upper body, lower body or flexibility, or do all four for a full-body workout.

I know, I know… you’re thinking 10 minutes? Yeah right! So let’s start out with the obvious: 10 minutes is better than nothing! I’ve been doing the cardio routine and it’s intense, but not overwhelming. After 10 minutes my heart rate is up and I feel like I’ve accomplished something, yet I still have time to finish the laundry, get dinner ready or whatever other chores are on the agenda for the day. It’s not the workout for everyone, but it’s something I can fit into my schedule.

I was blown away when my daughters saw a commercial for The Care Bears cartoon and knew who the Care Bears are. Then Hubby informed me not only do they watch The Care Bears on Saturday mornings while I’m at work, they also watch Strawberry Shortcake. Am I in a time warp? I watched these shows growing up. Now they’re “cool” again? I’m just waiting for the networks to revamp Smurfs. Or how about Snorks? I will admit I had a chance to watch the new and improved Care Bears and found it to be a lot less cheesy than the bears I grew up with.

Don’t even get me started on Hollywood movies. Transformers? Race to Witch Mountain? The Chronicles of Narnia? I’m waiting for a He-Man or She-Ra movie. That can’t be too far down the road, right?

Hubby pointed out that the people coming up with these ideas to bring back old favorites are people our age. Basically our generation is now in charge of pitching ideas and they’re turning to the stand-bys of our childhood. I can’t decide if this all makes me feel old or nostalgic. Do you think this means years from now I’ll be sitting around with my grandchildren watching a “new and improved” Dora the Explorer? Sounds kind of scary!

The name is misleading. This meal is actually good for adults, too.

You’ll need:

1 c. acini de pepe or pastina

1/3 c. finely diced carrots

1/3 c. finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 c. frozen baby peas

1/3 c. finely chopped broccoli

1/3 c. frozen whole-kernel corn

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water for 7 minutes;

stir in veggies and cook for 5 minutes; drain; mix in oil and pepper

I actually found a package of frozen vegetables that contained everything but the red pepper, which made the prep time even easier (no chopping and dicing!). A word of caution to pasta-neophytes like myself… acini de pepe is really tiny and really messy. We’re past the “finger food” stage, and the pasta was hard to eat with toddler silverware. It made for a mess on the floor, but was tasty.

The other night I was watching Entertainment Tonight, or maybe it was The Insider, and had the “pleasure” of watching photographers swarm Nadya Suleman, the new octuplet mom, as she played in a park with some of her other children. Is this really newsworthy? Even for tabloid shows? Since this woman gave birth to octuplets I have not gone a day without either seeing her on the news, on the cover of a magazine or being asked my opinion. It’s time to move on. She had eight babies, she already had 6 children and now… what? I know I’m ranting a bit. It’s just that I have opinions on lots of things, including Suleman. That doesn’t mean I want to discuss her every time I head out the door. Just because I have multiples doesn’t mean that’s the only thing I can talk about. So many people out there are angry at the attention she’s receiving, yet they keep digging for information on her. Let’s just give it a rest.

I realize by writing this post I’m being a tad hypocritcal. Here I am suggesting we stop talking about Suleman, yet I’ve got an entire post devoted to her. I just think there has to be a new “hot topic” to move on to.

I try not to spend too many posts on freebies and giveaways because there are so many great blogs out there devoted to the subject. However, this scholarship opportunity is a must-read for parents. I know since the minute my daughters were born I’ve been wondering how to put them through college. It’s never too early to start saving. The Kohl’s Cares for Kids program wants to reward young volunteers who make a difference in their communities. The best part? Winners will receive scholarships and the nominees can be as young as 6 years old.

Basically, Kohl’s is looking for kids who make a positive impact on their communities. The nominees will be divided into two groups: ages 6-12 and 13-18. More than 2,000 store-level winners will receive $50 Kohl’s gift cards. More than 190 regional winners will be award $1,000 scholarships toward their post-secondary education. Ten national winners will get $5,000 scholarships, plus Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on their behalf. 

Surely you know a young person who’s making a difference. Give them a chance to be rewarded for their work. The Kohl’s Cares for Kids website has the official rules and nomination form.

Farewell nap time, though I hardly knew ye.

A few great years…. how could you leave me?

That hour or two of peace was great.

Finally… a chance to exercise and lose weight.

Then, like a cruel joke,

My dreams of rest went up in smoke.

Afternoons once spent doing chores

Are now spent stumbling over toys on the floor.

It’s a small price to pay

To have my daughters in a good mood all day.

For if you return

(Oh, some days how I wish you’d return)

I know they would be awake late into the night…

And I would spend all the next day breaking up fights.

(Missing your child’s nap time? Feel free to leave your own verse in the comment section!)

On January 1, my husband’s employer switched insurance companies. I didn’t think it would be a big deal… the premiums are about the same and the coverage hasn’t changed. Yesterday I got my first Explanation of Benefits (EOB) for a few appointments my daughters had and I’m realizing I will need to go over every EOB with a fine tooth comb.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know about a month ago we had a terrible stomach bug hit all 6 of us. At one point I was so concerned about three of my daughters that I had to take them to the pediatrician. They just weren’t eating or drinking much, and what they consumed came right back up. That’s a $20 copay for each. Yet on the EOB I read yesterday I was charged $25 each. Hey, that’s a total of $15 I hadn’t banked on, which is nothing to sneeze at. I called the customer service line and the agent I spoke with looked everything over and even consulted a supervisor. Turns out the company doesn’t want to cover $5 on each claim because the girls were given a prescription medication during the visit. Excuse me? The pediatrician gave each of them an anti-nausea medication to try to settle their stomachs so they could start getting nutrients. The insurance company argues I should have just picked up the prescription. OK… so picture yourself at the doctor with three very sick three-year-olds, all of whom have been barfing for days on end (don’t forget about the fourth sister who is no longer sick but started the whole process). The pediatrician wants to immediately give them medication to calm their stomachs and give them (and you) some relief. Do you a) have your daughters take the medication or b) say “no thanks. I think I’ll drag this out and go fill a prescription”? (For the record, we still needed the prescription, but getting the medication right then and there gave us a chance to get the girls home first. Then I filled the prescription without a bunch of sick kids waiting in the car).

I really shouldn’t be surprised. When my daughters were first born our insurance company rejected every single claim filed on their behalf. Why? Because the hospital filed the first dozen as “Baby A,” “Baby B,” “Baby C,” or “Baby D.” When I panicked at the bills I was receiving and called the insurance company I was informed no one by the name of “Baby A” was on our plan. Really? Really???? It all got straightened out after lots of paperwork and phone calls.

Before my daughters came along I didn’t look too closely at my EOBs. I just wonder how many times I overpaid!