31 Oct
When my mom asked Ava what she wanted to be for Halloween this year, Ava immediately responded, “A CUPCAKE! A cupcake with frosting and a cherry on top.” I quickly added, “Could you make two, Mom?”
Mom delivered, and the girls headed out to trick-or-treat dressed as pretty sweet treats themselves.
30 Oct
Ava made wicked witch cupcakes for her kindergarten classmates on Friday. It seems as though she may have sampled the frosting in advance, don’t you think? Scary good!
28 Oct
I took Ava and Olivia to the dentist on Tuesday. The last time I took Olivia was almost a year ago, and the dentist was only able to check out her teeth while she was actively screaming. (She did much better at her check-up with Bryan six months ago.)
This appointment was eventful, too, but for a different reason altogether.
As the hygienist cleaned Liv’s teeth, she said to me, “So…pacifier or thumb?”
I tried the “Whatever do you mean?” approach, but she responded (rather forcefully), “Does she use a pacifier, or does she suck her thumb?”
Eyes cast down, I said, pleadingly, “She uses a pacifier–but only at night.”
The five year old next to me added, “Well, at night, yes, but also in the morning, and on the way to Diane’s, and after Diane’s, and at home, and really, Mom, she uses a pacifier ALL THE TIME.”
That gave me the push I needed. As we left the dentist’s office, I told Olivia the pacifiers were all gone. She fussed a bit on the way to Diane’s, as Ava lectured us about the importance of telling the truth.
That night, she was downright angry for about two hours. Aside from that though, she’s handled it pretty well.
Of course, I stepped out for a couple of hours tonight, only to come home to find out she had located “pink.” (We’re relatively sure there are at least 18 hidden around the house.) Bryan discarded it, and Liv spent about 30 minutes protesting.
Still, though, it’s been almost three full days, and the world has yet to stop turning.
If she comes across “purple,” though, we’re toast.
25 Oct
I think this series of photos, in which I simply tried to obtain one decent shot of my girls in matching Husker outfits (thanks, Dad and Rose!), pretty much sums up the whole weekend.
But, in happier news, how ’bout those Huskers?
21 Oct
Once upon a time, there was a sweet little princess who wore her crown EVERYWHERE she went.
She wore it during the day…
…and she wore it at night.
The princess wore her crown in good times…
And during periods of strife.
She even wore her crown in the royal bubble bath.
And of course, at high tea.
The princess LOVED her crown, and would banish anyone who attempted to remove it.
One day, though, the crown met its end. The princess was devastated, and the entire kingdom suffered dire consequences.
The townspeople tried everything to repair the princess’s crown. While wire, zip ties and rubber bands failed, hot glue was a success!
The kingdom rejoiced!
But it was not to be.
The princess refused sleep, tossing and turning, and demanding the crown be replaced into the wee hours of the morning.
When the exhausted royal family thought all hope was lost, the Queen suddenly remembered that she was of Bornemeier blood, and a solution became immediately apparent.
The duct tape worked perfectly, just as it had for the kings and queens before her.
The princess, with her crown once more, was radiant and happy.
A restful sleep fell over the entire kingdom…
…and they lived happily ever after.
19 Oct
I’ve been making my own laundry soap for several months now. I couldn’t be happier with the results, especially in the stain management category (extremely important when you have a toddler who delights in acquiring new and often inexplicable stains).
So, while mixing up a third batch this weekend, I took the leap and made dishwasher detergent, too. I mixed equal parts baking soda and Borax, and we used two tablespoons per load.
I think there are always trade offs in projects like this. Excess Borax in the ground water is not great, but many believe it’s better than the chemicals found in other detergents. Plus, we’re avoiding those bulky plastic containers altogether.
Because in this case the Borax would be coming in to contact with our dishes, I wanted to be absolutely sure it was safe. I read a number of papers and articles on the matter, then shared my findings with Bryan, a guy who won’t eat leftovers past the 24 hour mark for fear they’ll kill him. He signed off, assuring me Borax was not toxic. However, to ensure a super clean rinse, I added vinegar to the Jet Dry dispenser.
I’d welcome any feedback or links to additional research on the topic. In the meantime, we’re all still upright, and we’re really happy with how well this works. I’d strongly suggest avoiding the leftover chicken in the fridge, though, if you’d like to make it until the weekend.
