What Movie Am I?

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

On both this test and the leader test, I did all 45 questions, for highest accuracy. Truthfully, I've never seen this movie!

What Leader Are You?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

This was my result, and I admit to being pleased. Lincoln was a man I admire.

Baking and Blogging

Those were the 2 things I really wanted to do today. As you can see, I did squeeze in a little blogging. As for baking, I made a double recipe of Refrigerator Bran Muffins, which are not only tasty, but the batter keeps for 3-4 weeks in the frig, so you can make a lot of batter and bake it whenever you want fresh warm muffins.

Fall (my favorite season!) really fires me up to cook, and cooking is my 2nd favorite hobby, after eating, of course!

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

2 C Bran cereal (I used Raisin Bran), soaked in 2 C boiling water (let this cool before using)

1 C butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 quart buttermilk
5 C flour (I used a variety of flour and other grains: wheat germ, oat bran, ground flaxseed)
1 Tbsp. and 2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 C dry bran cereal

Cream the butter, eggs and sugar together
Add the buttermilk and soaked cereal and combine
Blend dry ingredients together
Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing well
Fold in dry cereal, mixing well

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes

This makes about 3 dozen muffins. Even when I doubled the above recipe, it was only 1.5 boxes of cereal, which I bought on a buy one, get one free sale, so don't let the quantity of cereal stop you from making these. Those small boxes hold a lot of cereal.

Favorite Breakfasts

My favorite breakfasts (that I make) are:

Croissant french toast
Multigrain blueberry pancakes
Popovers (smothered in butter and jam)
Hot Apple Cider Cereal

The last one I made this morning and it is SO good, and good for you, that I MUST share the recipe:

1 cup cracked wheat cereal
3.5 cups cider or apple juice
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. oil

Heat the oil in a pan, and add the cracked wheat, stirring to lightly toast it. Add cider and spices and apples and bring to boil. Simmer gently, covered, for 15-20 minutes. It will still seem soupy, but let it cool for 5 minutes. Pour a little milk or cream on it if desired. Makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy!

This can also be made with berry juice (blueberry, cranberry, etc.) and dried cherries instead of apples. I prefer the apple variety, but this is good too.

Autumn Girl

Since it is the eve of the first day of fall, I thought a picture of those delicious bare thighs outdoors would be nice. It wasn't long before she began eating the leaves, so we had to go in.

Look What I Can Do

Over the past 2 weeks A. has gone from barely being able to pull herself to standing, and only lasting a few seconds before collapsing back onto her bottom, to standing constantly and beginning to "cruise" as well.

10 Months

A. was 10 months on Monday. She is almost always happy. She sings along if she hears others singing, and waves constantly. When we are out in public, I often catch someone staring at me, only to realize they are looking at her. She is extremely social and goes out of her way to engage everyone she sees. She holds up her arms out to be picked up, which is simply adorable. Her favorite "toy" is the telephone. She drinks water from a sippy cup and eats lots of different foods now: baby food, bananas (holds a chunk in her hand and bites off pieces, breads of all kinds, and rice/grains of all kinds. She still loves to nurse, and still wakes at night, but usually only twice--she sleeps 4 hour stretches, and sometimes only once. I don't mind, as I know it won't last forever.

Handsome Lad

D. was invited to his first Bar Mitzvah. Here he is, all dressed up, wearing his dad's jacket and his uncle's size 12 shoes! I was worried when I dropped him off. He had friends that were going, but he didn't see them. He was carrying a card with nowhere to put it, wearing clothes he wasn't really comfortable in, and didn't really want to go into the temple. Luckily he saw his friends in the vestibule. He thought the ceremony was neat, and had a great time at the country club reception afterwards. He's growing up--off to his first formal affair alone!

Signs that I'm Slipping

This weekend I discovered a small, red, rectagular Lego in my baby's poop. Apparently she had eaten it, unbeknownst to me. This is a first in our family, and not one to be proud of!

Out of Practice

Out of practice at handling 2 little ones with no big kids home to run interference. Usually A. gets tired before T. leaves for kindergarten, but on Monday she didn't nap till later. T. usually plays with K. while I put her down for her nap. I was trying to figure out how to entertain K. while I was out of the room. A. is difficult to put down, and she would never settle down to nurse or get sleepy while he was in the room. So I plopped him in front of the TV watching Teletubbies (a show I despise, but hey--you do what you gotta do) and went downstairs with A. I was just putting her in bed about 10 minutes later when K. came down yelling "Mo-om!" He had changed the channel on himself. I didn't think much about it until later that evening when D. told me that he'd called earlier, and K. answered the phone! He said K. babbled away to him, told him his name, and even said "Bye!" Apparently he even hung up the phone correctly because I was totally unaware of this entire incident.

Then I confessed to Daryl that after putting A. down for a nap, while balancing the checkbook, I tried to teach K. to watch TV. A desperate move, but I really needed to get some things done. Dora was on and everytime she asked the audience to interact with her, I did. K. thought this was SO funny, and soon he was doing it too.

Daryl said, "So let me get this straight--these are the facts:"

You left the 2 year old unattended while putting the baby down for a nap.

He answered the phone to a stranger (not really, but K. didn't know who it was) and you didn't even know it.

You attempted to teach the toddler to watch TV.


Yup, it was one of those days!

Third Shift

Third Shift, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

This is T.'s first day of school ever! Kindergarten, of course. Her bus comes at 12:15pm.

Second Shift

Second Shift, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

This is I. and L. heading off to 3rd grade and 4th grade respectively. Their bus arrives at approximately 8:30am.

First Day of School...First Shift

First Day of School...First Shift, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

OK, actually this was the 2nd day of school because I forgot on the first day! But the first day was a half day so this is the first FULL day of school.

This is J. and D. heading off to 6th grade and 8th grade respectively. Their bus arrives at 7:10am.

Birthday Tea

Birthday Tea, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

A week after we returned from our family vacation, I took I. on a birthday trip to the American Girl place in Chicago. We rode the train, which is about a 4 hour ride, and her grandmother and A. accompanied us.

We arrived on Friday afternoon, went and had tea, which the dolls attend also. Then we saw a live musical performed by some very talented young women, all in the 11-13 age range. She also had plenty of time to shop. We didn't have an extended family birthday party for her since we were on vacation and so I'd asked relatives to send her money instead of a gift.

The next day we walked up and down the Magnificent Mile and shopped, something I've never had the chance to do before in my many visits there. We also went to the top of the John Hancock building to enjoy the view. Chicago is a wonderful city--I actually like it better than NY, although it is less awe-inspiring.

I. is my only daughter who is interested in dolls, particularly these dolls, and I decided to go ahead and make this trip now, because who knows if she will still be interested in them next year. We had a great time.

Baptism

Baptism, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

The final event of our family vacation was A's baptism. We'd asked our friends in CT to be her godparents and decided to baptize her there instead of here in Michigan. We attended mass, which was held in the basement of the church because the church was not air conditioned and the heat we'd experienced in NY was just as oppressive there. Unfortunately, the ceremony took place in the church, which was easily 100 degrees. The priest took his time explaining the ceremony and its meaning to us, which was lovely, but we were literally dripping with sweat. A. was literally screaming and writhing in misery. It was hard to hang onto a sweaty, wiggling baby. I sat down for a few minutes and nursed her, and she quieted, but only briefly. By the time he poured the water over her head, her hair was already soaking wet.

Our kids and our friends' children were perfectly behaved throughout this, amazingly. They have 5 children and this is a photo of all of us at the church. Afterwards, we went back to their house and had a lovely meal and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon before loading up the car and beginning our journey home.

I's Birth Story

I. is the only child of mine that signaled me with her presence before I even knew I was pregnant. Her conception was somewhat of a surprise. I knew it was possible but didn't think it was likely. While sitting on the couch one afternoon, not thinking about that at all, I had this powerful, indescribable, feeling wash over me that I was pregnant. It was too soon to test, but she let me know she was there. She is a very strong willed individual and has continued to make us aware of her since that day.

Her due date was Aug. 5. I had invited my parents to attend the birth. They lived in Michigan and we lived in Arizona, so they flew out a week before my due date to be sure that they wouldn't miss it. My 3 previous children had been 1 week overdue, 2 days overdue, and 2 days early, in that order, so my midwife and I figured this baby would arrive somewhere between 39-40 weeks since each one seemed to come a few days earlier. I was actually hoping the baby might be born on Aug. 2, my birthday. August in Arizona is beastly hot, and I was ENORMOUS. My parents were helpful with the other kids, and it did give me a bit of a break, but they also watched every breath I took looking for signs of labor. "Is something happening?" I was ready to scream by my due date.

At 40 weeks, the midwife attempted to strip my membranes, but I was only 1 cm dilated so it was difficult to do. Every morning Daryl got me out of bed and walked me around the neighborhood in an attempt to bring on labor. Some days we tried another method of "natural induction" first (blush!) All of this was to no avail. At 41 weeks, the OB was able to strip my membranes successfully. By the next day, nothing had happened and the midwife told me it usually works within 24 hours if it is going to work. I awoke from an afternoon nap depressed, and called a close friend. She suggested I walk laps in the swimming pool. I didn't think anything would come of it, but I went out with the kids and walked in the shallow end while they swam. Suddenly I felt the biggest kick I'd ever felt, literallly almost knocked me over with the buoyancy of the water, which was followed by a familiar POP! I hopped out of the pool and dried off so that I could tell if my water had broken or if it was pool water. It was clearly NOT pool water, so I called my dad to come outside and watch the kids while I went in and called Daryl.

I urged him to hurry home, because it was now about 5:30pm on Friday. Rush hour in the congested Phoenix area can be terrible, and the birthing center was a 30 minute drive in good traffic. By the time he arrived it was 6pm and I'd begun having contractions and wanted to leave. I called Lylaine, my midwife, and got the answering service who said they'd contact her and she'd call me back. Daryl and I left, giving my parents instructions to tell Lylaine that I was on the way and give her my cell phone number.

Traffic wasn't as bad as I feared, and as we got close to our destination, I realized I'd never heard back from Lylaine. I called again, and this time she called right back. She wasn't the midwife on call, but she'd told me she would attend my delivery regardless. She'd just parked at a sports arena, but she said she'd come right away, and that one of the doctors was at the birth center and would let me in. When we arrived, there weren't any cars in the parking lot, so I assumed that the doctor had left and didn't knock on the door. I paced in the parking lot while waiting for Lylaine, who arrived shortly. The doctor was surprised when we walked in together--he was still there waiting for me.

It was now around 7pm. Lylaine checked me and I was 3cm dilated. I was disappointed, hoping to be farther along. There was a jacuzzi tub in my room and I tried it out while Daryl and Lylaine ate popcorn. It didn't help, because I like to pace, so the warm water was very soothing between contractions but once I was having one, I just wanted out. Around 7:30pm Lylaine checked again and I was now 6-7cm. I was disappointed again but she pointed out that it had only been 30 minutes since she last checked!

She suggested we call the family if we wanted them there because she thought we could have a baby in the next hour. We did want them there, so we called. My parents were not initially supportive of having the kids present, but I made it clear I wanted them there and would have someone else bring them if my parents couldn't agree. They had taken a class and seen a film of childbirth to prepare them, and we'd talked about what might happen. When they arrived, Lylaine asked if I wanted them to come in and say hello, and I said no, as I was now in transition. I spent a lot of this time sitting on the toilet, as the squatting position felt really good. When I really started to push, Lylaine insisted I move since she didn't want the baby born in the toilet! She checked, and I still had a lip of cervix, so she told me to stop pushing because she didn't want it to swell. I was upset, didn't feel like I could breathe through any contractions without pushing, so she told me to roll onto my side and see what happened. The change of position worked immediately, and she slid right by the lip and was soon crowning.

We quickly called in my parents and the kids. I smiled and said hi to them when they came in. I had rolled back onto my back in a semi-upright position. I pushed through the next contraction and her head was halfway out. This was very painful, and I told Lylaine, "Just give me an episiotomy! I don't care!" She suggested we wait and see what happened with the next contraction, and I was able to push her head the rest of the way out, and then her body. She was my biggest baby: 10lbs. 15 oz! She had pooped on the way out and had meconium on her legs. Lylaine said if she hadn't done that she'd have been 11 pounds. She was born at 9:09pm. I had one small tear that required one stitch. Unfortunately, the squatting had led to severe hemmorhoids, so I was unable to sit for several weeks even though otherwise I felt great.

The kids had watched quietly, and no one seemed upset by it. Once she was out, they came over to the bed to meet her. It was a very special moment and I am so glad they were there. My parents were totally awed by the experience, never having seen childbirth before or been able to remember it (see previous post). They brought the kids home and put them to bed, and we stayed until about 2am. After they left, Daryl went to Denny's to get us some food, since we hadn't had dinner and I was starving. This particular Denny's had a bar where people were doing karaoke while he waited for the food, which he said was very surreal after just watching me give birth. We ate, and once I'd rested a little I got dressed and we headed home around 2am. The birth center only requires that you stay for 2 hours after delivery if everything is fine. The next day they send a nurse to do a home visit.

My parents had been in Arizona for 2 weeks by the time she was born, and were due to depart the next day. They were able to change their tickets and stay 2 more days. It's a shame I wasn't able to have their help for that 2 weeks, but we did OK. It was very special for them to be there. In the end they thought it was great that the kids were there. They also enjoyed the serene intimate atmosphere of the birth center. I was glad to be able to share Isabel's birth with them.

My Birth Story

Since I recently had a birthday, I thought I'd write what I know about my own birth. I was born Sunday, Aug. 2. My mother was 21, my father 23, and I was born one day before their first anniversary.

I was due, however, at the end of June. My mother had one non-functioning ovary her entire life, which she didn't discover until many years later, which caused her to have very irregular cycles. When she got to about 2 weeks past her due date, she went to the hospital to be induced. After many hours of pitocin, which caused contractions but not real labor, she was sent home again to wait. By now she was a nervous wreck, refusing to answer the phone due to the great number of well meaning calls asking, "you haven't had that baby yet?"

Finally she went into labor on her own. I don't know much about it, since my mother doesn't remember it herself and my father wasn't allowed in the room. My mother suffered a serious childhood illness for which she spent 18 months in the hospital as a preteen. This experience left her with a serious fear of hospitals, and when her doctor saw how anxious she was, he gave her "something to calm her down." The medication left her conscious but unable to remember what happened, so much so that when it wore off she asked, "What did I have? A boy or girl?"

I appeared postmature, very alert, and rather wrinkly, so my due date probably should have been mid to late July, and I was still "overdue." However, I have used the fact that I was born 5 weeks late as my excuse for chronic lateness my entire life. I was born so late I'll never catch up!

8 years old!

8 years old!, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Our next stop was West Hartford, Connecticut, where we have dear friends. I. turned 8 on Aug. 12, so we celebrated her birthday at their house.

K's Chariot aka The Photographer

K's Chariot, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Here is Daryl with K. in the backpack. We also had a pack for A. and those packs were invaluable.

Central Park

Central Park, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

I had no idea that central park was actually so beautiful and such a really green place.

Here are T., Paula holding K., I., J., my cousin, L., and D. holding A.

Riding the Staten Island Ferry

Riding the Staten Island Ferry, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

We were unbearably hot and wilted when we boarded the ferry, which is free! It was just the break we needed.

Thanks to the tour bus, in one day we saw Chinatown, Little Italy, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty/Staten Island, Central Park, downtown Manhattan and Times Square.

J., T., L. and I. on the ferry.

Statue of Liberty come to Life

Statue of Liberty come to Life, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

Our next stop was New York City, another place I'd never been. It had been extremely hot and humid in Niagara Falls and Albany, and NYC was the same. We spent an entire day walking around the city with temps in the 90s and humid. Actually, some of the time we spent on a tour bus. We were able to haggle ourselves a great deal on ticket prices for all of us plus my cousin, who lives in NYC. The bus was a lifesaver--you could get on and off as many times as you wanted, the view was great from the top (it was a double decker) and the lower level was air conditioned, the tour guides' spiel was really interesting, and at any given stop, we never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus. There are dozens of them.

Here we are with one of the many creative street performers we saw, in the park outside the boarding area for the Staten Island ferry.

Here is Paula holding K., I., T., J., the living statue, D. holding A., and L.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

On Aug. 7 we departed on a very ambitious vacation. No relaxing for us this year! Our first stop was at Niagara Falls. I'd never been there and was awed by their beauty and power.

The next day we departed for Albany, where D. has a colleague that has a working sheep farm. We spent the night at his lovely home. He made us a nice dinner and let the kids help him with animal chores in the morning.

Water Baby

Water Baby, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

A. LOVES the water, more so than any of her siblings did at such a young age. Makes her fun at the beach.

The Boys

The Boys, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

It was extremely hot and windy, which made for a challenging day with the little ones. Our tent kept getting loose and our umbrella blew away several times. It was too hot in the tent for A. to sleep anyway, but without any shade it was intense. D. ended up taking K. and A. for an hour drive so they could nap and have a reprieve from the sun and heat.

Here are L., D., Daryl and K.

Having Fun on the Beach

Having Fun, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

We spent the night, because it was a 3 hour drive, and spent all day the next day on the beach.

Here are J., D., A. and T.

Mom and babe

Mom and babe, originally uploaded by PaulaK.

On my birthday, we went to Saugatuck, a town on the western edge of Michigan to spend some time at Lake Michigan. It was a lovely evening when we arrived.