Happy Easter!

We colored eggs today and went shopping for Easter dinner food, and best of all, Zach was home all morning! Naomi has been a trooper, she's been feeling a little sick all week. She's just seeming to be getting over her cold and now her temperature is shooting up. I suspect (another) ear infection. Sigh... I breastfed that baby forever and less ear infections is supposed to be a benefit!!! ah well.

She's sleeping now (thank goodness). Naomi's been tired all day and unable to get to sleep. She ended up with a 25 min. nap earlier this afternoon. Poor baby.

If she's feeling yucky still tomorrow I'm going to take her to the E-room and get her ears checked out, it's not worth waiting another whole day for antibiotics if that's the case. I'm just praying she'll sleep well tonight.

Anyway, back to Easter. Last night Zach and I watched the Testaments DVD my Mom & Dad sent us for Easter. It's so amazing, I wish Naomi was able to understand but I think she already does in her own way.

I'm posting some cute pictures from today and a few from the park a few days ago. It's still freezing here since that cold front stormed in, literally. I have a sweet little green Easter dress for Naomi to wear tomorrow if she's feeing up to church. The dress and little white sweater were b-day gifts for Naomi from my mom. I have the cutest dresses for her to wear this summer!! I'll probably post pics of them all. ha ha.

TORNADO WATCH!!!

This is why I am not going to live in the Mid West just as soon as I can get myself out of here.

Tornadoes

Up until today, I have never truly been scared of the weather. Growing up in Utah it just never warranted something to be frightened of. Sure you got an occasional super loud thunderstorm, but that was awesome to watch! And the snow was never something to be afraid of, just annoying when you needed to get somewhere.

Right now I'm in the middle of a Tornado Watch, meaning that Severe Thunderstorms are creating weather conditions favorable for the formation of severe hail, rain, wind gusts and TORNADOES. About 20 minutes ago I was close to tears, no I was crying. It's still raining pretty hard and thunder and lightning are ripping through the sky but I think the worst has passed. It was hailing so hard I thought for sure a window was going to break.

Now that I'm feeling sane again, I have decided once and for all, we are going to live in the WEST.

SUMMERTIME (In April?)

It's officially summer here. Today it was 80 degrees and we had a pool party! Too bad the pool was too small to fit me too. Naomi had a blast, this cute little pool is a Wal*Mart special, $6.97.

I'm looking forward to a loooong hot summer with LOTS of swimming. We'll be at the Logan Aquatic Center come May! I'm so excited to take Naomi swimming! She loves the water allready.

Toddler Food

Just fair warning here: This is going to be a boring post. I just needed to get some stuff written down:)

Naomi is a good eater. Really, she eats nearly everything we give her.
On a side note, we are going to Los Cabos in May and leaving Naomi in the loving care of Grandparents, 1/2 at my parents and 1/2 at Zach's. I'm not too worried but Zach is, he's a little overprotective!
So, I've been thinking about the things I wanted to write down for them, i.e. nap and bedtime routines, nap schedule, when she usually eats and WHAT she eats.
So that landed me here. I'm going to make a list of what little Nomi-Nomi likes to eat! I'll add/subtract if needed as I get closer to takeoff.

*all things in baby size bites* (she's a chipmunk if I let her)

Grains:
cinnamon toast
spaghettio's
ravioli
ALL pasta
(with tomato, cheese, or cream sauces)
rice
rice-a-roni
tortillas (dipped in a sour cream and salsa mixture) or plain
grilled cheese sandwiches
mini nilla wafers
cheese crackers
all cereals (rice chex, cheerios, product 19 and cinnamon toast crunch are current favs)
ritz crackers
graham crackers
pancakes (sometimes)
waffles (sometimes)
french toast

Fruit:
Peaches
grapes
oranges (mandarin or fresh)
apples (TINY bits/shredded)
applesauce
blueberries (LOVES)
mangoes
bananas
plums
pears
strawberries
raisins

Vegetables:
avocados
tomatoes
squash & summer squash
beans
peas
carrots (sometimes)
orange/red/yellow bell peppers
olives
mashed potatoes
red potatoes
pickles (is that a veggie?!)
MILD banana peppers
corn

Dairy:
Milk
Cheese
sour cream
cottage cheese
yogurt

Protein:
sandwich meats
chicken
turkey
beef
ham
scrambled eggs
bacon
pork
refried beans
(I'm going to try tofu again, she hated it:)

Other:
Water:)
M&M's
Juice
lollipops
cookies

But just a little note: (I'm ultra strict with this one:)

NO NUTS!!!!!!!!!!! I check cereal boxes and snacks- it's always posted bold if it's an ingredient. No pieces of cereal or snack that has nuts in it at all, it's the oil that can cause such a reaction. I also make sure we wash off spoons/plates/knifes really well that had peanut butter on them- since we hand wash all our dishes :(
I still haven't gotten a referral from Naomi's ped. to see an allergist but we are playing it safe since her major allergic reaction over Christmas, and she seems to get mild bouts of hives still- can't exactly trace what from though.

snakes and snails and puppy dog tails....

THAT'S what little BOYS are made of!

I traded some babysitting with my friend today, we both had dentist appts. Funny coincidence. She brought her two cute little rowdy boys; Trey and Tenny, here to play this morning at about 10 a.m.

Naomi was in heaven! She loves other "little people." I got into the swing of things and thought, "hey 3 kids, this isn't so crazy."

But then it was lunch time.

Let's just say we made it through with everyone relatively well fed.... some was eaten from the floor, but it was FRESH! Two one-year-olds are a handful, lot and lots of thrown peas!

I was exhausted by the time it was my turn to leave and it was only 1 p.m.

Today I was glad Naomi was born without a twin. I've always wanted twins but I regularly get wake up calls like today that slap some sense into me! Really though, the kids were pretty good and had a great time playing. The boy factor just upped the intensity level a bit:)

Trey was my Awesome Ant Smasher.

He would hunt those guys down and grab them, roll and toss in the trash.

AWESOME.

He even informed me that "you can't kill it with a broom, here, let me get it."

And he did.

Cinnamon Stix and Cards

So here I am, killing time. Naomi's asleep for the night (long ago) and Zach's typing away on some brief for school. It's due Friday so he's been s.t.r.e.s.s.i.n.g! jk, just a bit though.
We just took a snack break together, me from my mindless onlining and he from his paper, to devour a super yummy Cinnamon-stick thing. I got it at Aldi's (cool discount grocery store, must post about it later) for just a few bucks, it's pre-baked, you add the included cinn/sugar mix and then icing after you warm in over for about 4 min. IT WAS AWESOME:) ok, that's sad. But really, it was better than anything I could have baked from scratch! Not that I do that anymore, too lazy:) I like say it's because I'm too busy but really I'm lazy about it. I shifted to other time-consuming interests.
Speaking of other interests. I have a renewed surge for card making. I was just not feeling it for a while there, my cards were lacking some umph:) And there wasn't a decent scrapbook store within 100 miles of this city. But I discovered a little joint called Hobby Lobby and came home with under $20 of really great stuff, most on sale. Needless to say, I was feeling like a hero! I got some seriously cute paper and ribbon.
Trisha's super-cards, coming to a mailbox near you!

SUSHI!

I did it, I made California Rolls! And they are good:)
I first made them with the nori on the outside, they're easier to make that way.
The second time I made them "inside-out" like a bona fide Sushi chef made California roll.
They didn't turn out quite as well that 2nd round.
I made them too fat, I'm going to attempt again tomorrow.
I did a little more research online and found a helpful video about how to make a California roll on about.com. I just need a bamboo mat so I can make them even better!
I'm going to make them for the family when we are home this summer, I'm excited.
Here's a funny thing- I bought a little ginger root because we wanted to have ginger with the rolls too. Well Zach peeled one side of it and then sliced of a little and then popped a chunk in his mouth. Never mind that it was yellow, not orange-pink like at restaurants. Anyway, he made a funny gaging sound and spit it out in the sink.
Silly me, I opened my mouth when he said, "here, try this, just a little tiny piece."
WOW! It was sooooo spicy! Like nothing I've had before or want to have again. It was hot and tangy and sharp. Sort of like a radish but much stronger.
Well, it turns out that the ginger we were looking for is pickled ginger. Like with vinegar, etc. Zach googled it and found that you can pickle it at home or buy pickled. So we're going to get us a jar:)
The wasabi paste I got was smoother and softer than what Zach had eaten before but tasted just fine- HOT I'm sure.
These are pictures of my culinary masterpiece!

California Rolls

I have been toying with the idea that I can make my own sushi at home. California rolls are what I crave. I can buy them, take out, at a local Japanese restaurant but I want the satisfaction of making them myself.
I did some preliminary research online today and discovered there are many variations in recipes. I debated about buying a sushi recipe book but then opted out, I can find it all online, it's just a little less convenient than the hard copy. Anyway. I bookmarked 4 different pages with recipes I liked. Some had good pictures, others had good ingredients and others had helpful instructions. I'm hoping to perfect the roll to my specific taste. I'm so excited!!!
I made a list of things I need to make Sushi that I don't already have:

Nori (dried seaweed) one sheet per roll.
Imitation crab (must remember to squeeze out excess water:)
Sesame seeds (roasted ones were recommended on one site, another said get b&w for flair)
Bamboo sushi mat, rolling mat or Makisi. (googled this, about $3.00)
Sushi vinegar (or I can get the ingredients and make this, but hopefully I can find it made)
Flying Fish Roe. This took some research, turns out it's caviar, that's right- FISH EGGS:) I will probably opt out on this one, it's expensive.
Wasabi
Ginger (need to find out if the kind in the restaurant is marinated or something?)
Chop Sticks

Other things I need are: cucumber, avocado, short grain rice.

OK

There is a little International Grocery store close to where we live and I'm hoping they have all the exotic items I need, particularly the nori. The little lady who runs the store is sooo sweet!
I just got a bottle of Tahini (sesame butter) so we could make humus. Zach's in heaven. It's a little garlicky this first try but I'm sure he'll have it fine-tuned in no time. Now we just need some really good bread to eat it with, all of ours is too soft.

So here's a few sites with pictures of what my finished product is going to look like.
Tokyo Food Page nice pictures on this page
About.com great tips
Foodnetwork makes it sound easy...
Sushi Links picky recipes

Wish me luck!

I'm FAMOUS!

I thought this day would never come but here I am, FAMOUS!!!

Well, maybe "well-renowned"

Or, how about "notable"

or just "heard-of"

Actually, I'm PUBLISHED!That's right, In the March 2007 issue of American Baby I am quoted in the "Mom to Mom" section.

The topic is "How did you wean your child off her pacifier?"I submitted an entry 5 months ago and here it is, PUBLISHED! woohoo!

Funny thing is, when I started to read it, I read: "When my daughter, Naomi, was 6 months old..." I though "WHAT??? someone else named their daughter Naomi and they are in this magazine? cool!" and then it hit me, it WAS me! Silly Trisha.

So be sure to check out the latest edition and read my ditty about going cold turkey with the binky:)

Daylight Savings

This picture is Naomi at the park, with two of her favorite souviners, the prickly ball thingys:)

Today is the first day of daylight savings and it's three weeks earlier than usual. That's fine with me, I like the sun sticking around later in the day. It's just been a little strange with Naomi's schedule. She went to bed at her normal time last night and slept 11 1/2 hours, but that put us an hour late this morning. She's been a little behind all day. I put her to bed at the new 8 p.m. and she's still not asleep. She's having a rough time of it tonight. Part of that might be because Zach isn't here, he went to a Stake Preisthood meeting in Cape Girardeau and he's still not back. Not sure why.
Sounds like Naomi might be just about there now, lets hope for her. I went in a few minutes ago and she promptly fell asleep in my arms only to wake back up as I laid her down :(

I may need to go in again, we'll see. I've been rocking and singing to her at bedtime after Zach reads her books. She's been silly and not getting sleepy just yet. We'll work into this new routine. We recently dropped our last nursing session, bedtime. So wil the molars halfway in, time changes, daddy not here and no nursing, she's having a little bit of a tough night.

What a hottie huh!

GREAT NEW PICTURES!

These are a few of my favorite new pictures of Naomi. The one at the park she is showing me a handful of bark! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the one at the top, where she's wearing the pink pants. Her smile is hard to catch on camera.

chatterbox

Zach is working on his trial breif right now at the kitchen table. I am at the desk... Funny how you never seem to use a desk for "desk-type" stuff. Except for computer stuff. I do that just fine. Right here at the desk.
Naomi is sleeping, for the night, she's been down for about an hour now. Knock on wood but she sleeps really well at night, it's such a blessing. I would really stuggle if she was up at night. Yeaaaah for Naomi!
Well, she will be turning ONE on thursday. Crazy huh. She must have caught wind that it's her birthday, she's got a little attitude these past few days. Hopefully after we allow her to pulverize a cake made just for her she will reward us with nothing but sweet smiles for days.
ha!
I thought about having a birthday party with some of our friends but then the logistics of it tipped me towards just a little celebration with the three of us. Friends are busy this week with everything we are busy with too and then trying to have a party that doesn't ruin a nap time is impossible. So, they miss out on the cake. too bad:)
Zach is the superdaddy around here. Law school all day, and evening hours too, helps make dinner, plays with Nominomi and then bathes and dresses her for bed (while I do the dishes- I'm not totally lazy...) and then to top it all off he reads her bedtime stories. He's great huh! Evenings around here from about 5:45-8:01 are busy. We leave to get Zach at quarter to 6 and then get home about quarter after, start or finish making dinner, eat! and then split up for bath and dishes, then I put Naomi to bed at about 8 if we're ontimeish.
It's been raining all day here and I think if Naomi could tell me about it she would tell me how sad she is that she can't play outside. This girl loves it out there. The other day she was in overalls, so super cute and rough-and-tumble. We went outside to get the mail, took the stroller down and back and then played out in the yard/grass. She couldn't get enough of everything. She chased Cheetah and every other cat than wandered near our place. She took rolling tumbles when she hit pot holes in the grass. She didn't care, she just popped back up or better yet, she would just crawl for a while. We had gloves and coats and she had a hat too. The sun was shining down but I could still see my breath and had to call it a day after about 1/2 hour. She would have stayed outside until bedtime I think.
Well, like I mentioned before. Rain = inside play. :(
Today she felt a little holed up. We went to the library after we dropped off Zach this morning but there was nothing to help us out in the afternoon. The mall is not an option for running free- she's fast and falls hard on the tile floor and doesn't care if she gets lost. And grocery shopping is just a change of scenery, she can't get out of the cart and R.U.N. It just needs to stop raining. That's what I decided :)
Ok, that's all for now. I will update my flickr pool soon, promise.

Ooops

I regret the last two blogs. They were whiney and blah. And I feel guilty too. Naomi did infact have an ear infection. (again.) Now here we are nearly a full course of antibiotics later and she's doing super, really super. She's the funniest little squirt I've ever seen. And just because I'm here mama I can say that she's really smart too. But I'm not just saying it, she is! She finds "cat/kitty", "duck" "moon" and "Piggie" pictures in books or on blocks when asked. She points to them! She's a genius.
Right now she's talking to herself about the tape, the cards, the paper, the blocks and Mo and Monkey. She's the best. She will go and get Mo (the Moose) Monkey and DuckDuck if I ask her too. She does the monkey sound too, it's awesome! Kind of an ahha ahhaa ahh ha. She says "Daah" for duck and "Duh" for dog and "Da" for daddy. cute huh. There IS a difference. kindof. So like I was saying, she's brilliant, adorable and funny!
Today we played with yogurt on the floor and made a BIG mess. Naomi loved it after I showed her what to do, and even tasted it. Then we high-tailed it to the bathroom for a mid-day bath.
Ok, that's all for now, Nominomi needs mama

In the doldrums

Naomi is sick. S.I.C.K. She is currently coughing up a lung in her crib. It's really not fun at all. I have been considering calling her doctor tomorrow but upon further investigation, it seems that the doc will most likely pat me on the head and say "it's viral" with instructions to "get her plenty of rest and fluids." Well I would LIKE to get her plenty of rest if she could sleep! She wakes up coughing about every 10-20 minutes during naps and sometimes longer stretches at night. Daytime naps are about as long as she can go without coughing. It's been miserable to say the least. She is so sad and sick and the coughing hurts her sometimes. She has a hard time breathing while coughing. Ya know. On second thought I think I may call her doctor.....
Ok, so I feel bad for me right now. But I feel worse for Naomi.
On to happier thoughts, she does seem to get Ok sleep at night so far, so I do to.
Like I said, happier thoughts!- I gave a talk today in church about Joseph Smith. The happy thoughts there are that I am done, It's all been said and that I didn't hyperventilate from nervousness:) Yeah for me!
Here's the happiest thought of all, Zach made the Dean's List last semester!!!! He is also ranked 2 in his class. Since this is a almost totally private blog (except for some choice family members!) I figure it's Ok to post that top-secret info here.
Ok. well. another week gone by and still haven't managed to install either of our new printers to this computer. And then Gateway has the nerve to ask if it's a problem with the software Cd's Um, NO. It would be this flea-bitten bag of crap we call our computer. I'll be calling Gateway tomorrow (again) as well as Naomi's doctor.
Until later!

January... blahs

Naomi is in her crib crying. whining. talking. moaning. She was put down for a nap at 11:20, fell asleep by 11:32 and woke up coughing 10 minutes later and then again 8 minutes later. She then decided she was done napping. I don't think so. 20 minutes of nap time just does not cut it. I let her be for a few minutes and then went in, retrieved her stuffed animals and laid her down and told her it was time to go to sleep. She dosen't think so. So who wins in a battle like this? Usually Naomi. She has a bit of a cold, only when she's lying down though. No cough, no runny nose during wake times but the second she's on her back she's coughing, coughing, coughing. It's frustrating when she can't sleep. She's tired and is no fun when she's up and not refreshed.
Ok. well this post is depressing. I'll have to write agian soon to make up for it!

December Times

On Thursday afternoon Zach did "The Blazin' Challenge" at Buffalo Wild Wings. He had to eat 12 wings in 6 minutes. No water, no wiping and all that topped with the HOTTEST of HOT BBQ sauces ever invented. He's either insane or just really cool:)


I had wings myself with the 3rd hottest sauce: Mango Habanero. It was not smart. My mouth was permanently on fire, burning. My lips, my mouth, my tongue. So yeah, I got a to-go box since I couldn't eat them all and uh... "forgot" to bring it home with me.


Ah well! Zach got his picture on the wall and a free T-shirt! He was so proud of himself. He actually finished all the wings with almost 3 minutes to spare but on the last bite of the last wing he flicked sauce IN HIS EYE!!! He was bawling but couldn't wipe them until the 6 minutes were up. He sat there with his eyes pinched shut and could barely talk it stung so bad. I couldn't' help but laugh, he looked so funny. Even with all that he was feeling "hot" about his accomplishment.

I'm just glad it didn't blind him.

On Tuesday we are leaving for Utah for 3 weeks, leaving Cheetah here. The Pet Nanny, Judy will be coming over every few days to feed her, clean her litter and give her loves. I hope Cheetah will be ok, I'm sure she will, I guess I just feel bad leaving her for so long. But I feel it's better than boarding her at the vet where she'll be anxious and out of her element. She should be just fine and Judy will call if there is any kind of problem at all.



That's all for now, I'll be posting later..
Merry Christmas!!!!!




These last two pictures are of Naomi contemplating the grapefruits. She tried to carry them around, they were too heavy for her....

Check out all my latest pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlowchamp/

Napping NO-how?

Well,

Right now Naomi has been in her crib talking, crying, whining, sitting, standing ect. for over an hour. She is refusing to nap. She is very tired now and I don't know what to do to get her to sleep. I tried staying by her, that calmed her but she wouldn't sleep. She freaks out when I leave. Naps have been easy so far. Just put her down, give her a kiss and shut the door.

Not today. Sleeping has been a little bit of an issue lately. Last night was great, she didn't wake up once but the past two nights she was up several times, meaning literally UP. She's standing in her crib and can't get herself down. It's great.....

So right now she's doing the sleep talk, uhhhhahhhmmmm. Hopefully it works for her now. I was considering weaning her soon but if sleep is going to be an issue, I might wait a bit.

We are flying home to Utah next week, a week from today exactly to visit for Christmas. It's going to be fun but a little hectic I think. I'm wishing Naomi was weaned allready so we could leave her for the evening with Grandma(s). Right now I need to be the one to put her to bed because she needs to nurse and will NOT take a bottle. We'll see, maybe she will next week.

Ha.

Ok, I think she's finally down! Really! Crossing my fingers for it to last.

Collage

These are a few great shots I go of Naomi, She's such a doll-face!
-November 2006

November

What a sweetie, I love this outfit. It's Gymboree of course.

STANDING!!!!!

Naomi and Grandma Stevie. Halloween in Nauvoo, IL 2006

Naomi playing with Cheetah

all dressed up....

Naomi's little "feetsies"

Clapping, Clapping, Clapping. Naomi even will stop nursing for a moment or two to clap a few claps. Maybe just to let me know she's happy:)

Campus Lake, early October 2006

This month I've been so busy. I can't say exactly with what, just busy. I have a new calling in the Young Women in our ward. I am the Mia Maid advisor. I teach each Sunday and help plan and carry out activities on Wednesdays. Stephanie Gunnell is the Mia Maid leader, she's great with the girls, super laid-back but in control. We are planning on going to the SUI vs. SUU football game this Saturday, and I'm trying to figure out when to go with Naomi or to bring her at all.
We are also having Thanksgiving at the Gunnells, super nice of them to invite us, four little families in all and we will all make and bring food. It will be a fun get-together. So far I'm making mashed pototoes.
So the latest new things with Naomi is that she is WALKING! Well, kinda. She can get to standing on her own now and she will toddle a few steps on her own before she stops and realizes that she NOT HOLDING ON, she loves to walk with me and Zach, everywhere, all the time. She's getting so OLD and BIG! She took her first steps on Sunday night the 10th, I stood her up after getting her pjs on her and said "just stand there for a second", and I turned to hang her towell up and she took 3-4 steps towards Zach! It was so cute, we had her do it again and again, we got it on camera too. It was so exciting and I still can't quite figure out why, something about learning to walk is so HUGE. Naomi sure was happy. Also, she will mimic sounds (finally), she will mimic, repeat gestures/sounds using face and hands(a little). It's fun to do and so funny sometimes too. Naomi is so cute too. People EVERYWHERE stop me and tell me how beautiful, cute, adorable, sweet, darling she is, etc, etc, etc. I also get a lot of comments on her 'beautiful skin tone.' She does have nice coloring, a little olive with HUGE dark chocolate eyes. She's a hottie! I just love her and everyday her personality is more and more prevelent. She likes to 'talk' to me and will cock her head to the side while she jabbers, like she's telling me a story. She knows what she wants too, and is super-observant of EVERYTHING. Not much gets by Naomi.
I'm excited to go home for Christmas, we are leaving IL on the 19th and returning on the 9th of January. It will be a little bit of a challenge with Naomi feeling comfortable and keeping her normal routines but it will be great to see everyone. I want to show her off! I also want to see the other little babies born this year; Max, Dawson and Drew. Jakob too but he won't be in the States this Christmas.
Zach's first semester of Law school is wrapping up, or rather coming to a head. He has next week off (study, study, study) and then one week more of classes and then two weeks of finals. His last final is on Thursday the 14th. After that we're home free for a MONTH! yeaeahhhh.
I have been planning a vacation for two for this May after Zach's finals are over with. We will be leaving out of SLC, Naomi with one of the sets of Grandparents and us on a airplane for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! Sweet huh. I'm so excited, I just haven't finalized on a hotel yet. Zach wan't all-incusive, I'm not convinced it's worth the extra money. We'll work it out.
K, enjoy the pics!
A few are from the trip to Nauvoo when Mom and Natalie came to visit. They were here over Halloween. We had a fun time shopping, hanging out and of course visiting Nauvoo!

Nauvoo Temple, October 31, 2006

Pictures of St. Louis Arch-Naomi

Zach and Naomi in St. Louis - Sept. 2006


Naomi looking HOT! :)


A new view of the arch in St. Louis

pictures...

Naomi in her Halloween costume-2006


Low family at Mom and Dad's house after Dawson's blessing

Picture updates!!! naOmi

The "LOW" girls..... Holly, Ginger, Aimee, Trisha (me) and Natalie


Up close cutie- Naomi


Just a few pics of Naomi to keep updated.

Rain, cats and dogs

Well, life has settled into a somewhat normal routine for Naomi and me here in Southern Illinois. I still am tying (in vain) to have a more regular daytime schedue.... Oh well. Naomi is wearing her new Halloween GHOST HAT from Grandma Champlin. BOO!
We get up at about 7 am and Naomi nurses, then comes out with me after her diaper change to see Daddy! and the kitty too of course. Zach has been studying at home in the mornings lately. He gets up around 6 to study. We take him to school at about 8:45. Naomi has cereal for breakfast, usually rice and oatmeal mixed, sometimes the mixed grain kind. She LOVES the gerber cereal. She eats about 1/2 cup every morning.
Today it's rainy. I love it when it rains. It smells like rain and everything looks so green. It's really very pretty here in Illinois. The trees are huge and there are a lot of them.
Usually we go on a walk around our neighborhood, or rather- trailer park. There 98 residences in all. We make a couple of loops and Naomi looks at all the animal life. There are usually several cats that slink around us as we walk, a stray gray kitty that is super friendly, a few big dogs tied up that sometimes bark at us, Naomi loves that even more! And there is almost always this adorable, loveable little puppy that follows us for about 1/2 our walk. I usually talk to Naomi a little, point out different animals or things we see and most often talk on my cell. My phone dosen't get a very strong signal inside our "mobile home" my mom theorised it's becasue of the metal roof. Could be- regardless, it helps me not chat all day on the phone rather than playing with Naomi.
It looks like it will be showery on and off today so we will take a walk during one of the wet sunny gaps in the day. Puddles are less daunting when your child is contained in a stroller!
Maybe today I will take a picture or two of the animal friends we see along our path.
Tomorrow I will write about the walking trail around Campus Lake at SIU, there is a lot of animal life there- more of the natural type, but just the same to Naomi.

check, check, check!

Do you ever have one of those days where it seems like "everything's goin' my way.." It's like "check, check, check!" That would be my never ending check list.
Today I had a to-do list, just like every other day and I GOT IT DONE! Well... almost all of it. I got the major things done and I would have to say I'm proud of myself. And there's a bonus point. Naomi's sleeping and Zach will be home any minute. He's coming home from school early today. So like I said, it's been a good one today.
Well, signing off for now. I got one more thing to do to be the ultimate master of check lists- fold the laundry:)
-Trisha