Coincidence

It's probably not a coincidence that my last blog post was the day before my husband gave me an early Christmas present. Just to prove that men might really be listening when we think they've tuned us out, he gifted me with an iPad. It feels good to be the luckiest girl I know! To top it off, he took charge of the kids for the day so I could play with it. I love it, Goldie loves it, even Hank loves it. But, my PC is definitely jealous. The iPad is so fast, quiet, and portable. It's the clear choice over the computer with a fan that never shuts off and runs so loud that you have to turn it off to watch television.

I'll do a brief recap of the other things that have kept me from sitting at the keyboard. Sick, Christmas, skin cancer (I'm ok, its been removed), Hank's FIRST birthday, cleaning and organizing with super husband, potty training, Mary Poppins, and now more sick. I left an item off of this list. It's something I've been working on for a couple months now and it needs its own post. However, don't get too excited, its about the dirty details of services and the system. Really, I'm writing it more for my sanity than anything else.

Last Call for Shutterfly Holiday Cards!!

When I saw Shutterfly's Holiday Card promotion giving bloggers 50 free holiday cards I signed up right away. And that was as far as things got until this morning. I had Christmas ensembles laid out for each of us to wear and Goldie's Christmas party. Then Children's Hour was cancelled and that gave me the time I needed. Imagine my surprise when I logged into Shutterfly and saw that this promotion ends TONIGHT at midnight! Do I have good luck or what?

I have been a customer of Shutterfly for 8 years. I love their photobooks (Goldie really loves them), cards and invitations. I enjoy being able to pick and choose what I want online and not have to stand in the middle of store with 4 kids running circles around me. If I'm lucky. Sometimes, they just take off in straight line.

Here is our Christmas card from 2008:

Plaid Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for unique, personalized Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Here is a holiday card/birth announcement from last year. I just couldn't send out cards until all my children were here!

Family Snowfall Teal Christmas

Create beautiful photo Christmas cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

I've been browsing this year's Christmas cards and here is what I'm looking at so far:

Sharing the Love or Our Shining Stars

Good Deals on Talk Tools and more!

I tend to fluctuate between wanting to give Goldie every opportunity to succeed and feeling like I'm just throwing money at her disability. My other kids had a shape sorter, Goldie had 3. Ditto for stacking toys, puzzles, and pegboards. Don't even ask how many board books I've bought for our low vision toddler.

So, I'm always on the lookout for a way to save some money. This month has brought a couple good deals our way.

Let's start with two that I found over at Got Down Syndrome's blog.

First, the book Down Syndrome: What You Can Do is available for 10% off. Offer is good until Sept 30, 2010.
The next one from Talk Tools is also good through Sept. 30th.

"Our MOST popular promotion is back!


RECEIVE 40% OFF ALL EDUCATIONAL DVD's!!! --  Prices as low as $39.00!


**Our Self-study DVDs are among the most accessible and convenient means to acquire continuing education units (CEUs), and upon completion ITI will make sure the required documents are filed on time and correctly with either ASHA or AOTA. Additionally, the presence of full-length one to two day workshops in your multimedia library will allow you and your colleagues to review the material whenever, and at whatever pace, you like**

Visit TalkTools website at www.talktools.net. I ordered some things and have been sharing them with Goldie's therapists.


The third deal available right now is from Woodbine House. In recognition of National Down Syndrome Awareness month they are taking 20% off of books and DVDs on Down syndrome. Just go to their website and click on "specials" to see the items included in the sale. This offer is good during September and October. I'm thinking I'd let to get "Views from Our Shoes" for my girls.

Last, but not least, is my newest place to shop on the web. Since Hank hates shopping and Goldie isn't much better I'm usually rushing through the store trying to get out as fast as possible. I always forget something. This is why I love shopping online. Some of Goldie's supplements I can only get online. I have had to order from 3 different places to get everything we need. Now, I found a store that sells both the ginkgo and fish oil Goldie takes. Take 20% off your first order at Soap.com with promo code WIFF2267 . Don't forget the free shipping on orders over $25! Soap.com is  the sister site to Diapers.com, so I can even add replacement straws for Goldie's cups or diapers for Hank to our order.

Missing Post?

Has anyone ever had a post disappear from their blog? One of my first posts was a few short paragraphs about breastfeeding Goldie. I went looking for it this morning and it is gone. It still shows up in my reader, but when I click on it, I'm taken to the message "that page doesn't exist on the blog ..." 

A friend sent me a link to the Breastfeeding Cafe blog carnival. Today's topic is breastfeeding in special circumstances. So, maybe its time for me to re-post or write something more detailed and informative. 

Spring Break

This isn't the post I had planned to write tonight. Goldie's launching into spring with a stomach virus. So while I'm disinfecting my house, you really should go read this.  And lets hope I can keep my littlest girl hydrated and at home.

Honey, We Have a Problem

That what I heard when Hank was upstairs putting up the girl's "new" bunk beds. Curious, I go up to see what's going on. He quietly takes my hand and points into our bedroom,at the ceiling. There is a HOLE and BEES are flying into the room. That was definitely not there this morning when I got a shower. While I called exterminators, he set some foggers off in the attic and sprayed some bee killer in the hole. Of course he put duct tape over it when he was done. What man could pass up a chance to use duct tape. That should hold them back until Friday when the exterminators come. I'll be sleeping on the couch in the meantime. Hank assures me its safe to sleep in our room because bees sleep at night. That's nice to know, I'll still be on the couch.

Goldie is doing ok. Her appetite is pretty good, but she's still not crazy about drinking anything. Her sleep has been horrible. She wakes up in pain. I give her the Tylenol w/ codeine. She hates it and puts up a huge fight. Then she's up for a couple hours. So, tonight we're going to try the regular Tylenol. She doesn't like it, but tolerates it somewhat better. Her sleep schedule is off and she takes longer naps during the day. Last night I couldn't get her to bed until almost 12. Then she was up by 5. Right now, she's laying on the couch kissing her baby. Maybe they're ready for bed.