Hot Mama?

The other day, something happened to me that hadn't happened in quite some time... A car full of 20-something young men whistled and shouted "he-ey" as I was crossing the street in front of them. I looked around to see who they were cat-calling because it surely wasn't this 30-something, sweaty mother pushing a stroller across the street. There was no one else around... Next, for a horrifying moment, I thought they were mocking me (I had recently watched the video about the bullied bus monitor and was traumatized). Then, the driver leaned out his window and said "you're lookin' really good...for a mom." I wasn't quite sure how to respond, since I didn't know if that was supposed to be a compliment. I ended up smiling and saying "thank you," like any nice mom would.

I have to admit, I was a little giddy before he added the last little tidbit. That part threw me for a loop. I guess it's because the role of "mom" is still new to me. Even after 15 months in my new job, I'm having a bit of an identity crisis. I feel very fortunate to be able to stay home with my little guy, but it is the hardest job I've ever had. Some days, I don't even get dressed (and I certainly do not feel like I'm "lookin' really good"). Some days, okay most days, I don't accomplish more than keeping my son alive (he's a climber and has no fear). My visions of a clean house and dinner on the table for my husband every night have been smashed. It's physically and mentally draining to have a boss who doesn't speak English and isn't house trained. I worry that I'll never be able to find my way back into workforce (if I ever want or need to). However, it's worth it to me. These days are fleeting. For now, I am content "just" being a mom...well maybe at least a "hot" mom (on days that I have time to shower). Thanks, college boys, for making my day week.

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Solstice

Cloud Dough

What do you do with a toddler (who's sick) on a rainy day? Make a gigantic mess with cloud dough! I found this idea on Pinterest, of course. It's a really quick and easy "recipe" and entertained Jackson for almost a half an hour, which was priceless after a long week...

4 cups of flour to 1/2 cup of baby oil

Mix!

That's it! I placed it in a bowl and let Jackson go to town with a few different utensils.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease with a Side of Yeast

We've had some fun times at our house over the past couple of days! The fun started on Saturday when Jax came down with a fever. He'd had a little cough for a couple days, but nothing we were too worried about. We gave him some ibruprofen and put him to bed... He didn't sleep well that night and was up bright and early Sunday morning. I fed him a bottle and put him down for a nap at 8am. Two hours later, John and I started to worry because our cat napper was still sleeping! When he finally awoke, he was burning up. We took his temp and it was 103! We had planned for a day at the beach, but packed up for a trip to urgent care instead...

Jax didn't have an ear infection or strep throat, even though they said his throat was really red. They gave him a dose of tylenol and told us they would come back to check on him in a half hour. (They didn't want us to leave until his fever came down). You would think that Jax would be content just resting on our laps, since he was so sick, but that was not the case! Jackson was on a mission to explore every germy nook and cranny of our room. He wanted to press every button and pull every cord he could find. He was especially fascinated by the stir-ups on the bed... It wasn't long before he started screaming out of frustration because we wouldn't let him hack into their computer system. They returned shortly after the screaming commenced (a coincidence? ...I think not). Yay! His fever had come down to 101 and we were dismissed with instructions to keep his fever down.

It was a long day and night and Jax's fever was back up to 103 on Monday morning. We called the nurse line and they said to just keep treating the fever and not to worry unless it got above 105... I didn't really like that answer because I felt like there was something else going on, but Jackson's 15 month appointment was scheduled for the next day, so I figured we could make it until then. We made it through the day, but just barely. Poor little Jax was cranky and tired and obviously uncomfortable. I was not on my A-game from lack of sleep. My plan was to take a nap when he did (which never works, but I was desperate). Well, Mr. Jax had other plans... After trying all morning to get him down for a nap, while he grew increasingly irritable, I gave up and started caffeinating. By 1:00 Jackson was a complete basketcase and I was ready to try again. This time I decided we would go for a drive. After a 10 minute tantrum in the driveway, I successfully got him buckled into his car seat and we were off! Typically, Jax is content riding in the car, but not today. He screamed bloody murder for a good 15 minutes, while I debated what to do. I was about to drive to the ER, because I was convinced there was something terribly wrong, when he conked out. Hallelujah! I brought my ipad and had dreams of parking by the lake and finishing 50 Shades Freed. This did not happen because everytime I so much as slowed down, Jax would start moaning. So I drove. In circles around the lakes. For over two hours. Although it was not an ideal situation (or environmentally friendly) I was relieved that my little guy finally got a decent nap.

When we got home from our tour, I changed Jackson's diaper and saw that he had a horrible rash. He'd been dealing with a little diaper rash over the past few days, but this was much worse... Plus, I noticed that he had little bumps on his legs and hands and even on his face and ears. I grew even more worried when we tried to feed him dinner. All attempts at feeding him anything other than milk had failed miserably over the past couple days. John was determined to get him to eat and made a batch of macaroni and cheese (Jackson's favorite). He fed Jax exactly two noodles before he threw up... Lovely!

After that, Jax curled up next to me on the couch and passed out. If you know my child, you know that this is highly unusual behavior...

Surprisingly, Jackson had a much better night of sleep and his fever was gone in the morning. His rash, on the other hand, looked even worse. His appointment was at 7:15am. Normally, we're all up-and-at-em by then, but of course Jax decided to sleep in this morning... I gently woke him up, as late as I possibly could, and he was furious. Let's just say that it was not a smooth appointment. Since it was so early, John was able to come with. Normally, Jackson hardly sheds a tear when he gets his shots, but today just lying on the scale sent him into a tail spin. I needed all of the reinforcements I could get. John wrangled Jackson, while I talked to the doctor. Then I held pinned Jax down while the doctor did the exam. (By the end of the exam, my shirt had somehow come entirely unbuttoned! You'd think clothes from Hot Mama would be toddler friendly, but I guess not...)  Thankfully, it didn't take long for her to figure out what was wrong. She said the back of his throat was covered in sores. That, coupled with his rash and high fever, led to a diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease. Fortunately, she thought he was probably over the worst of it. Unfortunately, it's highly contagious and there's really no treatment for it. Now John and I are crossing our fingers that we don't get it! Next, she took a look at his diaper rash. Turns out it's a yeast infection- ugh! She wrote up a prescription for Poop Goop (yes, that's really its name) and we were on our way.

Jackson and I just got home from a hellish trip to Target to pick up said Poop Goop. I headed over to the pharmacy first, only to find that Poop Goop is a highly scientific mixture of ingredients that takes over two hours to make and that it's not covered by insurance. They hadn't started making it because they first needed confirmation that I was willing to pay $30 for it. Ummmm... YES!! I want to cry just looking at my child's butt- I'd be willing to do just about anything to make it better.

I then foolishly decided to quickly grab some diapers, milk, and paper towels (only the bare necessities since shopping with Jackson is like shopping with a ticking time bomb). All was well and good until his bottle ran out and he started screaming and climbing out of the cart (the seat belts are worthless). I pulled him out and carried him (kicking and screaming) to the check out counter. Pushing a cart with one hand, while carrying a kicking and screaming toddler in the other, is no easy feat! It's especially annoying when you're met with evil stares throughout the store. A very sweet lady must have seen the look of desperation in my eyes because she helped me unload the cart and tried to distract Jackson while we checked out (without our Poop Goop). I have to go back in a couple hours and do it all over again. Lord help me.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

photo by Sara Remington

We had a MASSIVE crop of rhubarb this year, so I felt compelled to try more recipes than my old faithful rhubarb sauce. I tested a few different bread and cake recipes and this was my favorite, by far! In fact, I've made it three times already! The recipe is courtesy of Sarah Copeland and the The Newlywed Cookbook. You can check out the story behind her recipe here. Without further adieu:

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (plus more for the pan), at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups cake/soft-wheat flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 large stalks of rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• handful of miniature marshmallows
• high-quality vanilla ice cream, for serving
• heavy/double cream (optional), for serving

Directions:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• butter a 9-inch square baking pan
• whisk together flour, baking powder, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and salt in a medium bowl
• mix in the 5 tbsp of soft butter with a fork or your fingers
• whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a small bowl
• add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, using a fork to bring all together into a loose batter
• toss together the rhubarb, remaining 1 cup of sugar, and marshmallows in a medium bowl
• spoon rhubarb mixture, in an even layer, in the prepared baking pan
• spoon the batter over the top, in an even layer (the batter will drip down between mixture allowing some of the rhubarb and marshmallows to show)
• bake in the center of the oven until the rhubarb is bubbly, the top is puffed and caramelized (slightly golden-crisp in spots), and the cake springs back slightly when touched (about 40 minutes)
• let the cake cool a few minutes on a rack (if you can resist!)
• spoon into small bowls, flipping the cake, so the rhubarb faces up
• serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
• drizzle fresh cool cream on top, if you're feeling really decadent

Enjoy!