March 2007 Round Up

Monthly Round Up idea borrowed from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.


Credit: Pinky Blinkies

Guess I should post this before it is so late no one cares anymore. I actually typed it up on April 1 or 2, so everything would be fresh. I was waiting to finish my Disney report, but I still need to re-do the last entry. Here is something to entertain you in the meantime.

March 2007 Round Up

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Did I even read this month? I don't think that I did. I flipped through a copy or two of Parenting magazine (free with KinderCare enrollment, which I didn't know until the first issue came in January). And the latest Kraft foods magazine. Even have the ingredients for a new recipe sitting in my refrigerator right now, but that will have to wait until next month since I haven't actually cooked it yet.

Books? What are those? Sheesh! I know I toted around both Inkspell and The Devil Wears Prada to several places, but I never once opened either of them. I miss reading.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
Um, uh, er.... no movies come to mind. (I should give up my Movie Muse title!) No, wait, I did re-watch a film I had not seen since its theatrical release back in the mid-1990s: The Nightmare Before Christmas. Wasn't impressed then, and while I can appreciate the technical skill and musical cleverness as an adult, I still don't care much for it now. Sorry to Kelli and Annette and the rest of you TNBC fans; it just doesn't do it for me. Just too Tim Burton-y, sorry. Though I did not realize that he did not direct it! That was a shock. He wrote and produced, but someone else directed (can't recall who off the top of my head; IMDb to the rescue: Henry Selick, who also directed nothing else I've ever heard of, besides Monkeybone which I would like to forget ever existed, and I've never even seen it).

Television wise, we started watching Raines on NBC, with Jeff Goldblum. I absolutely love him, so I had to give it a shot. He is a Los Angeles homicide detective who converses with imaginary versions of the victims who change as he learns new details about the victim. It is really very interesting. The first episode was a little dark and stiff (it is a drama, not a comedy, though it does have its moments), but they are letting him and the show loosen up a bit as they figure out the right balance between serious and quirky, and the show is rapidly growing on us. And it has Linda Park in it, from Star Trek: Enterprise, so it's nice to see her in a different role. After three episodes, we set it to a series recording on the DVR, in hi-def even. Oooo, special. Besides that, just the usual.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
BIL's wedding! I now officially have a sister-in-law. My grandmother turned 74, and my grandfather turned 87. And one of my best bud's daughters turned 17, but I missed the boat on that one and owe her a gift (or at least a card!).

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Well, a wedding gift, obviously. I sent cards and school photos of Luke to the grandparents for their birthdays, and Luke visited each of them (with Mom (we were at the wedding) for Este Mom's and with all of us (after Disney) for PaPaw's).

Seems like I received something, but I cannot for the life of me think of what! Isn't that awful? Must keep better notes.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
DH was dreadfully sick the day before we left for the wedding. As in throwing up, in bed all day type sick. I think he only made it through by sheer force of will! (And a generous dose of all the OTC meds we could think of that might help.) Luke came down with it right after we got back from the wedding, so he was vomiting both at the very beginning and at the very end of the month (last Thursday, March 29). Just a couple of times on a single night each time, though, so not too terribly awful (but not exactly fun either).

And then upon our return from Disney, spring officially "sprang" as the Yellow Haze descended upon Atlanta in the form of some of the highest pollen counts ever recorded. I don't have much in the way of allergies, but when the "extremely high" level is 120, and we're scoring counts of close to 6000 (not a typo: six thousand), most anyone will react to some extent, even me (and DH and Luke, who probably now has an ear infection because of it, but that will have to be in April's review).

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
DISNEY!!! We took Luke to Walt Disney World. While technically his second trip, he was only 5 months old the first time, so I consider this his first "real" trip. All of the blog chapters of the story have plenty of pics, so I won't repeat them here.

Oh, the wedding was fun, too. Can't forget that! I enjoy meeting new people and seeing my husband's extended family.

We also took Luke for his first (again, first "real") trip to Georgia Tech (DH and I are both alums). We used some of their open green space to play a little ball, we wandered around the campus, then he became the third generation of Warren to eat at Zesto's! My parents used to go on dates there, DH and I frequented it often, my mother still begs to go there for ice cream when she is in town, and Luke is now quite the fan himself. A few pictures for you:


What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Well, we tried Cafe Luna in Raleigh, NC, by default, since that was the location of and catering for the wedding. I tried Carolina barbecue for the first time since I was a kid (it was okay, not great not bad), and had homemade from-scratch Italian Wedding Soup. YUM!! Um, I tried something new at Tony's this year, does that count? I usually just get the spaghetti, because it is so good, but I took a chance on the baked ziti this time. Not bad, but given the choice, I'll take spaghetti next time. Oh, and I actually *made* risotto all by myself. I watched my brother do it over Christmas (twice, actually), but this was the first time I personally attempted it. Should have let it cook a touch longer, I think, but it was quite yummy, even if I do say so myself.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Most Disney purchases are special and/or unusual. Light wand blinkies, blinky mouse ears, pins, t-shirts, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary for general Disney buying. We did finally buy an umbrella stroller, though Luke hardly used it. He just walks everywhere, so we've never had one before. Glad I didn't spend much on it, since he wasn't really interested in it. Oh, and Luke's adorable little backpack, though that was technically Mom's purchase at my suggestion.

What were this month's disappointments?
I found out my contract with AT&T will probably be ending two months early, though as of today, there may be new life on that one. We'll have to wait and see. We also found out that the first speech therapy appointment we could get for Luke was the last week of April. We actually learned this in late February, but I forgot to put it in that recap, so I'll stick it in here. Very frustrating.

Most importantly, though, we lost our beloved Shadow very unexpectedly to kidney failure, which lead to multiple organ failure. She hid it from us until it was too late to do anything. We discovered it right after returning from Disney, and it really knocked all of us for quite a loop. I had never had to have an animal put to sleep before, and even though I know it was the best thing for her, it has still scarred my soul quite deeply.

What were my accomplishments this month?
Surviving! I think that was more than sufficient.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
Luke had his follow-up hearing appointment, and his hearing test was totally and completely NORMAL!! We are so thrilled, I cannot even begin to express it. He finally began truly using two-word phrases, he is picking up more and more words every week. And as of the very last few days of the month, we may be starting to make some potty training progress. He can (or should I say will) now tell us when he has a poopy diaper! Ah, the odd things only parents get excited about. What a way to end the round-up! LOL